The Pulse: Sept. 7, 2023

Two startups focused on solving parents' problems are heading into back-to-school season with expansion in mind.

Kid-Drop Inc., a Fort McMurray-based provider of child transportation, just launched its service in Grande Prairie and is looking to Edmonton next. And Birdie Break is gearing up for growth after participating in The Alberta Innovates Revenue Accelerator by GrowthX.

Birdie Break connects parents with sitters via an app built by Punchcard Systems. It is already working to implement the lessons it learned in the accelerator to pursue capital in the near future.

"We're about to do our second small round of $500,000 this fall," co-founder and COO Melanie Swerdan told Taproot. "We're building the parameters around the financial forecasting, we're building that out for growth and scalability now."

Since Swerdan and Cressida Raffin co-founded Birdie Break in Edmonton in 2017, it has spread to eight markets from Victoria to Toronto. The company also offers Birdie Blends, where a sitter devotes part of their shift to educating kids, and Birdie Nests, offering childcare at events such as weddings and corporate gatherings. The Nests are something Swerdan has identified as key to the company's growth — an expanded focus on B2B service.

"We had our biggest month in July. We did four Birdie Nests … We're quite profitable with the Nests," she said. "We're very passionate about them because it's helping to improve attendance at events, especially for women in the workforce."

Birdie Break is also exploring whether it can make its childcare services available as part of employee benefits packages. "It's something we need to build out and really explore and define," said Swerdan.

Part of the experience at the accelerator was building marketing messaging and developing a rebranding, both of which will roll out soon. This new raise, expected to begin in October, is mostly focused on growing the Birdie team, adding a vice-president of marketing, a full-time developer, and additional customer service staff.

"There's probably a list of 15 different features we want to implement into the app, so that's going to require a bit more tech talent," Swerdan said.

Kid-Drop also has accelerator experience. Co-founder and CEO Julieta Miranda took part in the TELUS Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator last year. This gave Miranda a chance to attend SXSW in Texas as part of an Alberta Innovates delegation.

• The city's emergency reception centre for Yellowknife wildfire evacuees at the EXPO Centre is adjusting its operating hours because of reduced demand. Registered evacuees can continue to access on-site supports such as food, clothing, and health services, but overnight lodging is no longer available as most evacuees were staying in off-site hotels. The centre has registered 7,432 evacuees and 1,238 pets since it opened on Aug. 18. Officials lifted the evacuation order for Yellowknife on Sept. 6, three weeks after a nearby wildfire threatened the Northwest Territories capital.
• A report at council's utility committee shows that 70% of businesses are compliant with the single-use items policy the city introduced on July 1, with the rest working to reach compliance. Complaints about the bylaw decreased from 536 in July to 122 in August. It will likely be amended in November to bring it in line with changes to the federal single-use item policy.
• Anticipation is building in Edmonton's real estate industry as the city works with industry groups to develop an incentive program to convert office space into residential units. Developers see opportunity in Edmonton because the resulting residential units would typically be mid-market and align with the needs of newcomers and young adults, said Cory Wosnack with Avison Young. Edmonton previously provided incentives to encourage office conversion in 1997, which led to the successful conversion of 16 buildings, more street-level vibrancy, and a healthier office market. According to a report from Avison Young, Edmonton's downtown office vacancy rate was 20.5% in the second quarter of 2023. The results of the city's engagement with industry will be presented to council's executive committee on Oct. 13.
• The Court of King's Bench heard arguments related to a proposed injunction from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta against Jobber and iStock. The association says the companies broke the Engineering and Geoscience Professions Act by including an unauthorized use of the term "engineers" in a job ad for software engineers, while the companies argue the term is widely understood as distinct from regulated engineering professions. Justice John Little reserved his decision to a later date.
• City councillors have been sharing their favourite local parks throughout the summer as part of the Pick-a-Park initiative. The city encourages residents to also share their favourite parks, which they can do by using the hashtag #PickAParkYeg and tagging the city and its parks department on social media.
• Parks Canada is asking visitors to Elk Island National Park to follow posted speed limits after a bison was struck and killed on Aug. 10. It was the sixth bison to die in the park after being hit by a vehicle since 2020.
• The Canadian Football League Players Association, which represents CFL players, is taking issue with the league's decision to let the Labour Day Classic on Sept. 4 between the Edmonton Elks and the Calgary Stampeders go ahead despite smoky conditions in Calgary. Association executive director, Brian Ramsay, said the issue has come up repeatedly since 2019 due to wildfire smoke. Environment Canada's air quality index measured "high risk" throughout the day in Calgary on Sept. 4, but the CFL said local readings at the stadium showed moderate risk.
• The Alberta government and Enoch Cree Nation are partnering on the construction of a new surgical facility that will be built on the First Nation west of Edmonton. The new facility, set to open in June 2025, will provide about 3,000 orthopedic surgeries annually. It will be operated by the First Nation and provide services to Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients.
• The Canadian Energy Centre, an agency also known as the "war room" created by the UCP government to promote the province's energy industry, spent $22 million last fiscal year on a media campaign, according to its most recent annual report. The amount is around three times what the agency received in government grants the previous year. Little information about the campaign is available, but the Canadian Press reported it was led by advertising agency DDB and was directed at the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Here are some opportunities to offer your input on civic issues, including changes to Edmonton's animal licensing bylaw, neighbourhood renewal in Glenwood, and Strathcona County's transit master plan. (Please ensure you live in affected areas before completing surveys.)

• Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw Renewal: Phase 1 of Public Engagement — The City of Edmonton is updating its Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw, which is more than 20 years old. In-person public engagement opportunities are scheduled for Sept. 23 at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market and Oct. 14 at the Lauderdale Off-Leash Dog Park. Online feedback about regulations around dogs, cats, bees, chickens, rabbits, and other domesticated animals will be accepted until Oct. 23.
• Glenwood (163 Street West) Neighbourhood and Alley Renewal — The City of Edmonton is inviting residents to explore design options for streets, alleys, sidewalks, and parks in Glenwood and to confirm the vision and guiding principles. A virtual information session is set for Sept. 12, and a drop-in engagement event is happening at the Glenwood Community League on Sept. 14. An online survey can be completed until Sept. 19.
• Strathcona County Transit Master Plan — Strathcona County is working on a master plan to guide transit operations for the next 10 to 20 years. The first round of public engagement invites residents to share thoughts on current services and areas for improvement. Engagement will involve stakeholder meetings, in-person surveys, and online surveys throughout September and October.
• Stony Plain Community Wellness Survey — The Town of Stony Plain is developing a strategy to improve mental health and wellness. Residents can complete a short online survey, which will be used to support strategy development, until Sept. 11.

More input opportunities

• By Sept. 23: 2024 Budget Planning in Beaumont
• By Sept. 29: Vibrant Streets Art Contest in Edmonton
• By Sept. 29: Proposed Off-Leash Dog Park Questionnaire in Leduc
• By Oct. 1: Pop-up Dog Parks Program Evaluation in Edmonton
• By Dec. 31: Public Washroom Survey in Edmonton
• By Dec. 31: Public Engagement Feedback Survey in Edmonton

Photo: An outdoor cat explores the Westmount neighbourhood. (Kevin Holowack)