July 2020 Issue:
Grants, Subsidies and Developments
Development Updates
by Katrina Rossol - krossol@stalbert.ca
28 & 32 St. Anne Street
The corner of St. Albert Trail and St. Anne street is about to go through a major change that will re-shape downtown St. Albert. The spaces that were once home to St. Albert's 1st Dairy Queen (which became a pub in the 1990's) and a small commercial/retail building will soon be demolished to make way for a new development located at one of St. Albert's busiest intersections and the main entrance to the Perron District.

The area is set to be the home of a new 8 storey, net-zero condo complex which will include retail CRUs on the bottom and 7 storeys or rental complexes above (approximately 119 units). The project is estimated to be worth around 35 million dollars with a timeline of 16 months to construct. The plans for the new complex include a 3-floor underground parkade, a roof-top patio and ground-floor businesses.

John Clark from Niche Development Corp. and the property’s other owners have a green vision for this building, including the use of geothermal heating, rooftop solar and other such energy efficient technologies to result in one of the largest net-zero emission buildings in St. Albert.

For more information into Niche Developments, visit: http://nichedevelopments.ca/.
 
Anthony Henday Business Park Continues to Expand
QuadReal Property Group, owners of the Anthony Henday Business Park, are expanding their business park once again with an exciting new 196,700 SF industrial spec building. The newest approved industrial building will reside just south of the existing 98,000 SF Alberta Beverage Container Recycling Corporation (ABCRC) building. The spec building has recently approved construction designs, however the project has not yet broken ground. The developer has indicated that the anticipated construction timeline will take approximately 11 months from start to finish, and could be completed and delivered as early as Q4 2021 for potential interested tenants.

The Anthony Henday Business Park is a fully serviced industrial/commercial park and is in close proximity – about a 1 KM distance – to the Anthony Henday Ring Road. The park has accessibility benefits with direct access to both the A21 and 201 bus routes; furthermore, in the approved subdivision master plan, there are multiple transit stops situated in the park itself at full build-out.

This is one of St. Albert’s newest business parks situated at the very south-west corner of the City and is approximately half built-out with the existing 98,000 SF ABCRC building, the 590,929 SF ULINE Distribution Centre (which is currently under construction), and has reached about half of its capacity with this newest approved spec building. Plans for the rest of the site include an 11.7 acre commercial/retail development along LeClair Way and approximately 30 acres of future industrial area.

For more information regarding the Anthony Henday Business Park, please contact:
Brent Peyre
VP Leasing QuadReal Property Group
+1 (780) 701-1104

For information regarding the Commercial/Retail development please visit:
New Provincial and Federal Grants/Subsidies
by Nicole Pearson - npearson @stalbert.ca
Government of Alberta Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant
At the end of June, the Government of Alberta launched a new program to help fund small and medium-sized businesses in the province as they relaunch following COVID-19 shutdowns. The Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant offers financial assistance to Alberta businesses, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations that faced restrictions or closures from public health orders, and experienced a revenue loss of at least 50 per cent due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligible applicants can apply for up to $5,000 to offset costs including extra cleaning supplies, physical barriers, personal protective equipment, as well as rent, wages and inventory. Businesses must have 500 or fewer employees to be eligible for the grant.

To learn more about the program and guidelines, visit the Province of Alberta’s website at https://open.alberta.ca/publications/sme-relaunch-grant-guidelines .

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
On July 13, the Federal government announced they would be extending the Canada Wage Subsidy into December. The subsidy helps businesses to keep employees on the payroll and encourages employers to re-hire workers previously laid off, and better positions businesses to bounce back following COVID-19.

The program covers 75 per cent of wages, up to a weekly maximum of $847, for eligible companies and non-profits. Companies must show a 30-per-cent drop in revenues.

To learn more about the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and guidelines, visit the Federal government website at https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/subsidy/emergency-wage-subsidy.html .
Love Local Contest Comes to a Close
by Katrina Rossol - krossol @stalbert.ca
The City of St. Albert’s Love Local Contest, in partnership with the City of St. Albert Chamber of Commerce, has officially closed! This local campaign put on by the City of St. Albert’s Economic Development department was a huge success in supporting local businesses with giving over 30 winners $50 gift cards to help and support local St. Albert businesses.

The campaign ran from May 25 th through June 29 th and strived to give awareness and support for residents to purchase locally from big-box stores to restaurants and cafes to help local businesses and to keep our community vibrant and resilient.

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Love Local Campaign and took to hash-tagging #lovelocalstalbert on Facebook and Twitter! Please note that local businesses are still able to access the online downloadable Love Local Toolkit which has ready-to-use promotional information, such as social media content and posters for your business; the toolkit is available to use and share on the City’s website at: https://stalbert.ca/dev/business/support/local/toolkit/
Alberta Recovery Plan
by Monty Killoh - mkilloh @stalbert.ca
On June 29, the Alberta Provincial Government announced the Alberta Recovery Plan – an economic stimulus plan to help the province’s economy rebound from the COIVD-19 pandemic and crash in global energy prices.

The plan includes a massive $10 billion in infrastructure spending, which the government expects will create 50,000 jobs. Some of this funding will go to work immediately, with the province announcing that they will launch a series of large-scale infrastructure projects worth $612 million this summer. Infrastructure projects across the province will receive funding, including the twinning of highways, projects that support growth in the agricultural sector, gas line extensions for northern residents, and treatment facilities for Albertans recovering from addictions, among other projects.

