Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 12, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Several Yellowknife businesses took centre stage last week at the Akaitcho Business Development Corporation's annual business awards ceremony.

First North Productions, Diamond Drycleaners, Bella Dance Academy, Euphora Dayspa and DJ's Towing received awards for their work over the past year.

Samantha Kidston, owner of Euphora Dayspa, received the Youth Business Award of the Year from Raymond St-Arnaud of the Akaitcho Business Development Corporation at the organization's annual awards ceremony last week. Kidston thanked the corporation for helping her start up her business. - Guy Quenneville/NNSL photo

John Gon, owner of First North Productions, a company which provides multimedia services, said he was surprised to receive the award.

"I've never received anything like this in my life - not even as a youngster playing sports," said Gon.

Never one to miss out on a marketing opportunity, Gon set up the slide show that displayed pictures of all the winners during the banquet.

"I made some contacts while I was at the awards," said Gon. "You're always marketing yourself."

Dominic Cousineau, owner of Diamond Dry Cleaners and winner of the Environmental Award of the Year, was also caught off guard by the corporation's award.

"I've only been in operation for two years," he said.

He opened his business after taking a pair of pants to Yellowknife's only cleaner in 2005 and waiting two weeks to get them back.

"There was a big need for (another cleaner)," he said.

Filling a void in the community is also what drove Lina Ball, owner and artistic director of the Bella Dance Academy - and winner of the Excellence Award of the Year - to open her dance studio.

"I love watching the difference it makes in the children," said Ball. "It raises their self-esteem and their confidence. Watching them grow over the years is very rewarding."

Ball thanked the corporation for giving her tips on starting the business.

"They helped me with my business plan and in making sure that the idea was feasible before we went ahead with anything."

Samantha Kidston, owner of the one-year-old Euphora Dayspa, won the Youth Business Award and also said her business could not have happened without the corporation's help.

"Akaitcho should have gotten an award," she said. "They helped me so much."

She said the help included finding funding, forming a business plan, and learning to do the financial books.

Rounding out the winners was Donald Clark, owner of the 24-hour DJ's Towing Service.

Clark said that while he was proud to receive the Business of the Year Award, it was hard to pull himself away from his business, which constantly keeps him on his toes.

"There's very little time off," he said. "You got the RCMP and bylaw counting on you all the time."

As he waited in line for lunch at the ceremony, Clark repeatedly glanced towards his jacket, where he had left his phone.

"I had to turn it off for an hour," he said.

"It was nice to be rewarded," he said later. "It took a lot of work to get it."