The President and CEO of Westerra Homes & Developments was presented with the award at the 8th annual Leeds Grenville Economic Development Summit Friday at the North Grenville Municipal Centre. Also honoured was nominee Joe Moulton, who runs businesses in Spencerville and Kemptville. Both men have volunteered their time and resources to build stronger communities.

"It's a real honour to receive this," Robert said. "I really want to share this with Joe and all the other entrepreneurs in the room."

Approximately 200 people from across the region attended the day-long event. Morning keynote speakers were Giant Tiger Stores Ltd. executives Mike Quinn and Paul Wood, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. They provided a progress report on the 600,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Giant Tiger Distribution Centre being built in Johnstown. The facility, scheduled to open in 2018, is quickly taking shape with 100 to 200 workers on average at the site each day. 

Interesting updates on the work on the Brockville Railway Tunnel, the 1000 Islands Boat Museum and the Opinicon Resort were provided as well as a presentation on Parks Canada's Rideau Canal 150 and Beyond. 

Leeds Grenville Economic Development Manager Ann Weir provided an overview of 2016 activities and work on a new 2017-2020 regional strategy.

Presentations and video coverage of the entire day's events will be available on our website and YouTube channel in the coming weeks. See the Counties Media Releases webpage for more.

Mike Quinn, Vice-President of Giant Tiger's Warehousing and Distribution, gets a warm welcome from the capacity crowd at the summit.

You have a clear view of the Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site from the brewery located at 5 Newport Drive, just off County Road 2 at Johnstown. Owner Sean Lucey has purposely tied his enterprise with the heritage rebellion site to create a destination for both locals and tourists.

"Having fulfilled my dream to open and operate a brewery in a town that is rich with historical importance has allowed me to infuse the same heritage into my brewing process," says Sean, who named his first Czech-style pilsner "Battle of the Windmill 1838." He will be branching out into other brews over the winter to be available for next spring and summer. There are plans to have a patio and a bakery.

The Brewery is located within the same building as King's Lock Craft Distillery, which opened earlier this year. Both operations are highly energy efficient with water, heating and power usage and reduced waste. The brewery has reusable packaging.

Learn more about Windmill Brewery by visiting their website and their Facebook page. They welcome tours of the facility. 

Call 613-704-0154 or email Sean.

It takes about 15 minutes to complete, and doesn't have to be completed in one session. You can save it and come back to it later. To begin, please go to the EmployerOne Survey.

Employers who have completed the survey by November 30th will be entered into a draw for a $100 gift certificate of your choice for goods or services from a Leeds Grenville business.