PAQTNKEK: Rose Paul says growing up, her grandmother taught her to persevere and never give up.
Paul, who is the CEO of the Bayside Development Corporation, highlighted that fact as she accepted the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) 2023 Indigenous Women in Community Leadership (IWIL) Award at a national convention in Vancouver on Oct. 18, attended by Indigenous business leaders from across Canada.
“I am extremely honored to be receiving the prestigious Indigenous Women in Leadership Award. I am earnestly grateful for the recognition I have received for my work because I am very sure that every other nominee for this award was as capable, if not more, of winning this award,” she said. “I have faced several challenges on my way here, but each one of them has only strengthened me to make me the person I am today. Winning this award would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from my community, leadership, my beautiful family, and my colleagues, for whom I have the deepest respect, and from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and perform better at each stage.”
Paul is committed to the growth of Paqtnkek community members, and under her leadership, Bayside Development Corporation prioritized working alongside other parties to complete the first phase of a highway interchange that has significantly benefited the economy of the local Indigenous community.
The IWIL Award, sponsored by LNG Canada, is presented each year to a strong leader, mentor, and businesswoman who has been instrumental in making a difference that impacts her community and/or country.
“On behalf of LNG Canada, congratulations to Rose Paul on receiving this year’s Indigenous Women in Leadership Award,” Vice President, Corporate Relations at LNG Canada, Teresa Waddington said. “Rose is a visionary building business and industry partnerships that create business opportunities benefitting many communities. She is an inspiration and truly deserves this recognition.”
The award-winning Bayside Travel Centre is a 16,000 square foot facility located at exit 36-B on the TransCanada Highway, 23 kilometers east of Antigonish, that opened three years ago in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then, it has won the Antigonish Chamber of Commerce 2023 Emerging Enterprise of the Year Award, Three Buoys Tourism Award, and the Ulnooweg Atlantic Indigenous Enterprise of the Year Award.
Earlier this year, Paul was selected as one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Additionally, Paul has been a tireless advocate for economic growth and has developed strong relationships within clean energy, mining, and even the sustainable food industry, thanks to partnerships with EverWind Fuels, Signal Gold and Clearwater Seafoods.
She has been recognized for her achievements receiving multiple awards for women in community leadership, economic development, community building and tourism.
CCAB President and CEO, Tabatha Bull, explained the organization is immensely proud to present Paul with the Indigenous Women in Leadership Award.
“Her tenacity, vision, and dedication to her community exemplify how to create and be a powerful force for positive change,” Bull said. “We wholeheartedly congratulate her and look forward to witnessing the incredible impact she will continue to make as a leader and role model.”
Past recipients of CCAB’s IWIL Award are from all across Canada, including the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Roberta Jamieson, Dr. Deborah Saucier, and Chief Tammy Cook-Searson.