See who took home top prizes this year!

Thanks to all the finalists who delivered great pitches.

This year’s 1Awards winners officially celebrated!

The judges have spoken! Four local businesses were named FirstOntario 1Awards winners at the annual breakfast gala. Hamilton’s Tijuana Tom’s House of Hot Sauce and Oakville’s Ecoboard Inc. joined Niagara’s Arms Open Counselling and Swept Away Services as the 2026 prize winners.

This year’s pitch competition saw a vast variety of industries vying for prizes and included healthcare, food, energy, event, eco and recreation fields. All 10 finalists put on powerful presentations at Hamilton Stadium, each one trying to sway the panel in their favour with hopes of sharing the $200,000 prize pool.

Each business owner put a unique twist on their pitch, and they all did an incredible job of explaining what they do, why they do it, and what they need to elevate their success.

We would like to close out this year by thanking all of the finalists who participated in the competition. Thank you for the time you spent on your original applications, your practice runs at the workshop and for sharing your ideas and passion for what you do on pitch day.

FirstOntario is proud to continue supporting our local business communities and we look forward to celebrating our 15-year milestone in 2027!