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NOMINATION CATEGORIES

NOMINATION PROCESS

GALA EVENING - NOV 6th, 2025

Thanks for submitting your nominations!

Nominees will be contacted soon about the next step in the nomination process.

The Salty Awards Are Back!

Honouring the Heart of Salt Spring

After a four-year pause, we’re thrilled to bring back the Salty Awards—Salt Spring’s celebration of the incredible businesses and individuals who shape our island with creativity, care, and courage.

This is the first time the awards have been offered since 2020, and we’ve taken the time to reimagine them with purpose.

This year—and going forward—we’re proud to offer thoughtful new award categories that reflect the values, ingenuity, and diversity of our business community. We’ve removed distinctions between small and large businesses, because excellence is excellence—whether you're a solo entrepreneur or a team of fifty.

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.

A BIG THANKS TO OUR TITLE SPONSORS WHO ARE ALREADY ON BOARD!

Media Sponsor

See what nominees from the 2017 Salty Awards had to say about what it meant to them to be nominated - as well as snippets from the award evening

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.

This Year’s Award Categories

Business of the Year

Recognizing an outstanding Salt Spring business that demonstrates strong financial performance, innovation, and leadership. Celebrates excellence in customer service, workplace culture, and community impact.

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.

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.

Green Innovation Award

Honouring businesses that lead with sustainability—integrating eco-conscious practices while inspiring a greener future through innovation and accountability.

Community Impact Award

For businesses or organizations that invest deeply in Salt Spring through philanthropy, volunteerism, and inclusive support—making meaningful, lasting change.

Tourism & Hospitality

Celebrating the businesses that go above and beyond to provide unforgettable visitor experiences and showcase the unique spirit of Salt Spring.

Hand + Land Award

Honouring our island’s growers, makers, and artisans who bring beauty, care, and sustainability to life through exceptional craftsmanship and purpose-driven work.

Emerging Business

Celebrating a promising new business that’s showing strong early growth, resilience, and creativity as it builds its future on Salt Spring.

Island Ambassador

Recognizing those who authentically represent and promote Salt Spring off-island—sharing our stories, growing visibility, and enhancing the island’s reputation.

How the Salty Awards Work

We’ve designed this year’s 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 - Sept 1st, 2025

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

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.

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

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 6th at Mahon Hall, where we'll gather for a joyful, community-wide celebration to honour every nominee, finalist, and winner.

Tickets for the Award Gala Evening on Nov 6th will go on sale in October!

Join us November 6th at Mahon Hall for an unforgettable night

Hosted by Michael Mann and Michael Bean

Enjoy sips and nibbles as you mix and mingle with fellow Salt Springers. Walk the red carpet, sponsored by Country Grocer, and celebrate the best our island’s business community has to offer.

It’s a night of laughter, recognition, and connection—an evening to honour hard work and inspire future success.

Michael Bean

Michael is a relatively new transplant to Salt Spring Island, and loves it. He has an extensive background as a film and television actor and acting teacher. He currently works as Coordinator of the Saturday Market and Admin Coordinator for the Gulf Islands Families Together Society (GIFTS), in addition to teaching on-camera classes for adults www.confidenceoncamera.com

Michael A. Mann

Salt Spring–based animation director and improv performer Michael has 20+ years bringing stories to life. Known for blending humour, heart, and imagination in everything from animated films to live improv shows, Michael brings his signature spark and deep love for Salt Spring’s weird, wonderful entrepreneurial spirit to this year’s Salty Awards, to honour the creativity, grit, and heart that local businesses pour into making this island thrive.

Together Michael Bean + Michael Mann co-founded Creative Spring, a monthly support group for creative professionals and entrepreneurs to connect, encourage each other, and share laughter. The group helps combat the isolation often experienced in creative work, fostering a supportive community where local creatives can meet, collaborate, and thrive together.

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