Vote for your local business heroes

The annual awards, which recognise local business excellence, have taken on a new significance this year, with businesses facing unprecedented challenges in the form of COVID-19.

The awards, which are an ON Business Partner Program initiative, aim to increase patronage for businesses in the region and boost consumer spending, and are backed this year by the Go South Go Local campaign, which supports our local business community to recover and grow amid the pandemic.

More than 3,800 nominations for more than 340 local businesses were cast by the public last month across 16 award categories – including two new awards responding to the challenges posed by COVID-19 – and you can cast your vote for shortlisted businesses until Sunday 18 October.

One of the new awards is Cooperation during COVID-19, which is for businesses that have worked or acted with another business for common or mutual benefit during the pandemic.

Shortlisted businesses include video production companies that collaborated with and featured local charities and wineries; and food outlets that joined to offer supplies, low-cost groceries and donated meals to the community.