Best in business honoured at Northern Ontario Business Awards: highlighting nine regional companies in the North.

More than 400 business and opinion leaders from across the North celebrated the achievements of nine com panies and individuals at the 23rd Annual Northern Ontario Business Awards (NOBA) gala, Oct. 8 in Sault Ste. Marie.

This year's gala event took place at the Great Northern Hotel and Conference Centre and was co-hosted by Sault Ste. Marie Mayor John Rowswell and Northern Ontario Business publisher Patricia Mills.

"It's about celebrating the best amongst us," said Mills. "It's taking the best of the expertise from the business community and honouring our peers."

The awards have become the largest annual gathering of its kind in Northern Ontario since they were launched in 1987. As well as celebrating local businesses, the awards provide an opportunity for the northern business community to share ideas and network.

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This year's winners were Mark Torchia, Entrepreneur of the Year; Ahnisnabae Art Gallery, First Nations Business Award of Excellence; Hydro Tech, Innovation Award; Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services, Judges' Choice Award. Jeff Elgie and J.R. Pierman of Lucidia Ltd. were recognized with the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and MIRARCO Mining Innovation won the Entrepreneurial Community of the Year Award.

Thunder Bay's TBT Engineering won Company of the Year (51 + Employees], North Bay's Designed Roofing Inc. won Company of the Year (16-50 Employees) and North Bay's Near North Laboratories was recognized as Company of the Year (1-15 Employees).

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Grade 12 student Irina Cividino of Sudbury took home the Union Gas Essay Scholarship.

The event rotates annually among the five major centres in Northern Ontario. Next year it will take place in Thunder Bay.

An independent panel of judges adjudicated more than 100 nominations to determine the winners.

Eastlink aired an NOBA documentary, which featured profiles of the winners. The documentary premiered on Eastlink Channel 10 on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 9 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 23 at 10 p.m. in the following cities: Sudbury, Timmins, Sturgeon Falls, Elliot Lake, Temiskaming Shores and Kapuskasing.