Vancouver Island Ecostar Awards

11/14/2022

Check out the amazing winners of the 2022 Ecostar Awards! Thank you to our Title Sponsors Vancity and Destination Greater Victoria for making this event possible.

Don't forget to follow Synergy Foundation to learn more about each winner and get updates for next year's awards!

What a night! We were honoured to gather with so many outstanding movers and shakers that were in the room tonight at our seventh annual Ecostar Awards. The folks here on Vancouver Island who are disrupting “business as usual” are truly exceptional. We are excited to recognize these innovators, trailblazers, and changemakers that are paving the way towards a sustainable, regenerative, and socially just future for ourselves and future generations 🙌💚

Thank you to our Gold Sponsors Vancity and Destination Greater Victoria for making this night possible!

Congratulations to our 16 winners:
🌊 Clean Oceans: Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd.
💚 Climate Action: Eluma Beauty
⭐ Community Leadership: The Land Conservancy of British Columbia
🌲 Ecological Stewardship: Rugged Coast Research Society
🏆 Ecopreneur of the Year: Katie Gamble of Naturebee
😍 Greenest Hospitality Experience: The Parkside Hotel & Spa
🏢 Greenest Office: Schneider Electric - Victoria
🏪 Greenest Retailer: SUPPLY Victoria
💡 Innovation: Power To Be
✨ Inspirational New Venture: Iyé
⚒️ Leadership in Design and Construction: BC Transit
🥬 Local Food: Harvest and Share Food Relief Society
🧳 Regenerative Tourism: Nootka Marine Adventures and Strathcona Park Lodge & Outdoor Education Centre
⚖️ Social Impact: City of Victoria - Local Government - Get Growing, Victoria!
♻️ Waste to Resource: Salt Legacy

And once again thank you to our sponsors for making this event a reality:
Seaspan Shipyards Victoria
District of Saanich
Camosun College
Ocean Outfitters Tofino Adventures
Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation
BigWheel Burger
Monk Office
The Bay Centre
TRIO Ready-Mix
City of Victoria - Local Government
The Parkside Hotel & Spa
Capital Regional District
PARC Retirement Living
Inn at Laurel Point
Douglas magazine

11/01/2022

Tickets are available for the 2022 Ecostar Awards! Don’t forget to purchase them by 11:59pm on Thursday, November 3rd.

Ticket sales are now open for the seventh annual Ecostar Awards! 🎊🎉

Join us on Thursday, November 10 from 6 to 9pm at the Inn at Laurel Point - Terrace Ballroom to celebrate the amazing achievements and leadership of Vancouver Island’s businesses, organizations, and individuals. Your ticket includes access to the event and silent auction, a three-course dinner, and a drink ticket.

Tickets sales close on Thursday, November 3 at 11:59 pm, so act fast! Purchase your tickets today at http://ow.ly/sEp450Lnst2

10/06/2022

Have you heard the news? This year's Ecostar Award finalists have just been announced! Head over to Synergy Foundation to check out this list of amazing leaders 🎊🎉

We are excited to announce the finalists for our 2022 Ecostar Awards! 🎉🎊

We are so inspired by the work that all of our applicants are doing here on the Island to make our community a better place. So many wonderful businesses, organizations, and individuals submitted applications, leaving our judges to make some difficult decisions.

Thank you to our Gold Sponsors Destination Greater Victoria and Vancity for making this event possible!

Congratulations to this year’s finalists:

🌊 Clean Oceans
Georgia Strait Alliance, Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd.

