Shop Local Canmore Magazine

2 www.shoplocalcanmore.com Winter 2011-2012

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CANMORE

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Joe From The Bow

JOE WARMINSKI In the valley for over 39 years


ISSUE 01 │ WINTER 2011/2012

Editor-in-Chief/Publisher

Sondy Szymanis [email protected]

Contributors

Pam Doyle

Tanya Foubert

Hamish McLean

Special Thanks to:

Sara Renner Thomas Grandi Linda Cooper Trusha Patel

Wanda Ellerbeck Rob Murray

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Shop Local Canmore Magazine is published twice annually by Shop Local Canmore. All rights reserved.

Contents may not be reprinted with out the expressed written

permission of the publisher.

Editorial

Welcome to the first issue of Shop Local Magazine. I have been working on this initiative for over a year and a half and it is finally coming to fruition. When I officially opened the business in May of 2011 I had a completely different busi-ness model in mind.

Speed bumps, challenges and unforeseen issues forced me to look closer at my business and change it to suit what I was trying to accomplish. This mandate is “to help local businesses connect with the residents of Canmore.”

The final outcome of my search prompted me to produce this magazine. Thus the theme for this issue is the “challenges and successes” of doing business in Canmore. Business owners all face challenges and we are not alone in this, we can support each other in many ways.

This magazine is a great success and I hope that any busi-ness owner that reads this joins the Shop Local Movement to hep keep the program going forward and strengthen our local businesses and community.

My goals for this program are:

To provide information to anyone about where you can find what you are looking for locally through the website search feature.

Keep full membership prices reasonable so even the smallest business can join.

To share business stories with other business owners through the magazine.

Many people know what they are looking for but have no way to find it by product name, I am providing this service. There are so many treasures in Canmore and after 28 years in The Valley I many of the hidden gems. I will share what I know, relentlessly search for more information and share this with you!

Connection of community, the use of local services and shops by the people that live here also supports the people who own businesses, their staff and their families. This cir-cle supports the community as a whole.

That is what I strive for!

Sondy Szymanis Owner • Entrepreneur • Local


CONTENTS

12 New Adventures for Athletes Sarah Renner and Thomas Grandi

6 Rusticana Grocery The Little Corner Store in the Heart of Downtown

10 Spice Sanctuary Refine your Palate

16 Grotto Mountain Art Studio The Business of Teaching Art

18 Rob Murray The Voice of the Valley

21 Canmore’s Best Kept Secrets Because you can find more in Canmore than you think!

22 Our Members Find what you need in Canmore!

What are those funny little boxes anyway??? These are called QR or Quick Response Codes. Similar to a barcode these contain information such as website addresses, information about a product or service or an address and phone number. With the proper program a smart phone will read the data and reveal the contents of the code.


On a sunny summer day there are often smiling folk, taking a break on the wooden benches outside Rusticana on the corner of Main Street and Seventh Avenue. It’s right at the heart of down-town Canmore. Inside, Linda Cooper, past staff member and now owner has a lot to smile about. There’s a familiarity from behind the counter at the community corner store that the owner says is quite intentional. Because of her staff, it’s not just a store for Canmore residents — it’s a store with a Canmore feel for anybody. “You’re not coming into a place where your product goes through a scanner,” Cooper said. “The staff will ask you how you’re doing today? or “What’s new?’” It’s the kind of store, she said where the people inside want to get to know their customers’ kids, or their parents. It’s taken a lot of time and a little effort to cultivate that kind of culture in the store. Cooper’s seen the store go through many phases. And she’s clearly pleased with where it’s now headed. In 1994, Cooper, with two partners, bought the business, and brought the business back into local hands. Rusticana moved to its current location at the beginning of the ‘80s, far enough back that most in town would only re-member it as the store that’s always been right at the heart of Canmore.

“A lot of kids that I saw in the ‘80s are now my adult customers with kids of their own,” she said. “Rusticana’s been my heart and soul for a long time,” Cooper said. She’s seen it through good times and bad. Four years ago she saw a nine-month renovation really cause business to suffer in her store. “It was absolutely devastating to the busi-ness,” Cooper said. There was virtually no signage and the parking was limited while the building was refreshed. “It was an older building,” she said. “It was visibly old and needed the facelift it received” but nevertheless those tough times will not be easily forgotten by Cooper. “Those nine months were probably the toughest nine months of my life,” she said. “Business was down by about 45 per cent and people were afraid to come through the doors, but we hung in there.”

