Gatineau Chamber of Commerce: winners of 27th Excelor Awards

Tashi Farmilo

The Gatineau Chamber of Commerce (CCG) proudly announced the winners of the 2023 Excelor Awards at the Hilton Lac Leamy. This year's event, sponsored by Gazifère, marked the 27th edition of the prestigious awards, drawing over a thousand attendees from the local business community.

The gala celebrated the remarkable achievements of individuals and businesses across various categories. The "Social economy enterprise of the year", sponsored by the Outaouais Social Economy Cluster, was awarded to the Outaouais Intercooperative Housing Federation – FIHAB.

The "Investment project" category, presented by Brigil, honoured The Hull Sporthèque.

In the "Young Entrepreneur of the Year (under 39)" category, sponsored by Desjardins Entreprises Outaouais, Charles-Antoine Hallée of Learn & Undertake claimed the title. Marie Careau of Maceca was named “Micro-entrepreneur of the year”, an award presented by Énergie 104.1 and 94.9 Rouge.

The "SME of the year – 1 to 15 employees" accolade, presented by the Regroupement des CPA de l’Outaouais, went to Mini Teepee, while Spiria Digital Inc. – Gatineau/Ottawa bagged the “SME of the year – 16 to 49 employees” award, sponsored by Marcil Lavallée.

BBL Construction received the “Prize for Philanthropic Commitment” from the Choquette-Legault Foundation. The University of Quebec en Outaouais presented the “Exceptional Project – Innovation” category award to Les Jardins du Souvenir.

OrthoCanada was recognized in the “Eco-responsible Exporter Project” category, an award jointly presented by Export Outaouais and Investissement Québec. The “Woman of influence” category, sponsored by Accompagnement des femmes immigrantes de l’Outaouais (AFIO), was won by Yolande Tchitchi of BMO.

The Mentoring Program’s “Mentee of the Year” award was given to Lissa Moore from Shop me this, and the “Mentor of the Year” accolade, presented by The Mentoring Cell, went to Richard Martin from Pixel. The prestigious “Personality of the Year” award, presented by Scotiabank, was bestowed upon Sylvain Bertrand of BBL Construction.

In a touching tribute, the CCG also introduced "The Great Missing" segment, sponsored by Les Jardins du Souvenir, to honour the memory of Malcolm Corcoran and Bruno Charron, entrepreneurs who passed away in 2023. This segment underscored the enduring impact of their contributions to the business community.

Stéphane Bisson, President of the CCG, emphasized the significance of the event, noting, "The Excelor Gala is the largest event for the business community in the region and among the largest business galas in Quebec. We are witnessing a time of rapid change, global challenges, and endless opportunities. But I am convinced that our business community has the resources, know-how, and creativity necessary to meet them."

Jean-Benoit Trahan, President of Gazifère, expressed his pride in supporting the CCG for five years as a main sponsor, highlighting the importance of mutual support among local businesses for the region's development. "Congratulations to all the finalists!" he added.

Photo caption: Finalists of the 27th Excelor Awards: The Gatineau Chamber of Commerce unveiled the 2023 Excelor Award finalists, presented by Gazifère, at the Maison de la culture de Gatineau. 

Photo credit: Courtesy of the Gatineau Chamber of Commerce/Morgan Marketing