December Focus on Business Newsletter

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December 2022 Issue

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FOCUS ON THE HOLIDAYS

Local Gift Giving Ideas!

by Patricia Nicol - pnicol@stalbert.ca

As the holiday season approaches it can be challenging to find the perfect gift for that special someone. Below is a list of just a few of the many local St. Albert businesses you can stop in to support the community you call home!

To find out more about these or any other St. Albert business,

click on the business name or visit

https://directory.stalbert.ca/

GIFTS &

NOVELTY ITEMS

Brewmill Candle Company

Chapters

Downtown Gift Company

Little Acorn and Oak

Maple & Rose

Modern Eyes Gallery and Gift

Seasons Gift Shop

Shava Gift Shop

Smashed Seaglass Designs

Soybean Essentials

W.A.R.E.S. Gift Shop

SPECIALTY BEVERAGES

Black Diamond Distillery

District Distillery

Endeavour Brewing & Coffee

MD Distillery

The Mash

T-Rex Distillery

SWEETS & TREATS

DaVinci Gelato

COMFY GIFTS

Saltwater Bay Boutique

THE ENJOY CENTRE

Evoolution

Liquid Harvest

The Makers Keep

Wellness Within Health Spa

Last Weekend of the St. Albert Holiday Shop Local Contest!

by Amanda MacDonald - amacdonald@stalbert.ca

There are just a couple days left for your customers to win a $500 Visa gift card in the City of St. Albert’s Shop Local contest. Until December 11, any purchase your customers make is eligible for a chance to win. All they need to do is scan the QR code on the poster, fill out the online form and submit.

You can print a copy of the promotional poster for your store where customers can access the QR code on site. See linked promotional poster. Contest closes at 11:59 on December 11th, 2023.

The entry form, and more information, is at stalbert.ca/shoplocal

If you would like a FREE Shop Local window decal to remind customers that you are a proud St. Albert business that encourages the community to shop and dine local, email economicdevelopment@stalbert.ca. The decal can stay up as long as you like since it does not include contest details.

Shop and Dine

by Amanda MacDonald - amacdonald@stalbert.ca

When you purchase at locally owned businesses, money is kept in the community. Purchasing local helps grow other businesses as well as the local tax base. St. Albert is more unique and vibrant due to our small local businesses who employ and support our community.

We want to help keep St. Albert's local business community vibrant and resilient by encouraging residents to consider their purchase before they buy to support local. Our revamped Shop Local page provides links to the St. Albert business directory and information on seasonal contests and new businesses. Encourage St. Albert residents to show support for St. Albert businesses by encouraging them to:

Shop and dine local
Purchase gift cards
Order meals for takeout or delivery
Shop in-person, online or over the phone from local businesses
Help promote and show your support for businesses on social media
Leave a review
Learn about local businesses

We have developed a window decal businesses can use to encourage people to support local. If you would like a FREE Shop Local window decal to remind customers that you are a proud St. Albert business that encourages the community to shop and dine local, email economicdevelopment@stalbert.ca. The decal can stay up as long as you like since it does not include contest details.

2023 Business Licence Renewals are Available

by Monty Killoh - mkilloh@stalbert.ca

St. Albert Business Licence renewals are now available for all business owners. Owners who have signed-up for MyCity e-billing services have already received their renewal invoices (mailed invoices will be arriving within the first few weeks of December). Payments can be made online with a credit card through the following link: https://my.stalbert.ca/CityApps/ecom/

If you want to opt-in to e-billing and have online access to your Business Licence account, you can sign-up through the following link: https://my.stalbert.ca/ (required sign-up information can be found on your renewal invoice or by contacting the Business Licensing Department). The Business Licensing Department can also complete this process on your behalf if requested.

Please note the following regarding 2023 Business Licence Renewals:

As electronic copies of issued Business Licences are available through the City’s MyCity service, printed/mailed licences will only be provided by request; if you want a physical copy of your licence mailed, please contact the Business Licensing Department.
Please review your invoice to confirm the account information on file for your business is up-to-date; if any changes need to be applied, please contact the Business Licensing Department.
The Business Licensing Department has moved from St. Albert Place, and is now located at the St. Albert Business Centre (29 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue).
In-Person payments can still be made at St. Albert Place, however the hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Please review the questionnaire on the invoice to confirm the following:

The number of employees for your business;
Opt-in status for the City’s Online Business Directory

Please direct any questions regarding Business Licensing renewals to:

Business Licensing

29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave

780-459-1618

licensing@stalbert.ca

Grey Nuns White Spruce Park

-Historically Significant Area-

by Patricia Nicol - pnicol@stalbert.ca

The Grey Nuns White Spruce Park (GNWSP) is an ecologically and historically significant area located just east of Ray Gibbon Drive. This designated Municipal Historic Resource is the home to many 100 year-old trees and is an important habitat for a variety of birds, mammals, plants, and amphibians. With the growing Riverside neighbourhood and increasing use of the GNWSP, there was a need to provide better access to the area while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the white spruce forest.

