A Tla’amin (Sliammon) First Nation business has recently been named a top 10 candidate for a community impact award.
Small Business BC, a government-funded business resource centre, has named Tla’amin Convenience Store in the top 10 for Best Community Impact, a category used to recognize socially responsible businesses.
“We are super stoked,” said store owner and operator Erik Blaney. “We are taking this top 10 [recognition] as a win.”
Another local business, 32 Lakes Coffee Roaster, was also nominated, but did not place in the top 10. Other top 10 candidates include the Sparkle Project BC and Cowichan Women Against Violence Society.
Blaney said being named in the top 10 was a surprise. He added that he didn’t open his business in July of 2014 with social responsibility in mind, and credits his employees with making much of that happen.
“We started the business to make money,” he said, “but it took a bit of a turn into being a social empire.”
Blaney said he initially underestimated how busy the store would be and didn’t realize the impact the business would have on the community.
“Our third month into the business we realized we needed more staff,” said Blaney,”and this had a spinoff in Sliammon because of high unemployment there.”
The refurbished business won the Horizon Business Award for beautification from Powell River Chamber of Commerce earlier this year.
“Erik Blaney is definitely an asset to the business community here,” said Powell River Chamber of Commerce general manager Kim Miller. “It is wonderful that Tla’amin Convenience Store is being recognized. They do a good job and give back to the community.”
The store has become a place for all walks of life to meet and interact, including families, business people and local elders.
“It has turned into this community hub,” he said. “We see the same people every day. We also have some of the older people and elders in the community who come and hang out, drink coffee and tell stories.”
Other than a community hub, Blaney said the business has worked to hire a diverse staff of first nations and non-first nations and to support local youth and sports.
The award winner will be announced at the Small Business BC awards ceremony on Thursday, February 25, at Vancouver’s Pan Pacific Hotel and Blaney said he will try to attend.
“I have the event in my calendar, but even if we don’t get the award I am honoured and humbled to just get into the top 10,” said Blaney. “It just goes to show how far Sliammon has come and that we are open for business and can achieve our goals.”
