2017 NOTO Awards

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2017 NOTO Awards
At the 2017 Northern Ontario Tourism Summit, NOTO was pleased to recognize the contributions of these very well deserving individuals. 
 

 

The Executive Director Award:
The recipient is chosen by the executive director and awarded to a person who has made a significant contribution to the Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association.
The 2017 recipient is Mr. Bob David.
Bob began his career with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in Red Lake in 1981 and has served in several capacities in Northwestern Ontario over the last 36 years.
NOTO has been very fortunate to work closely with him over the last ten years as the MNRF’s appointed tourism liaison. His work and dedication to the tourism industry through his efforts on the Resource-based Tourism Working Group has helped ensure tourism remains an important economic driver and shared user of our remote crown land in Ontario. 
 width= NOTO President’s Award:
Awarded to a person who has contributed significantly to the tourism environment through individual effort and dedication.
The 2017 recipient is Brenda Baughman.
Brenda is passionate and dedicated to not only tourism, but to NOTO as an organization. She is known and respected for her strong support of Tourism in Northern Ontario. She and her husband proudly operated Bow Narrows camp for over 20 years.
She was elected President of NOTO in 2014 and served the organization as a dedicated, and active supporter of all issues related to tourism in Northern Ontario.
The Preferred Supplier Award:
For dedication, support and participation in furthering the goals and objectives of the Northern Ontario Tourist Association.
The 2017 recipient is Mr. Rod Duhaime of the Quattro hotel.
Rod has led partnerships with Tourism Northern Ontario and NOTO in both the 2015 and 2016 Northern Ontario Tourism Summit with great success. Not only does he sit on the Northern Ontario Tourism Summit Working Committee year after year, he gathers items for the NOTO Fundraiser, volunteers his time at the summit, is an excellent ambassador for NOTO and encourages memberships within the organization.
For his exemplary service within the tourism industry and for his dedication and participation in furthering the goals and objectives of NOTO and its members, we are proud to present this year’s Preferred Supplier of the Year Award to Rod Duhaime.
 width= The Bob Giles Award:
Awarded to a NOTO member(s) who has shown outstanding performance in the field of Northern Ontario Tourism. This award is given out by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
The 2017 recipient is Mr. Bill Chambers of Pine Grove Lodge.
Bill served as President of his local tourism association, and remained actively involved with the fish hatchery.
In 2001 he was elected to the NOTO board once again and sat as a director until 2005.
To this day he remains involved in organizations at the local level as well as serving as a current member of Destination Ontario’s Northern Tourism Marketing Committee.
Tourism Champion:
This is a recently developed award that can be awarded annually to a person who supports a strong and united tourism industry. A person(s) who sees tourism in a much larger picture than their own specific business or role they play. They are dedicated to spreading the word about the value tourism to people locally, provincially, nationally, and/or globally. This award does not necessarily need to be given to a tourism business owner or a NOTO member.
The 2017 recipient is Luke Wassegijig.
Luke is the Tourism Manager for Wikwemikong Tourism operating under the Wikwemikong Development Commission and has served on his band council from 2012 – 2014 under the Lands and Resource Portfolio. He has been involved in community tourism development in his hometown of Wikwemikong Unceded Territory for 10 years and has been instrumental in building a foundation for sustainable tourism development by implementing their tourism strategy.