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Supporting Local Business.
Building Community.
 Celebrating Island Success.  

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Why It Matters

Salt Spring businesses work hard.


They’re often too busy serving others to stop and realize just how much they’re appreciated.


The Salty Awards are our way of saying:

You matter. What you’re doing is seen, valued, and celebrated.

Being recognized by your peers, customers, and community isn’t just a nice gesture—it’s powerful.
These awards represent love, respect, and gratitude from the people whose lives you touch every day.


Let's Celebrate Each Other

The Salty Awards aren’t just about plaques or podiums—they’re about connection, community spirit, and cheering each other on.

When you nominate someone, you’re helping them see the impact they’ve made. When you vote, you’re lifting up local stories of hard work, creativity, and perseverance.

So let’s make it count.

Let’s show the businesses of Salt Spring what they mean to us.

Let’s celebrate loudly, joyfully, and with deep appreciation.

Because when one of us rises, we all do.



ANNOUNCING THE 2026 FinalistS!


Salt Spring, we have a lot to cheer about. The 2026 Salty Awards finalists are in, and this year’s list is full of openings, expansions and fresh starts. Winners will be revealed on November 8th at ArtSpring. First, let’s meet the people behind the nominations and what they accomplished this year.




Business of the Year

  • Gulf Islands Chiropractic (Travis Cox) moved into a new accessible clinic, added shockwave therapy and expanded care to Pender, Mayne and Galiano.

  • Madrona Integrative Health (Hannah Webb) opened a second clinic in Crofton and rolled out new benefits and training for its team.

  • SaltSpring Kitchen Company (Melanie Mulherin) launched a B2B website to serve specialty shops directly and invested in Lean training for its staff.

Community Impact

  • Gulf Islands Families Together Society: The Diverse Village (Anna Vineyard) launched the GIFTS Boxes program, a storefront social enterprise and a new youth life-skills program.

  • Salt Spring Country Grocer sponsored more than 200 community groups and events, introduced digital receipt scanning for Save-a-Tape and added an international foods aisle.

  • Salt Spring Island Public Library (Karen Hudson) unveiled a renovated Children’s Area, launched a Pop-up Recording Studio and ran 1,692 programs in 2025.

Cornerstone

  • Bumper to Bumper (Jordan Courtright) kept island trucks, tractors and tools running when waiting on a ferry wasn’t an option.

  • Diggin’it Excavating (Kris Plambeck) opened a free, 24/7 metal recycling drop-off for the whole island.

  • Windsor Plywood (Jess Harkema and Adam Geddes) opened and moved into a brand-new building this year.





Emerging Business

  • Café Flora (Maxime Bergeron) opened its doors this year, serving simple homemade food and great coffee with a view.

  • Matrix Detailing (Bohdan Gerbei) built a mobile detailing setup with its own water supply and an online booking system.

  • Sea to Sea Jiu Jitsu (Haan Palcu-Chang + Janet Getter) opened its own gym on June 1, added mat Pilates and kickboxing, and has broken even since day one.

Green Business

  • Emmi’s Treasures (Jessica Ells) kept kids’ clothing and essentials in circulation, processing about 3,600 orders in just over a year.

  • Esat’s Tree Solutions Inc. (Esat Tuerkoglu) had about 140 replacement trees planted through the 2:1 Treecycle Alliance and helped roughly 15 healthy trees avoid removal.

  • Salt Spring Archery Society (Brian Matheson) launched its Bowhunting Apprenticeship Program, filling its first 15 spots in two weeks.

Hand + Land

  • Garry Oaks Winery (Nalini Samuel) opened a picnic area, made its first pet-nat sparkling wine and renovated its farmhouse into a guesthouse.

  • Island Soap Co. (Tamara Wesley) marked 20 years of making handmade soap and body care on Salt Spring.

  • Salt Spring Sea Salt (Robert Steinbach) introduced six new flavours, including an all-Canadian truffle salt, and was featured in a display at Rideau Hall.





Health & Wellness

  • Ganges Dental Hygiene (Andrea Pringle) launched mobile hygiene services at Greenwoods Eldercare Society.

  • Ganges Yoga Studio (Luna Dawson) got a fresh start this year with a new owner, a renovation and many new kinds of classes like HIIT Yoga and Circuit training.

  • Salt Spring Therapeutic Riding Association (Rick Way) is offering a free caregiver workshop led by a psychologist, continuing more than 25 years of programs.

