Alberta groups using e-business to help their projects or companies were on the winner’s stand at the first E-Business Leadership Awards.

Not all of the winners were experts in e-commerce.

Rather, says Bob Gardiner, president of E-Strategies International, the company which organized the awards, they have used e-business initiatives to further extend their products or services into the community.

“The thing they have in common is their e-business initiative supported their corporate direction,” says Gardiner. “They are companies which asked: How do we use technology to support what we do?’ ”

Calgary-based River Watch is a science program for kids, not an e-business, he says. “But they used an e-initiative to support it, and they got real benefit from it.”

The annual awards will be presented again next fall in Edmonton.

Meanwhile, Alberta Environment Minister Lorne Taylor was honoured with a special leadership award for his contribution to the growth of e-business in the province. Taylor was formerly Innovation and Science minister who helped spearhead the government’s information and communications technology development strategy.

An independent panel of judges from industry selected three finalists in each category, and the winners were announced at a gala evening at the TELUS Convention Centre in Calgary.

Winners were recognized in 10 categories:

* B2B (Business to Business) Large: Shumka Craig & Moore Adjusters Canada Ltd., Edmonton (www.scm.ca/iAdjust.htm)

* B2B (Business to Business) Small: Psychometrics Canada Ltd., Edmonton (www.psychometrics.com)

* B2C (Business to Consumers) Large: ENMAX Corporation, Calgary (www.enmax.com)

* B2C (Business to Consumers) Small: FloraWorld, Edmonton (www.floraworld.com)

* Global Reach: Alterna Technologies Group Inc., Calgary (www.alterna.com)

* Innovation: The Essentialtalk Network, Calgary (www.essentialtalk.com)

* Intranet: Conoco Canada Resources, Calgary

* Not for Profit Large: Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT), Calgary (www.sait.ab.ca)

* Not For Profit Small: River Watch Science Program, Calgary (www.riverwatch.ab.ca)

* E-Business of the Year: Psychometrics Canada Ltd., Edmonton (www.psychometrics.com)