Rusticana Grocery

The Little Corner Store in the Heart of Downtown Article by Hamish MacLean


Now things are getting better for the lit-tle store on the corner that so many resi-dents cherish. “Things are starting to look up for everyone on Main Street” she said “What we are starting to see, which is nice, is a lot of the old customers coming back who kind of avoided us during the renovations. And we’re starting to see some new people finding that we’re here and that really our prices are reasonable, we’ve got a good variety, and we’ve got good hours.” But Cooper says that the reason that Rus-ticana breeds loyal customers is that they’ll do their best to cater to Canmore residents’ tastes. They’ve got locally made products such as Sweet Madeira cookies, Mountain Blends Coffee and Val-bella Meats. It’s not just that they carry Canmore prod-ucts; they carry what Canmore residents are asking for. “We’ve tried very, very hard to go with what our customers want,” she said. For example, if Rusti-cana’s huge selection of magazines does-n’t have the title that a customer desires, Cooper said, she’ll look into ordering it. “If you’re looking for something special, we’ll try to get it for you.” It’s a store that cares. Cooper says she’s always loved Canmore and that’s the feeling she’s cultivated at Rusticana.


Spice Sanctuary Refine your palate

By Sondy Szymanis

Like many residents in Canmore Trusha Patel of the Spice Sanctuary left her for-mer life, as a lawyer, to pursue another passion. “It will be a year in November since I started the business, in some ways it feels like it has gone really quickly and I have achieved a lot “ Patel started the Spice Sanctuary with the goal of catering healthy restaurant quality food that is prepared then brought to your home. “I started with one vision and now I am progressing in a totally different way. I was new to the community and did not really know where the demand would be. I knew there was a niche and I knew I had an interest and a real passion for it and I really wanted to switch my career.” Patel has created a recipe for success with her cooking classes. Providing a choice of building your own meal or try-ing out a three course meal, Patel will come to your home prepared with her own recipes and spices. She stated “I create all of my own recipes using Indian influences.

A lot of my recipes are more healthy In-dian fusion rather than traditional Indian food. I never deep fry!” “The classes are very popular. It is more social, with an educational aspect to it and I get to do what I love which is to cre-ate the recipes and pass them on. They are also an ideal component to wellness workshops that I host in collaboration with other health practitioners in the Bow Valley from time to time.” “I have held classes in commercial kitch-ens but I like to go into people’s homes. It is one on one, and have done quite a few celebratory cooking parties recently.” She said. Each class starts with education regarding each spice used. This includes the health benefits of the chosen spices, the fact that spices are not all “hot” then moving on to smelling, tasting and pairing the spices with the correct ingredients. “This helps refine the palate” she said. “I am mainly instructing. People do not watch me cook, they actually are cooking them-selves. All the classes are hands on.”

10 www.shoplocalcanmore.com Fall/Winter 2011


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There are a lot of people in Canmore that have allergies to certain things. Patel her-self is a vegetarian and is always questing for a more balanced organic life by reduc-ing dairy and gluten.” All of my recipes lean towards being lactose (dairy) free, gluten free, or both.” Patel said. “I spent a lot of time at this summer’s Mountain Market and started to put to-gether spice blends for BBQ, meat, fish and vegetables. These became a top seller every week.” The hunt for fresh, organic, quality spices has been a huge challenge for the Spice Sanctuary. Patel found herself looking in Calgary for the spices she needed for her cooking classes and blend mixes. Having come from England originally Patel found that she could instantly tell the quality and flavour was just not up to the stan-dard of the products she was used to from the markets closer to the source. After much research, she has now found

suppliers who provide good quality or-ganic spices at a competitive price. “You can have it all,” she stated “you can have the organic, you can have the quality and you can have the affordability”. “I have been looking at the grade of the spices, the way they are processed, when they are harvested and that the sustain-ability of the farmers is being supported. All this information will be transparent to our customers so they know exactly what they are getting.” Spice Sanctuary now has its organic status and soon the spices will be brought in and used for the blends, cooking classes and for an online store that is in the future of the Spice Sanctuary. The online store will also include many things spice oriented such as, organic teas, containers, grinders, dinner kits including spice blend, her own recipe, and full shopping list. The online store will be launched in the new year but Spice Sanctuary will be taking pre-orders shortly before.


