Nominations are now open for the 2025 Best Business Awards, and the Portage la Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce is introducing some exciting changes to this year’s event.
The awards ceremony is set to take place on November 6 at the William Glesby Centre.
Each year, the awards celebrate businesses and organizations that demonstrate outstanding commitment to the community.
Chamber Executive Director Stefanie Dunn describes the evening as “a really special evening. It’s a staple in our community where we get to highlight and acknowledge those who are doing really outstanding work in serving our community.”
This year, the Chamber has moved to a fully digital nomination process to make it easier for everyone to participate.
The Chamber has refreshed and expanded its award categories, aiming to keep things current and inclusive.
“We felt that our categories were maybe a bit too broad or that we were seeing some areas grow a bit stale," says Dunn. "We did open up three new categories bringing the total to four. We’re really excited about those.”
The awards now include the longstanding Outstanding Business of the Year, the revamped Outstanding Commitment to the Community (open to both for-profit and non-profits), and two new categories: Best in Skilled Trades and the People’s Choice Award.
"The finalists will be chosen by our awards committee, but the winner will be chosen by the public," added Dunn. "That’s going to be an online vote. We’re really excited to see what the people think and what the community wants.”
The event is a cornerstone of the Chamber’s efforts to lift the community as a whole.
“It’s a really great way for the Chamber to give everyone an opportunity to shine and to really just lift our community up in whole," remarked Dunn. “We come together, we have dinner, we celebrate our community. It’s a great opportunity for networking."
With about 190 members currently, the Chamber aims to add 25 more in the coming year.
Dunn encourages the community to take part in the nomination process.
“We just encourage everybody to go check out the new nomination forms and start putting your thinking caps on. It doesn’t have to be this huge life-altering thing that a business or a non-profit does."
As the summer winds down, the Chamber is preparing for a busier fall filled with events, including a retail crime prevention series and lunch-and-learns with guest speakers.
“For right now, we’re just supporting those who do most of their business in the summer and we encourage everybody to continue to choose Portage and be a Portage champion,” Dunn says.
Nominations for the Best Business Awards are open now. Visit portagedistrictchamber.com to submit your nomination.
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