Award Year: 2019

Persistence Training Centre, owned by Kylee Street, offers specialized trainers and coaches to a wide demographic of individuals. Its goal is to increase the overall health and wellness locally and especially within the First Nations community. Kylee opened her first training facility in her home and has worked diligently growing her clients to over 100 strong while opening a professional training centre two years ago.

Tseax (See-ax) Development Group is a consulting firm that provides strategic business advice to the private and public sector. Art Mercer, President and CEO, lives by the proverb “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” and has rendered it into a business development approach that focuses on supporting partnerships between industry and Indigenous entrepreneurs while advocating for training and apprenticeship.

Nechako Valley Animal Health Services provides quality veterinary care to pets, horses and livestock while offering outreach programs that focus on animal health and well being in remote and under-served rural and Indigenous communities in northern BC. Dr. Cori Stephens has built her clinic from a one vet to two vet practice; diversified the services offered; and reached out to areas that are in need due to lack of qualified professionals in northern BC.

Rivermist Excavating is a Kamloops-based civil contracting firm that specializes in land development, site servicing, and government infrastructure projects. Founded in the year 2000, it has experienced consistent strong growth, including a remarkable 50% growth in the past year. A dynamic company with solid expertise, customer focus, and employee dedication, Rivermist is committed to providing a culture of continuous improvement in construction processes, environmental conservancy and social responsibility.

Top Notch Oilfield Contracting Ltd is a Heavy Civil Earthworks Contractor whose goal is to be a role model for First Nations Entrepreneurs. Owners Judy and Boomer Desjarlais started Top Notch in the spring of 2004 with 1 employee, $1500 and two babies in tow employing a “can do” attitude. Top Notch now thrives in today’s tough environment by having valuable and valued employees, state of the art equipment, while providing a great service.

Mustimuhw (Moo-stee-moo)Information Solutions Inc. is a software and services company that focuses primarily in the health and social services sector for Indigenous-run service organizations. Mustimuhw software is currently operating in seven provinces supporting over 274 First Nations. Additionally, their Technology for Maternal Child and Health initiative is being implemented in two clinics in Northern Ghana. Mustimuhw’s goal is to develop tools that meet the needs of Indigenous Service organizations, and secondly to create a source revenue stream for Cowichan Tribes to invest back into social priorities.

The Stz’uminus First Nation (SFN) set up Coast Salish Group (CSG) as an independent corporation to support its economic development and to create local job opportunities for Stz’uminus members. Twenty percent of its annual profit is given back to the community. Ten years ago, Coast Salish Group started out with one business entity and has since incorporated four additional businesses and set up several partnerships. In the last five years Coast Salish Group has succeeded in creating over 100 jobs.

Lower Nicola Site Services is a partnership between the Lower Nicola Indian Band and Infracon Construction. Its goal is to provide meaningful training, employment, and revenue to community members while providing quality, industry leading services to clients. Its mandate is to take a proactive, hands-on approach to ensure that the environment is cared for both now and for future generations. Lower Nicola Site Services is keen to take on a leadership role in the energy sector for generations to come.