December 2020 Issue:
State of the City, Covid-19 Support for Businesses,
Dig In Dining Week and Erin Ridge Plaza
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State of the City Address
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On November 18, 2020, Mayor Cathy Heron delivered her 2020 State of the City address at the Arden Theatre. Her speech focused on the importance of strength and resiliency for our community and how they are a prologue to a hopeful time ahead for St. Albert. She recognized the impacts that the pandemic has had on our city and how it has been the hardest time St. Albert has faced in decades. Highlights from her presentation are as follows:
- When St. Albert shifted into the shutdown this spring, the City of St. Albert had a projected deficit of $14.4 million but through careful and strategic expense reductions and efficiency measures, the projected deficit was reduced to $500,000 meaning the city won’t need double-digit tax increases or depleting reserves to make up for it. St. Albert will enter a new fiscal year on a solid financial footing.
- When the financial crisis struck in 2008, there was massive financial devastation on a scale never seen before but the people who were prepared for the recovery made more money than anyone has ever made in history and Mayor Heron is preparing St. Albert for this same type of bounce back. St. Albert will be going into the recovery phase with less debt and uncertainty than other communities, making the city more appealing for business investment ang giving us opportunities to capitalize on new innovations that will come out in the global realignment.
- The City’s revised Municipal Development Plan (MDP) is almost complete and will guide how and where we grow to 100,000 residents. The MDP allows for a low carbon-carbon form of development and positions St. Albert for stimulus dollars that are focused on green recovery as we build our city for the next generation.
- We have opportunities to become key sites for the knowledge-based sector including artificial intelligence, recycling, hydrogen, plastics and value-added agriculture.
- St. Albert completed our annexation agreement with Sturgeon County this summer which will now be submitted to the Municipal Government Board for approval and will provide ample land for St. Albert to grow over the next 45 years.
- The City received stimulus funds this summer which were partial used to fund the servicing of Range Road 260 and the Lakeview Business District. The west is a key strategic node for St. Albert and the servicing of the area will allow for development to begin and eventually create over 300 full-time positions.
- The development of Ray Gibbon Drive has had a direct positive impact on private sector investment including increasing the desirability of Lakeview Business District and the development of Uline, which will have the biggest commercial footprint and become the single biggest taxpayer when it opens in 2021.
- This is a time for creative solutions to problems we have been trying to solve for decades. From municipal cash flows, to responsible growth, to business development, whatever the problem, 2021 will be the year we find solutions because we are ready to think differently.
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Covid-19 Support & Resources
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The Government of Canada has a variety of different programs to support employers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is a list of the various programs that can provide assistance to Canadians:
Programs for Businesses & Employers:
Canadian Employers who have seen drops in revenue due to the pandemic may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their employee wages. If you had a Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) payroll account on March 15, 2020 and experienced a drop in revenue, you may be eligible (calculations for qualifying drops in revenue can be done on the CRA webpage).
Canadian Employers who have seen drops in revenue may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of their commercial rent or property taxes. This subsidy provides payments directly to qualifying renters and property owners, without requiring the participation of landlords. As long as you had a CRA payroll account on March 15, 2020 or a CRA business number on September 27 – and you experienced a drop in revenue – you may be eligible.
This program is intended to support businesses by providing financing for expenses that cannot be avoided/deferred due to the pandemic (including forced shutdowns/business closures). The program provides interest-free loans of up to $40,000 (soon to be expanded to $60,000). Repaying the balance of the loan on or before December 31, 2022 will result in loan forgiveness of 25 per cent. For details on eligibility requirements, please visit the CEBA webpage.
Programs for Employees & Self-Employed Individuals
This program is for employees and self-employed individuals who have been affected by the pandemic and are not eligible for employment insurance benefits. Eligible applicants – those who have had a 50 per cent or higher reduction in weekly earnings in comparison with 2019 or those who have lost employment due to the pandemic – can receive $1,000 for a two-week period (applicants can apply for this benefit for up to 13 eligibility periods between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021).
This program gives income support to employed/self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care. This applies if their school, regular program or facility is closed/unavailable due to the pandemic, or because they are sick, self-isolating or at high risk due to COVID-19. Eligible applicants can receive $500 for a 1-week period, for up to a total of 26 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.
