This summer, Sheila Willis is hoping the new name of her travel and tourism smart phone app and website will become as, if not more well-known than her own, potentially province- and country-wide.
This summer, Willis is hoping the new name of her travel and tourism smart phone app and website will become as, if not more well-known than her own, potentially province- and country-wide.
“The app was created almost a decade ago,” said Willis. “It was released as a Northern Alberta travel app with a focus on history.”
Prompted by continuous questions about local landmarks like the historic train station in Athabasca, Willis said she and the rest of the Friends of Historical Northern Alberta Society (FHNAS) were inspired to create a one-stop shop both locals and visitors could look to for answers, called History Check.
“The idea was to create an online platform that told stories of Alberta’s history, Northern Alberta’s history,” she said.
And adding the travel and tourism aspect fit naturally into the concept, she said. After all, those interested in seeing landmarks and remnants of the province’s history must get there first.
“I was talking to quite a few history people in Edmonton, and many of them were under the impression that once you left Edmonton, services were minimal — ‘what if we run out of gas?’” said Willis. “It became apparent that urbanite’s vision of rural was often misconceived.”
“By putting the travel services on the app and other amenities, we were attempting to make Northern Alberta more appealing and approachable.”
Willis worked with municipalities, businesses, and local and provincial archives to populate the app, and soon Southern Alberta wanted in, too. When it launched in 2017, it had an estimated 5,000 points of interest across the province.
“You may be driving along and see a monument, and as the content is developed, you’ll find out why and where; the story. So by adding this whole conglomeration of things, you’re actually telling the story of a community.”
Rebranded and restructured
Nearly a decade later, Willis has been hard at work giving her brainchild a complete glow-up. Now known as Travel-ING On, the app’s basics will stay the same. The map-based interface will still have categorized points of interests and amenities, and users can create themed road trips, hitting the spots with stories they want to learn more about.
The biggest changes, however, have been to the structure of the organization behind the screen. Previously registered as a non-profit, Travel-ING On now operates as a cooperative — a change Willis said was necessary for the financials and the future of the app.
“As a not-for-profit, we had limitations on us in terms of trying to get revenue,” she said. After years of ineligibility for certain heritage grants and unsuccessful funding applications, FHNAS turned the app over to Willis and another for an attempt at a for-profit business model.
But COVID-19 hit and Willis was handed the complete rights to History Check, a turn she wasn’t anticipating. Unwilling to sell and hesitant to fully commit to running it herself, she looked for a solution aligned with the intent of the app and her own personal plans.
“I’m slightly over 60,” she said. “This is my dream, but it’s not the dream of my family. So if I happen to kick the bucket, who takes it over? Or does it die with me?
“The other consideration was I didn’t build this for me. I built it for communities as a cost-effective, economical way to promote themselves and share their history,” she added.
Like all good ideas, Willis said the thought of a cooperative came to her in the shower. Initial meetings with contacts like Community Futures and former economic development officers were promising, and Willis went full steam ahead.
“While I’m actively involved, I have no ownership in the app at this point, but it’s still my baby,” she said. “I’m feeling satisfied because in this business structure, this is exactly what I intended it to be as far as impact.”
Albertans and even those from outside the province interested in using the app to plan trips and learn more about Alberta will be still be able to download and use the app for free. But individual users interested in joining the cooperative can purchase a lifetime membership for an early bird price of $25.
Businesses, municipalities, and services can also become lifetime members for the same price in return for having their location, contact details, one photo and a limited number of links and searchable keywords included on the app and website.
Premium business packages are also available, and come with more photos, unlimited links, in-depth storytelling, and as many as 10 keywords for easy searchability.
All members have the potential to earn dividends, and business members of any tier are also able to provide special discounts available only to other members, an incentive system Willis hopes will help sustain and build uptake.
“As this thing grows, that could be in every community in Alberta,” she said. “Alberta is the first chapter. In other words, we have the ability to expand this thing across Canada and even internationally.”
With a launch date set for summer 2025, Willis has had a busy three months with the membership drive. In late January, she estimated between 70 and 80 memberships had been purchased, with more rolling in all the time.
Her efforts since establishing the cooperative have also included an awareness drive, asking Athabascans and Albertans to print and display Travel-ING on posters, even launching a contest to incentivize businesses and organizations to ‘Hang It Up’ in the hopes of winning premium benefits.
“I don’t know if exhilarating or satisfying is the best word,” said Willis. “I have contacted almost every Community Futures now in Alberta and some chambers, and the feedback I’m getting is incredible.”
“The big thing I think that grabs everybody’s attention is the cooperative business structure,” she added. “I don’t think there is a tourism cooperative of this scale in Canada, at least not in Alberta.”
