Prince George, B.C.- The Northern B.C. Tourism Association has handed out some hardware as part of its annual general meeting in Prince George.

 

The awards celebrate achievements in tourism leadership and marketing and were presented by Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Everett, on behalf of the Association.

 

“We are so proud of our northern tourism operators and communities, who work with us to bring visitors to our area. Tourism is a $1.1 billion industry in northern BC, and these awards honour the people who make it happen.” says Everett.

 

And the winners are:

 

The Northern Promotion award went to Tourism Dawson Creek and Global Spectrum Facility Management, for the “myEntertainment Dawson Creek” campaign.

 

The Northern Pride award went to Chetwynd International Chainsaw Championship, a unique tourism experience that not only brings people together in teamwork and cooperation, but also keeps the resulting artwork on display to beautify the town year round.

 

The Northern Advertisement honours went to Tourism Prince Rupert, for an excellent print ad, which truly made the judges want to “Be There”.

 

The Northern Advancement award honours an exceptional northerner who has shown exceptional leadership and has advanced tourism in the Northern BC Tourism region. This year, it was presented posthumously to Dan Pakula, owner of Stikine Riversong and passionate member of the Stewart-Cassiar Tourism Council. Pakula’s widow, Diane and son, Travis, were on hand to receive the award.

 

The Water Smith Visionary Award, a joint honour bestowed by Tourism Prince Rupert and Northern BC Tourism, was presented to Bud Powell. Powell has been a champion of tourism in northern British Columbia for many years, and as a member of Dawson Creek city council, was instrumental in founding Tourism Dawson Creek. As presenter Bruce Wishart of Tourism Prince Rupert put it, “We recognize Bud as a champion of the north, and as someone willing to roll up his sleeves and help—without any hope of personal gain.”