November 2020 Issue:
Awards, Events and Updates
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Announcement of NABI's new Executive Director
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On October 16, Northern Alberta Business Incubator (NABI)* announced the hire of their new Executive Director, Rajesh Jaiswal.
Rajesh comes to NABI with over ten years experience of fostering innovation and supporting small businesses growth. He has previously held leadership roles within Edmonton Economic Development Corporation including managing the Advanced Technology Centre business incubator in Edmonton for the last four years. In his former role Rajesh interacted with small business owners daily and implemented business programs in collaboration with local ecosystem partners to provide value to ATC resident companies.
Within his first month in his role as Executive Director, Rajesh has spent time meeting with over 40 NABI companies and virtual members to gain a better understanding of their business needs and challenges and plans to roll out new tailored programming that will provide companies with the tools they need to succeed.
Rajesh looks forward to partnering with local business support providers and leaders like the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce, and the City of St. Albert Economic Development Department to boost the available supports that are accessible to the business community. Under his leadership NABI will be rolling out new programming available for the business community by January 2021.This will include business development programming for start-ups, small to medium sized businesses and scale-up companies, and a technology toolbox resource to help companies enhance their productivity and capability with different business technology tools.
*NABI helps small business owners and entrepreneurs find office space and day-to-day business services in St. Albert. They offer private office space, co-working space, and virtual tenancy. They have two locations for private office or co-working space in St. Albert, Campbell Business Park (200 Carnegie Drive, St. Albert) and Mission (Perron District: 13 Mission Ave, St. Albert). https://nabi.ca/
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November 6 – 15, 2020
Indulge your palate during our annual Dig In Dining Week – a ten-day-long dining extravaganza showcasing the culinary talent of St. Albert. Devour decadent two and three-course meals at special prices.
Now is your chance to discover new restaurants and appreciate your favourites.
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Upcoming Webinar - Best Practices for Retailers
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Join us on November 17 at 8 a.m for a webinar that Retail businesses owners won’t want to miss.
Retail Insights: Are you prepared for the 2020 Holiday Season?
“It is no secret we need to drive profitable sales during this crucial time of year in retail and it’s possible your business, no matter its size, can take advantage of this unique holiday season as we adapt our stores during this evolutionary period.
Dan Holman with The Wealthy Retailer® will share best practices for Retailers to stay within the “rules” of today, while giving customers what they truly want this holiday season.
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Business Licence Renewals
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MyCity and Paperless Billing
The City is transitioning to paperless billing for a variety of services, including Business Licensing. This means licensed businesses need to register for eBilling - a service the City already provides - so their business licence renewal bills can be delivered by email.
To access/enable this service for a Business Licence account, please follow these instructions:
2. Click “Connect or Edit Accounts”
3. Continue and click “Business Licence”
4. Enter your Account Number and Access Code
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*Note: This information can be found on the top-right-hand corner of a previous Business License invoice (or you can call the Business Licensing Department to get this information)
5. Select “Yes” for “Subscribe to eBilling,” then click “Register”
Alternatively, the Business Licensing Department can set-up a MyCity account and eBilling remotely for any Business Licensing account: Please call 780-459-1618 or email licensing@stalbert.ca to have City Staff complete this process for you.
Accessing a Business Licence account through the City’s “MyCity” service also provides the following benefits:
· Access and view all historical bills, invoices and transactions associated with the licence account;
· View and print any current and historical Business Licence;
· Edit/Update account contact information (*coming soon).
Please note that as part of the shift to paperless billing, City of St. Albert Business Licences will only be printed/mailed by request; all accounts with eBilling enabled will receive an email notification with an electronic copy of their Business Licence within 2 business days of the yearly renewal payment being received.
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Industrial Construction - St. Albert Leads the Region
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St. Albert is not often thought of as an industrial juggernaut, but according to the Colliers International Greater Edmonton Q3 2020 Industrial Market Report, St. Albert lead the Greater Edmonton region in industrial construction activity in the last quarter. St. Albert had over 590,000 square feet under construction, representing 80% of all industrial construction in the region. While one exceptional quarter does not necessarily guarantee long-term success, could this be an indicator of future industrial growth and strength in St. Albert?
With the recent emergence of the local logistics and transportation sector, significant road infrastructure improvements, and future development of the Lakeview Business District, St. Albert is primed to continue its recent industrial surge. While St. Albert has had consistently low industrial vacancy rates (historically around 1%) and habitually low industrial supply, there has been notable growth and construction activity in 2020.
2020 Industrial Activity
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A 49,982 sq. ft. multi-tenant office/industrial building nearing completion.
A 26,000 sq. ft. multi-tenant office/industrial building nearing completion.
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Lakeview Business District
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Statutory planning underway
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Uline’s Western Canada Distribution Centre under construction (590,929 sq. ft.)
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Small Business Week Excellence Awards
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The annual Small Business Awards not only received a new name this year but they also went virtual. The new awards, called the Small Business Excellence Awards, were presented virtually on October 27, 2020. The awards celebrate the incredible diversity, creativity and strength of the St. Albert business community. This year over 121 businesses were nominated and 63 nominees were recognized for their achievement and success. In total, there were 11 award recipients.
The results were as follows:
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Congratulations to all those who won awards and all who were nominated; it is because of businesses like you that St. Albert's economy continues to prosper in hard times. Your contributions continue to make this a vibrant and healthy community to be a part of, one of the best places to live in Canada, and one of the top investment cities in Alberta. Special thanks to the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce for presenting the awards.
