The Downtown Association has handed out a pair of awards to local businesses for going above and beyond.
The award for 2020 “Downtowner Of The Year” was presented to John Kriska from Better Than Fred’s. In a social media post, the Downtown Association said, although 2020 had been such a difficult year, John has worked incredibly hard in keeping the venue a staple of Grande Prairie while giving back to the community through volunteering and donation.
The Art Ouellette Award was handed over to Melissa St. Pierre from Petals & Posies Flower Co. St. Pierre says the award was not only a surprise but also a humbling experience.
“Being that I’m new to the downtown core and new to having a brick and mortar [shop], so it was a lovely surprise,” she says.
“I’m really honoured that people have been so supportive, even though COVID-19 has been really hard for a lot of people, it’s nice to see it bringing in that shop local movement.”
The Downtown Association says her opening the business in such a topsy turvy year overall shows a positive attitude and tenacity.