Page 16 - JANUARY 19 , 2017 - martensville messenger
Warman and Martensville Chambers of Commerce Prepare For Second Annual Business Awards
Shanine Sealey , Martensville Messenger
The Martensville and Warman Chambers of Commerce are once again teaming up to host the Warman Martensville Business Excellence Awards ( WMBEXA ). This marks the second year the event will be held , with last year ’ s inaugural event proving to be much more than expected . Warman Chamber of Commerce President Elise Hildebrandt spoke at a recent luncheon , stating “ we learned a lot last year , and are working to make this year even better .” With approximately 100 nominations coming in , the Chambers of Commerce were pleased to see a wide assortment of businesses nominated .
The two Chambers of Commerce hosted a luncheon as an informational session for businesses that were nominated for a WMBEX award , and were interested in learning more about the extensive application process . The lunch was held Thursday , January 12th at the Legends Centre and was attended by approximately 35 business representatives from the two communities . It provided an opportunity to network with other WMBEX nominees and sponsors , and a chance to hear from a panel consisting of several winners from the 2016 WMBEX awards . The panel was comprised of Chelsey Harder of Passions Beauty Studio in Warman , who won Business of the Year , Jaycee Turtle of Lakeview Insurance in Martensville , who won Community Involvement and
Colette Neudorf of Warman Small Animal Clinic , who won Customer Service and New Business . Marla Janzen , of Marla Janzen Realty , and winner of Marketing was unable to attend the luncheon . The three women discussed the benefits of winning the awards last year , and provided advice to those attending the luncheon .
All three winners advised that nominees take their time when filling out applications , and utilize staff in helping with the application process . “ The applications are a great way to dissect your business and discover new goals that you may have as a company . It is a good exercise to almost re-invent your business plan ,” Neudorf stated . “ Winning the award changed the dynamic in our business . Just to feel that someone else recognized the hard work that we all put in . It was a great feeling for all of us , myself and the entire staff . It was something that we earned together ,” Harder commented about winning .
Lakeview Insurance , as well as Warman Small Animal Hospital have both chosen to sponsor an award at WMBEXA this year , and are looking forward to being involved in the event . “ We saw what a change it made for us , so this year we have chosen to sponsor instead of applying . It was huge for us and we are excited to present the same award that we won last year to another deserving business ,” Jaycee Turtle explained .
Although some businesses were nominated for several awards , each applicant is able to choose two awards to apply for . The application process runs until February 1st , and businesses that did not receive a nomination are encouraged to apply , as you do not require a nomination to fill out an application .
Once the applications are received , a panel of five anonymous judges will review each application and submit their scores . From there , the five finalists for each category will be announced on March 15th . Categories include ; Business of the Year ( been in business for 5 + years ), New Business ( been in business 1-3 years ), Marketing , Customer Service and Community Involvement .
The 2017 WMBEXA event will take place Friday , May 5th at the North Ridge Community Centre in Martensville . Last year , the event was held in Warman , and each year will alternate between the two communities .
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ABOVE : The Warman and Martensville Chambers of Commerce hosted a Power Hour Luncheon January 12th . Winners from last year ’ s WMBEXA Awards were invited to attend and provide advice to this year ’ s nominees . From L to R : Tracey Fesiuk ( Martensville Chamber of Commerce Vice-President ), Chelsey Harder of Passions Beauty Studio ( 2016 Business of the Year winner ), Collete Neudorf of Warman Small Animal Hospital ( 2016 New Business and Customer Service winner ), Jaycee Turtle of Lakeview Insurance ( 2016 Community Involvement winner ), Elise Hidebrandt ( Warman Chamber of Commerce President ) and Jaimie Malmgren ( Warman Chamber of Commerce Executive Director ).
SGI Canada Reminds Homeowners To Take Steps To Prevent Ice Dams
With the January snowfall seen in many areas of the province , and with temperatures on the rise this past week and into next week , SGI CANADA recommends homeowners clear the snow off their roofs before it melts to avoid an ice dam .
“ Ice dams can cause significant damage to the walls , ceiling and insulation of your home , even damaging the contents of your home in some cases ,” said Don Thompson , Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of SGI CANADA . “ No one wants to find themselves in that situation . The good news is that there are some fairly simple things you can do now to help stop ice dams from forming and prevent an insurance claim down the road .”
Ice dams can form when temperatures fluctuate below and above the freezing point . If the snow on the roof melts , but can ’ t drain properly , it can pool and then re-freeze , forming an ice dam . SGI CANADA recommends these tips to protect your home from ice dams :
- Keep the amount of snow on your roof to a minimum . Use a roof rake or hire a professional to clear the snow away – for safety reasons , don ’ t go up on the roof yourself .
- Keep gutters and downspouts free of snow , ice buildup and icicles so there ’ s a ready path for melting snow and ice to drain .
- Ensure your attic is properly insulated and ventilated to prevent heat from inside your home leaking into the attic and causing snow on the roof to melt . A roofing contractor can provide assistance if needed .
“ Coverage for ice dams is not automatically included with every home insurance policy , so it ’ s important to talk to your insurance broker to find out if you have coverage in place should you need it ,” said Thompson . “ Just keep in mind the coverage has to be in place before damage occurs , so it ’ s a good idea to have that conversation with your broker sooner rather than later .”
If you have an ice dam that does result in damages , do what you can to prevent further damage and contact your i n s u r a n c e broker as soon as possible to file a claim . If insured with SGI CANADA , an adjuster will contact you to make an a p p o i n t m e n t to assess the damage .
For more i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t p r e v e n t i n g water damage to your home , visit SGI C A N A D A ’ s w e b s i t e at www . sgicanada . ca . ABOVE : SGI warns residents to be mindful of ice dams on their homes .
( sgicanada . ca )