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Small Business Week Round-Up
by Amanda MacDonald- amacdonald@stalbert.ca
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Small Business Week is a national annual celebration of entrepreneurs and small businesses, and the significant contributions that they make to our economy. The City of St. Albert participated in celebrating Small Business Week from October 19-25 by hosting a free series of webinars to support the small business community.
The City of St. Albert partnered with the St. Albert Chamber of Commerce, the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and the Government of Alberta to host four webinars. Fifty-nine local small business owners tuned in virtually to attend sessions which included BDC’s “Forging the Way Forward” which included a presentation of a study that they conducted of 1000 entrepreneurs and 2000 consumers in Canada, and the five priorities that entrepreneurs should have in adapting and responding in the current economic environment. Another webinar included guidance from a certified executive coach, and U of A executive program instructor on how to be successful recruiting and hiring candidates using online virtual platforms like Zoom, Skype and Teams. Businesses were given tips on how to manage their business cash flow with a presentation by local company “Get Balanced”. The City of St. Albert Community Development team facilitated a webinar on how to maintain positive mental health as a small business owner and provided resources for businesses to better support employee’s well being.
If you missed attending any of our Small Business Week sessions the information is still available to you online. You can watch a previously hosted webinar by clicking on Small Business Week events at this link: Workshops & Events.
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Business Spotlight On... Cyclebar
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CycleBar is a premium North American indoor cycling franchise. While there are over 200 locations, only four exist in Canada, two of which are in the Edmonton area - including the new St. Albert location.
Ify McKerlie, owner of both the Edmonton and St. Albert locations, has a personal connection to Cyclebar. A practicing physician by trade, the loss of a close family member was devastating to her, and Cyclebar offered an environment that helped her heal: “The reason I could keep going was that I could go to Cyclebar. It’s not just a workout – and I’m an avid workout enthusiast – it’s all encompassing, it’s mental health, physical health, and community. I could sit in the back and ride and cry.”
The healing experience eventually led Ify and her husband to take ownership of the CycleBar location in Edmonton, and they opened a new location at St. Albert’s Shops at Boudreau this past September. Reflecting on the difficulties of opening CycleBar in St. Albert during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ify had no doubts as to whether or not the business could succeed: “Even with Covid, it was all about a community experience. It’s health and wellness issues and raising awareness about it. It’s a healing experience – it saved my life. People who come here aren’t just here to lose weight; you can do that at lots of other places. They are here for the emotional environment, the spiritual environment, and the community.”
The idea that the mental health, community and spiritual components of a CycleBar class are just as important as the physical activity component are what sets the business apart from other personal training/fitness centers. “Cycle-Stars” (the experts who run the classes) each have their own unique session and format, so whether someone is looking for a motivational class that emphasizes mental health, a class that simulates outdoor riding, or a good-old fashion high-performance workout, they’ll be sure to find something right up their alley.
The Business also has health and safety measures in place to ensure a seamless and safe experience for customers. Bikes available during a session can be booked online, and customers will show up to their own cubby with their own dedicated riding shoes, and will then proceed to a bike that is separated from other bikes/bikers by a divider.
CycleBar offers premium indoor cycling sessions for people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of physical ability. Classes are offered 7-days a week at times ranging from 6:00 a.m through 7:00 p.m. The entire studio can also be rented for private group sessions and corporate team building events.
CycleBar St Albert
130 – 140 Bellerose Drive
587-290-4250
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
DB Wealth Management
780-487-4777
504 – 1 Tache Street
Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Investment Management
District Distillery Ltd.
780-298-1500
20 Rowland Crescent
Manufacturer of Distilled Spirits
Kre8tive Agency
780-569-3566
201 – 15 Carleton Drive
Digital Marketing, Web Design, Branding, Social Media Management
Mbittencourt Skin Wellness Ltd.
780-569-0082
225 - 4 Versailles Ave
Aesthetic Med Spa Operating Facials, Microdermabrasion, Macro needling
Quilt Momma
780-884-7180
181 – 375 St Albert Trail
Homemade Products, Such as Quilts, T-Shirts, Pillows, Customs Glassware, Bath Bombs etc
Ramona’s Jewelry
587-501-7509
9 – 375 St Albert Trail
Costume Jewelry & Sterling Silver Retail Cart
Respiratory Dynamics Incorporated
780-244-7377
125 – 15 Erin Ridge Rd
Home Oxygen Supplies and Assessments
Home-Based Businesses
No Planet B Refillery
780-938-4931
Refill of Household Soaps/Body Products/Eco Friendly, Zero Waste Soap Refill Store
Fair and Square Home Repair and Renovations
780-307-8403
Home Repairs and Renovations
Lawton-Gamble Speech & Language Services
780-619-8443
Speech & Language Therapy services for clients with Communication Delays
Maria Drueco Travel & Consultancy (TCB Mariana Cagna)
Home Based Travel Consulting Business
Rexyjackal: Design & Illustration
780-910-6260
Custom Made Designs and Illustrations
Simplify Sustainable Living
780-868-6621
A Refillery Selling Eco-Friendly and Locally Made Goods
The Green Door
587-524-6008
Small Hair Salon
The Reducery
780-297-0143
Electronic Shopping for Zero Waste Household and Personal Care Products
The Vintage Pantry
780-974-1889
Homemade Cinnamon Spread, Plus Future Homemade Food Products
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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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