New Adventures for Athletes

Sara Renner & Thomas Grandi Article & Photographs by Pam Doyle

Only in Canmore. When Olympic-medal-winning cross-country skier Sara Renner was confronted with a hotel sized load of laundry and no hotel facilities, what did she do?

An avid environmentalist, Renner piled the sheets and towels into her Chariot child carrier, and pulled the load over to the local laundromat on her bicycle.

“I loved it at the laundromat,” Renner said. “Nobody knew me there. I was anonymous.”

That was the start of a new life for Renner and her husband, Olympic alpine skier Thomas Grandi. It was spring of 2010 and the couple had just purchased the Paintbox Lodge from Renner’s parents, Sepp and Barb Renner and they were

dealing with the challenges of running a hotel in Canmore. Canada’s Olympic cou-ple were transitioning from being athletes to being full-time parents and business owners. Renner ended her athletic career compet-ing in the 15 kilometre pursuit, the 30 kilo-metre and the team sprint at the Vancou-ver 2010 Olympics. Grandi, who retired from alpine ski racing in March of 2009, worked at the Olympics as a commenta-tor for Italian TV. After that, they opened the doors to their new life. “We had just had a baby, our second child,” Renner, now 35, said. “It was a complete lifestyle change. It was really exciting. We made a ton of mistakes, but we learned a lot.”


As they entered what Renner refers to as the “practical school of hotel manage-ment”, Grandi was also re-inventing him-self. The hotel chef, George Bayne, decided to start his own private catering company last summer, so Grandi grabbed an apron and took on the duties of breakfast cook. “Initially, I thought if I could make some muffins that would be a success,” Grandi said. “But now, I can make pancakes, French toast, frittata, sausage and bacon and eggs. I like cooking.” The world famous slalom skier now trav-erses the jobs of bookkeeper, chef, recep-tionist and housekeeper, while every spare moment is spent helping raise their two daughters, Aria, 4 ½ and Gabriella, nearly a year. “I think it’s a really great job for us having a young family,” Renner said.

“It allows us the freedom to be with our children. And it’s very fulfilling to intro-duce people to Canmore, the place we love.” The hotel has five rooms, with some two-bedroom suites, she said. “We can sleep 10-18 people,” Renner said. “We have a chef who will come in and cook private dinners. That’s part of the business that we are looking to expand.” All of the couples employees are or were ski racers, with hotel manager Mallory Deyne as a prime example. Renner does the marketing and website, besides pitch-ing in with hotel work. “It’s a different life from being a high level athlete to cleaning toilets and snapping sheets,” Renner said. “When you run your own business you do everything and we’re proud of the fact that this is our little place.”


When they met business challenges, they didn’t have to look far for help. “I have to say I have never appreciated Canmore more,” Renner said. “Because of the support of local people who gave us advice. I always loved Canmore but actually living here and raising my kids here is a real privilege.” Canmore is world class, Grandi said. “Canmore is really establishing itself as a destination,” Grandi said. “From moun-tain biking, skiing and the wildlife. People are starting to discover that.” The couple want to be part of the excite-ment. “When we started last summer we had quite a big challenge running our busi-ness,” Grandi said. “We have come a long way and we are proud of it. It’s definitely not dialled; there is always something you’re not expecting and it’s been a huge learning experience and a bit frustrating all in one. It’s a lot of fun.” As winter approaches, Grandi admits he starts searching the web for information on ski racing. When he sees photos of skiers on a beautiful day in Switzerland, it tugs at his heart. “I remember that I used to do that,” Grandi said. But he has no regrets. “The good thing is I can still click into my skis any day of the winter and go for a rip,” Grandi said. “That keeps me good.” For more information on the Paintbox Lodge, please visit their website at www.paintboxlodge.com.


