October Focus on Business Newsletter

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October 2022 Issue

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Celebrate National Business Excellence Week

October 12 to 20

by Patricia Nicol - [email protected]

Join the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce as they host a week of celebrations in support and recognition of the contributions local businesses have made in the community, during the Annual National Business Excellence Week.

Take part in the business events, featuring guest speakers who have taken their business to the next level.

Oct 12 – Business Lunch; Sturgeon Valley Golf and Country Club

Oct 14 – Rotary Breakfast; The St. Albert Food Bank and Community Centre

Oct 19 – Business Breakfast; Little White School House

Oct 20 – Awards Of Excellence Gala; Arden Theatre

Nominate and Spread the Word

Now’s the time to recognize businesses in St. Albert who have gone the extra mile or have a made a positive impact in the community. Submissions will be judged on business achievement, business growth, customer service, and innovation. Nominate A Business

Business of the Year
Small Business: 1-4 employees
Medium Business: 5-15 employees
Large Business: 16+ employees
Business to Business

Community Business Leadership
Community Stewardship
Customer Service
Ignite Award Marketing
Young Entrepreneur

The week-long activities will conclude with the Awards Gala, where local businesses will be honoured and recognized for their achievements over the past year.

For more information or to nominate a local business, contact the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce: 780-458-2833 or visit www.stalbertchamber.com.

Economic Development and the City's Corporate Business Plan

by Christian Benson - [email protected]

The City of St. Albert’s Corporate Business Plan 2022-25 was presented to Council on August 29, 2022. This four-year plan clearly articulates the activities required to achieve the strategies outlined in Council’s Strategic Plan. These strategies advance five priority areas established by Council: economic prosperity, a vibrant downtown, community well-being, adapting to a changing natural environment and financial sustainability.

Economic Development is in a predominant position with the Corporate Business Plan 2022-25, with two identified strategic priorities highlighted. In the area of Economic Prosperity, Council and Administration will focus on advancing plans for development of the Lakeview Business District, completing plans for recently annexed lands and creating a positive environment for development. St. Albert's downtown has also been identified as a priority with the fostering of a vibrant downtown, where people come to live, gather, celebrate, shop and do business. By supporting a variety of community events that help promote our heritage, arts and culture, Council will support downtown businesses and encourage the establishment of a Business Improvement Area.

Information about the 2022-25 Corporate Business Plan can be found at the following link:

https://stalbert.ca/cosa/leadership/strategic-plan/

The Clean Energy Improvement Program

Is Coming to St. Albert

by Monty Killoh - [email protected]

This fall, the City of St. Albert will begin offering residential property owners affordable, convenient financing through the Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP).

Financing will be available for residents to install energy efficiency and/or renewable energy upgrades on their homes.

Homeowners will be searching the CEIP qualified contractors directory for contractors specializing in:

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
Window, doors, insulation and air sealing
Water heating
Electrical and lighting
Renewable energy, solar PV and solar thermal
Home energy evaluations

If you are not yet listed as a qualified contractor, now is the time to get on board. You will gain exclusive eligibility to provide CEIP installations and services in the City of St. Albert and other participating municipalities like Devon, Leduc, Edmonton, and Rocky Mountain House.

Learn More at our Upcoming Webinar

Whether you want to become a qualified contractor or you just want to brush up on your knowledge of the program, the upcoming webinars are your chance to learn more about the City of St. Albert’s program, understand the role of contractors in the program, and get the most recent information to share with your customers.

Webinar Date: Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

Times: 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.

RSVP for Free

About CEIP

CEIP is a new, flexible way to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades.

Repayment is made conveniently through regular property tax bills and interest rates are competitive. What’s more, the project financing is tied to the property, not the property owner. So owners can invest in money saving upgrades now—without worrying about what happens when the property sells.

As a qualified contractor, you will be able to help your customers access CEIP financing. Your customers will be able to finance up to 100 per cent of the cost of eligible upgrades.

Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected]

Job Fair

by Amanda MacDonald - [email protected]

St. Albert Further Education is hosting St. Albert Industry Job Fair at St. Albert Centre (inside by the Hudson’s Bay) on Saturday October 15, 2022. Job seekers are welcomed to connect with St. Albert employers from 1p.m. - 5p.m.

