Lakeland Connect’s Michael Menzies honoured with award for Exemplary Customer Service at annual Chamber Business Awards

Lakeland Connect’s own Michael Menzies has been recognized for his exemplary customer service at the 2024 Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year Awards. Noted in the award’s ceremony was Menzies’ contributions to the community, loyalty to the company he is employed with, integrity in his reporting, passion for local politics and the trust he has built with the community and its leaders.

“Michael has been with our company for seven years and in that time has been nothing short of exemplary,” co-owner of Lakeland Connect, Chad Colbourne stated as he accepted the award on Menzies’ behalf. In true Menzies’ fashion, he was at work – calling the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs game, when the awards’ ceremony took place Friday night at the Cold Lake Seniors’ Centre. FYI – it was a double win for Menzies that night when the Pontiacs put up a 4-2 win over rivals the Lloydminster Bobcats. 

Following some nice words for Menzies, Chad played an acceptance speech that Michael had prepared, you know – just in case. 

Thank you all for being here tonight. I really wish I could make it, but, you know, one of the things that, and perhaps a reason, I’ve been able to have been honoured for this is that Friday, Saturday nights, I’m often busy at the rink. A big congratulations to everyone else that was [nominated] this award and I want to thank Jena and Chad for paying me bi-monthly.

Always the fun-loving guy, Menzies also thanked Heaven and Patience, his co-hosts on the Connected morning show; which airs Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:00am on Lakeland Connect’s social pages and website. He also thanked Mayor of Cold Lake Craig Copeland.

We are so fortunate to have Michael on our team. I don’t think of him as an employee, he is just as much responsible for our success as Chad or I am. He has been with us for some of the most amazing times and some of the hardest days of my life and our business. Somewhere life aligned for us to meet and share these moments together, and I am so grateful for that. This award shows me that everyone else sees what I see in Michael – he’s a true gem of a human, a friend and part of everything that we are and that we can be. – Jena Colbourne, co-owner Lakeland Connect 

Menzies’ Career with Lakeland Connect

Menzies started with Lakeland Connect in May of 2018 as a summer intern having just completed his term at NAIT for Radio Broadcasting. Having grown up in Vermilion, he was a great fit for Lakeland Connect. He immediately gained friends and built trust with the community and its VIPs and municipal leaders. Engraining himself in the community came natural and it was easy to see he would be a one-of-a-kind treasure that the team and Lakeland Connect couldn’t let go. As such, his employment was extended past September 2018, as originally contracted.

From there Menzies has taken on a lot of important roles at the company, starting with community reporter. As our newsroom grew, so did his responsibilities, taking on Editor-in-chief during the company’s expansion in mid-2020 with 10 staff members and two newsrooms under his watch. The expansion was short-lived, but his impact on the community was not. Menzies’ reporting on the Covid-19 years was instrumental in keeping the region informed – especially during the early days of the crisis when little was known, many drew on him for information.

Menzies has often said, “media is a lifestyle – not a job” and unfortunately the high-demand of the times required Menzies to take a step back from fast-paced and (at time/due to the times) volatile local news landscape. After a six month leave, he came back refreshed and ready to take on the next challenge – host of a late night talk show. Menzies took to it with ease, writing his own jokes, coming up with segments, pranks, faux on the street bits and everything else you’d expect from a big studio production.

But as most things in media, Lakeland Connect shifted its focus and downsized to a five person operation, with Menzies staying an important piece to the company’s dynamic. Focusing more on everyone’s strengths to create impactful entertainment that is local, information and relevant, the Connect team moved offices in the Fall of 2024 to create a more organic and authentic studio. Another instrumental endeavour for the team, with Menzies in the mix of all of it.

Connect has been a place of growth and given Menzies the opportunity to display his creative side and focus on what he is interested in – which in turn has helped grow the company. Menzies is now the lead host of the morning show and tackles content relating to local news, sports, events and more. He is also the voice of the Bonnyville Jr. A Pontiacs and has called prestigious hockey events like the 2023 World Jr A Challenge in Truro. If there’s ever a moment when the lifestyle that is media allows for him to step into personal time, you’ll find him at the Players Lounge watching a sports game of some kind, listening to music from the greatest generation of rock (AKA 60s/70s), or having a deep introspective conversation with a someone new.  – And that’s exactly what we love about him. 

2024 Award Recipients

𝒞𝑜𝓂𝓂𝓊𝓃𝒾𝓉𝓎 𝐼𝓃𝓋𝑜𝓁𝓋𝑒𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉
Cold Lake Aeros Junior A Hockey Club

𝒪𝓊𝓉𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒩𝑜𝓉 𝐹𝑜𝓇 𝒫𝓇𝑜𝒻𝒾𝓉
The Dragonfly Centre

𝒪𝓊𝓉𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒮𝓂𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈
Kempe Fitness & Fighting

𝒪𝓊𝓉𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝐿𝒶𝓇𝑔𝑒 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈
KRW Construction LTD

𝐸𝓍𝑒𝓂𝓅𝓁𝒶𝓇𝓎 𝒞𝓊𝓈𝓉𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝑒𝓇𝓋𝒾𝒸𝑒
Michael Menzies with Lakeland Connect

𝑀𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝒫𝓇𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒩𝑒𝓌 𝐵𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈
The Casual Canoe Bourbon & Craft Kitchen