Last week's Best Business and Volunteer Awards and Gala included a first. The Interprovincial Association on Aboriginal Employment (IANE) presented awards as well.

Southern Health-Santé Sud vice president René Ouellette explains what it feels like to win the Best Business Award from IANE Portage chapter at the gala.

"It's an honour and it's humbling," says Ouellette. "I have a lot of good people working with me to support me, and to support our team to win this award."

Terry Pashe won the Outstanding Contribution to the Community by an Indigenous Elder Award, and says, "It was quite an honour because usually elders aren't outstandingly recognized. They're very humble people and they don't ask much. They're always contributing to their people. The way things go, elders are humble. They don't look for praise or for strong recognition. They're happy just to serve."

Kayla Tanner won the Outstanding Contribution to the Community by an Indigenous Youth Award, noting, "It was an honour to have the people around the table nominate me, even though I insisted that they didn't, was a real honour. I guess they felt they saw something in me that maybe I don't always see myself."

The Spirit of Growth Award went to Arrowhead Corporation and was presented to Tim Daniels. Daniels adds, "It's a great honour to be recognized by IANE and to be included in the Chamber's night of business excellence. It's just a great honour to be acknowledged for job creation, and our contribution to Portage la Prairie."

IANE Portage Chapter Co-chair Lorraine Daniels adds, "It's really exciting. It's opening doors for us. And, having to develop a partnership with the chamber and opening doors for our IANE chapter as well as for the people we represent... it's very exciting."

She says IANE is still working on strategic planning to finalize the establishment of the Portage Chapter and seeking to further its network. She adds more members are a priority at this point as well. Daniels says a partnership with the Portage Chamber should open up many doors for the association. Daniels adds IANE"s presence at the Gala is another step in its growth, and she's excited to get to the next step by having more members onboard.

Southern Health-Santé Sud Regional Director of Recruitment and Indigenous Employment Holly Leost explains IANE was established, "To help bring our populations together to increase employment opportunities for indigenous people and for the businesses to see we are a great group of people to be working with."

Leost notes the people and businesses who received the four awards they presented on behalf of the IANE Portage Chapter were very well-deserving.