Tourism & Hospitality

  • Glad’s Ice Cream + Candy (Tommi Redl and Dakota Martin) got a refresh under new owners, along with a Pride Ice Cream Disco and an Easter egg hunt.

  • Ruckle Heritage Farm (Mike & Marjorie Lane) hosted its free Ruckle Farm Day and kept welcoming guests for farm stays and tours.

  • Salt Spring Hop On Hop Off Tours (Elton & Rachel Walker) introduced more than 1,200 visitors to island artisans car-free and safely transported over 900 wedding guests.

Trades

  • Baff Electrical Ltd. (William Barrett) expanded into solar, EV charging and energy management while supporting local apprentices.

  • Plewman Construction (Michael Plewman) built two new bus shelters and completed concrete work at Portlock Park and the skate park.

  • Victor Mauroy Carpentry (Victor Mauroy) built an accessible bathroom for a young person and renovated 2,500 square feet of senior living quarters.


Come Celebrate, Connect & Shine

The celebration lands November 8 at ArtSpring. Doors open at 6 PM and the awards presentation starts at 6:30 PM. Your ticket includes an afterparty with bites from Salt Spring Catering and a cash bar. Think of the Chamber’s Member Mixers, but elevated. The dress code is dress to impress, so pull out that fabulous outfit usually saved for fancier places than Salt Spring.

GRAB YOUR TICKETS 

Curious about past winners?

Browse the past Salty Award Winners


A Big Thank You to Our Title Sponsors

  • Country Grocer Pharmacy

  • Hayward’s Funeral Services

  • Thrifty Foods

  • Collins House B+B

  • The Driftwood Newspaper

  • Salt Spring Exchange

  • Windsor Plywood

  • Chamber Plan

Congratulations to every finalist, and thank you for making Salt Spring a great place to live, work and visit. See you on Nov 8th!



Become a Sponsor for the 2026 SaLTY AWARDS


The Salty Awards are made possible through the support of businesses and organizations that believe in celebrating local excellence. Sponsoring the awards is a meaningful way to demonstrate your commitment to the Salt Spring business community while receiving valuable recognition before, during, and after one of the island's premier business events.

Explore our sponsorship opportunities to learn how your business can help make the

2026 Salty Awards another unforgettable celebration.


BECOME A SPONSOR



The Award Gala Evening


An Evening to Celebrate, Connect & Shine

Join us on November 8th at ArtSpring for an elevated evening of celebration, recognition, and connection at the 2026 Salty Awards.

We’ll honour outstanding businesses, entrepreneurs, and community champions across nine award categories:

  • Business of the Year
  • Community Impact Award
  • Cornerstone Award
  • Emerging Business Award
  • Green Business Award
  • Hand + Land Award
  • Health & Wellness Award
  • Tourism & Hospitality Award
  • Trades Award

Cheer on the finalists, celebrate the winners, and enjoy a few surprises along the way. This is an evening dedicated to recognizing the creativity, resilience, generosity, and entrepreneurial spirit that make Salt Spring’s business community so remarkable.

Your ticket includes entry to our afterparty, featuring delicious bites catered by Salt Spring Catering. Following the awards presentation, we’ll keep the celebration going with good food, a cash bar, and plenty of time to relax and mingle.

Think of it as the best parts of our Member Mixers — the warm welcomes, the meet-and-greets, and the chance to connect with fellow business folks — but elevated. A chance to celebrate the people behind our local businesses, catch up with colleagues, make new connections, and enjoy a festive night out together.

And, of course, it’s an excuse to get a little glitzy. Pull out that fabulous outfit in your closet — you know, the one usually reserved for fancier places than Salt Spring — and give it the night out it deserves!

Come ready to celebrate, connect, and shine. We look forward to welcoming you to a memorable evening for Salt Spring’s business community.

BAR OPENS: 5:30 PM
Come for a drink before the show + enjoy the wares of our youth entrepreneurs.

THEATRE OPENS: 6 PM

AWARDS: 6:30 PM

AFTERPARTY
Salt Spring Catering + cash bar

DRESS TO IMPRESS
Formal wear and your very best are encouraged. Let’s make it a night to remember!

Tickets: $52 (includes GST)


GET YOUR TICKETS HERE 





This Year’s Award Categories


Business of the Year

Recognizing an outstanding Salt Spring business that demonstrates strong financial performance, innovation, and leadership. This award celebrates excellence in customer service, workplace culture, and community impact—honouring a business that sets the standard for success and local contribution.


