Twice was nice for Parkland Ambulance owners Trevor and Coralee Dutchak on Friday.
The Prince Albert business owners walked away with two of the top honours at the 2024 Samuel McLeod Business Awards. The duo was named Business Leaders of the Year, while Parkland was named Business of the Year during a ceremony at Plaza 88 on Friday night.
Parkland was honoured for the work they did during their 50th Anniversary Year. As CEO, Dutchak said the Business of the Year Award was a group effort.
“We’re so proud of our team,” he said. “Tis is more about our team and where we started from, the humble beginnings to where we’re at now to how far the business has come and how much we can try and help out in the community. This is about the community and about our team. (It is) more about them than it is us.”
Dutchak said being recognized for their work made the 50th anniversary even more special.
“To think of where it started with one ambulance and two staff to now (with) over 100 staff that we have in 15 ambulances and just the dedication that our paramedics put into the community, that’s what makes Parkland Ambulance what it is today,” he said.
Dutchak and his wife Coralee shared the Business Leaders of the Year Award. He said sharing it made it special too.
“It was really cool to win the Business Leaders of the Year when it was with my wife, my best friend right,” he said. “For us to be recognized for the work that we’re doing to look after our team, that that was pretty amazing.”
(L to R) Coralee Dutchak and Trevor Dutchak accept the Business Leaders of the Year Award at the Samuel McLeod Business Awards on Friday night at Plaza 88.
Parkland Ambulance was also nominated for the Community Involvement Award. Dutchak said winning two of three awards was nice, but not the reason the business exists.
“We don’t do it for the awards, but you know what? It’s nice to be recognized and to have our team recognized and that’s really what it comes down to,” he said. “It’s not about Coralee and I or it’s not about mom and dad, it’s about our team.”
Dutchak pointed out how many long term employees work at Parkland Ambulance, including some with more than 30 years of service.
“If you look after your team, if you look after their family, they can look after the people in our community,” Dutchak said.
“Prince Albert has been an amazing community for us and to us and that’s why we feel it’s so important for us to give back to Prince Albert,” he added.
Parkland Ambulance has two tables of family and team leaders at the event. Dutchak said the leadership really help the company do what it does.
“It is really cool to think that it’s our 50th anniversary,” he said. “For it to be recognised, what a way to cap off our 50th anniversary.”
Dutchak thanked the Chamber of Commerce for all that they do in Prince Albert.
“We thank the Chamber for recognising us,” he said. “Being a part of the Chamber, they do such good work in and around the community that this just means that much more to us.”
Bison Ridge Farms and owners Denver Johnson and Becky Johnson also took home two awards.
Lake Country Co-op was nominated in two categories and took home the Community Involvement Award. Perry Vermette of Vermette Wood Preservers was nominated as
Business Leader and the company took home Indigenous Business of the Year. Firehouse Subs was also nominated in two categories but did not win in either
Shantel Kalika of Cornerstone Insurance was also nominated for Business Leader of the Year.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
A complete list of award winners is below.
2024 Samuel McLeod Business Awards (nominees in brackets):
Business Leader of the Year: Trevor and Coralee Dutchak of Parkland Ambulance (Shantel Kalika-Cornerstone Insurance, Perry Vermette-Vermette Wood Preservers)
Business Transformation Award: Embrace Orthodontics (Evergreen Nissan)
Community Involvement Award: Lake Country Co-op (Prince Albert Northern Bears, Parkland Ambulance)
Customer Service Award: Korycki Mechanical (Firehouse Subs, Mann-Northway)
Diversity in the Workplace Award: Scotiabank (RBC, PA Security)
Indigenous Business of the Year: Vermette Wood Preservers Ltd. (Limitless Gear, Indigenous 1st Designs )
Marketing Award: Bison Ridge Farms (Firehouse Subs, Cradled Wellness)
Best New Venture: Holiday Inn Express and Suites Prince Albert South at the Yard District (McDonalds at the Yard District, Homes- By Lake Country Co-op)
Non-Profit of the Year: Prince Albert Co-operative Health Centre Community Clinic (KidsFirst, Pretty in Pink)
Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Denver and Becky Johnson-Bison Ridge Farms (Tayler Korycki-Korycki Mechanical, Mitchell Jones-Evergreen Nissan)
Micro Enterprise of the Year: Cradled Wellness (Aglow Skin Therapy, Indigenous 1st Design)
Business of the Year: Parkland Ambulance (Lake Country Co-op, Pet Planet)
Legacy Award: Byron Guy (accepted by his father Harold Guy)