Onsite job seeker resources available.

St. Albert employers can register to host a table: https://stalbertfurthered.com/event/job-fair-oct-15-for-employers/.

Book-A-Bus App

by Monty Killoh - [email protected]

On September 18, 2022, St. Albert Transit launched a new on-demand service app called Book-A-Bus to replace the old On-Demand Transit: Rider App.

The Book-A-Bus service allows for riders to arrange for a transit vehicle to pick them up at any designated bus stop within the City during the following time-periods (standard transit fares apply):

Weekday Evenings from 6:45 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday Evenings from 6:45 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Sundays & Statutory Holidays from 5:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Book-A-Bus app is available for download for both iPhone and Android devices.

Riders can book trips in advance through the new app, online at ridestat.ca, or over the phone at 780-418-6060.

Services provided through the new app include:

Tracking on-demand buses
Push notifications and text messages
Saving personal search results
Creating a list of favourite locations

Find out more by visiting the related webpage: https://stalbert.ca/city/transit/schedules/via/

Snowflake Festival - Sponsorship Opportunities

by Monty Killoh - [email protected]

The annual St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce Snowflake Festival returns to the Perron District on Friday, November 25, 2022.

Residents and their families are invited to come to the heart of downtown St. Albert to light-up the Perron District with the warm glow of Christmas Lights. Families can take a ride on the polar express, cuddle animals at the petting zoo, play some road hockey, and of course meet Santa. Downtown restaurants will also be open for attendees to enjoy a hot meal with their families.

Sponsorship Opportunities are still available for this event; if your business would like to become one of the sponsors for the Snowflake Festival, please fill-out the related application form on the following webpage:

https://business.stalbertchamber.com/form/view/27555, or contact the Chamber of Commerce at 780-458-2833 or [email protected].

Yarn Divas Tea and Fibre Emporium

by Monty Killoh - [email protected]

Nestled in the new Grandin Parc development in Downtown St. Albert, Yarn Divas Tea & Fibre Emporium is a hidden gem where fibre artistry, crochet, dyes, weaving, spinning and embroidery mix together with tea, coffee, treats and vintage furniture to create a truly special space. “The original vision was a place where people can come, sit, hang-out, relax, and do some fibre artistry,” says co-owner Sherri; “we want people to come and feel welcomed, feel like they’re part of a group whether they are beginners or seasoned fibre lovers.”

Sherri and co-owner Chrissy have been best friends for over 20 years, and what started as a spur of the moment idea – “do you want to open a yarn shop with me?” turned into a multi-year process that culminated with the opening of their unique space earlier this year (yes, they are still best friends!). After struggling to find a suitable space – complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic – they finally found the perfect fit at 10 Tache Mews West; “As soon as we walked-in, the natural light, big windows and huge space were what sold it for us!”

Whether you’re one of the many people who took-up fibre artistry during the pandemic or are a complete beginner, the space is for everyone of all levels of experience and abilities; “people can bring their own projects, we highly welcome it, and we start beginners out with basic needles and yarn – we offer a one-on-one training session if you want to sit and learn with us, or you can join one of the classes to learn with other people,” asserts Sherri. One of the main efforts the business has made since opening is to find instructors from every imaginable specialty of fibre; whether it be weaving, spinning, or even dyeing, the business aims to be able to provide instruction for all kinds of fibre-related activities.

One of the most unique aspects of the business is the inclusion of a dye studio: “We’re the only fibre shop in the Edmonton area that has a dye studio – we have one local dyer from Edmonton that rents the space out and does her own thing. If you have fabric, have taken a class and know how to dye, you’re more than welcome to come use the space.”

Building a tight-knit community is a major focus for Sherri and Chrissy; treat-filled Stich n’ Gather events take place every Thursday night and Sunday (typically the busiest day at the shop), a High Tea event took place in the summer – with more on the horizon – and the overall goal of the business is to have a space where people can come to relax, feel welcomed and feel like they’re part of the group. “We want a space for people to come and be together again, and that’s what we’ve done.”

Yarn Divas Tea & Fibre Emporium

10 Tache Mews West

587-290-3482