Nine businesses and people recognized at Surrey and White Rock awards gala

Nearly 400 people packed a hotel ballroom on Thursday night, Nov. 5, for the 2026 Surrey & White Rock Business Excellence Awards. The 28th annual gala was held at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel and emceed by CBC’s Baneet Braich. Nine businesses and people were recognized. The event host, the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade, supplied the following winner biographies.

**Business Person of the Year:** Gerard Bremault, CEO of The Centre for Child Development. The centre, B.C.’s largest child development centre, has grown under his leadership over more than 26 years, expanding its annual reach from 1,800 children to more than 8,000 children, youth and families across 350 locations. He also led the centre to five consecutive CARF International accreditations and spearheaded Sophie’s Place Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, which coordinates care for children who have experienced abuse. Bremault is a former chair of the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade. His longstanding community advocacy earned him the Surrey Cares Community Foundation Serving with Distinction Leadership Award.

**Surrey Business Excellence winner, 1 to 10 employees:** Slater & Associates Counselling and Psychotherapy. The clinic provides compassionate, evidence-based mental health care and specializes in perinatal mental health. It works to remove barriers to support through free community initiatives, including virtual pregnancy loss support groups with the Butterfly Support Network and a mom-and-baby group hosted with Bounce Play Cafe. The practice has served more than 2,000 clients. Revenue rose 25 per cent year over year and reached 12 times its inaugural 2023 level. To meet demand, the clinic is expanding into a larger South Surrey facility tailored to families.

**Surrey Business Excellence winner, 11 to 40 employees:** SALAS Collective Care. The organization brings chiropractic care, registered massage therapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, clinical counselling, kinesiology and craniosacral therapy together in a 4,800-square-foot facility. Its Care Coordinator role develops customized treatment plans, while its branded products extend wellness beyond the clinic. SALAS also supports the Founders Cup Classic, Sources Community Resource Centre, Capoeira Brasil Metro Vancouver, Surrey FC Selects and South Surrey White Rock Fastpitch.

**Surrey Business Excellence winner, 41 or more employees:** Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital. The independent, family-owned veterinary specialty, emergency and critical care hospital operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with a team of 202 professionals across 10 specialized disciplines. It has in-house MRI and CT diagnostics and handles critical cases through a multidisciplinary approach. The hospital is a designated VetCOT Level II Trauma Centre and one of only two VECCS Certified Level 1 facilities in Canada. It received national recognition as the CVMA 2025 Practice of the Year and is the only Level I facility in Canada to hold that honour.

**White Rock Business Excellence winner:** Grounds & Greens Cafe. Founded in 2020, the family-owned, fully plant-based cafe operates two locations in White Rock and Fort Langley. Its chef-driven, house-made menu includes plant-based bowls, pastas, specialty drinks and pastries, with the aim of making plant-based eating accessible to all. Milestones include a loyalty program with 500 members, a low-waste transition toward reusable takeout packaging, and partnerships with local suppliers that share its sustainability practices.

**Not-for-Profit of the Year:** Surrey Fire Fighters’ Charitable Society. The charity is entirely volunteer-run and led by active and retired firefighters, addressing critical community needs across Surrey. It supports more than 150 programs focused on poverty relief, food security, youth education and health care. The society has raised more than $25 million, invested $2 million in its Nutritional Snack Program, donated $3 million to the Surrey Hospitals Foundation and awarded $632,000 in student bursaries. It has no administrative headcount costs and says every dollar raised goes directly toward improving lives and strengthening the community.

**New Business of the Year:** ZIKR – Whispers of Indian Flavours. The restaurant offers a refined dining experience centred on authentic regional Indian food. It presents heritage recipes alongside modern interpretations, including slow-cooked regional specialties and elevated fusion dishes. To serve different guest needs, ZIKR offers full-service restaurant seating, hotel morning dining, private group events and off-site catering. It also contributes to local tourism and culinary culture through municipal showcases such as Discover Surrey’s Spice Trail and Taste of Cloverdale.

**Young Entrepreneur of the Year:** Dr. Anmol Dosanjh, The Shelf – Sustainable Healthcare Group. Seeking to address the effects of traditional medical waste, Dosanjh established her practice in 2024 to bring quality patient care together with environmental accountability. She introduced a sustainability model in pharmacy operations, replacing single-use plastic prescription bottles with reusable aluminum vials and paper packaging to eliminate plastic waste with every prescription. She also supports the local green economy through partnerships with environmentally conscious businesses and community education on safe pharmaceutical disposal.

**11th Corporate Social Responsibility Recognition Award:** My Empower Therapy. The award recognizes a business working to improve employees’ lives and enhance the civic environment where it operates through environmental, social and governance principles.

Sponsors included presenting sponsors DP World Canada, TD Bank and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, with support from PacifiCan. Doane Grant Thornton LLP sponsored the VIP reception; Langara College sponsored the video; Beedie sponsored the ice bar; and Trans Mountain sponsored the entertainment. Award sponsors were Abbotsford International Airport, Commissionaires BC, FortisBC, Hamilton Duncan, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Manning Elliott, MNP, Oceana Parc and Surrey Digital Printing. Community sponsors were BCIT School of Business + Media, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, Export Navigator, Forevery Occasion, Glen Chua Media, Off the Reel, the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel and Vancity. Media sponsors were CBC and the Surrey NOW-Leader.