A welcoming visitor experience
Make it easy to discover the museum, explore its displays, find visitor information, and contact your team.
Where beauty meets purpose.
PROPOSAL VERSION 1.2Prepared for Paula Collett and the Board of DirectorsNicola Valley
Nicola Valley
Museum & Archives
A welcoming website for the stories you preserve
Lesia Design & Digital Inc.
October 29, 2026
Paula Collett and the Board of Directors
Nicola Valley Museum & Archives Association
October 29, 2026
Paula Collett and the Board of Directors
Nicola Valley Museum & Archives Association
Dear Paula and Board Members,
Thank you for inviting us to submit a proposal for the Nicola Valley Museum & Archives Association.
Your website should help people discover the museum, explore the Nicola Valley’s history, and find the information they need to visit or get involved. It should also be straightforward for your staff and volunteers to maintain.
We propose a refreshed Squarespace website that brings your photographs, displays, and historical stories forward through clear navigation, thoughtful design, and easy-to-update layouts. We’ll help you connect your existing domain, bring forward your existing articles and past events, and provide practical training so your team feels comfortable making everyday changes.
Our work with heritage organizations and Canadian nonprofits—including Historic O’Keefe Ranch and the Historic Bell Barn—gives us experience directly relevant to your project.
We would be delighted to help the museum create an online home that reflects the value of the history you preserve.
Sincerely,Lesia PayneOwner & UX Director
Share your history.
Welcome your visitors.
The Association is looking for a refreshed website that serves the community and fits the practical needs of a volunteer-run nonprofit.
Approximately 10 core pages, engaging Displays galleries, existing articles and past events—all in one easy-to-update website.
Your historical content, brought forward
Give photographs, exhibit information, and historical articles clear, engaging layouts.
Keep updates manageable
Familiar editing tools and practical training so staff and volunteers can maintain the website independently, with help available when needed.
About Lesia Design & Digital
Proven experience. Personal attention.
Lesia Design & Digital is a women-owned Canadian company founded in 2006. We have helped more than 800 clients create stronger connections with their audiences through insight-driven user experience design. Over 250 of those projects have been built on Squarespace.
Our small, senior team combines UX strategy, graphic design, copywriting, organic search and technical expertise. Clients work directly with the people doing the work, creating a responsive partnership grounded in clarity, care and accountability.
Lesia holds a Bachelor of Science in Interaction Design from Simon Fraser University and brings more than 20 years of web design experience.
20+years of web design experience800+client partnerships250+Squarespace projects
Squarespace Circle Platinum Partner
Lesia is among fewer than 0.5% of Squarespace developers to achieve Platinum Partner status, recognizing exceptional platform experience and contribution.
Professional Business of the Year
Winner at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce 40th Annual Business Excellence Awards.
Squarespace Marketplace Expert
Selected for Squarespace's professional marketplace based on demonstrated experience and quality.
Relevant experienceHeritage, history
Heritage, history
& community.
We understand the balance between telling an organization’s story, helping visitors find practical information, and giving a small team tools they can maintain.
Google reviews
Trusted by the people we serve.
★★★★★
“Professional work tailored thoughtfully to our needs and price point.”
Dr. Vidya Shankaran, Clinic Owner
★★★★★
“They understood our goals and created a beautiful, functional, cohesive site.”
Sheena Sinclair, CEO, Build Bella Vista
★★★★★
“Expertise and professionalism turned our vision into a warm, effective website.”
Sami Shenouda, Lawyer & Business Owner
★★★★★
“The process was fun, engaging and reassuring from start to finish.”
Bree Cawley, Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation
★★★★★
“It felt like working with a trusted friend, not a distant company.”
Dr. Darren Bailey, Healthcare Professional
★★★★★
“Absolutely phenomenal. I trust the team and know the work is always very well done.”
Ben Quinn, Long-Term Client
Read all 71+ Google reviews ↗Squarespace.
Built around your team.
We recommend Squarespace for its visual editing tools, built-in galleries, blogging features, and event listings.
Your staff and volunteers will be able to update text, replace photographs, publish articles, and maintain event information through the same website platform.
Website hosting is included in the Squarespace subscription. Your domain can remain with its existing registrar. The Association will retain ownership of its website and domain accounts.
01DiscoverPriorities and content
02DefineWebsite structure and design
03DevelopBuild, migrate and check
04DeliverTrain and launch
Proposed scopeA focused rebuild.
A focused rebuild.
A clear scope.
