The South Point Resort has won an award from the Cariboo-Chilcotin-Coast Tourism Association (CCCTA)
During a summit held by the organization in the Bella Coola Valley, the resort was awarded the Best Tourism Marketing Initiative award - which "recognizes a person, business or organization for a marketing initiative, campaign or experience within the past three years that successfully increased business and enhanced the tourism industry in the region."
"Not only has South Point Resort invested in new infrastructure and marketing, they also take a whole community approach to growing tourism and offer wedding parties, access to local suppliers for catering, hair and makeup, florists, tent rentals and more," notes the CCCTA news release.
Leanne Sallenback, the owner of the Canim Lake area resort, says she is super-excited about receiving the award.
"This is just the beginning of developing South Point Resort as a wedding destination," Sallenback notes.
Sallenback further adds she believes CCCTA recognized her due to the major investments she has made to South Point Resort since 2019 - such as creating a reception area that could feed up to 85 people, purchasing chairs, lighting, developing a patio with unobstructed views of Canim Lake, as well as putting money into advertising and marketing.
"We were hit with COVID and with closures and downtime, we took that time to invest in the spaces we needed - looking at the long-term vision of the business," says Sallenback about how she managed to acquire all of it.
This is not the first time South Point Resort has won an award. In 2019, they won Best Digital Marketing from CCCTA, they have won awards from the South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce, and have also won awards in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 South Cariboo's #1 Readers' Choice Contest.
"We were voted Best Wedding Venue in the South Cariboo by your readers, and honestly, the demand for weddings here is growing every year," said Sallenback in an e-mail correspondence to the 100 Mile Free Press. Sallenback added they have opened up bookings for May, June, July as well as September weekend for 2025.
"So, we are on track for 11 in 2025, and I am now booking into 2026 and 2027 - so it will probably be close to 15 a year," Sallenback said.
Other award winners recognized by the CCCTA were Siobhan Uy Bralorne Mines Motel, which won Tourism's Future Award, the Bracewell Family - who one of them - Bobi Bracewell operates Wyld Whisper Trail Rides in Williams Lake - won The Generational Award, the Tutti Gravel Inn in Clinton won Innovation in Tourism and Anton "Tony" Forster won The President's Award.
