It's again time for the Better Business Bureau to recognize, honour and celebrate Vancouver Island businesses that have gone above and beyond when it comes to ethical and trustworthy business practices.
On Nov. 1, the BBB's Torch Awards gala will be held at the Union Club of BC and nominations in 15 categories will be recognized.
"All of the finalists and winners are A-plus accredited businesses, so basically they're all winners," said Rosalind Scott, president and CEO of BBB Vancouver Island.
All nominations had to come from a customer or a consumer. Eight judges then decided on the winners. The judges said it was inspiring to read the nominations, said Scott.
“When your customers take their personal time to do a nomination, that's big. That means they really were impressed in the first place,” Scott said.
Customers can nominate a business all year round, so long as they are not affiliated with it and the company they are nominating is accredited.
"That's what accreditation is all about," Scott said. "It's a trusted business that you know you can do business with, whether as a consumer or another business, and they're going to treat you properly."
The awards gala, which covers nominees on Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, Powell River and the Gulf Islands, is a "very fun event," Scott said.
"I want them to have a smile on their face for the entire time ... we play games, we have tons of door prizes, really good food and a champagne reception, compliments of our friends at Westcom."
Winners are selected based on how the business demonstrated ethics, trust, reliability, honesty, service, fairness and respect.
The 2024 finalists:
40 Knots Winery (Courtney)
Aerotherm Solutions Ltd. (Campbell River)
Assured Asbestos Abatement Ltd. (Powell River)
Auxilium Mortgage Corporation (Victoria)
B.J.'S Cleaning (Comox)
Big O Tires Victoria (Victoria)
Bin There Dump That (Duncan)
Birch Bark Builders Inc. (Victoria)
Black Fern Plumbing and Gas Ltd. (Sooke)
CBS Masonry Ltd. (Victoria)
CBS Stoneworks (Victoria)
Clark Brothers Flooring (Victoria)
Coastal Heat Pumps (Sidney)
Coastal Shores Window Cleaning (Victoria)
Comfort Keepers (Victoria)
D&D Clean Exteriors Ltd. (Nanaimo)
Drain Pro Plumbing (Victoria)
Emerson Exteriors Ltd. (Victoria)
Enerheat Windows (Victoria)
Gideon Plumbing and Drain Services (Duncan)
Gladiator Drywall Ltd. (Sooke)
Green City Glass Ltd. (Victoria)
High Definition Roofing Ltd. (Duncan)
HomeWise Plumbing & Drainage Services Ltd. (Victoria)
Island Dream Kitchens (Sidney)
Island Walk in Tubs Renovation (Victoria)
Kathleen's Yoga-in-a-Chair (Victoria)
Kyla Kleaning & Contracting Ltd. (Victoria)
Luv-A-Rug Services Inc. (Victoria)
M&N Mattress & Sofa (Parksville)
Mikus Transport (Parksville)
Noble Roofing Ltd. (Victoria)
Oasis Landscape Design (Victoria)
Parker Johnston Industries Ltd. (Saanichton)
Pride Painting Ltd. (Nanaimo)
Prioritas Property Services (Victoria)
Pro Sweep Plus (Victoria)
Ruffell & Brown Window Fashions (Victoria)
ServiceXCEL (Nanaimo)
Soare Contracting Inc. (Victoria)
Tedford Garage Doors (Victoria)
Tellwell Talent Inc. (Victoria)
The Bride's Closet (Nanaimo)
The Comfort Group (Nanaimo)
Total Prepare Inc. (Victoria)
Triple R Construction Inc. (Victoria)
Van Isle Windows Ltd. (Victoria)
Victoria Tank Service Ltd. (Victoria)
Waterworks Irrigation and Landscaping Inc. (Victoria)
Waypoint Insurance Services Inc. (Victoria)
Western Canada Security (Victoria)
You Move Me - Vancouver Island (Victoria)
More information on the Torch Awards can be found at BBB.org/VITorchAwards.
