Seaforth Environmental Service Ltd. has endured a busy year not only looking to maintain pollution containment in local waters, but also to reduce their own carbon footprint.
As a result, it's been named Port Moody's latest business of the year recipient for those very reasons and its other contributions to the City of the Arts.
Seaforth was one of five winners unveiled for the 2021 Spike Business Awards.
City council presented each honour to the respective companies during B.C. Buy Local Week (Nov. 29-Dec. 5), which is observed across the province to recognize local businesses and their goal to lift the economy.
"Dedicated, innovative, tenacious, compassionate, resilient – these are the words that come to mind when I think of Port Moody businesses,” said Mayor Rob Vagramov in a release, noting each winning business was first nominated by a member of the public.
"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made 2021 another difficult year, but our business owners and operators have continued to serve their customers and keep people employed while giving back to the community. The Economic Development Committee has chosen an excellent group of businesses to receive awards this year. Congratulations to the winners, and to the whole business community, for demonstrating that we really are all in this together."
The 2021 Spike Award recipients are as follows, along with a description provided by the city:
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
- Seaforth Environmental Service Ltd.
- "Seaforth Environmental Service deploys and maintains pollution containment booms around ships and barges. What started as a one-person operation more than 30 years ago is now a thriving business with 13 vessels and 25 employees helping to protect the ocean from oil and chemical catastrophes. Seaforth is a strategic partner of the Musqueam First Nation and is working with First Nations youth with the goal of providing opportunities for environmental stewardship and employment. The company is also working toward electrifying its entire fleet of tugboats, which would be a first in Canada, to reduce its carbon footprint. And a research project is underway to gauge the effectiveness of a sea-life-based fertilizer, a by-product of boom/buoy maintenance, which has the potential to be a super potent, nutrient rich soil additive for organic farming."
- Courtney Vieira Ells - Refresh Salon & Spa
- "Refresh Salon & Spa opened in May 2009. Since then, it has grown and established a strong relationship with cosmetology schools, taking on graduates for apprentice programs and giving them further training in the industry so they can thrive. Refresh Salon & Spa started off with only six chairs and now has 14. The company’s vision is to continue having a great relationship with Port Moody and the other Tri-Cities communities, and to continue hiring graduates right out of school as this has been a beneficial process for the salon and the apprentices."
INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE
- Bump Physio and Co.
- "Bump Physio is described as a proudly women-led and women-run business with a diverse clinical and administration team that provides exceptional quality physiotherapy services in more than eight different languages. The company supports the credentialing of internationally-trained physios and offers clinical mentorship opportunities in the field of pelvic health. Bump Physio is a gender-informed practice and welcomes and provides clinical care to the LGTBQ2+ community. Practitioners are trained from gender- and trauma-informed lenses, use gender-inclusive terms and pronouns, and are required to complete course work from TransCare BC as part of their employment. Nominators said the team at Bump Physio strives to be inclusive and works to create a supportive and safe environment for both clients and employees.
ENVIRONMENT LEADERSHIP
- EcoHazMat
- "EcoHazmat promotes and manages in-place strategies that significantly reduce waste, and they educate businesses and workers on the risks of lead and how it can affect the water supply. Through education, testing, and management, EcoHazMat aims to protect natural resources and avoid pollution of our ecosystems. Nominators said the company builds and maintains a positive safety culture not only within the business but with clients, community, family, and friends, and should be celebrated for encouraging and facilitating discussions about fostering love and respect for the environment and the obligation to protect nature. EcoHazMat champions the idea that business behaviours must also encompass environmental concerns."
- A3 Creative Solutions
- "A3 Creative Solutions, described as Port Moody's longest-running, home-grown digital design agency, has been making an impact in the design world since 2010. Some of the company’s recent work includes design and website development for SHARE, PoMoArts, Shop Local Port Moody and several local businesses. Nominators said that while A3 Creative Solutions may not fit the mold of a traditional artist, the agency has made a significant impact in the arts community both in Port Moody and nationally. A3 Creative Solutions’ founder, Aaron Macdonald, serves as the membership coordinator for Shop Local Port Moody."