💚 Climate Action
Eluma Beauty, TRIO Ready-Mix, Cascadia Seaweed

⭐ Community Leadership
Greater Victoria Green Team, The Land Conservancy of British Columbia, Victoria Compost Education Centre

🌲 Ecological Stewardship
Rugged Coast Research Society, Satinflower Nurseries: Native Plants, Seeds & Consulting, Habitat Acquisition Trust

🏆 Ecopreneur of the Year
Katie Gamble (Nature Bee Wraps), Ashley Howe (SUPPLY Victoria), Diane Bernard (Seaflora Skincare)

😍 Greenest Hospitality Experience
H**p House Hair Salon, The Parkside Hotel & Spa, Wild Mountain

🏢 Greenest Office
Paper Heart Films, Schneider Electric, Harmonic Arts

🏪 Greenest Retailer
SUPPLY Victoria, Green Room, Axolotl Biosciences

💡 Innovation
Power To Be, Rockland Scientific International Inc, Municipal Natural Assets Initiative

✨ Inspirational New Venture
Iyé, The Den, Solaires

⚒️ Leadership in Design and Construction
BC Transit, Seaspan Shipyards, Timber Tiles

🥬 Local Food
Iyé Creative Collective, Harvest and Share Food Relief Society, The Dock+

🧳 Regenerative Tourism
Nootka Marine Adventures, Prince of Whales Whale Watching, Strathcona Park Lodge & Outdoor Education Centre

⚖️ Social Impact
Get Growing, Victoria!, Justo's Plant-Based Dips, Eagle Wing Whale Watching Tours

♻️ Waste to Resource
SUPPLY Victoria, Salt Legacy, Ergo Eco Solutions

08/30/2022

Have you gotten your Ecostar Award application in yet? They are due TOMORROW at 11:59pm! Apply now at www.ecostarawards.com/apply

Don't forget to follow Synergy Foundation for Ecostar updates and more ⭐

⏰ Time is running out to apply for an Ecostar Award! ⏰ Make sure to get your applications in before midnight next Wednesday, August 31.

There are 15 different award categories to choose from, including Clean Oceans, Climate Action, Leadership in Design and Construction, and Ecological Stewardship. If you know a person, business, or organization who deserves to have their leadership and achievements celebrated, nominate them or get them to apply at www.ecostarawards.com/apply ⭐

07/20/2022

Applications for the 2022 Ecostar Awards are now open! ⭐ Learn more and apply today at www.ecostarawards.com. Don't forget to follow Synergy Foundation for updates on the Ecostar Awards for 2022 and beyond.

🌟 Applications for the 2022 Ecostar Awards are now open! 🌟

You can apply for 15 award categories this year, including Inspirational New Venture, Greenest Office, and Ecopreneur of the Year. Check out the award categories and apply by August 31st by heading to www.ecostarawards.com

The Ecostar Awards recognize outstanding environmental achievement and leadership by Vancouver Island-based businesses, organizations, and individuals. These awards are given to local champions of initiatives, projects, and innovations that contribute to a vibrant future in which our communities and environment both prosper.

We can’t wait to celebrate the Island’s trailblazers and innovators on November 10, 2022 at the Inn at Laurel Point!

06/29/2022

The Ecostar Awards are back! 🎊🎉

Follow Synergy Foundation - the organization that hosts the awards - for updates on award categories, applications, and more!

⭐ Exciting announcement ⭐

We are thrilled to announce that the Ecostar Awards are back for 2022! The Ecostar Awards recognize outstanding environmental achievement and leadership by Vancouver Island-based businesses, organizations, and individuals. These awards are given to local champions of initiatives, projects, and innovations that contribute to a vibrant future in which our communities and environment both prosper.

There are 15 awards to apply for this year, including new additions like Regenerative Tourism, Leadership in Design and Construction, and Greenest Hospitality Experience. Read the full list and sign up for to receive a reminder email when applications open next month at www.ecostarawards.com!

We are excited to celebrate our community’s trailblazers and innovators with an in-person seated event at Inn at Laurel Point on November 10, 2022. Mark your calendars 📅

01/25/2022

A round of applause for this year’s Clean Oceans award winner, Small Ship Tour Operators of British Columbia, comprised of Bluewater Adventures, Mothership Adventures, Maple Leaf Adventures, Outer Shores Expeditions, Ocean Adventures Charter Co. & Great Bear II, Pacific Yellowfin Experiences, and Ocean Light II Adventures 👏🌊

The SSTOA worked in partnership with local Indigenous communities to organize and operate the coast’s first largescale shoreline marine debris clean-up in BC, removing over 330 tons of marine waste from our shorelines.

