Winners to be announced at 2025 Entrepreneurs’ Gala
ABRAM-VILLAGE – Dec. 1, 2024 – The Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI has just announced the finalists in its Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards Competition, whom it considers to all be “very deserving candidates”.
Amy Richard unveiled the names on behalf of the Chamber during the organization’s Christmas party at the Village musical acadien in Abram-Village, noting that sustainable development remains a key criterion for all awards again this year. Nominators were asked to provide examples of practices used by nominees to ensure the sound use of natural, human, financial and material resources.
The awards will be presented to the winners at the prestigious and colorful 2025 Entrepreneurs’ Gala on Saturday, March 22, also at the Village musical acadien.
AWARD NOMINEES
For the “2025 Business of Excellence” award category, finalists had to have demonstrated excellence in sustainable development, innovation, service quality, job creation or community impact. The three finalists are :
• Distinct Magic Events, Solange Aké’s prestigious event coordination and décor business, which she first founded in 2020 as Distinct Magic Décor in Stratford;
• Island Portable Buildings, the shed-manufacturing and delivering business established by Robert Poirier of St, Raphael, as a sister company to Acadian Roofing, his residential, commercial and institutional metal roofing company founded in 1999;
• And Pho-Arts Visual Images & Designs, the company and studio established by Abram-Village’s Léona Arsenault, who has been a prolific professional photographer, digital artist, multimedia painter and surface designer for a variety of industries since 2004.
For the “2025 Distinguished Employee” award, three finalists were chosen for their outstanding customer service, achievements or leadership:
• Andréa Deveau, the executive director of the Conseil acadien de Rustico for the past 10 years, who has established all kinds of partnerships and put in place magnificent community development programming;
• Nathalie Malo, who has worked for the French Language School Board for 12 years, first as manager of the provincial school transportation system and now as human resources manager;
• Tammy Strongman, the well-respected resident care team leader at La Coopérative Le Chez-Nous community care home in Wellington who starting out as a resident care worker 11 years ago.
The only finalist in the “2025 Social Economy” category is the Coopérative d’artisanat d’Abram-Village (Abram-Village Handcraft Co-op), which was created in 1967 to provide a sales outlet for the many local artists and artisans. Even today, the 60-member co-op sells only items handcrafted on the Island.
The sole finalist in the “2025 Outstanding Young Entrepreneur” category is international champion kiteboarder Lucas Arsenault, who is team leader in kiteboard sales for Cabrinha, as well as co-owner, with his cousin Mitchell Richard, of Cousins Estates and Maritime Building Materials. This 28-year-old man survived a shark attack last summer but is already back on his feet, walking, running, swimming and kiteboarding with his prosthetic leg. The crowd of about 80 people gave him a standing ovation when he was announced as a finalist.
ALSO AT THE GALA
During 2025 Gala, the “2024 Francophone Young Millionaires Award” will also be presented to French-speaking business owners who participated in the francophone edition of the Young Millionaires Program last summer. The two finalist partnerships are:
• The hard-working Jaylynn Perry and Sarah Wagner of Sweet Scents from the Evangeline area, who make beautiful candles, sometimes with Acadian colors and always with refreshing scents;
• And the always busy brother-and-sister duo, Mark and Lutchina Nakhleh, from the Charlottetown-based M&L Company, who produce everything from bracelets to birdhouses.
Also at the Gala, RDÉE Prince Edward Island’s IMPACT DD project will present its “Annual PEI IMPACT DD Recognition Award for 2024” for the second year in a row. This separate awards competition is still open until Dec. 6 for businesses, co-operatives and community organizations conducting sustainable development projects that make a positive contribution to the environment, the social fabric and local governance.
FEW NOMINATIONS
Richard indicated that the Chamber’s Executive Committee was a little disappointed with the dwindling number of nominations received for their awards these last few years. She therefore issued a challenge to all members and the general public to offer suggestions now for names of potential candidates for future editions of the Gala. Then, early next fall, the Chamber will contact those who have suggested names to help them prepare their nomination forms. Then, the Chamber will make a draw among all those who submitted nominations to provide them a chance to win either $100 or two tickets to the Entrepreneurs’ Gala.
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PHOTO: The award finalists of the 2025 Entrepreneurs’ Gala are: (seated from left), the Abram-Village Handcraft Co-op, represented by new president Yvette Arsenault and outgoing president Alvina Bernard, in the 2025 Social Economy Business category; Lucas Arsenault in the 2025 Outstanding Young Entrepreneur category; standing, Island Portable Buildings (Robert Poirier), Distinct Magic Events (Solange Aké) and Pho-Arts Visual Images and Designs (Leona Arsenault) in the 2025 Business of Excellence category; and Andréa Deveau, Nathalie Malo and Tammy Strongman in the 2025 Distinguished Employee category. Velma LeBlanc, board member of the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of PEI, helped with the announcement of the finalists.
For further information, please contact:
Alecia Arsenault
Coordinator
2025 Entrepreneurs Gala
alecia@rdeeipe.org
902-432-2026