2015 annual report
Annual Report
2015 annual report 2
table of contents
OUR MISSION ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 OUR VISION ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3 OUR PROMISE ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3 BOARD OF DIRECTORS .…………………………………………………………………………………. 3 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE …………………………………………………………………………………. 5 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MESSAGE..……………………………………………………………………. 5 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT ……………………………………………………………………………… 6 MEMBERSHIP ENGAGEMENT ……………………………………………………………………...… 12 MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, & EVENTS ………………………………………………… 13 EXTERNAL COMMITTEES, PARTNERSHIPS, & MEMBERSHIPS ……….……….….….. 16 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (APPENDIX) ……………………………………………………………. 17
2015 annual report 3 our mission
To Enhance, Promote, and Protect the Old Strathcona Business Community for the common good of our Membership. our vision
Following our mandate to Enhance, Promote, and Protect, our vision is that by 2015 the Old Strathcona Business Association will be the most robust and diverse BRZ in Alberta, while playing an active role in preserving the safety, health, and heritage of the Old Strathcona community. We will support our Members’ efforts to continue growing a sustainable and diverse Old Strathcona economy, providing Education, Awareness, Advocacy and Product Development. our promise
We promise that our residents and visitors will have a life enriching experience every time they are in Old Strathcona. board of directors
EDEN TOURANGEAU, PRESIDENT RAYMOND HAJJAR SOUTH SIDE MEMORIAL CHAPEL SKYSLIMIT INC. 8310 104 Street #302, 10328 81 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 4E8 Edmonton, AB T6E 1X2 Phone: 780-432-1601 Phone: 780-433-9106
MATT CHAPMAN, VICE PRESIDENT AL GOTHJELPSEN PROPERTY OWNER URBAN SPARQ HOSPITALITY #201, 10171 Saskatchewan Drive 8032 104 Street Edmonton, AB T6E 4R5 Edmonton, AB T6E 4E2 Phone: 780-271-3366 Phone: 780-7916-1557
KIM FJORDBOTTEN, TREASURER NELLA SABO THE PAINT SPOT BACKBEAT ROCK 10032 81 Avenue 10111 Whyte Avenue Edmonton, T6E 1W8 Edmonton, AB T6E 1A2 Phone: 780-432-0240 Phone: 780-435-7772
JOHN MAYNE, SECRETARY STEVEN TOWNSEND HOTELS ON WHYTE THE BRIEFING ROOM 10454 Whyte Avenue 10151 Whyte Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 4Z7 Edmonton, AB T6E 1Z5 Phone: 780-431-5320 Phone: 587-521-0384
2015 annual report 4
MATT GLOVER TYSON BOYD HUDSON’S ON WHYTE TAVERN ON WHYTE 10307 Whyte Ave 10507 Whyte Ave Edmonton, AB T6E 1Z9 Edmonton, AB T6E 2A4 Phone: 780-433-4526 Phone: 587-521-4404 honorary board members
WANDA BORNN WAYNE ROGERS ICE ON WHYTE FESTIVAL CACCL Rm. 12, 7730—106 Street Phone: 780-916-6275 Edmonton, AB T6E 4W3 Phone: 780-758-5878
JILL ROSZELL ANDREW HALBERTSTANDT FRINGE THEATRE ADVENTURES EDMONTON PUBLIC LIBRARY 10330 84 Avenue 8331 104th Street Edmonton, AB T6E 1Z9 Edmonton, AB T6E 4E9 Phone: 780-409-1924 Phone: 780-496-1828
KAREN TABOR MURRAY DAVISON OLD STRATHCONA FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, OSBA 202, 10345 Whyte Avenue 202, 10345 Whyte Avenue Edmonton, AB T6E 1Z9 Edmonton, AB T6E 1Z9
2015 annual report 5
president’s message
Now that we’ve completed 2015, we look forward to 2016 and beyond.
We have recently updated our strategic plan and focus to take us out to 2018, but we’re looking ahead to 2020 with a 2020 vision for the area. A lot of this isn’t new, crazy or exceptionally shiny but it is what’s been identified by your Board of Directors as the continued path for the OSBA.
