Red Deer Downtown Business Association
Downtown Business Spotlight: Sunworks Living features high-quality products and expert customer service
For this week’s Business Spotlight, we popped into Sunworks Living, located at #110, 4913 Gaetz Ave in the heart of Downtown Red Deer. Visitors to this unique shop are treated to a shopping experience like no other in Red Deer. The selection of high-quality products and expert customer service allow Sunworks to stand out, and why people keep coming back. We sat down with Kathryn Harris of Sunworks to learn more about this exceptional downtown business.
What is your business?
We are Sunworks Living, quality gifts and local art gallery, we offer a unique shopping experience.
When did your business open?
The business opened May 10th, 1996.
What makes your business unique?
Our focus is on local products, so we try and bring in unique, local but very curated pieces. Some of our works in the store are from a few neighborhoods away, others are from as far away as Quebec. We try to stay as Canadian as we can. We do have an emphasis on staying environmentally friendly so some of our products do come from away, but they are a little more sustainable.
What are some products/services that you offer?
Local is one of the key things for the business. We showcase local art, we build special order pieces with local materials based on customer-specific requests, we are very particular as to what we bring into the store, it must be of a certain quality, not found anywhere else. In-store, we carry housewares, handmade natural soy candles, greeting cards, books, kitchenware, a little bit of everything.
Why did you choose Downtown Red Deer as the location for your business?
When Paul and Terry started Sunworks, Downtown Red Deer was a desolate wasteland. Paul grew up in Calgary and it was very important to him that the downtown be the beating heart of the city. At the time you could virtually hear the slamming of the wooden outhouse door and tumbleweed rolling across the street, but downtown is where they always wanted to put their business. I’ve heard Paul say to Terry,’ we need to do something about the downtown or we need to move’ so, they felt compelled to get involved and felt a call for change. The community has always been very important.
What do you think makes Downtown vibrant?
The people that work here. I can stand outside in front of the store in the sun on a Tuesday afternoon and can greet people as they walk by. I will see businesses across the street, and we give each other ‘the nod’ in greeting. You must acknowledge the people that are here.
Finish this sentence: I love Downtown Red Deer because…
It’s where I work, where I play and it’s close to home. It’s close to pretty much all homes in Red Deer because it’s the heart of the city. You must go through the downtown to get anywhere anyway so why wouldn’t you stop?
The charm and relaxed atmosphere of this quaint shop make it a pleasure to be in. The perfect gift is easily found with the help of the friendly and highly knowledgeable staff, as the possibilities are endless. Give yourself time to browse, there is a lot to discover!
Make sure to follow Sunworks Living:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/sunworks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunworks/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sunworksreddeer
Council approves 2024 DBA budget, increased investment in events
“The DBA remains steadfast in its objective to build on the growth seen in 2023. The collaboration between The City of Red and the DBA is at all time high and with the pending actions set to be delivered through the Downtown Activation Playbook, I know there are many great things to come that will support our business community and create the thriving downtown we all want to experience,” said Amanda Gould, DBA Executive Director.
“Today Council demonstrated their commitment to their strategic priorities with the support shown to the DBA through unanimous support of the 2024 budget. This mighty Association continues to do great work on a shoestring budget and the 2024 Board of Directors are keen to lend their expertise and entrepreneurial skills to benefit the downtown in its entirety.”
Brandon Bouchard, DBA Board Chair
The DBA’s budget is partially funded through the BIA tax levy, which is collected by The City of Red Deer. Each year, the DBA presents its proposed budget to Council for their consideration. When reviewing the budget, Council considers alignment between the DBA’s downtown priorities and City’s community priorities.
“DBA has constantly hit far above its weight in our downtown, I can’t think of a more supportive messenger of promotion than the team at the DBA, it’s so encouraging to see this strong support for our downtown,” said Mayor Ken Johnston. “I’m encouraged by the leadership and direction of the DBA and look forward to what they have in store for 2024. They continually bring positive initiatives to the downtown even with the constraint on finances.”
The DBA’s total approved budget for 2024 is $775,160, with $277,725 funded through the BIA with the remaining amount funded through items such as grants and contracts. The BIA portion for 2024 is an increase of five per cent from 2023.
The Downtown Business Association has been operating in Red Deer for more than 30 years, serving approximately 350 business owners in the Downtown area. Through partnerships and leadership in advocacy and promotion, the DBA is the catalyst for a vibrant and prosperous downtown that is the place to live, work, play and do business.
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