NEWSFLASH January 2024 – Tourism Grant; Windsor Wall Art; Louis’ Slab Sauce; WSO; Workforce WindsorEssex; Nixie Social; Thai Palace/ALSO
THE RUNDOWN
In late November 2023, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario launched the Tourism Growth Program in southern Ontario, to support businesses and organizations that bring visitors to our region. By developing local tourism attractions and experiences, they are positioning Canada as an all-seasons destination of choice. Over $30 million is available to businesses and organizations in southern Ontario to develop tourism attractions and experiences that will draw people to our country and communities. About 15% of the investment will support Indigenous-led tourism initiatives. To see if they are eligible and to submit an application, interested tourism businesses and organizations should refer to the website and check the page on Tourism Growth Program in southern Ontario. There are two application periods in southern Ontario — the first is open now and closes February 29, 2024. The second opens summer 2024.
Opening in January 2023, Windsor Wall Art, officially put brush to canvas, to create custom hand-painted murals. Since then the company has kept busy working on many exciting mural projects with lots more planned for this year. Owner/artist Carinna Domen creates large-scale, custom-designed murals that can help add a personalized touch to a home or create a statement wall in a business. The murals help draw attention on social media or create a memorable atmosphere for customers. Her latest mural can be found inside the new Marcuterie (charcuterie and special event caterer) location at 4685 Wyandotte Street East in Windsor. “Each detail of this mural was pulled from and inspired by the items Marlena Morin (owner) creates, with little nods to specific details about the owner herself,” expresses Domen. Windsor Wall Art specializes in painting nurseries, logos, lettering, commercial and residential custom designed pieces.
The Meyers family was very excited to announce the October 2023 launch of, not only Windsor’s first — but Canada’s first — BBQ sauce vending machine, with their products, Louis’ Slab Sauce (Carolina original, mild and hot) and rib rub. The machine can be found inside Tecumseh Mall, in front of Shoppers Drug Mart. Founder Ted Meyers started making the BBQ sauce 10 years ago for his friends and family. “A couple years later we began donating products as a fundraiser for epilepsy and it quickly escalated into a business, as everyone was asking if we could make more,” explains Taylor Meyers, Ted’s daughter. “So then began Louis’ Slab Sauce (named after their dog as pictured in the business logo). After winning a pop-up shop space in Tecumseh Mall in 2022 and being very successful there, we gained a lot of repeat customers. Thus the amazing idea to place a vending machine there came to life.” The machine also includes a fun selfie wall, located on the back so customers can take a photo with Louis and post it to their social media pages. The family hopes to one day expand the vending machines to more malls.
ON THE MOVE
Workforce WindsorEssex has moved to a new office at 3295 Quality Way, Suite 150 (near Jefferson Blvd. and E.C. Row Expressway). The organization was previously located on North Service Road and the need for a larger, more modern workspace for their expansion was required. The Quality Way office is equipped with more natural light, upgraded meeting room spaces, and improved technology, allowing them to better connect with community partners in-person and virtually.
Patti Lauzon is the new Executive Director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra (WSO), as of November 27, 2023. As Executive Director, she will play a pivotal role in the WSO’s continued journey towards connecting, inspiring, engaging, and enriching our community through the power of orchestral music. Lauzon’s extensive career in media relations, corporate fundraising, and strategic planning will be invaluable in guiding the WSO through the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. “The Windsor Symphony Orchestra is a dynamic, important organization in our community, and I am honoured to play a role in the WSO story,” states Lauzon. “I feel privileged to continue the remarkable work done by Sheila Wisdom (previous Executive Director) and to start working with Maestro Robert Franz, the talented musicians, expert administrative staff, dedicated Board of Directors and generous donors, patrons, and community partners.”
NEW IN BIZ
Nixie Social empowers businesses to simply manage their social media accounts by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI). Launched in August 2023 for a limited list of users for testing purposes — following nearly a year of development — the service is accessible on the website and provides an AI assistant for businesses that curate customized content. Each week, users receive emails containing several options, all featuring a captivating caption and a corresponding image. The generated content may be inspired by calendar events, such as New Year’s Day, industry-specific news, or promotional ideas. Furthermore, users can also personalize captions with features like paraphrasing and tone adjusting. “Our mission is to empower businesses with the tools they need to succeed on social media, using the power of artificial intelligence to provide customized solutions that work,” explains Ala Falaki, Founder of Nixie Social and computer science Ph.D. candidate at the University of Windsor. “The service is called Autopilot since it is designed to enable teams of all sizes to concentrate more on their core business by simplifying the process of creating social media content. Instead of spending valuable time brainstorming and writing content, our service offers a selection of options that can be shared with just one click, changing the narrative and allowing businesses to save time and resources.” The business concept took shape within the confines of the University’s EPICentre, where Falaki participated in the RBC EPIC Founders program. This idea evolved during a concentrated three month program, ultimately securing second place in the pitch competition. The platform is integrated with Facebook and Instagram pages to publish or schedule content. You can find more information about the service and subscription plans on their website.
LENDING A HAND
The owners of Thai Palace, Renu and Charles Anderson and their dedicated staff, helped raise $2,000 for Assisted Living Southwestern Ontario (ALSO) from a portion of their earnings, throughout the month of September 2023. The Andersons have been donating to local organizations to commemorate their restaurant’s anniversary each September and this was their 16th year in doing so (see accompanying photo). Thai Palace is located at 1140 Lauzon Road in Windsor and online at: Thai-Palace.ca. The mission of ALSO is to be change-makers towards equality, diversity and accessibility. They envision a day when people with physical disabilities fully participate in all aspects of community life as the norm and not the exception. To learn more about volunteering or donating to ALSO please visit the website.