Amazing local women were celebrated on Friday, March 6th at the Pomeroy Inn & Suites in Olds.
The 2026 Mountain View and Neighbours Women In Business awards were handed out in six categories this year and there were about 80 nominees to choose from. Volunteer Coordinator Debora Rice Salomons says “recognizing women in business is a very important thing. It is encouraging. It helps recognize how hard these people work and what diversity and resilience we have with the women in business in our communities. It is more than just a plaque or standing up in front (of a crowd), this is actually really saying thank you to these women for contributing to our economy, to our local chambers, to our towns and our villages and our counties themselves. Bringing their initiative and their imagination, and their hard work, dedication, and true grit as women in business in our rural communities. Just really proud of them.”
Rice-Salomons points out that the third annual event once again highlighted the efforts of women in the counties of Clearwater, Kneehill and Mountain View plus all of the municipalities within them. She says “we were very pleased with the distribution of candidates and winners. We had winners and candidates from all three counties and most of the towns and villages within. It was a great representation and we felt very excited to have awarded these wonderful and deserving women with this honour.”
The Women of Influence winner was Peggy Good with the Rosebud Health Foundation, the Women in Energy award went to Tracey McCrimmon with the Sundre Petroleum Operators Group.
The Women in Agriculture winner was Donna Aarsby with the Honest Box Canning Barn, the Rising Star: Young Women award was bestowed upon Jillian Skeels with Mountain View Ranches/
The Women in Business: For Profit winner was Patricia McKean with Patricia McKean-Mortgage Architects, and in the Women in Business: Not-For-Profit category the winner was Jean Carveth from The Attic on 2nd Cremona.
Listen to 96.5 The Ranch’s Community Hotline conversation with Debora Rice-Salomons.
