3183 Gershaw Drive SW Medicine Hat, Alberta T1B 3N1

Tag: local

Posted: April 5, 2018

Small Business Profile: Cilantro & Chive

Rieley Kay started Cilantro Catering in 2009, doing functions for family and friends. It was always part of their plan to expand into a restaurant as well as catering. An opportunity in Ponoka sped up this part of the plan exponentially.

The first restaurant was in Ponoka. It opened in February 2012, with 5 employees. But within a couple of years the building was sold and Cilantro and Chive’s lease came to an end. Unable to find another suitable location in Ponoka, December 15 2015 they moved to their current location in Lacombe. In the past, this spot has been a bus depot, a bike shop, a train store, antique shop and a general store. Read More

Posted: November 23, 2016

Helping Out Our Youth

Our new manager, Dave, in Drayton Valley is getting out into the community and making a difference. Read his story below!

Hi everyone!

I recently became the manager of Drayton Valley Storage. It’s a change in career and I believe that I can make a difference to Drayton Valley Storage and the community of Drayton Valley. Read More

Endorsements

Don’t Let Your Last Line of Defence Be Your Cheapest!

When you are storing goods at a self-storage facility the facility operator will have a security program in place that includes fences, controlled access gates, light and cameras. These security measures aren’t cheap, but they can only do so much to stop a thief. To truly stop a thief you need a secure lock.
Least Security
The most frequent lock used is the basic hardened steel padlock found at the big box and hardware stores. These locks are the least secure and easily broken with a bolt cutter. To keep costs down on these mass produced locks the manufacturer only produces a small number of key combinations. What this means is that the person buying the same lock right after you could have the exact same key. These locks are also easy to pick even for amateurs. This means that theft can go undetected until you re-enter your storage unit weeks or months later. This type of lock belongs on the yard shed, not on your self-storage unit.

The next level up in locks is the brass lock. It is still susceptible to bolt cutters, but is a little harder to pick because these locks offer 1000s of key combinations. Amateur lock-pickers move up to these locks, just Google the words “bump key,” and you will find out how these locks can be opened undetected.
Silver Disc Lock – High Security
A significant upgrade is the disc lock. The shackle is hidden inside the round shape, making the lock virtually impossible to use a bolt cutter on. It is possible to cut these locks with a grinder, but the time and noise involved to break the lock are an ample deterrent to this method. This lock is also more difficult to pick. Fortunately, a number of disc locks feature dimple type keyways with dimples and grooves cut into the side of the key, meaning that there will be over 3000+ key combinations. They can be bumped but the level of difficulty means you are dealing with an expert thief and not the typical break and enter amateur. Ultimately, the best lock to protect your belongings is the silver disc lock.

The Security of Your Self Storage Lock

Relocating Help: 8 Tips for a Happier Long-Distance Move

Relocating: 8 Tips for a Happier Long-Distance Move

Summer is nearing an end and it’s time to look for storage options for your “baby”. Storing your car is a smart decision but if you do not have room in the garage where is it going to go? There are two solutions to this, move the items from the garage to storage or bring your car to storage in one trip! Here are a few things to consider when storing your vehicle.

Place a plastic liner on the floor of your storage unit. Alternatively, you can use oil pads. This will catch any leaking fluids during storage, thus preventing you from ruining your concrete floor or the floor of your storage unit.

Change the oil and top up fluids. Don’t forget when you’re storing your vehicle for the season it will be longer than a month so it’s important that the oil is clean and your fluids are topped up for when you want to drive it again.

Tire Pressure. It’s best to make sure that the tires have the proper amount of air in them before storing if only for a few weeks. If you intend to store your vehicle longer it’s advised to jack up the car and take the tires off. This prevents what are called Flat Spots that can ruin tires. Read more about Flat Spot prevention here: http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-to-prep-your-car-for-long-term-storage.html

Take it to a carwash. It’s important to wash the outside of your car including the tires & wheel wells to remove any stains, insects, mud etc. These things, if left for a long period of time, can be damaging to the paint & body of the car.

According to Wheels.ca it’s important to leave one of your car’s windows open about an inch this will allow for ventilation and prevent moisture buildup. http://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/top-ten-tips-to-consider-for-winter-car-storage/

Don’t forget rodents like dry places and nibbling on anything they can. Prepare your car for these pesky pests by covering any place on the exterior they may get in. Ensure that you clean the interior of your vehicle well, removing any food, litter or other items that may attract mice. As an additional precaution, mouse poisoning or mouse traps inside your storage unit. If you are storing in your own garage be mindful of any pets that you allow into the garage before using poison of traps. Find a great how to here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a115/1272486/

Most self-storage facilities will not have an electrical outlet to plug a trickle charger in for your car. You can bypass this by disconnecting the battery and taking it with you to a warm place. When storing you battery be sure to keep it off concrete floors as concrete can drain batteries.

