Tracy Nietvelt-Prentice Award (photo provided by Tracy Nietvelt-Prentice)
The Market Shoppe in Markdale has been named as one of the winners of the Inaugural Ontario Made Awards.
The awards are a Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) initiative which celebrates outstanding Ontario manufacturers and retailers who help consumers make informed decisions in increasing the sale and awareness of Ontario made products.
The winners of the awards were announced during the Inaugural Virtual Ontario Made Awards Ceremony on Feb. 24.
CME says on its website the award was presented to The Market Shoppe Owner Tracy Nietvelt-Prentice for spotlighting Ontario made and local initiatives.
Nietvelt-Prentice says a courier dropped off the award on March 1.
“It is such an honour to be the inaugural recipient of this award. I was so inspired by all the finalists and I cannot wait to see future finalists. I am sure this Ontario Made initiative is going to expand rapidly in the coming years,” Nietvelt-Prentice says on social media.
She says they have been selling just Ontario made products for eight years.
“When the option of possibly winning an award showed up, I was like ‘oh my goodness this was made for us.’ We have been doing this and they just invented this award for what we are doing so that was kind of really cool and exciting and I still didn’t assume I was going to win becasue there is a huge local movement going on right now for many businesses. Just seeing the other people in the other categories, all the finalists, everybody would have been an excellent choice as a winner,” says Nietvelt-Prentice.
Bliss Dough, Brown’s Concrete Products and Grey Jay Sales & Distribution were named the other recipients of the award.
“I just do what I do and I can’t do what I am doing if it isn’t for the people who are making products in Ontario and I can’t do what I do if customers don’t consciously choose to support local,” says Nietvelt-Prentice.