Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario Announces Class of 2026 Inductees Into The Business Hall of Fame

The Junior Achievement of Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO) has unveiled this year’s local business leaders being inducted into the JA Business Hall of Fame class of 2026, announced at the Venture North Building Wednesday morning.

The 2026 JA Business Hall of Fame inductees. Photo by Felicia Massey.

This year’s nominees will be formally inducted at the 11th annual JA Business Hall of Fame event on May 28 at The Venue.

“The Hall of Fame has never just been about recognition; it has always been about possibility,” said John McNutt, President and CEO of JA-NEO. “Our Laureates show young people that big futures can begin in small places, and that entrepreneurship is more than business success, it is a form of community building.”

The 2026 JA Business Hall of Fame inductees include:

• Brenda Ibey, Avant Garden Shop

• Chuck White, Rapid Lift Inc.

• Dave Bucholtz & Jim Bailey, Cambium Inc.

• Jason & Niki Pulchinski, At the Lake Distributing Inc.

• Martha Sullivan, Sullivan Law PTBO

• Peter Blodgett, Darling Insurance

• Vance Robbins, Anden Kitchen & Bath Centre

Director of Operations Cody McIntyre and Chancellor for Peterborough’s JA Business Hall of Fame Nicole Truman. All photos by Felicia Massey.

All photos by Felicia Massey.

“I think [the new inductees] will bring inspiration, and a lot of different paths to business ownership and business success,” said Nicole Truman, Chancellor for Peterborough’s JA Business Hall of Fame. “They show that there is not just one way to go about being a business owner, and giving back to your community as well.”

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