This is one of the most important things to do when putting your car in storage. Keep up your insurance. In case of emergencies such as fire, theft, hurricane, etc. you will want to make sure your vehicle is insured. This is especially important if you are storing it outside in a storage lot.

Do you have any vehicle storage tips that we may have missed? Share them below! –Kayla Akerstrom

8 Tips on Storing Your Car For The Winter

It’s that time of year again, that “To Do” list is a mile long and it’s time to start crossing things off. Unfortunately, this task can seem very intimidating especially if you aren’t sure where to start or what to do. Here are a few ideas that our staff uses to aide them in their spring cleaning tasks.

Don’t be like this lady!

A great rule of thumb one of our managers use is “If you haven’t used or worn it in 6 months, you never will”. This is a great motivation for de-cluttering your closets, dressers, office and even other storage areas in your home!

Change your batteries in your smoke detectors when doing your spring cleaning. This will prevent the batteries from failing in an emergency and save you from those annoying beeping sounds that the detector makes when they are about to die.

Leave your bookshelves refreshed by reorganizing your books! You can do this by removing the torn jackets from your hardcovers and disposing of them as you see fit. Also, change the pattern or stacking rhythm of your books! Line some of them vertically, some horizontally and some by size.

Don’t forget to clean all your surfaces including your walls, windows, window tracks and the grout in your tile on the floor and/or in the bathroom!

When cleaning your tiles use a homemade cleaner for cost efficiency and a sparkly floor or wall. You can mix ½ cup of baking soda with 2 gallons of water, remember to mix it well. You can use a cloth rag or a toothbrush for slight abrasion to clean the grout.

Do you want streak free windows? Use vinegar & water, instead of a cloth use a newspaper!

Stainless steel appliances in your kitchen? No problem! Use 1 drop of baby oil and a paper towel to clean the steel surfaces, they will shine just like new.

Look for more spring cleaning tips over the next month in our blog section! Leave your input on your spring cleaning tips in the comment section below!

Spring Has Sprung!

While these packing kits are great for packing your glassware, they have alternate uses too!
Intended Use:

Alternative Uses:

Shoe Organizer

Scentsy or Wax Storage

Store your hair tools!
— SGA Team

Alternative Uses for Glass Packing Kits

Well the answer to that depends on your needs and what you consider a priority. Here in North America we have grown accustomed to storing various items in the garage instead of using it for its intended purpose. With the cost of maintaining a vehicle rising more and more every year you may want to reconsider your priorities for storage! Let’s be honest; when’s the last time you wore those pleated acid wash jeans? Or how about that lion costume from you’re your son was in the school play 15 years ago? Now is a great time to sort through all of your belongings and decide if the 100 yards of broken Christmas lights is worth salvaging or if you’d like to make more space for your vehicle to be stored over the cold months to come. With winter rapidly approaching we always take the time to winterize our boats, campers, furnaces and even our cars, but why do we neglect the one room in the house that could make winter a bit more bearable? According to prnewswire.com 92% of homeowners surveyed described their home as somewhat or very organized, one fourth of them admitted embarrassment with the garage and nearly one third said they keep their garage door shut so others won’t see the mess. There are some cases where purging just isn’t an option. If you are storing family heirlooms, or antiques it’s understandable that this takes priority over a vehicle; but have you given any thought to self-storage? Most Items do not require a heated space to preserve their original state and if it is something that concerns you, a climate controlled unit is an option. See our Blog on “Heated Storage” for more information on what does, and does not need to climate control. Self-Storage is a great alternative to storing in your much needed garage, especially if the items are not being regularly used. So the next time you are scraping ice off your car in minus 30 weather with the snow blowing like crazy, look around your garage and decide if you think it is truly worth storing all of your belongings in. — Ashley Strauss

Should I Store My Stuff or My Car in the Garage?

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Tag: local

Small Business Profile: Cilantro & Chive

Helping Out Our Youth

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Boxes	Mattress Bags	Other Supplies
2′ cube – $3.15	Twin – $4.85	5 “Fragile” Stickers – $0.35
3′ cube – $4.20	Queen – $7.30	Tape Roll – $3.15
4′ cube – $5.25	King – $12.60	Marker – $3.15
6′ cube – $6.30		10′ Bubble Wrap – $4.45
File – $5.25		Disc Lock- $11.00
Small Wardrobe- $15.75		Tape Gun – $13.65
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Small Mirror – $4.20		Moving Blankets (60″ x 72″) – $13.65
Large Mirror – $7.35