Grotto Mountain Art Studio The Business of Teaching Art

By Sondy Szymanis

As I watched the class gather there was an excitement in the air both from the teacher and the students. This excite-ment continued through the whole ses-sion. Afterwards I sat down for a chat with the owner Wanda Ellerbeck. “I started Grotto Mountain Art Studio because I am passionate about teaching and passionate about the arts and it seems to me that there is a lack of classes in Canmore for people that want to draw and even better their skills or share their skills.” said Ellerbeck “In order to do that I had to secure a place to hold the classes and that has not been easy as we all know renting a place can be cost prohibitive when starting out a business, especially in the arts.” “I did some research and found a place over in Spring Creek. Frank Kernick has been very generous and supportive this endeavour and we are now running two classes per week in the space.”

“These classes have been well attended.” “For me there has been a bit of diversion away from the art world but always my business has been creative and I always surround myself with arts and artists and creative people. This could be a very inter-esting adventure.” she said. The previous economic downturn years ago took Ellerbeck away from teaching as there were no teaching positions available at the College of Art or the University at that time. In the 90’s she started Grotto Designs. Grotto Designs creates sinks, cus-tom countertops and fireplace mantles, hearths and surrounds. Ellerbeck still works in concrete and design with Grotto Designs but states “Now I have come full circle and am back to teaching.” “I have been teaching again now for two years. I am teaching a course at the Uni-versity of Calgary in the evenings and teach in Canmore in the evenings and on weekends.”


Ellerbeck is a highly skilled artist and teacher with a Masters of Fine arts de-gree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Alberta College of Art and De-sign in Calgary. The next step for Ellerbeck is to give classes to children which will be available after Christmas. These will be held on weekend afternoons or after school for an hour to an hour and half, two or three times per week. “It is a labour of love of art and teach-ing!” Ellerbeck stated. If you are interested in taking an Art class with Wanda Ellerbeck when the next ses-sions start after Christmas please visit the website at www.grottomountainart.com


Local

Spotlight

For a decade Mountain FM’s Rob Murray has been the voice of the Bow Valley.

For those same ten years he has become an integral and committed part of the community of Canmore, has seen the ebb and flow of local business and the arts while the economy boomed and a reces-sion swept across the globe.

He says understanding the community as a DJ has made him successful and it is that strength that also makes businesses do well.

“I think they do well because they under-stand something I came to understand in radio – to be successful you have to have the connection to the community,” Murray says.

One way he has seen that happen is through fundraising and community events where businesses have donated things for a good cause, including time, even when times are tough.

He sees the challenges facing local busi-nesses like high staff turnover, cost of living, affordable housing, increasing taxes and commercial property rental rates. “It is tough to make a go of it in this town and I really admire those who are able to,” he says adding there are many exam-ples of locally owned businesses that do. Originally from St. Albert, Murray at-tended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology right out of high school. At 17 years old, he jokes, his parents were going to start charging him rent unless he went to college and so he picked the most interesting thing in the course book. “It turned out to be a good career choice.” While still in college Murray began work-ing at Edmonton’s CISN Country and for six years held the midnight to 6 a.m. slot.

Rob Murray

The Voice of the Bow Valley

Article by Tanya Foubert • Photos by Pam Doyle


When the opportunity at the Bow Valley station came up he applied and moved to Canmore. “Most people come here for the lifestyle, I came here for the job and stuck around for the lifestyle.” Murray began on Nov. 13, 2001 and this year celebrates ten years. He says radio in the valley is different from working in a big city like Edmonton with smaller staff, less promotions and at the same time efforts are made to be more community oriented. It takes commitment from the 31-year-old as the key radio personality at Mountain FM and has even seen him head up to the station’s transmitter near the Canmore Nordic Centre at midnight to fix a prob-lem. He of course took his dog just in case he needed to ward off cougars. “It took me a few years to make the shift from being the big city DJ to being the smaller market community-minded DJ but I think I figured it out,” he says. “When I first came here I thought two years, because that’s the career trajec-tory of a typical radio person. “I stuck around, met my wife and started a family.”