Community Impact Award

Honouring a business or organization that strengthens Salt Spring through philanthropy, volunteerism, and local investment. This award celebrates those who identify community needs, foster partnerships, and ensure accessible, inclusive support—creating meaningful, lasting impact across diverse segments of the island.

Cornerstone Award

Recognizing Salt Spring’s essential on-island goods and services providers—the businesses other businesses can’t do without. From legal services to marketing, IT support to office supplies, printing to cleaning and waste management, these indispensable providers form the cornerstone of our economy and keep local enterprise running smoothly.


Emerging Business

Celebrating a promising new business showing strong growth, innovation, and clear market impact. This award honours resilience, smart strategy, and creative problem-solving in the early stages—recognizing those building solid foundations for long-term success on Salt Spring Island.


Green Business Award

This award honours businesses that integrate eco-conscious practices, prioritizing sustainability and reducing their environmental footprint through innovation and leadership. It recognizes those who balance environmental stewardship with economic goals while inspiring others toward a more sustainable future.


Hand + Land Award

Honouring Salt Spring’s artisans and growers who excel in craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation. This award celebrates those who create with care, grow with purpose, and contribute to our island’s culture through exceptional quality, creativity, and thoughtful business practices.


Health + Wellness Award - New Award Category

Honouring a business or practitioner dedicated to enhancing the health, wellness, and quality of life of the Salt Spring community. This award celebrates excellence in care, professionalism, and innovation, recognizing those who create welcoming, inclusive spaces and empower individuals to thrive through physical, mental, emotional, or holistic well-being.


Trades Award

Honouring Salt Spring’s skilled trades businesses whose expertise, reliability, and craftsmanship keep our community thriving. This award celebrates on-island professionals whose work builds, repairs, and sustains the places and services we rely on every day.


Tourism & Hospitality

Honouring businesses that provide outstanding visitor experiences while reflecting Salt Spring’s unique character. This award celebrates exceptional service, creative offerings, and inclusive practices that welcome, inspire, and leave a lasting impression on guests from near and far. From your favourite eateries, restaurants, and food trucks, to accommodations and special attractions. 




How the Salty Awards Work

We’ve designed these awards to be more accessible, inclusive, and meaningful than ever—
with a thoughtful process that ensures nuance, integrity, and community insight at every step.

Here’s how it works:

1. Public Nominations Open - August 31st - Sept 11th, 2026

Anyone can nominate a Salt Spring-based business—whether you're a loyal customer, an admiring peer, or someone who simply wants to celebrate great local work. It's fun, easy and a great way to show local businesses your appreciation!

2. Nominee Acceptance - Due Sept 30th

Each nominated business will be contacted to invite them to accept their nomination. If they choose to move forward, they’ll complete a brief nominee application sharing more about their story, values, and impact of their business / organization -- all they have to do is answer 3 questions. A $25 nomination fee applies to each business that accepts their nomination(s). This small, nominal fee helps ensure nominations are completed with intention and valued by participants, while also helping cover the administrative costs of delivering the Salty Awards program, including jury coordination, application review, and the Gala celebration.

3. Jury Review & Scoring

A panel of fellow entrepreneurs will carefully review and score the nominee packages using consistent criteria rooted in leadership, innovation, inclusion, and community contribution.

4. Onsite Visits with Finalists - 3 in each category - Oct 7th - 21st

To truly understand the work being done—and to capture the richness that a paper application may miss—jurors will visit each of the finalists  onsite. These jurors are fellow entrepreneurs and community members who bring insight, lived experience, and a genuine curiosity to the process.

These visits aren’t just about evaluation—they’re about building real connections. They create space for meaningful conversations, shared learning, and deeper appreciation, helping to strengthen and support the Salt Spring business community as a whole.

Finalists will be announced in mid October. 

5. Finalists & Awards Celebration

Finalists will be be brought together at the Salty Award Gala Evening on Nov 8th at Artspring, where we'll gather for a joyful, community-wide celebration to honour every nominee, finalist, and winner.



Salt Spring Info Centre

infocentre@saltspringchamber.com

HOURS: 

Daily, 9am - 5pm 

250-537-5252
Toll-free: 1-866-216-2936

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Salt Spring Chamber Office

chamber@saltspringchamber.com

Our Office is in remote mode + only 
available by appointment

Questions? See who to contact HERE 

We are grateful and humbled to do business on the unceded Coast Salish territories of the Hul’qumi’num and SENĆOŦEN speaking peoples.

121 Lower Ganges Rd
Salt Spring Island
V8K 2T1

Big Thanks to Our Sponsors!




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