Archive News from Digital Main Street

As a pharmacist, Alan Tonna built his career working for major pharmacy chains. However, a revelation during the pandemic shifted his mindset surrounding what a pharmacy could be.

"If you want to increase your online footprint, be seen online, and grow your business, then the DEP is for you. The tools and resources that they provide will help new, and established companies succeed in the digital world." 

- Jared Franklin | Travelling Timbers

Over the past 25 years, Kenora’s Kenon Builders has grown from a small, residentially focused general contractor to an industry leader tackling large-scale commercial projects.

For seniors in the Lindsay area, Silver Lights Senior Services feels more like family than service. “Our staff don’t just go in, give you a bath and then walk out, they spend the time getting to know the clients and building that trust and friendship with them,” says Susan Fisher, managing director of Silver Lights Senior Services. “We’re kind of like extended family for a lot of clients.”

Navigating the constantly evolving digital landscape can feel like a challenge for most business owners. That’s why more and more small and medium sized Alberta businesses are accessing free support provided by the Digital Economy Program (DEP) in partnership with the local Digital Service Squads (DSS).  

Jonathan Mills, owner of the Thornhill, Ontario based business The Rotation Room, found support through the Canada Digital Adoption Program to further adapt their figure skating training space in this new age of e-commerce and social media.

Nicole Hudson and her mother Carla took over Katarina’s Coffee Shop, a local favourite in Prescott, in the first summer of the pandemic. “We definitely had a vision in mind,” says Hudson. “For the first few months, we were just feeling it out – especially during COVID when it was only takeout.”

In a small studio off Highway 7 in the hamlet of Shakespeare, Stephen Beaumont’s Chok. Fine Chocolates blurs the line between art and chocolate. From his commercial kitchen, Beaumont carefully combines Swiss, Fair Trade Chocolate with hand-made fillings – sourced locally when possible – into small batches of unique bonbons and other chocolate creations.

Using the $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant, Brendan McDonald has been able to invest in digital marketing and tools to help make Dryden’s Boreal Audiology clinic more tech-forward.

This week we are featuring Alanna Eastcott-Bitzer and Tannis Jeffers, co-owners of Bright Beginnings Montessori in Penhold, Alberta. After noticing a gap in their market for more quality education options, Alanna and Tannis took action, and in early 2023 they launched Bright Beginnings Montessori. Their teaching methodologies offer a fresh angle to learning that focuses on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological, physical, and social development. With a new business venture underway, Alanna came to the Digital Economy Program (DEP) to help take the next step in growing her and Tannis' digital presence.