A Look Back at 2020 in the City

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January 2021 Issue:

Budget, Construction Values and Highlights

2021 Budget

by Nicole Pearson- npearson@stalbert.ca

At the December 21, 2020 Council meeting, St. Albert City Council approved the proposed 2021 budget, as amended following the City’s budget deliberation process. The budget includes an average tax increase of 0.7 per cent and an average utility rate decrease of 0.03 per cent.

For 2021, the municipal capital plan investment includes:

· 30 municipal capital projects to repair, maintain or replace existing infrastructure, valued at $26.0 million; and,

· 17 municipal growth capital projects valued at $35.8 million.

For 2021, the utility capital plan investment includes:

· 11 utility capital projects to repair, maintain or replace existing infrastructure, valued at $19 million.

· 1 utility growth capital project valued at $0.5 million.

The past year has been marked globally by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is anticipated to result in long-term financial, economic, and social impacts. As a result, the approved budget takes into consideration impacts to the City’s operations due to the pandemic, to best accommodate the new reality.

More information on the approved 2021 budget and financial plan can be found at https://stalbert.ca/cosa/finance/business-plans-budget/2021-budget/

Construction Values Reach Three Year High

by Michael Erickson- merickson@stalbert.ca

Despite a global pandemic, St. Albert experienced a marked increase in construction activity in 2020. Topping $200 million, the total construction value of issued building permits last year exceeded those in 2019 by over 40%. In fact, 2020 saw the highest totals locally since 2017.

Much of this increase in activity can be attributed to a substantial boost in industrial construction. With the construction of significant new office and industrial buildings in the Campbell and Anthony Henday business parks, industrial permit values climbed to their highest levels since 2016. The over $44 million in industrial permit values accounted for 22% of all permits in 2020.

Residential construction held relatively steady, only experiencing a small 2% decrease from 2019. Local residential developers and home builders have noted a surprisingly strong demand for new homes in 2020 and they are cautiously optimistic for 2021.

Institutional construction activity also experienced a significant rise this past year. With improvements made to several schools, including the replacement of Paul Kane High School, and the construction of a new religious building, institutional construction values were up by almost $45 million.

With several new major projects proposed and with plans for new development in several residential neighborhoods, 2021 has the potential to be another strong year for new development, investment, and construction in St. Albert.

New Business Highlights from 2020

by Monty Killoh- mkilloh@stalbert.ca

2020 was an extraordinarily challenging year for businesses new and old alike. Despite these challenges, St. Albert welcomed many new businesses to the community; here are highlights of some of our new neighbors from different industries and sectors.

Accommodation

Holiday Inn Express & Suites St. Albert (1145 St. Albert Tr)

A 120 room hotel on the northern edge of St. Albert

Fitness & Education

Marshall Boxing (107 – 25 Chisholm Ave)

Olympic boxing training and instruction for athletes of all ages and abilities

Gateway Driving School Ltd. (B 210-506 St. Albert Tr)

A new in-vehicle driver training business

Planet Fitness St. Albert (10 – 19 Bellerose Dr)

A fitness centre franchise - St. Albert’s location is one of the first Canadian locations to open, and is one of two currently open in Alberta

Cyclebar St. Albert (130 – 140 Bellerose Dr)

Cycling sessions for people of all ages, with themes ranging from mindfulness to pure cardio workouts to simulated outdoor biking

Construction

Capital Building Maintenance & Restoration (102 – 25 Chisholm Ave)

Various contracting services, including general contracting & building maintenance, snow removal & landscaping, and asbestos abatement and building restoration

ERV Parent Co. Ltd. (B - 27 Rowland Cres)

A commercial floor-covering distribution centre in Riel Business Park

Restaurants

Tryst Wine & Small Plates (100 – 21 Perron St)

A new restaurant serving small plate dinners with an impressive assortment of wines

Dicey Reilly’s (104 – 398 St. Albert Tr)

An Irish pub that serves traditional Irish meals

Paddy’s Pub and Kitchen (E – 388 St. Albert Tr)

