Spring is in the air with the opening of the 2019 Red Deer Home Show.
Renew! Refresh! is the theme of this year’s exhibition of building and home-related exhibitors, which runs from Friday to Sunday at Westerner Park.
More than 260 business are filling over 300 booths in this year’s show, presented by the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD).
On offer is a wide selection of products — from solar panels to bathroom fixtures, house building to landscaping.
Central Albertans are generally sick of winter and want to get out to see what’s new for spring, said Carol Watson, who helped arrange a booth filled with Parkland Garden Centre’s flowers and greenery.
Watson believes Parkland has taken part in every Red Deer Home Show for the past 25 years because it’s a good way of reaching out to potential customers: “It’s spring and people want to get out and get a feeling for spring… And we’d like to let them know that we are more than a garden centre,” she added, referring to a variety of related products and gift ware.
With the provincial economy remaining quite flat so far in 2019, many industries are targeting the renovation market, which tends to grow stronger whenever new house builds drop off.
Terry Hollman said his Canadian Closets has adapted in recent years. “There’s not a lot of new homes being built,” but people are spending money to spruce up their existing space, or to make it more functional.
Daley Brochu, of Exposure Solar said he looks forward to educating potential customers at the home show about “what solar power can do.” He feels there are many misconceptions about the cost. “It’s more affordable than buying power off the grid over the long-term,” Brochu added.
Specialty products abound at the home show, including specialty toys and one-of-a-kind hand-crafted furniture.
Creekside Woodworks of the Lacombe area is displaying unique “river tables,” made from Manitoba maple and water-blue epoxy, with a walnut base. The unique table-tops resemble a birds-eye view of a flowing river and its sandy banks. Heather Polson feels the furniture her husband creates locally fills the space between function and art.
Carol Ann Huszti of Smart Builders educational toys of Calgary, said she loves meeting Red Deerians. “We come up because of the nice people.”
For more information, please visit www.reddeerhomeshow.ca.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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