Frederick Dryden receives Hamilton Citizen of the Year honours, while Cole Horncastle, Executive Managing Director of John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, named Hamilton CEO of the Year.

This evening, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce announced this year’s top local businesses at the 41^st Annual Outstanding Business Achievement Awards, presented by RBC Royal Bank. The 500-person sold-out event, hosted at Carmens Banquet Centre, celebrated the best of Hamilton’s business community. See below for a list of winners.

In addition to nine award-winning local businesses, youth mentor and advocate Frederick Dryden, Founder & Executive Director of Liberty for Youth, was named Hamilton’s ‘Citizen of the Year’. Cole Horncastle, Executive Managing Director of John C. Munro International Airport was named ‘CEO of the Year’.

To learn more about each finalist, click here.

Hamilton’s Citizen of the Year

• Frederick Dryden | Founder & Executive Director, Liberty for Youth

Hamilton’s CEO of the Year Award

• Cole Horncastle | Executive Managing Director of John C. Munro International Airport

Century Award Recipients: Celebrating 100+ Years in Business

• Black & McDonald
• Coca-Cola Canada Bottling

Large Business Award Finalists: 50+ Employees

• Scarfone Hawkins LLP (Winner)
• AIM Recycling Hamilton
• The Other Bird

Mid-Sized Business Award Finalists: 10-50 Employees

• Dynamic Heating & Cooling (Winner)
• Revelry Beauty Bar
• Undefined

Small Business Award Finalists: 1-10 Employees

• Empire Mortgage Group (Winner)
• Ctrl + F
• Pisa Pizza

Not-For-Profit Organization Award Finalists

• 541 Eatery & Exchange (Winner)
• Mathstronauts
• Tune In Foundation

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Award Recipient

• Hamilton Folk Arts Heritage Council: It’s Your Festival

YEP Award Finalists: Entrepreneur Under 40

• Ancaster Chiropractic and Laser (Winner)
• COOCO Corporation
• Rental Rescue

Tourism Champion of the Year Recognition Award

• Golf Canada – 2024 RBC Canadian Open

2025 Judging Committee
This year’s nominees were evaluated by a local and diverse set of business experts, ranging from private and public sector, including representation from large and small business.

• Maria Artuso – VP, Commercial Financial Services at RBC Royal Bank
• Peter Ipema – Sales Representative at GFL Environmental Inc.
• Tej Sandhu – Founder MERIT Brewing & Chamber Board Member
• Norm Schleehahn – Director of Economic Development for the City of Hamilton
• Lohifa Pogoson Acker – Founder, Excel In Style & Owner + Hair Artist, LoDidThat & Chamber Board Member

Quote from Greg Dunnett, President & CEO of Hamilton Chamber of Commerce
“Hamilton is a city of builders, innovators, and changemakers. Tonight, we celebrated the vision, dedication, and hard work of local businesses and community leaders driving our city’s success. Congratulations to all the finalists and award winners — your achievements inspire us all, set the standard for excellence in Hamilton and beyond, and contribute to the continued growth and prosperity of our community.”

About Frederick Dryden – Hamilton Citizen of the Year
Frederick Dryden is the Founder and Executive Director of Liberty for Youth, an organization dedicated to supporting disadvantaged, marginalized, and at-risk youth. Established in 2003, Liberty for Youth provides mentorship and resources to youth aged 12-25 in the Hamilton area, helping them develop life skills, build resilience, and navigate a positive path in life.

Through various programs, including the “Trading Up” employment initiative in partnership with Liuna, Frederick assists youth in gaining access to skilled trades opportunities. He is also passionate about fostering positive relationships between at-risk youth and police, notably through an annual Liberty and Justice basketball game between Hamilton Police and the youth in the Prodigal Sonz team.

Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and later moving to Collingwood, Ontario, Frederick’s personal experiences with abuse as a teenager inspired him to create Liberty for Youth in 2004. His dedication to youth empowerment has earned him numerous accolades, including the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Award (2012), Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award (2011), and the John C. Holland Award for Community Service within the Black Community (2011).

In 2016, Frederick completed a 3-week marathon from Ottawa to Hamilton to raise awareness and funds for at-risk youth, covering over 700 kilometers and conducting 72 speaking engagements along the way. He also authored his first book, Running For Their Lives (2018), which chronicles his challenging teen years and the transformative journey of his “Run for Youth.” Frederick’s passion for guiding youth is reflected in his belief: “I believe that young people are constantly in search of the truth, the right way to live, and have the capacity to do so with proper guidance.”

About Cole Horncastle – CEO of the Year
Cole Horncastle has been a leading member of the Hamilton International Airport team since 2013, joining the organization as a Manager of Financial Reporting and moving through progressively senior roles, including Controller, Director of Finance, Operations and Corporate Services and his current role at Executive Managing Director.

Cole’s progression through the company has been a direct result of his leadership, strategic planning and operational efficiency and his ability to inspire his team, while maintaining profitability and growth of the Airport for its tenants, partners and the City of Hamilton.

Cole has been the brain behind numerous key projects that have contributed to the strategic growth and expansion of John C. Munro International Airport with his most recent success being the ongoing Gateway Expansion and Sustainability Project as well as the Airport Rehabilitation and Modernization project. Together, these projects improved the efficiency, reliability and safety of airport operations, accelerated investment to accommodate the increasing use of larger wide-body aircraft for domestic and long-haul traffic, and alleviated current constraints being experienced on domestic and international trade and ensured just-in-time goods are moved from coast to coast without delay. Cole’s colleagues nominated him for the CEO of the Year Award due to his exceptional leadership qualities, including his calm, strategic, and resilient approach to managing the organization through both prosperous and challenging times. His ability to remain level-headed under pressure has instilled confidence within our team, fostering a positive and productive work environment, in which employees feel supported and empowered to lead and deliver on their respective objectives.

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