One coordinated website redesign and launch, with existing content brought forward and practical training for your team.
01Project Management, Planning & Information Architecture+
- Confirm the museum’s priorities, audiences, and website needs.
- Review the existing website and identify content to retain, consolidate, or retire.
- Develop an agreed structure and navigation for approximately 10 core pages.
- Coordinate project tasks, content delivery, and client reviews through launch.
02Visual Design+
- Refresh the website’s appearance using the museum’s existing identity and supplied photography.
- Establish consistent colours, typography, image treatments, and page styles.
- Create clear layouts that balance historical storytelling with practical visitor information.
- This scope uses the existing brand. New logo design, rebranding, custom illustration, and print materials would be separately scoped.
03Squarespace Website Development+
- Build approximately 10 core website pages using the agreed structure.
- Create navigation, reusable layouts, and clear links between related content.
- Organize and format existing or client-supplied text and photographs.
- Adapt the included pages for desktop, tablet, and mobile viewing.
- Set up the agreed contact functionality using standard Squarespace tools.
- The blog posts and three past events below are separate content allowances and do not count toward the approximately 10 core pages.
- Substantial new copywriting, historical research, custom databases, and custom applications are outside this scope.
04Displays Galleries+
- Refresh the Displays page using Squarespace’s built-in gallery capabilities.
- Arrange approved photographs into clear exhibit groupings.
- Add supplied captions and descriptions.
- Configure enlarged image viewing where supported by the selected layout.
- Include gallery editing in staff and volunteer training.
- Custom filtering, searchable collections, and a separate digital archives system are outside this project.
05Blog Migration & Duplicate Cleanup+
- Migrate up to 20 agreed existing blog posts.
- Bring forward available titles, text, images, and publication dates where supported.
- Format the retained posts for the new website.
- Consolidate duplicate entries so each retained article appears once.
- The museum will confirm the final selection of articles and any content corrections. Rewriting articles, reconstructing missing material, and digitizing historical documents are outside this allowance.
06Squarespace Events Setup & Migration+
- Set up Squarespace’s built-in Events collection.
- Migrate the three existing past events.
- Confirm event dates and descriptions with the museum before publication.
- Provide a consistent layout that your team can use for future events.
- This scope covers standard event listings and calendar presentation. Ticketing systems, paid registration, and third-party event integrations are outside this project.
07Basic SEO & URL Redirects+
- Write page-specific meta descriptions for the included core pages.
- Add alternative text for supplied images.
- Review existing event and calendar URLs, including outdated, duplicate, and broken pages, to establish the redirect plan.
- Map retired URLs to relevant replacement content.
- Implement agreed permanent URL redirects where supported by Squarespace.
- Redirects will help visitors reach useful information and preserve existing search value. Search rankings and the timing of search engine updates cannot be guaranteed.
08Testing, Launch & Staff Training+
- Check the included pages on desktop and mobile.
- Review navigation, galleries, links, event listings, and contact functionality.
- Correct implementation issues within the approved scope.
- Complete the agreed launch configuration.
- Provide practical training on routine text and image changes, gallery updates, blog posts, and events.
- Training will use the finished website and focus on the tasks your staff and volunteers need to perform.
Your website
investment.
Project subtotal$5,000CAD, before GST
This estimate is based on our special nonprofit rate of $95 CAD per hour. The estimated time allocated to each part of the project is shown below.
| Item | Estimated hours at $95/hour | Estimated fee |
|---|---|---|
| 01 — Project Management, Planning & Information Architecture | 4.74 | $450 |
| 02 — Visual Design | 5.79 | $550 |
| 03 — Squarespace Website Development — approximately 10 core pages | 21.05 | $2,000 |
| 04 — Displays Galleries | 2.63 | $250 |
| 05 — Blog Migration & Duplicate Cleanup — up to 20 posts | 4.21 | $400 |
| 06 — Squarespace Events Setup & Migration — three past events | 2.11 | $200 |
| 07 — Basic SEO & URL Redirects | 10.00 | $950 |
| 08 — Testing, Launch & Staff Training | 2.11 | $200 |
| Project subtotal | 52.63 | $5,000 |
| GST at 5% | $250 | |
| Total including GST | $5,250 |
Hours are rounded independently to two decimal places; the total is calculated from the unrounded figures.
The estimate includes the scope described above. Changes or additions will be discussed and approved in writing before additional work begins.
Looking aheadOptional year-two
AI optimization
Optional year-two
enhancements.
