Sabrina Moore found the perfect space downtown to open Medicine Hat’s first spin studio, but it needed to be renovated to enhance the functionality and aesthetic of the space.

Cafe Verve opened their doors five years ago on Dunmore Road in Medicine Hat. Where the walls are lined with local artwork, and the evenings are often filled with local live music, people can find carefully brewed coffee and teas, freshly baked sweets, and hand-made sandwiches, soups, and salads inside the bright cafe.

When Darren Howes took a trip to Philadelphia, he noticed how the city took advantage of their outdoor patios during the warmer weather. Given Medicine Hat’s long summer and sunny days, he and his business partner Josh Hopkins felt a family-friendly seasonal patio would fit well in downtown Medicine Hat.

After 27 years of working in the automotive industry, Carl Lee opened his mobile mechanic business Enterprise Motors Ltd. on January 1, 2022 serving Medicine Hat and district.

He reached out to Community Futures Entre-Corp for financial assistance and then was connected with Taylor Hardekopf, Digital Service Squad member in Medicine Hat. Hardekopf designed Lee a website, set up Google My Business, and created a Facebook Page.

Ken Forbes moved his business Six One Six Entertainment, the largest entertainment centre in Medicine Hat, to a 12,000 square foot downtown location in 2020. This was right before the pandemic hit world-wide, and he was faced with regulations, while needing to renovate the new space he’d just moved into.

Carmen Lambert opened Medicine Hat’s first oil and vinegar tasting room in 2016, The Hat’s Olive Tap. Overtime, she’s shifted her retail store into a market and cafe and now serves a full food and drink menu, while also displaying organic skincare, spices and salts, and locally-made pottery.

Syed Naqvi was already undergoing challenges from the pandemic when he needed to replace his store’s interior light bulbs and set up a security system in 2020. He felt the condition of his store Penny Profit was affecting his first impression with new customers, and bringing doubt to current ones.

After 14 years of owning ClearView EyeCare in Medicine Hat, Kerrie Snider was faced with a large number of challenges when COVID-19 caused a world-wide pandemic. She was forced to close her business for seven weeks and, like many other small business owners, was unsure of how she would be impacted more in the future.

When the world was affected by a global pandemic in 2020, Community Futures Entre-Corp  offered the Medicine Hat Business Innovation Grant (MHBIG) to support local business owners  in pivoting their business and keeping their doors open.

Owners of DANTA Interiors, Dan and Taneill Selinger, knew how they could contribute their  services to help remote workers during COVID-19, and the MHBIG allowed them to complete  and launch this new service for their clients.