A new pub and restaurant that provides a modern take on a traditional celtic pub

Eats (101-125 Carleton Dr)

A new restaurant in Campbell Business Park that offers home-cooked meals with fresh ingredients

Health Services

Citadel Dental (250 – 665 St. Albert Tr)

A new dental clinic near the Sturgeon Hospital

Active Physio Works, Sturgeon Medical (200 – 625 St. Albert Tr)

A Physiotherapy clinic that is the first business to open in the new Sturgeon Medical Building

Karmaste Massage & Wellness (35 Renault Cres)

A massage clinic and wellness centre that has opened in Riel Business Park

Retail

Health Stork (2002 Tudor Glen)

A health supplement and vitamin retail store

Quilt Momma (181 – 375 St. Albert Tr)

A new business in St. Albert Centre Mall that sells homemade products such as quilts, t-shirts, pillows, custom glassware and bath bombs

AJ Powersports Ltd. (10 – 35 Corriveau Ave)

A re-seller of ATV’s, Quads, Skidoo’s, and other recreational motor vehicles

Pearson’s Your Independent Grocer (100 – 925 St. Albert Tr)

St. Albert’s newest grocery supermarket on the northern edge of the City

Service Industry

Kepler Academy Early Learning & Child Care (300 – 625 St. Albert Tr)

A new childcare and out of school care business

Vargo Salon (121 – 15 Circle Dr)

A new family hair salon located in Campbell Business Park

Ewyn Weight Loss Studio (106 – 205 Carnegie Dr)

A new weight loss counselling and retail business in Campbell Business Park

T&R Ink (207 – 90 McKenney Ave)

A new tattoo and body art services business

Dog Haven Grooming & Daycare (105 – 25 Chisholm Ave)

Dog grooming and doggy daycare business in Campbell Business Park

Stay Gold Spa (C – 35 Rayborn Cres)

A new day spa business in Riel Business Park that also retails skincare products

Business Spotlight On... Cloud Nine Pajamas

by Amanda MacDonald- amacdonald@stalbert.ca

The Zechel family opened their first Cloud Nine Pajama’s location in Edmonton in 2005. Since then they have grown to own and operate four locations, including their St. Albert location which is located downtown on St. Thomas Street and opened in 2012. Offering the finest pajamas, cozy lounge wear & pajama accessories, their store selection is truly “where relaxation meets luxury”.

This past year has brought many challenges for businesses due to Covid-19, and at the end of the 2020 year, the Zechel family reflected back on the year with gratitude for the support and loyalty of their employees and their customers as they faced the challenging tides. “We feel really lucky to be part of the St. Albert community. Other businesses in St. Albert and our customers have been supporting us throughout the past year, following us on social media, and checking in to see how we are doing.” Miranda Zechel said.

Cloud Nine Pajamas employees go above and beyond to prioritize customer service and keep their relationships with their customers and community strong. They have a loyal customer base via their “Cozy Club”, and a social media following on Facebook & Instagram which Cloud Nine Pajamas uses to keep everyone up to date on store changes, promotions.

New changes and precautions meant being agile and nimble to continue to deliver a great shopping experience to their customers and maintain some “normalcy” throughout the changes. Customers can still visit the store, shop products online to eliminate in-store browsing time, or speak to a sales associate over the phone to help them put together an order. Online orders can be picked up in-store or via curbside pickup. The changes keep customer experience and satisfaction at the forefront, which has always been the case for Cloud Nine Pajamas stores.

Visit Cloud Nine Pajamas at 44 St. Thomas Street.

Monday - Wednesday, Friday- Saturday 10 am - 5 pm

Thursday 10 am - 8 pm

Closed Sundays

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

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The Spotlight on Business is a monthly feature wherein we highlight a local business and learn more about what they do and how they positively contribute to the identity and economy of St. Albert. If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured in a future issue, please contact npearson@stalbert.ca with a brief description of the organization.