Once your new website is established, we can build on it as your priorities and budget allow. These optional enhancements are separate from the initial website project.
Help people find you on ChatGPT.
Packages starting at approximately $800 CAD + GSTHelp improve how AI-powered search tools, including ChatGPT, discover and understand the museum’s website. Depending on the selected package, work may include clearer answers to visitor questions, expanded FAQs, improved content structure, and appropriate structured data.
The goal is to make your information easier to find, understand, and reference. Placement or recommendations within ChatGPT and other AI tools cannot be guaranteed.
Additional options
- Search-Focused Content: Expand selected pages to help people searching for Merritt attractions, local history, and museum experiences discover your organization.
- Enhanced Digital Collections: Explore richer ways to browse historical photographs and stories, including category filtering or a more extensive online collection.
- Donation & Membership Tools: Make it easier for visitors to support the museum through agreed donation or membership integrations.
- Annual Website Review: Review visitor activity, content, navigation, and broken links, then prioritize practical improvements.
- Refresher Training: Help new staff or volunteers learn to manage the website confidently.
Each enhancement would be scoped and quoted separately before work begins. Additional platform or third-party fees may apply.
Website Hosting
& Maintenance
Budget $288 CAD for the first year and $384 CAD per year thereafter, plus applicable taxes, for your Squarespace website subscription and hosting.
This predictable annual cost makes it easy for nonprofits to budget for their website.
The Squarespace Core plan is $32 CAD per month, paid annually. Your 25% first-year discount saves $96 CAD.
| Subscription period | Annual payment before taxes |
|---|---|
| First year — includes 25% discount | $288 CAD |
| Subsequent years | $384 CAD/year |
The subscription is paid annually, rather than through monthly payments, and includes website hosting. This fee is additional to the website project estimate. Optional website updates and support are priced separately below.
Squarespace fees & plan pricing ↗
Existing domain
Your domain can remain with its existing registrar. Domain costs will continue under your current registration and renewal arrangements.
Ongoing website supportUpdate it yourselves.
Option 1 · Pay as needed Option 2 · Monthly maintenance
Update it yourselves.
Call on us when you need help.
Your team will receive practical training to make everyday website updates independently. When you need assistance, choose the support option that suits your workload.
Flexible support
$95/hour + GSTSpecial nonprofit rate for routine text changes, images, galleries, news posts, event information, and other website updates.
You pay for the time used. If you prefer a predictable budget, we can agree on a monthly spending cap and a rollover arrangement in advance.
For a smaller website maintained primarily by staff or volunteers, this will often be the most cost-effective option.
A regular helping hand
$199/month + GSTUp to three hours of routine website updates per month.
Annual cost: $2,388 + GST.
- Updating text and replacing photographs.
- Adding supplied news or blog content.
- Updating Displays galleries.
- Changing visitor information, board details, or event listings.
This provides substantial editing time for a website of this size.
New functionality, significant redesigns, and work beyond the included allowance would be discussed and approved separately. Website support fees are separate from the Squarespace subscription and domain renewal.
Project timing2–3 months.
2–3 months.
Planned together.
A website of this scale can typically be completed within 2–3 months of the project start date, depending on client availability, content readiness, and holidays.
The schedule will depend on timely feedback, access to the existing website and domain accounts, and delivery of approved text and photographs.
Lesia Design & Digital is a boutique firm that takes on projects with care and personal attention. We’ll establish the schedule together and remain flexible as reviews and content delivery progress.
One complete project.
One coordinated launch.
Deposit
Before work begins.
$2,500 + GST
$2,625 including GST.
Remaining balance
After the website launches.
$2,500 + GST
$2,625 including GST.
Project subtotal
$5,250 including GST.
Subscription and optional support are additional.
Working togetherWhat we’ll need
What we’ll need
from your team.
The museum will confirm the accuracy of historical information and ensure supplied material is approved for publication.
- Access to the existing website and domain accounts.
- Existing logos and approved brand materials.
- Approved text, photographs, captions, and image credits.
- Confirmation of the blog posts to retain and the three past event records.
- Confirmation of current visitor information and contact details.
- A designated contact to coordinate feedback and approvals.
A website your team
can confidently maintain.
Confirm the proposed scope and preferred support option, and we’ll arrange a project start date.
We’ll begin by reviewing your priorities and agreeing on the website structure, then move into design, development, content migration, training, and launch.
Lesia Payne · Lesia Design & Digital Inc.
Where beauty meets purpose.
Office: 236.600.1500 · Mobile: 306.371.6637
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