MelBex Awards honour Melfort’s top businesses, citizens

Courtesy of Melfort Trade Alliance Chamber of Commerce. Back row, from left; Dr. Jason Garchinski; Dr. Trent Rae – FYI; Adrian Bourgeois – Wapiti; Tori and Mark Ripley – Ripley Ford; Adam and Lindsey Moskal – Backyard Outfitters. Front row, from left; Dr. Keely Hangs-Copeland – FYI; Darlene Thompson, president, Rotary; Constance Roussel, president, Legion; Mikayla Kaminski, junior citizen; Carly Kreutzwieser and Brooklyn Munro – NE Dental; Jaxon accepting on behalf of his dad Trevor Blevins, citizen of the year; and Mark Gordon – Agricultural Achievement Award.

Nicole Goldsworthy
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

SaskToday.ca

MELFORT — The community of Melfort came together to celebrate excellence, leadership and local pride during the 2026 MelBex Awards, an evening highlighting the people and organizations.

Hosted by the Melfort Trade Alliance Chamber of Commerce (MTACC), the annual event — now in its third year — recognized outstanding achievements across business, community service and agriculture, while also honouring individual contributions.

The event was emceed by Amanda Perrot and welcomed several dignitaries, including Todd Goudy and Melfort Mayor Glenn George.

The Melfort Trade Alliance Chamber of Commerce (MTACC) said the event was ultimately about recognizing the people and organizations that make Melfort “such a strong and vibrant community.”

Among the major winners, Northeast Dental received the Property Appearance Award, while the Melfort Rotary Club was recognized for community involvement in the non-profit category.

In the business category, Ripley Ford earned community involvement honours, and Sauder’s Home Hardware was presented with the Customer Service Award.

Business excellence awards were also handed out to FYidoctors, which was named Business of the Year for companies with 15 or fewer employees, and Wapiti Valley Regional Park & Ski Resort, which took the top honour in the 16 or more employees category.

Other winners included Shark Ag Consulting for Agricultural Achievement and Backyard Outfitters & Rentals as New Business of the Year — two new categories introduced this year.

The Royal Canadian Legion was recognized with the Heritage Award for its longstanding contributions to the community.

Individual honours were also a highlight of the evening. Mikayla Kaminski was named Junior Citizen of the Year, while Trevor Blevins received Citizen of the Year. The award was accepted on his behalf by his son, Jaxon Blevins.

“We were excited to add two new awards this year — the New Business of the Year and the Agricultural Achievement — and to include a cocktail networking hour for businesses to connect with each other,” said Lorana McComber, executive director for MTACC.

McComber also extended a “huge thank you” to the MelBex committee and sponsors, and offered congratulations to all winners and nominees.

Organizers emphasized that the success of the event reflects the dedication and spirit of the entire community.

The MelBex Awards continue to serve as a key celebration of Melfort’s business excellence, innovation and community leadership.

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