FreddyBuddy

Inspiration

We were newcomers to Fredericton once, and we remember how many small questions came with arriving here. Where do we get a phone plan? How do we open a bank account? Which bus do we take? Where can we go when we need healthcare—or when we just want to meet people?

The information existed, but it was scattered across different websites. We made FreddyBuddy because we wanted the next newcomer to have the guide we wished we’d had.

What it does

FreddyBuddy helps newcomers find practical resources in Fredericton. People can browse first-week essentials, daily life, transportation, social activities, and healthcare. They can also use the master search to look across all resources at once and favourite helpful resources so they’re easier to find again.

Each resource has a short explanation and a link to a website where users can learn more or get started.

How we built it

We researched and organized local resources into categories and subcategories, then loaded them into Snowflake. We built the website with Next.js, connected its search to the resource data through the backend, and deployed it with Vercel. We also maintained CSV and JSON files so we could review entries and keep the app’s information up to date.

Challenges we ran into

Connecting the backend to Snowflake was one of our biggest challenges. We had to get the website, database connection, and search results working together while keeping database credentials on the backend. It took troubleshooting to make sure a resource found in Snowflake appeared correctly on the website.

Our resource list also grew throughout the hackathon, so keeping the files, database, and website in sync took careful work. One upload created duplicate rows, which taught us to check unique IDs before updating the live table.

We hoped to use AI-powered search, but the embedding function was unavailable on our Snowflake trial account. We adapted by building keyword search, including a master search that helps users find resources across categories.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

FreddyBuddy now has 97 unique resources, organized around the questions a newcomer might actually ask. We’re proud that users can search the whole guide, save favourites, and follow direct links to useful options—including phone and internet providers, banks, transit, and healthcare.

Most of all, we’re proud that we turned a challenge we experienced ourselves into something that could help someone else feel more confident arriving in Fredericton.

What we learned

We learned how much work goes into connecting a website to real data. A successful database query is only part of the job: the backend has to return the right information, and the website has to present it in a way people can understand and use.

We also learned to treat our resource data carefully. Clear categories, working links, unique IDs, and a repeatable update process all make FreddyBuddy more useful. When our original AI search plan wasn’t available, we learned to adapt and focus on a search experience that worked for users.

What's next for FreddyBuddy

We want to keep verifying and expanding the resources, improve the search experience, and make FreddyBuddy easier to use for people with different language and accessibility needs. We hope it can continue growing into a guide that helps newcomers navigate Fredericton and feel at home.