While the City of Edmonton maintains a focus on downtown, as well as development, we need to keep working together in Old Strathcona, continuing to make it a great place to live, work and own businesses.
We know the landscape is changing and understand some of the challenges you’re facing. We had great discussions at the last AGM, back in October, centred around our area, development and more. Let’s keep those discussions going. Our businesses are getting together to make Old Strathcona better and we need to keep that focus. You are the product and we encourage you to put your best foot forward to create that great experience for our guests. Take advantage of all of the relationships that you have access to, the festivals and events that draw people to our area and build on what’s already here.
I’m excited for the continued direction and am proud to sit on the OSBA Board. Your Board cares about you a great deal and I appreciate the time, energy, and passion that our business people put in to make our area great!
Eden Tourangeau, President executive director’s message
Yes, 2015 has proven to be a very good year despite the changing economy and the challenges that it can bring. We once again were voted Edmonton's #1 Neighbourhood and many of our businesses received accolades for their products and services. We were host to many successful festivals and events that contribute significantly to what makes Edmonton such a cool city and great place to live and do business.
We continue to struggle with receiving adequate service and support from the City of Edmonton, but as partners, stakeholders, and developers continue to invest time and money into our vibrant area, we know that our governing bodies will soon follow. There is a renewed commitment to supporting areas like ours, 124th Street, and Downtown, and through our Strategic Plan, we are positioning ourselves to take advantage of that. The entire City is changing, and we are changing with it! Exciting times are ahead!
Murray Davison, Executive Director
2015 annual report 6 product development
Art & Beautification:
We had a great year with most of our cleaning and beautification programs as the City has made some noticeable effort to improve service and emphasis the importance of our area. In support of these efforts we had invested roughly $105,000 in 2015 and we are forecasting a slight increase this year as all costs seem to be increasing. One staple in this program area is our Strathcona Clean team and we thank the Neighbourhood Centre for all they do to make our community a better place to live and do business. The flower basket and barrel program last year was the best we’ve ever seen with 40 hanging baskets placed throughout the area along with 42 barrels – and an additional 10 large bonus FIFA barrels. We are planning on expanding that even further this year as per the request of area businesses. We continue to expand our banner program – covering as much of the BRZ as possible for both beautification and to establish boundaries. This creates the opportunity for leveraging with events where appropriate.
2015 annual report 7
Tree Lighting continued to be a failure regardless of promises and efforts and though we are an important attraction and destination for this great city, it is a program that just seems hopeless. A pilot Vibrant Alley project moved forward with the pedestrian focus of the alley next to Tutti Frutti, which restricted access to vehicles and provided a colourful pathway to businesses and parking north of Whyte Avenue. It will also be a future home of programming designed to increase the vibrancy of the area. We also seen the addition of some new murals, including the giant one on the back of the Varscona Hotel, in partnership with the Whyte Avenue Art Walk. The Free Wall was wrapped up this year and converted to a new permanent mural, and will be home to the future Old Strathcona Art Alley!
Mobility, Accessibility, & Parking:
We have been making steady progress on how people access our area. The City of Edmonton continues to move on the new cycling infrastructure along 83rd Ave, and we have seen the continuation of the bike corral parking pilot in 2015.
2015 annual report 8
New Parking Technology was installed with minimal push back from the general public. We still await official numbers but all early indications are that usage of the on-street parking has increased in most popular areas, which may partially be attributed to the ability to park more vehicles. We updated the parking lot map to clearly illustrate where additional parking for the area is available, over and above the metered on-street parking. These lots still remain under utilized, so parking from an inventory standpoint is not an issue at this time. We continue to make Whyte Ave as close to a “Complete Street” as possible, designed for all users! This year we had a controlled crosswalk installed at 100 St. and flashing lights added to the 102nd Street pedestrian crosswalk. We have also a commitment from the City to have another look at what we all can do to improve safety and efficiency of our various types of traffic (users) we have along this busy street and area. Investigating a speed reduction pilot between Mill Creek Ravine and 99th Street along Whyte Avenue. We are well served by ETS, with linkages to the LRT at the U of A, and we have seen almost a full year of Late Night Transit being provided. The late night weekend ridership is within ETS parameters, but other days of the week it is low. No official word on the status of the pilot.
