Sylvia Asare and her husband have managed Shoppers Drug Mart in Medicine Hat and Brooks for many years. Recently Asare opened her independent business venture, Ebony Cosmetics & Hair Lounge, with the support of Community Futures Chinook.

Isaak and April Friesen opened Bullzeye Mechanical in 2022, an agricultural mobile mechanic business with a focus on quality services at an affordable price. The two locals were born and raised in the area. Both with farmer family backgrounds, the agriculture industry is a special place for them, and they would like to see it thrive.

Taber’s first Indian restaurant Indian Pan Flame opened in 2022. Deepak Badola and Vivek Kapil wanted to offer authentic Indian food and authentic recipes to the community of Taber, and Alvaro Mendes with Community Futures Chinook supported with the opening of the business.

With 35 plus years in the meat retail industry, Jim Belanger saw potential for a meat market in Brooks, Alberta. The store he worked in closed down, and Jim saw an opportunity to supply specialty and locally sourced meats.

Rose Ypma often responds with quick-witted one-liners and relatable phrases when in conversation, like “I’m too pretty to work”, “I’m gonna to be late”, and “Messy hair, don’t care”. These phrases and more she’s printed onto t-shirts, crewnecks, and hoodies to sell through her online business, T21 Heart 2 Home — which she opened in March 2022.

Katherine Bruens, owner of Outcome Facilitation and Project Development Ltd (Outcome) and Broadview Inc., wanted her office to be a safe and comfortable experience for her clients. She incorporated her trauma-informed knowledge and years of work experience to create this type of environment after she was approved for the Beautification Loan offered through Community Futures Chinook.

Wes Horvath opened Wes’ Country Meats and Sausage over 15 years ago in Fernie, British Columbia. When he moved his business to Taber, Alberta, he invited Thoralee Ford to manage the butchery in 2019.

Jessica Evanson recently opened her own counseling office in Taber and Lethbridge, but her services extend online Canada-wide. Building a brand was the next step for Evanson, so she connected with the Digital Service Squad offered by Community Futures Chinook.

Kourtney Hiebert saw a gap in the market in Brooks, Alberta when she was pregnant with her first child. She saw an opportunity to open a maternity store and with encouragement from other local business owners, along with the Business Beautification Loan from Community Futures Chinook, Hiebert opened Mom Life Maternity on Oct. 1, 2021.

Dave Klassen has always been interested in landscaping and irrigation, and over five years ago he opened his own business, Kleen Slate Landscaping.

“I wanted to be my own boss, so I could spend more time with my family, and I wanted to show my boys that you can work for yourself, get ahead in life, and do what you love,” says Klassen.

In 2021, Eusebia Kiedrowski wrote a business plan that would encompass everything the Salty Mare Mercantile is today, a cafe with an outdoor patio, consignment store, and hygiene and cleaning supplies refillery. She applied for the Beautification Loan from Community Futures Chinook, where she was mainly connected with Alvaro Mendes.

Community Futures Chinook recently launched Digital Service Squad, a free resource with local team members that assist business owners in building and creating an online presence, with advice, knowledge and technical services.

Owner of Flatland Hops Ed Hofsink had no online presence before getting connected with Grace Evans, digital service squad team member. They planned the website during four half hour meetings and, as they planned, she built it.