They also collected valuable data on reclaimed debris which was published in a formal report designed to:
🐋 Inform the BC government and residents on the marine debris and ocean plastic crisis unfolding in Coastal BC and around the world
🦅 Detail the accomplishments of the marine debris cleanup expeditions
🐟 Highlight the economic benefits of the tourism sector

The Clean Oceans award, sponsored by Seaspan Shipyards, recognizes an organization that is demonstrating environmental leadership to protect our oceans.

01/20/2022

Introducing Victoria Distillers, our third and final COVID-19 Community Leaders award recipient! ⭐

During the pandemic, Victoria Distillers addressed the hand sanitizer shortage by using the leftover alcohol by-product from their small-batch spirits to create hand sanitizer in partnership with Nezza Naturals Inc., which they distributed for free to frontline workers, emergency services, and non-profits. Their quick response fulfilled demand when vulnerable populations needed it most 🦠😷

The COVID-19 Community Leaders award, sponsored by the District of Saanich, honours an organization that shifted operational focus during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the needs of our island community.

01/18/2022

Meet Outer Shores Expeditions, our next COVID-19 Community Leaders award recipient! 🙌

When tourism halted during the pandemic, Outer Shores co-led the Marine Debris Removal Initiative as part of the Small Ship Tour Operators Association. They partnered with local First Nations communities and small coastal businesses to remove 337 tons of marine debris from BC’s shorelines.

This initiative was not only great for the planet, but also supporting the survival and recovery of the tourism industry by providing employment each year to:
⚓ 110 seasonal employees that were experiencing pandemic layoffs
🌊 60 First Nations crews
🛥️ 18 contractors

The COVID-19 Community Leaders award, sponsored by District of Saanich, honours an organization that shifted operational focus during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the needs of our island community.

01/13/2022

A big congratulations to Cowichan Green Community, one of this year’s COVID-19 Community Leaders award recipients! 🎊🎉

Cowichan Green Community facilitated access to fresh, nutritious food during the pandemic by providing emergency meals and food hampers to food insecure households and temporary housing shelters. They also established an Emergency Food Task Force with 35 organizations to ensure that the community had enough food for emergency situations. Their quick pivot to provide additional emergency food programming ensured that the needs of marginalized community members were met during this challenging time 💚

The COVID-19 Community Leaders award, sponsored by District of Saanich, honours an organization that shifted operational focus during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the needs of our island community.

01/11/2022

Shoutout to our second 2021 Social Impact award winner, Harvest and Share Food Relief Society! ✨

Harvest and Share addresses food security by producing high-quality, fresh, nutritious, locally grown produce for community kitchens and food banks. Their premium produce is grown without insecticides, pesticides, or herbicides in space- and water-efficient aeroponic pyramids, ensuring that their clients receive healthy, high-quality food without paying a fortune for it. They are currently developing indoor growing methods to provide fresh food all year round. 🥬

The Social Impact award, sponsored by City of Victoria - Local Government, celebrates an organization that has made a significant impact on addressing social needs.

01/06/2022

Give it up for the first of our two Social Impact award winners, Community Salons! 👏

Community Salons integrates equity, diversity, and inclusion into their mission, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and that financial means don’t dictate the quality of service received. They reduce barriers to accessing haircuts with a pay-it-forward “Community Hair Bank” model that provides free, no-questions-asked haircuts to those in need. All hair cuts are also gender-neutral and priced based on duration, easing the burden for gender nonconforming clients. ✂️

The Social Impact award, sponsored by City of Victoria - Local Government, celebrates an organization that has made a significant impact on addressing social needs.