“I think I love my job because I love the community and the people.” Murray has also been heavily involved in the arts community since moving to Can-more with several smaller theatre compa-nies like Potato Shed and Apples and Eve and of course Pine Tree Players. “We are so well known in Canmore for sports and athletes but we have a great arts scene that simmers under the sur-face,” he says. “I hope people continue to promote arts in Canmore, attend shows and be interested in the arts.” Like businesses the arts have challenges and strengths. Canmore is a rich commu-nity of creative people and successful art-ists in a multitude of mediums. However many feel the community lacks an afford-able venue to put on shows for the smaller grassroots theatre companies. He sits on the arts development centre task force and sees it as a possible way the community can address that need and promote the arts. “I’m excited… the ideas from the task force are exciting.”

Murray and wife Lauren welcomed son Benjamin into their family last November. Now with roots he defi-nitely feels Canmore is home and finds it hard to walk down Main Street without being stopped several times – the mark of a true Canmorite.

PRIZE

WINNER

Business on the Bow

Learn at Lunch

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Canmore’s Best Kept Secrets

Because you can find more in Canmore than you think!

Did you know:

1 You can fill your BBQ propane tank or your CO2 bottles at Canmore Outdoor Power Equipment!

2 You can rent a stylin’ Tuxedo at Boulder Menswear!

3 You can get beer and wine making supplies at Rusticana Grocery!

4 Canmore’s JK Bakery has some of the best fresh baked bread in Town!

5 Your pet can get a French Pawdicure at Pawshe Pooch Spaw!

6 You can get brand new, still in the package underwear at Victory Thrift Store!

7 Bow Valley Catering provides a great meal and they do the dishes too!

8 Stray Ducks Admin Pros holds one on one Constant Contact teaching sessions!

9 Shop Local Canmore business membership only costs $25.00!

10 That Printing by Dave provides high quality digital printing ?

If you know of a best kept secret in Canmore let us know at [email protected]


Our members!Our members!

Visit our website for more info about these great businessesVisit our website for more info about these great businesses

Boccalino Grotto Dressing The Bow Valley’s Favourite Dressing!

Bodyworks Salon and Day Spa An oasis of health & beauty!

Bow Cor Custom Welding We can weld anything for you!

Bow Valley Gourmet Private & Personal Chef Services!

Bow Valley Locksmithing Ltd. For all of your locksmithing needs!

Bow Valley Power Go Green without lifting a finger!

Canmore Outdoor Power Equipment Sales, service, rental, & propane!

Can Sign Inc Bow Valley’s original sign maker!

Castle Mountain Home Furnishings Largest furniture selection!

Colour Infusion Excellent Website Design!

Computer House Calls Cost-efficient mobile solutions!

Enlightened Organizing Bright ideas for organizing your space!

Grotto Mountain Arts Studio Art classes for every age!

Hi Jinx Toy Shop The funniest Toy Shop!

Mountain Ridge Designs Inc. Architectural & drafting services!

Nu Roots Nutrition Health through nutrition!

Pam Doyle Photography Award winning photography!

Paintbox Lodge Eat.• Live• Love

Patricia Lavelle Psychologist Helping you move forward!

Peak Performance Painting Committed to Excellence!

Pawshe Pooch Spaw High standard of care for your pet!

Printing By Dave Quality digital printing!

Rusticana Grocery Friendly corner store downtown!

Spice Sanctuary A holistic culinary business!

Stray Ducks Admin Pros Administration & Social Media!

Sunrise Carpet Cleaning Upholstery dry cleaning!

The Boot Wizard Custom Foot Beds!

Two Wolves Trading Company Unique gift items!

Victoria’s Custom Cleaning Commercial & Residential Cleaning

Victory Thrift Store Second hand goodies for everyone!

Virginia Heminsgon Art Gallery Warm vibrant art!

Virtual Fuzion Systems Custom PC sales and service!

We are adding more businesses every day! Find what you need on our website!


Trying to find that service or special something in Canmore?

We are adding more information and members every day.

Go to our website and use our Canmore search to find what you need!

www.shoplocalcanmore.com

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Thank you for reading the first issue of Shop Local Canmore Magazine.

Send us your feedback:

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E: [email protected] P: 403-678-1964

Would your business like to be a part of Shop Local Canmore?

For a $25 membership fee you will receive your own page on our website plus many other bonuses included!

Why so inexpensive?

We want to make this program completely affordable to every small and large locally owned and operated business in Canmore.

Sign up and be a part of the Shop Local movement today!

Visit us at www.shoplocalcanmore.com for more info.

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