A Day in Fredericton with the Ignite Marketing Team

Last Friday, the Ignite Marketing team hit the road for another entity visit – this time to the heart of the Capital Region: the City of Fredericton. 

My colleague Julia and I spent the day visiting local businesses and the institutions that support them, with a few scenic stops along the way. Fredericton certainly offered a day full of inspiring conversations, familiar faces, and exciting new storefronts.  

We started our morning at Happy Baker, to grab some locally made treats to share with our friends at the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce and the City’s Communications team. Meeting with partners is always a great way to have a valuable exchange of ideas and resources, as we are constantly looking for ways to strengthen storytelling and outreach across the region. Plus, getting to meet Kody, the City’s office pup for the day, was a great touch to our meeting.  

In the afternoon, we were joined by our colleague Hannahbelle – the Ignite Economic Specialist – for a casual pop-in at local businesses. First stop: Gallery 78, where we witnessed Werner Arnold’s latest exhibit, Carnival - a collection of abstract sculptures made from pine wood and acrylics that illustrate carnival-like entertainers. Beautifully mind-blowing, if you ask me. Next, we stopped by Hanson Road Flower Co., a shop bursting with greenery, florals, and cozy home décor. 

Afterward, we found ourselves stopping by a new boutique downtown - Happy Hatti Owned by Harpreet Kaur, a face most will recognize from the Garrison Night Market, Happy Hatti blends traditional textiles and patterns into bold designs. We are excited to see the growth this brand has experienced and can’t wait to see where Harpreet is aiming for next.

Around the corner, we ventured into Coastline Pizza’s new TD Plaza location. Jennie Wilson, owner of Coastline and 11th Mile, carefully built a brand-new space that blends the old school pizza joint ‘grab-n-go' style with a refreshing summer spritz dining vibe. Jennie’s focus on sustainable growth makes her a key player in Fredericton’s growing culinary and service scene.  

We wrapped up the day by crossing the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge and stopping by one last business – Picaroons Roundhouse. We had the pleasure of meeting with owners, Adam and Ted, who talked about their vision for the brewery’s future and their shared passion for building community through spaces such as 540 North and Grain & Grind Cafe, as well as exciting seasonal events. The Roundhouse itself is steeped in history and heritage; we even got a behind-the-scenes look at their open fermentation process and learned how much care and effort their products go through from idea to the shelves.  

We had a wonderful time walking around the Capital City, getting to know the local business community a little better, and connecting with the institutions that help them thrive. Stay tuned for our next entity visit later this month. See you soon!