A Squamish man described by one colleague as “dedicated, compassionate and exceptionally reliable” has been named winner of the 2013 Bill Manson Award, which recognizes community-building citizens.
Ian Davis, who served as president of the Squamish Community Foundation for six years and has also been active with the Rotary Club of Squamish for almost a decade, was named winner of the honour at the annual Squamish Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards on Wednesday (June 25) at the Adventure Centre.
Executive Suites Hotel and Resort was named Business of the Year. The Squamish Farmers’ Market earned the nod for Non-Profit of the Year and On the Farm Country Market was named winner of the Green Business of the Year award.
Davis and Jeff Cooke, the Squamish Off Road Cycling Association (SORCA) and local CrimeStoppers president, were the two nominees for the Bill Manson Award, named for the longtime chamber leader who passed away in 2012.
Darren Roberts, publisher of the Squamish Chief, which sponsors the award, said Davis, who was not present for the ceremony, is also a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters Sea to Sky and a current board member with the Chamber. A lawyer by trade, he was recruited by the Law Society of B.C. to update the Real Estate chapters in the province’s Professional Legal Training Course materials used to train articling students.
He has also been a speaker at the Vancouver Real Estate Board and Vancouver Coastal Health, Roberts said.
Said Roberts, “People say lots of nice things about Ian, including: ‘He is dedicated, compassionate and exceptionally reliable… his approach to problem solving is always focused and grounded, with a fair and ‘what is best for everyone’ goal for the finish.’
“’He is consistently kind and caring whether it is work, Rotary, Chamber or family. All of these wonderful traits have woven themselves into the very fabric of Squamish life through the people he has helped in the past, and the legacies of what he has done for Squamish’s future.’”
In addition to On the Farm, nominees for the Green Business of the Year award included Chances Squamish, ISL Engineering, One Small Room, Blurr Stuff, The Beehive Hair Salon and Garibaldi Springs Golf Course.
Shannon White of Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN), which sponsors the Green Business Award, said being a “green” business takes a commitment to sourcing goods and services that are easy on the environment and more locally based than most.
“Sustainability sometimes costs more than doing business in a conventional way, so it’s about taking on a leadership role,” she said.
Natalie Pereman and On the Farm Country Market “have integrated ‘local’ and ‘sustainable’ into their day-to-day business practices,” White said, adding that doing so also helps set an example for those who visit the garden centre and other small businesses that occupy the On the Farm market stalls.
Carolyn Morris and and Kirstin French accepted the Non-Profit of the Year award on behalf of the Squamish Farmers’ Market. The Squamish Historical Society, which for the past two years has run the Squamish Culture and Heritage Festival and recently dedicated the Squamish Museum, was the other nominee in the category.
General manager Jared Sissons and sales manager Alison Brown accepted the Business of the Year award on behalf of the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort. The hotel has been a leading light in Squamish’s growing tourism industry, forming partnerships with adventure tourism companies to offer up a variety of outdoor experiences for guests.