This program gives income support to employed/self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self-isolate due to COVID-19 or have an underlying health condition that puts them at greater risk. Eligible applicants must have earned at least $5,000 in 2019 or 2020, must be unable to work at least 50 per cent of a scheduled work week, and must not be receiving paid leave from their employer. Applicants can receive $500 for a 1-week period, for up to a total of 26 weeks between September 27, 2020 and September 25, 2021.
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The pandemic has changed workplaces everywhere and we’ve all had to adapt in some way. During these challenging times as a business owner, it is important to know where to turn to provide support for your employees and their families who may be struggling.
Supports vary depending on each person’s situation. Help is always just a phone call away through your local St. Albert Family and Community Support Services and many 24/7 helplines that are available any time of day.
Talk to someone who understands:
• St. Albert Family and Community Support Services, community intake counsellor will assist with referrals, information and access o counselling services, call 780-418-6000, weekdays from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.
• St. Albert Seniors Association helps with referrals related to housing options, completion of forms, advance care planning, elder abuse information and support, accessing personal care, respite and community services, call 780-459-0433 ext. 0.
Please note: If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.
For more information on how you can access supports, visit stalbert.ca/help or call 780-418-6000 to speak to someone directly.
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The second annual Dig In St. Albert Dining Week took place November 6 -15. Despite new capacity limitations and earlier closing time protocol that restaurants need to comply with, the St. Albert community continues to support local restaurants in every way possible when they are able to, and Dig In Dining week was no exception.
During the ten-day culinary dining festival, 20 participating local St. Albert restaurants featured special menus with a sample of their culinary offerings. All menus were curated to offer a two or three course menu selection that ranged in price between $15 and $45. This range and the ample offerings provided customers options to try something new at local restaurants. This year take-out options were also an added feature to the Dig In St. Albert Menus. The addition of take-out options helped support restaurants that are making every effort to adapt during this difficult time in our economy and provide options to customers who wish to stay in but still support local restaurants by ordering take-out.
The restaurant special menus were featured on the Dig In St. Albert Dining Week website www.diginstalbert.ca and promoted on the Dig In St. Albert Facebook and Twitter pages bringing in regular and new customers to sample the culinary delights of our local restaurants. During the ten-day dining week, over 1080 feature menu meals were served across the 20 participating restaurants.
To offer some added excitement to the dining experience, Dig In St Albert ran a social media contest that offered the chance for one lucky participant to win a grand prize of $1000 worth of participating restaurant gift cards. Eligible entries posted their Dig In Dining Week meal at the restaurant, with the Dig In menu, to Facebook or Twitter and tagged #DiginStAlbert. The lucky winner was randomly drawn from all eligible entries. Congratulations Curtis Hackett. We would like to thank everyone for their support in making Dig In Dining Week a success.
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Erin Ridge Plaza Set to Service St. Albert
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Erin Ridge Plaza, St. Albert’s newest retail and professional commercial condominium development, has reached substantial completion and will see businesses take possession and begin tenant improvements this December. This 64,000 sq. ft. centre will provide residents with an abundance of new retail, personal and medical services, including: |
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A Plus Nails
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Donair Restaurant
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Daycare
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Dental Clinic
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Elixir Integrated Medical Centres
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Erin Ridge Vision Care
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K.O Hair Lounge
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Liquor Store
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Smokey's Cannabis
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Speedy Pharmacy
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Located on St. Albert Trail at the intersection of Neil Ross Rd., EPC Capital’s Erin Ridge Plaza offers convenient access for St. Albert residents, as well as communities north of the city.
Lease and Sale Opportunities
EPC Capital developed Erin Ridge Plaza with the understanding that businesses in St. Albert were looking for an opportunity to purchase their own space and invest in the real estate of their business. With limited opportunities for business to own the space they operate from in the city, the approach has been well received and Erin Ridge Plaza is 80% sold. That being said, there are still opportunities for business owners, entrepreneurs, and investors looking for commercial space, with units ranging from 950 to 4,341 sq. ft., including a standalone drive-thru building.
