E-commerce platform
During Airdrie City council’s Dec. 6 meeting, Marilyne Aalhus, executive director of the Airdrie Chamber of Commerce, presented information on a new e-commerce platform called Chamber Market – a platform she feels can become the city’s online “mall.”
Aalhus introduced the new platform, which is now available to all Airdrie businesses, to receive council’s support, to disseminate information throughout the community, and to encourage the use of the online shop-local service.
According to Aalhus, the market currently boasts 103 vendors in Alberta, (with 32 registered so far in Airdrie), 47 in the process of on-boarding, and 476 products available for sale on chambermarket.ca
The program is offered thanks to funding from the federal government’s shop-local initiative, whereby funding is provided provincially to support local economic development.
“Airdrie has taken the lead of doing a really great job of on-boarding businesses to this platform,” Aalhus told council. “And in turn, creating sales for the community.”
She said she has seen many businesses shift to more of an online focus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We know that e-commerce is not going away,” she said, adding patrons can use the new tool to support local businesses in one central platform. “We’re envisioning this as the mall of Airdrie online.”
So far, the initiative has seen marketing efforts including local signage and social media campaigns, and the production of videos to help spread the word, according to Aalhus. She added businesses don’t have to be a chamber member to join the initiative.
“We simply want to encourage the entire business community to [get] on board and benefit from this platform,” she said.
Animal control bylaw
Council members also heard a presentation from Colleen Kinley, the chief licensing officer for the City of Airdrie, regarding the feasibility of implementing a process whereby licensing fees may be transferred between pets, or a reimbursement provided following an animal’s death.
Kinley’s presentation comes after the Sept. 20 meeting, when council directed staff to investigate the feasibility of amending the City’s animal control bylaw to include the transfer of tags between animals, or the issuance of a credit upon the rehousing or death of a pet.
According to Kinley, upon investigation, City staff discovered the volume of these types of requests were low. In fact, in the span of a month, she said staff discovered only 0.55 per cent of pet owners requested the transfer of tags, and only 0.612 per cent requested a refund.
The City concluded that both might be possible if completed within the same calendar year, but administrative and processing fees would make it unfeasible. Similarly, upon checking with other municipalities, Kinley said they found other local governments did not provide these services.
“The main purpose of animal control bylaw has always been to reunite lost pets with their owners as quickly as possible,” she said. “If this transfer of tags was approved, it [holds the] potential to interrupt this process.”
As a result, council motioned to accept the presentation for information only. They did not amend the existing bylaw, opting instead to maintain the status quo as per the advice of municipal advisory boards.
Carmen Cundy, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @carmenrcundy