Part of this plan involves an increase in municipal infrastructure spending and will also create a new provincial agency called “Investment Alberta,” which will act as a concierge service to help in attracting and assisting investors and investment opportunities in the province.

The Province also announced a cut of the corporate business tax rate from 10% to 8%, which will generate a projected $13 billion in future economic growth.

Another significant aspect of the plan involves a large investment in incentives for the tech sector and startups. This will include $175 million for the Alberta Enterprise Corporation to provide venture capital for startups, the establishment of a new innovation employment grant, and more than $200 million in funding to support/accelerate research, innovation and entrepreneurship through post-secondary institutions, Alberta Innovates, Alberta Enterprise Corporation and the department of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism.

While many of the specific details about these programs and investments have yet to be announced, updates about the plan – and the plan itself – can be viewed on the Alberta Government’s website at https://www.alberta.ca/recovery-plan.aspx
Business Spotlight On... Whisk Dessert Co.
by Monty Killoh - mkilloh@stalbert.ca
Whisk Dessert Co.
B – 2 Sir Winston Churchill Ave
780-458-2922
 
Located in a commercial strip on Sir Winston Churchill Avenue in Grandin, Whisk Dessert Co. is a locally owned – and locally renown - custom bake shop. The shop provides everything from pre-designed/custom cakes to French macrons and brownies to gluten-free and vegan products, and has been providing these delicious goods to the local community for over eight years.

Owner Jennifer Gray started decorating cakes as a hobby when she was just 12 years old, and in 2011 she decided it was time for a career change. Having never run a business before, Jennifer and her business partner first started by baking custom cakes in a church kitchen, however their success soon led to them leasing a permanent space at B – 2 Sir Winston Churchill Ave; “In a month we went from a church kitchen to a 2200 sq ft building; we realized we could have retail in there, so it kind of fell together,” notes Jennifer.

Whisk has also become known as a go-to bakery for artists and performers who want to celebrate while they visit the greater Edmonton area. “Very early on we got a call from Tim McGraw’s manager. It was his keyboard player’s birthday and they were playing a show at Rexall Place, and they wanted to know if we could do a simple cake for him. Instead of a simple cake, we made a custom keyboard cake with a cowboy hat on it. Since then we've been getting calls from Rexall and Rogers Place to do cakes for performers; we’ve made cakes for Cirque du Soleil, Brad Paisley, Shania Twain and Ed Sheeran among others, and lots of them will post our creations on social media, which is very exciting!”

When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, Whisk was facing the same problem as countless other businesses: how to provide a safe and healthy way of continuing to provide services to their customers. Offering curbside pick-up and deliveries in St. Albert ended up being a hit: “Lucky for us, we already had our online platform built, so it was a smooth transition. We’ve had a lot of people who have parents who live here but they themselves live out of province, and knowing that they can have treats, cakes and birthday treats delivered straight to their parents without their parents having to leave their homes, people are very appreciative of that.”

One notable change Jennifer has witnessed since the pandemic has been the outpouring of support from residents to not only her own business, but many other local businesses as well; “Even now, we still have so many people calling us and saying that they are making an intentional move to support local; we really appreciate that so much that people are going out of the way to support us and other small businesses in St. Albert; that’s the only way we stay open! Thank You!”

For a full list of Whisk Dessert Co. delicacies, please visit their webpage: https://whiskco.ca/ . Online orders with delivery and curbside pickup are available Tuesday-Saturday, 11AM – 4PM.


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. 
New Businesses in St. Albert
Commercial/Industrial Businesses

Bento Sushi
100 - 925 St. Albert Tr
Retail Specialty Food Store inside Pearson’s Your Independent Grocer
587-334-3888
 
Poutine World
375 St. Albert Tr
Food Truck, Serving Many Types of Cuisine
780-935-2499
 
JDB Accounting
13 Mission Ave
Accounting, Bookkeeping & Tax Preparations
780-651-1512
 
Jennifer McLaughlin Massage Therapy
40 – 11 Bellerose Drive
Massage Therapy Services
587-297-2185
 
MaxxAuto, A Division of St. Albert Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Ltd.
184 St. Albert Tr
Pre-Owned Vehicle Sales
780-458-8860
 
Pearson’s Your Independent Grocer
100 - 925 St. Albert Tr
Grocery Supermarket
780-554-8003
 
Sue Voelker
219 – 200 Carnegie Dr
Registered Massage Therapy Practice
780-817-0397
 
T&R Ink
207 – 90 McKenney Ave
Tattoo Shop, Applying Body Art
780-729-0280



Home-Based Businesses

Aaron Mumby Design Inc.
Graphic Design & Marketing
780-483-3475
 
BMB Cleaning Services
Residential and Commercial Cleaning Company
780-340-7766
 
Coolaire Refrigeration
Refrigeration, Heating, Air Conditioning
780-441-5525
 
Double D Plumbing & Gas Ltd.
Residential / Commercial Plumbing & Gas Company
780-405-9188
 
Protective Authority Inc.
Sanitization and Disinfecting of Public & Residential Locations
1-888-255-8119
 
RNDNRND Holdings Inc.
Home Based, Online Retailer
780-908-4321
 
Sheila Madine Photography
Photography & Business Branding Services
 
Skytails & Joy
Etsy Store Selling Crafts & Decals for Wall Art (Online)
780-717-1214
Monthly Growth Stats
St. Albert Economic Development
29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave, 
St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3
780-459-1500