Consumers’ Choice Award Honours OCRI’s Jeffrey Dale as Businessman of the Year for 2008.
By: Michael Darch
May 5 saw a boisterous crowd turn out for the Consumers’ Choice Awards 2008 for Ottawa. The awards honour local businesses that are voted by consumers as the best of breed. These are companies that provide exceptional service to their clientele. The polling is done by Leger Marketing.
Just last week, Ottawa was declared the best city in Canada to live, work and play by Money Sense Magazine. The companies accepting the awards represent what makes Ottawa great. Most were family owned businesses. All contribute to the city not only through their exceptional service and commitment to the consumer, but also through their community activities. Many were multiple year winners, Laurysen Kitchens, Craig & Taylor and Associates and The Fish Market Restaurant.
The awards were presented by an array of local celebrities including Mayor Larry O’Brien, Provincial Cabinet Ministers Jim Watson and Madeleine Meilleur and Federal Cabinet Minister Gordon O’Connor. Highlight of the evening was the awarding of Woman of the Year A-Channel’s Anchor Sandra Blaikie, Man of the Year Executive Director of the Youth Services Bureau Alex Munter and Business Person of the year OCRI’s own Jeffrey Dale. I note that Jeffrey joins quite an elite group Ted Turner (Atlanta 2000), Clive Beddoe (Calgary 2002) and Ron Zambonini (Ottawa 2003).
I mentioned earlier that the crowd was boisterous. Awards dinners aren’t all presentations, one of the entertainers was an impersonator Tracey Bell. As Liza Minnelli, she had the whole crowd up singing New York, New York, including the leg kicks. As Marilyn Monroe, she sang Happy Birthday to an ex-president, no not an ex-president of the U.S. but an ex-president of one of the winning companies. Her Cher was fantastic, this time getting a chorus line of women, up on the stage to dance with her for the song Believe.
Michelle Scarborough from OCRI, Jeffrey’s daughter Rebecca and my wife Linda made their chorus line debut. Another lady, I didn’t get her name, tried to take over the show!
Well done Ottawa: many deserving companies and lots of fun. Yes we are number ONE!
