Carmella Gattinger, Battlefords Chamber of Commerce project and promotions coordinator demonstrates how to use the new Local Link (Link Local) information kiosks. (Julia Lovett-Squires/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

Kiosks

In a province first, new kiosks to provide a ‘Link Local’ to the Battlefords

Jun 14, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Residents of the Battlefords will soon have a “Local Link” to their community at their fingertips.

Local Link is a network of touch screen kiosks that provide users with information about the community that can be of value to anyone from locals to tourists and visitors.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Linda Machniak, chief operating officer at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce.

“The municipalities no longer provide visitor information services as of about a decade ago – a funded program – ‘cause we obviously used to be the location where the visitor centre was.”

Machniak explained that despite that, people still turn up seeking information about the community.

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About a year ago, a community network project presented itself as a feasible option in the form of touch screen kiosks that would hold information on upcoming events, hotels, restaurants and more.

“There’s a project in Northern Manitoba that has had 10 or 12 communities all linked together,” she said of Thompson, Flin Flon and The Pas.

“They talked about the great success they were having and we just thought this might be a way to promote our community but get the kiosks out in the community.”

The goal is to have about 12 kiosks – each unit costing about $4,000 – around local hotspots such as a mall or hotels and make them accessible to everyone.

“We’ve heard from lots of people who say ‘Oh, I’d love to be able to find out what’s going on in the community this weekend,’” she said.

Local Link (Link Local) will be the first of its kind in the province and according to an email to Chamber members, the screens will feature “Easy to use and with visually appealing pictures and stories” and organizations, local groups and businesses can join in.

So far, five have been ordered and Machniak said the Battlefords Hotels’ Association has agreed to help support the initiative and four of the major hotels will have them in their lobbies.

“It’s really exciting, really looking forward to it,” said Machniak, noting they also service the Rural Municipalities of Battle River, North Battleford and Meota.

“Our hope is to have them throughout the region,” she said.

In addition to the first 10, there was also some discussion about getting a couple of extras – one of which would travel around to various locations, while the other would be used for booking events.

“So, it could be used but more at seasonal locations or at specific promotional big events,” the chief operating officer said.

To get businesses on board, the chamber is offering members competitive rates and packages, and each listing slide may feature a range of options to choose including custom built packages.

“There’s also an opportunity to mimic, if you will, or to copy what Manitoba and this group have done where there’s multiple communities that are on the system,” she said.

“Say Cut Knife, Unity, Biggar, Wilkie, Edam, Meadow Lake – anybody in the region might want to have their community come on – they could have a kiosk in their location, and it would have their own information on it.”

From there, Machniak said, they could click to see the Battlefords information and thus create an interconnected region.

“There’s lots of possibilities and lots of opportunities.”

The first kiosk is already in the Battlefords and is stationed at the Chamber. For more information or to sign up phone: 306-445-6226, email: promos@battlefordschamber.com or drop by the office, located at Junction of HWY 16 and 40., E.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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