“We build with a careful understanding of communities we’re contributing to”, says Sam Narayan, Partner with EPC Capital. “Erin Ridge Plaza creates opportunities for businesses, and completes the Erin Ridge North area, providing residents quality professional and retail amenities.”
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Business Spotlight On... The Makers Keep
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In the summer of 2019, Katrina Petryshyn, owner of The Makers Keep boutique opened a pop-up shop on the main level of The Enjoy Centre at 101 Riel Drive. Since then she has made The Enjoy Centre home to their first location outside of Edmonton, and the only location in St. Albert.
The Makers Keep is a boutique shop with a craft marketplace feel, offering a great selection of local handmade products available in store and online.
“80% of the products we carry are made by local artists based in Edmonton and surrounding areas including makers in St. Albert” Katrina boasts. Some of the St. Albert makers are Haiku Lane (jewelry), Saltwater Bay (clothing), and Maple & Rose (craft customized designs).
To help make shopping easy this holiday season The Makers Keep has curated holiday gift boxes for the special people in your life that you can purchase in-store or online. They also have 12 staff throughout their three locations that have the store product knowledge to put together customized gift sets that are within your budget.
For people visiting the center to shop Katrina advised that the health & safety of customers and staff are made a priority to all vendors of The Enjoy Centre. “The safety and cleaning protocol at The Enjoy Centre is well communicated to vendors, and throughout the facility there is signage, so customers are aware of protocols in place to protect their health and safety” Katrina added, but for customers that prefer to shop online, the Makers Keep has recently updated their website. The Enjoy Centre location also has a sign-up sheet in-store where you and your cohort can have a 30-minute private shopping experience.
The Glasshouse Kitchen & Bar restaurant inside The Enjoy Centre has been revamped and offers full-service brunch and dinner in a beautiful atmosphere. With The Enjoy Centre offering so many amenities in one place, it is the perfect place to make plans to visit on the weekend Katrina added. “[T]he new renovations and changes made really add to the space and offerings for people visiting our shop on the weekend, they can make it a nice shopping experience by grabbing brunch or a coffee and then taking a peak inside our shop”.\
Visit the Makers Keep 7-days per week, store hours are 10 am – 5 pm.
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.
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New Businesses in St. Albert |
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Commercial/Industrial Businesses
780-292-5473
240 – 44 Riel Drive
Photography Studio
ERV Parent Co. Ltd.
780-459-2994
B – 27 Rowland Cres
Commercial Floor-Covering Distribution
Good Roots Cannabis
780-721-3115
1A-20 Sir Winston Churchill Ave
Cannabis Retail
Health Stork
780-720-8856
2002 Tudor Glen
Health Supplement – Vitamins – Store- Retail Operations
Leblanc Family Law
780-651-6217
220-41 St Thomas Street
Law Firm
The Muscle Pitstop
780-978-0665
420- 935 St Albert Trail
Rehabilitation Massage Services
The Sacred Wellness School of Healing Arts
780-994-7088
2 – 44 St Thomas Street
Education, Consulting, Massage Therapy
Soulfully Adjusted Chiropractic
780-686-6456
204 – 86 Mckenney Ave
Chiropractor
Vivo Liquor
780-266-8890
530 – 860 St Albert Trail
Retail Liquor Store
Home-Based Businesses
A O Embroidery Design
780-803-5529
Embroidery
Air Concepts HVAC Design
780-266-7654
HVAC Design, Residential Heat Losses
Be Flawless Esthetics
647-465-7506
Esthetics: Pedicures, Sugaring Hair Removal
CB Light Hauling
780-914-3558
Hauling Garbage, Building Supplies
Inverness Accounting
780-460-7517
Bookkeeping and Financial Accounting Service
Priminal Auto Styling
780-221-5689
Paint Protection Film/Vinyl Installer
TML Plumbing & Gas
587-989-4094
Plumbing & Gas Services
Toopgroup Ent.
587-566-7471
Mobile – Small Engine/Home Appliance Repair
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Single Family Housing Starts |
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Single Family Dwelling Resales |
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St. Albert Economic Development
29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave,
St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3
780-459-1500
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