A showcase for home-based and small businesses hits St. Albert this weekend.
The show will feature products from about 40 vendors ranging from jewelry to relaxation, handbags, clothing, art, pottery and travel.
The concept for the show is to provide a venue for home-based and small businesses to sell their wares, said Jay Kaytar, owner and founder of Vendor Show Productions, the show’s producer.
“A lot of the vendors that we do have are crafters so they make their products by hand,” he said.
The show will provide a comfortable atmosphere for customers to check out many unique products, Kaytar said.
“I would say 95 per cent of the products that we carry at our shows are not available by going to West Ed or Southgate or another mall,” he said.
Among the confirmed presenters are Mary Kay Cosmetics, Tupperware and Discovery Toys. A more complete list of vendors is available at http://shoppingshow.ca.
Edmonton-based Vendor Show Productions has been in operation for four years but this is the first time the company has shown in St. Albert, Kaytar said.
The show runs at the St. Albert Inn from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $2 for anyone 16 and over. The door proceeds go to the Second Chance Animal Rescue Society.
Alberta’s unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.9 per cent in February.
This was the third lowest rate in the country behind Saskatchewan’s 4.3 per cent and Manitoba’s 5.4 per cent. The national average was 8.2 per cent, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.
In mid 2008 unemployment in the province was 3.3 per cent.
Edmonton’s unemployment rate for February was 6.8 per cent, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month. Calgary’s rate was 7.1 per cent, also down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.
Employment in Alberta declined by 14,800 people from January to February, 14,300 in full-time and 600 in part-time.
Most of the employment losses occurred in the following industries: educational services (13,600 people), wholesale and retail trade (12,200 people), and agriculture (7,100 people.)
The manufacturing sector gained 10,500 jobs and forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas added 6,600 jobs.
