Josh Handysides receives Chamber Award of Distinction

VICTORIA, BC –  The 2022 recipient of The Chamber’s Award of Distinction is Josh Handysides with the Malahat Nation. Handysides has been instrumental in building diverse partnerships between the private and public sectors and the Malahat Nation, where he serves as Chief Administrative Officer.

“Josh has been the steady hand behind a number of projects that have been game changers for our region,” says John Wilson, Chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors. “The Malahat Skywalk has been a boon for tourism, generating positive publicity on social media as a destination for visitors to Vancouver Island.”

The Award of Distinction highlights a business person who has contributed to Greater Victoria through leadership and vision as a positive role model and a sustained commitment to a prosperous community.

“It’s fitting that the judges saw the value in Josh’s efforts to better connect Indigenous entrepreneurs with our region’s business community,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says. “We are committed to taking action to further reconciliation and one way to achieve that is by celebrating the success of Josh and the Malahat Nation. His leadership to bring a film studio that will create hundreds of jobs, and his support of the Spirit Loop marketing campaign are helping our economy build resilience and move forward.”

Handysides has also led initiatives to further environmental stewardship as well as improve opportunities for physical and mental health care and community safety. He has been integral in working on a proposal for a world-class film studio on Malahat Nation land. The Spirt Loop is helping extend the range of Greater Victoria’s tourism industry while helping preserve traditional uses of the land and important ecosystems. The Malahat Nation has also partnered with post-secondary schools to provide trades training for its members, and has partnered on an industrial complex that produces environmentally friendly building materials.

“I’m humbled by this recognition and grateful for the help and support of the Malahat Nation,” Handysides says. “The energy and creativity of Indigenous entrepreneurs is a powerful force for our economy and we look forward to continuing to build bridges and showcase initiatives that connect Malahat Nation to its land and traditions.”

The Chamber’s Award of Distinction, sponsored by the Times Colonist, is a more inclusive and contemporary re-imagining of the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 2022 Business Awards feature 14 categories recognizing businesses that distinguished themselves in many ways, including excellent customer service, sustainable business practices, emerging professionals and non-profit association of the year.

In December 2021, Mary Lou Newbold was announced as Chamber Member of the Year for 2022.

Winners are determined by an independent panel of prominent business leaders who serve as judges. The Chamber’s 2022 Business Awards will be held on May 7 at the Fairmont Empress. The event will also be broadcast on CHEK TV. Last year’s broadcast reached 80,000 viewers.

The 2022 Greater Victoria Business Awards are sponsored by Coast Capital Savings, Royal Roads University, Times Colonist, Air Canada, Camosun College, Canadian Tire, Chard Development, Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, City of Victoria, Futurpreneur, Innvo8 Digital Solutions Inc., Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, Ralmax Group of Companies, Worldline, PARC Retirement Living, CHEK, and The Number Creative.
 
About Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce
Since 1863, The Chamber has served Greater Victoria by working together to build good business and great community for all through advocacy, networking, professional development and innovative services as changing times require. In 2020, the Chamber Champions initiative added a powerful resource to provide leadership and guidance to our organization. Current Champions are: Big Wheel Burger, CHEK News, CIBC, Kinetic Construction, Knappett Projects, Mike Geric Construction, MNP, PARC Retirement Living, RBC, Scotiabank, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, Spinnakers, TELUS Business, and the University of Victoria. Find out more at victoriachamber.ca.
 
Media Contact:
Jim Zeeben                                                                                        
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250 360-3471
communications@victoriachamber.ca