2015 annual report 9
Business & Development Mix:
There has been a lot of new development interest in 2015 and we have seen some minor rezoning and developments such as the Varscona Theatre. This will continue on in 2016 with the majority of the developments being of mixed use that should result in more retail and commercial space being available in the near future. We have been working very closely with all stakeholders involved to ensure that the best interests of the business community are being considered and we specifically asked that the ARP be reviewed to better reflect the pressures of today and the needs of the business community. It has been a slow process, but we do have a commitment from the City to conduct a review and increase the level of community engagement in the process. We need “Planned Development” – not one-off decisions by council. But that said, we are seeing some nice additions to the area being developed, and updated which speaks very well for the future of our business community. Rents in the area continue to be very high and property taxes continue to rise, but these are not adjusting to the changing economy and the current lows we are experiencing. We remain the 6th most expensive street in Canada which is definitely shaping our business mix, as well as driving development.
2015 annual report 10
Heritage & Park Project:
We continue to support, and make progress on the Strathcona Central Park project as a con- nected space that can house business development, event space, public gathering, green space to attract and keep more residents in the area. The City of Edmonton has been showing a lot of support for the project, along with the Province who are both major property owners. Further, it builds on the provincial historic district and initiatives such as Alberta Main Street - funding and support that will bring provincial dollars to our business community efforts. The City of Edmonton initiated the signage initiative in the historic DC1 area to ensure that all businesses have the proper signage. It’s a city-wide problem where upwards of 70% of signs up on buildings don’t have permits – for one reason or another. We’ve also heard of some sign companies who are telling their clients that they have taken care of getting permits on their behalf, only to find out that they didn’t. The City utilized the provincial historic zone as a starting point to get the signs all permitted and falling within the guidelines for this particular area. The process included training signage companies on the guidelines and regulations of the area; making them aware of the permitting process, plus working with businesses to bring their signs into compliance. When we started, there were over 130 signs that were not permitted or within regulations and now that number is down to 25. It also helped to identify some challenges within the City of Edmonton, which they are working on.
2015 annual report 11
advocacy
Whyte Ave BEATS (EPS):
As we expected, we have seen a significant change in our “at risk community” and expect to see more as they get displaced from downtown. We continue to work with our Whyte Ave BEATS team and agencies to help these people. We did experience a shortage in coverage this year, but it was addressed and we are saw an increase in Officer compliment while the local community police station is under renovation. We hope this will carry on through into 2016 and years to come. We also partnered with EPS for a “have our backs” campaign which launched over the holidays with Pattison and Newad on billboards and bathroom stalls, to promote a positive relationship between patrons and police while keeping our area safe and enjoyable.
City Administration:
Ongoing challenges regarding product development include Tree Lights, cleanliness including the ashtray program, follow through on commitment and timely service for street cleaning and sidewalk flushing and more.
We continue to work very hard with the City to achieve timely progress on all of these programs, and at a minimum improve on the communications regarding service in order to better manage expectations.
These, along with the required planning and Staff & Leadership changes make up the majority of our on-going advocacy work in 2015. It is a relationship that requires our full attention.
2015 annual report 12
membership engagement We increased our focus on, and increased, Membership Engagement in 2015 to create partnerships with Members resulting in positive return on investment and return on engagement. Strategies included: increased awareness of the OSBA to Members, created an open and transparent communication environment to enhancing the value proposition associated with Membership.
We maintained and enhanced our previous tools and strategies reported last year such as, the Welcome Package, Members Update Newsletter, and the continuously updated Members’ Only Website where we house all pertinent information for our members. Training Opportunities: as requested by Members and also in partnership with SEBA, School of Retailing at the U of A, among others. Employee Card Program - that continues to grow as the number of employees increase within our business community. A highlight is the new “Marketing Monday Series” that provide information and tips from a range of professionals that can enhance and support our business members marketing efforts. This has been well received by our members and other stakeholders throughout Edmonton. Leveraged Marketing Opportunities: Members were invited to participate in low cost advertising opportunities for the Whyte Christmas campaign that included ad purchase within the print advertising campaign. Members also highlighted events, sales and job opportunities through oldstrathcona.ca, as well as the social media platform, realizing additional exposure and reach.