This year, the City of St. Albert constructed new amenities within the GNWSP in order to protect the park and forest for the long-term while still providing accessibility for everyone to explore, gather and learn more about this unique area. Located within the park you will find over 4 km of trails, boardwalks, viewpoints, two outdoor classrooms, a picnic shelter, and natural play areas.

Botanical Art at Its Finest

Art is also a major element of the park with a number of integrated art features.
An outdoor classroom at the Central Interpretive is designed to mimic a bird’s nest.
Along the multi-use trail, the river lookout is in the shape of a beaver tail with the railing that evokes a beaver dam.

Keeping It Vibrant

The GNWSP working group continues to work on trial plots to reforest different areas of the forest with white spruce. There is no regeneration of the white spruce in some areas, and an adaptive management plan was developed to ensure the sustainability of the forest. These plots vary in size and number of plants and are being managed to ensure success among the numerous species that are thriving on the forest floor. The findings will help plan remediation for other areas of the forest, especially where trees have blown down. If you come across a trial plot, please be careful not to disturb it to ensure the healthy growth of our new trees.

More projects are planned in the GNWSP. It is envisioned that the plantings will expand the forested area, along with the interior planting of open areas, will allow the historically designated white spruce forest to continue in perpetuity.

More information about the Grey Nuns White Spruce Park can be found at:

https://stalbert.ca/rec/parks/places/parks/grey-nuns/

New Arc Transit Fare System

by Monty Killoh - mkilloh@stalbert.ca

On November 21, 2022, a new regional smart-fare product launched in the Edmonton Region: Arc.

Arc is an account-based electronic fare payment system that is now accepted across the transit systems of Edmonton, St. Albert, Strathcona County, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Spruce Grove and Beaumont.

Using one Arc card, a transit passenger can now access and use the transit systems of all major municipalities in the region. For example, an employee of a St. Albert business who lives in Edmonton can now take transit to their work site using only one “smart-tap” Arc card, and no longer needs to purchase or maintain multiple sets of bus tickets and passes to pay for a single trip that accesses both Edmonton and St. Albert transit systems.

Transit users can purchase and load Arc cards at most transit/LRT stations in the Edmonton Region, including at St. Albert’s Naki Transit Centre. They‘re also available for purchase at the St. Albert Place cashier and at the Liggett Place Transit Facility (235 Carnegie Drive).

The cards are credit-card sized and can be pre-loaded with any dollar amount between $4.00 and $500.00, either through the Arc vending machines or through the Arc website (the money is stored in a secure Arc account online, not on the card itself). An “auto-reload” function is also available, allowing for an Arc account to be loaded with a pre-set amount of money when the balance reaches below $10.00. Fare-capping will ensure that no user is charged more than $10.75 a day, or $100.00 a month, no matter how often they use transit.

For more information about how the new Arc system works, please visit the following webpage: https://stalbert.ca/city/transit/fares/regional/fare-options/

To create an Arc account or load money onto an Arc card, please visit the Arc webpage: https://www.myarc.ca/

St. Albert New Year's Eve Fireworks

by Amanda Macdonald - amacdonald@stalbert.ca

Say goodbye to 2022 and ring in the new year with a dazzling fireworks display!

The fireworks will take place at the Meadowview Ball Diamond, starting at 8:30 p.m. on December 31, 2022. The site will be closed to the public.

Below are some recommendations for great spots to view the display:

Red Willow Trails near the Children’s Bridge Parking lot available at St. Albert Place, located at 5 St. Anne Street
Lions Park located at 21 Sir Winston Churchill Avenue Parking lot is located adjacent to Lions Park.
Millennium Park located at St. Anne Promenade and Tache Street Parking on the street is available.
Morgan Park located between Mission Avenue and Morgan Crescent Parking on nearby street is available.

Visitors are encouraged to arrive early to find parking for the event.

Spotlight on Business - Seven 80

by Amanda MacDonald - amacdonald@stalbert.ca

Named after the northern Alberta area code, Seven 80 has opened its first St. Albert location. Seven 80 is a gift and clothing store that boasts and shares their passion for the region through their own clothing brand: Seven Eighty, and Loyal to my Soil. Their new location in St. Albert Centre Mall is their fourth location in the Edmonton Metropolitan region.

The clothing brand offers a range of apparel such as hoodies, flannels, jerseys, and a selection of toques, hats, and accessories. They support local charities through the sales of their popular toques by donating $2 from every sale, and this year have donated $2000 to charities such as the Edmonton Food Bank and the Zebra Centre through their toque program.

Seven 80 offers a great selection of local handmade products available in store, everything from jewelry, soap, scrunchies, candles, candy, scarves, pet accessories, greeting cards and more. The manager of the St. Albert Centre location, Erin Bognar, shared that this location opened November 1 and has so far had a warm reception from the St. Albert community. With many residents starting their holiday shopping, there is no shortage of great gift ideas at Seven 80.

“All of the products we carry are either brands made by Seven 80 or gifts made by local artists based in Edmonton and surrounding areas including makers in St. Albert” Erin boasts.

Visit the Seven 80 store during St. Albert Centre Mall Hours

Visit their online store at https://www.seven80.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theseven80

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseven80/