National grant win shines spotlight on Fort St. James boutique

National grant win shines spotlight on Fort St. James boutique

Published 4:30 pm Friday, June 26, 2026

ikita Bucholtz, owner of So Divine Artisan Boutique, was awarded $10,000 through the Zensurance Small Business Grant program. (Taylor Hansen)

A small artisan boutique in Fort St. James has claimed a $10,000 grand prize in a national grant competition, beating out finalists from major urban centres across the country.

Nikita Bucholtz, owner of So Divine Artisan Boutique, was announced on Thursday, June 25, as one of two $10,000 winners in the June 2026 round of the Zensurance Small Business Grant program. The win marks a significant milestone for the northern British Columbia shop and the community of local artisans it represents.

Zensurance, a Toronto-headquartered digital commercial insurance brokerage serving small businesses, independent contractors, startups, and freelancers, launched the grant in celebration of its 10th anniversary. The program, which ran from April 1 to June 3 and was open to businesses across Canada, awarded two $10,000 prizes and eight $1,000 prizes to a field of 10 finalists drawn from thousands of applicants.

Bucholtz said she learned about the grant through a fellow local business owner.

“They mentioned it and I thought, why not try?” she recalled. “The application process itself was very straightforward. It didn’t feel overwhelming or never-ending. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I wanted to say. You only get one shot to introduce yourself, so it was really important to me that I gave them the best pitch I could.”

Once submitted, Bucholtz said she put it out of her mind. “There was no way my little shop in our little town would get picked, right?” Then came the surprise. Bucholtz awoke one morning to discover she had been shortlisted among the program’s top 10 finalists — a diverse group of Canadian entrepreneurs, startups, and local shops from coast to coast.

The window from shortlist to public voting moved quickly. Finalists were required to submit a headshot and a video pitching their business and explaining how they would use the funds, all within a matter of days. Voting then opened for one week on the Zensurance website, where each finalist was featured with a bio and their video.

“That week was spent pushing the vote everywhere I could think of — social media, emails to customers, a message to all the artisans, our Fort St. James Facebook page,” Bucholtz said. “I was the last finalist video posted to their socials.”

The response from the community exceeded Bucholtz’s expectations. “People were stopping by just to say, ‘Hey, I voted for you!’” she said. “The artisans always have my back. We are a team and in this together. The love and support were the best part of the experience, for sure.” Support came not only from Fort St. James but from Vanderhoof, Prince George, and communities across the region. Bucholtz said she saw comments and encouragement from people throughout northern B.C. and beyond.

Despite the groundswell of local support, Bucholtz remained skeptical of her chances. “I thought there was no way I was going to win,” she admitted. “There were multiple finalists from Toronto and large cities, plus a few with quite large Instagram followings.”

When results day arrived, 9 a.m. Eastern, 6 a.m. Pacific — Bucholtz was nervous to open her email.

“In a very sleepy state, I opened it and just blinked at the screen,” she said. The message read: “Hi Nikita, Congratulations! You have been selected as the $10,000 Zensurance grant winner.”

“I jumped off the bed and scurried to the kitchen, tapped my husband on the shoulder, and said nothing. I just held my phone out for him to see. We hugged and cheered and danced around the kitchen.”

Bucholtz outlined several priorities for the grant funds. She plans to host a customer appreciation event, reserve a portion to support community events, and invest in website improvements and shipping options to strengthen the boutique’s online store. “All along I’ve been saying ‘we won, we have been chosen’ — because it really isn’t just me,” she said. “This affects all the artisans, too. I’m certainly excited to hear their ideas as well.”

“I’m thankful for Zensurance pulling me out of thousands of applications across Canada,” Bucholtz said. “I can’t imagine how many deserving small businesses applied and how difficult that selection process must be. And for the artisans who shared and voted and got their family and friends to rally, I just can’t stress how lucky I feel to have such love and support. I still can’t believe So Divine won.”