2015 annual report 13 marketing, communication & events In 2015 we continued to build on the marketing mix to include more campaigns and increased opportunities for our businesses and area events to guide people to and through Old Strathcona and holding on to our status as #1 neighbourhood in #yeg.
Campaigns included: Spring and Fall Fashion, Back to School, Festivals & Events, and of course Christmas with a new twist of offering “Whyte Wishes”. Old Strathcona Guide: Was once again a very popular marketing tool with over 20,000 copies being distributed through various channels. Advertising and Branding: Strengthening our Old Strathcona Brand we wrapped up a very successful year with Bell Media. In total, we received over 3,000 bonus commercials and a total value of roughly $241,000 in radio. We saw specific return from the digital partnership with CTV where we took the commercials that were running on tv and also ran them as pre-roll, the commercials that you see before your clip comes on when you watch online. In key months CTV was in the top 5 redirects to our website increasing our reach and exposure significantly.
2015 annual report 14
Whyte Wishes (Christmas): We continued on with our very popular horse-drawn sleigh rides, street decorations, Old Strathcona Ambassadors, and of course St. Nick! As in previous years we also ran a contest to promote our business members and to encourage local shopping in the area. Whyte Wishes partnered with 30 businesses to grant 30 wishes over 30 days. Guests tweeted or instagramed photos of products and services from Old Strathcona businesses to be entered to win. 229 wishes came in, which was an average of 7.6 wishes per day with Saturdays and Sundays being the biggest day. 486 instagram posts that utilized the hashtag, #WhyteWishes and 1,349 tweets. The total reach on twitter was 449,000 and the exposure was 8.5 million. Events & Festivals: We welcomed a few new events to the area this year including TALES, the Story Telling Festival and the 35th Annual Pride Parade and Pride in the Park festival. We once again had outdoor exposure with billboards, LRT posters and bus ads which was valued at over $70,000. We had a new opportunity with the Edmonton Pride Festival to be featured in bridge banners and outdoor scrim, and we were overwhelmed by the 40,000+ people who viewed the parade live and enjoyed Pride in the Park. We also created positive messaging banners that were utilized at Pride, Fringe, and Sand on Whyte. Partnered with French Quarter BRZ providing Fringe Shuttle Service!!!
2015 annual report 15
Social Media & Website: Social media continues to be a staple in the marketing strategy as we have so many engagements with our followers and there is a huge network for businesses to leverage. Here’s a snapshot of our followers, as of the beginning of this month. We ended 2015 with Facebook growing by 10%, Twitter was up 29%, instagram was up 121% and Pinterest was up 23%. Our Website Traffic was up 25% in 2015 and oldstrathcona.ca remains a vital tool for our businesses. In 2014 we had a total of 171,833 visitors and in 2015 that was increased to 214,989. While the website continues to be a resource for guests and Members, we can continue to do more to ensure that it drives value and stays relevant.
2015 annual report 16
external committees, partnerships, programs & memberships Old Strathcona Area Community Council Old Strathcona Homeless Outreach Steering Committee Edmonton Attractions Pass Façade & Development Improvement Program – Review Committees Schizophrenia Society of Alberta Edmonton Tourism Marketing Committee Westmount Store Fixtures School of Retailing, University of Alberta Flourish Design and Merchandising OSBA is a member of the following organizations: Edmonton Council of BRZs International Downtown Association Responsible Hospitality Institute Edmonton Chamber of Commerce South Edmonton Business Association
2015 annual report 17
A quick look at spending on Programs & Projects
financial statements
Old Strathcona Business Association Audited Financial Statements 2015
2015 annual report 18
old strathcona business association #202 10345 whyte avenue edmonton, ab t6e 1z9 780-437-4182 oldstrathcona.ca