Only 12.7% of Quebec businesses use AI(ISQ, 2025)Institut de la statistique du Québec, November 2025. Publication: "Adoption and use of artificial intelligence by businesses in Quebec, 2024-2025 · Exploratory portrait", by Pascasie Nikuze. Data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions (Statistics Canada, Q2 2025).. Meanwhile, your competitors are automating. Horizon Secure helps Quebec SMBs with an AI readiness assessment, no-prerequisite training, and tailored support.
From Shawinigan, Mauricie · the bridge between you and tomorrow.
Modernize without compromising security. Horizon 360° Program: a turnkey solution for SMBs. AI and cybersecurity training: no jargon, no prerequisites. Corporate training: in person or online. Your data stays in Quebec. We empower your team, we don't replace it
Modernization without compromising your data security
Horizon 360° Program: AI maturity diagnosis, training, ongoing support
AI training with no jargon, no prerequisites
Ongoing, human-first support adapted to your pace
Your data hosted in Quebec, Law 25 compliant
We empower your team, we don't replace it
$1.60
Return per dollar invested
According to CFIB, Sage and Payworks (September 2025), Canadian SMEs adopting digital tools see an average return of $1.60 for every dollar invested in the first year. Survey of 1,683 business owners.
According to CFIB, Sage and Payworks (September 2025), Canadian SMEs adopting digital tools see an average return of $1.60 for every dollar invested in the first year. Survey of 1,683 business owners.
29%
Productivity from year one
According to CFIB (September 2025), Canadian SMEs adopting digital tools see an average 29% productivity boost in the first year. Survey of 1,683 business owners. Sponsored by Sage and Payworks.
According to CFIB (September 2025), Canadian SMEs adopting digital tools see an average 29% productivity boost in the first year. Survey of 1,683 business owners. Sponsored by Sage and Payworks.
150+
Workers and managers trained
Participants in public training sessions and workers trained directly on-site through our corporate programs.
Participants in public training sessions and workers trained directly on-site through our corporate programs.
20+
Quebec SMBs supported
Quebec SMBs that enrolled team members in our training sessions, or that benefited from a corporate program delivered on-site.
Quebec SMBs that enrolled team members in our training sessions, or that benefited from a corporate program delivered on-site.
Free first consultation · 30 minutes · No commitment
Trusted by
Who helps Quebec SMBs adopt AI?
Our Story
From a firsthand realization to a mission: making AI accessible to Quebec SMBs
Most Quebec SMBs know AI could help them. What's missing is someone to show them how -- practically, without risk.
That's exactly what Horizon Secure has been doing since April 2025. Founded in Shawinigan, Mauricie, incubated at DigiHub, this AI consulting firm supports SMBs, professionals, and curious minds across Quebec in their AI adoption: diagnosis, training, follow-up to make it stick.
20+ organizations supported and 150+ managers trained. Samuel Bellemare, founder, 2026 OSEntreprendre local and regional laureate, built an approach that puts people before technology.
Our Mission
Make AI useful in the real world: accessible to everyone, without compromising on security or the human side.
Boussole IA Training · DigiHub Shawinigan · Oct. 3, 2025
AI won't replace managers. But managers who use AI will replace those who don't.
Rob Thomas ·Senior Vice President, IBM
Rob Thomas is Senior Vice President at IBM. This quote illustrates why Horizon Secure focuses on training and support: it's not AI that transforms an organization, it's the people who learn to use it.
Artificial intelligence services for Quebec SMBs: training, support, and tailored solutions in Shawinigan, Mauricie, and across Quebec.
Our services
We don't sell technology, we deliver measurable results
Training, support, and tailored AI solutions for Quebec SMBs.
Training
Open enrollment
For anyone looking to get up to speed on AI or cybersecurity. In-person, online, or bootcamp.
How to structure a request to artificial intelligence?
Our approach
The N.O.R.D.™ Method
Tried AI and the results fell flat? The problem isn't the tool, it's how you talk to it. The N.O.R.D.™ Method is our 4-step approach to communicate clearly with AI and get results that actually matter.
N
Nature of role
Define who is speaking and in what context. AI adjusts its responses based on the role you assign it.
Example : "You are [specific role]..."
"You are [specific role]..."
O
Objective
What you actually want to achieve. A vague objective gives a vague answer.
Example : "I want to get [specific result]..."
"I want to get [specific result]..."
R
Reasoning
How AI should process the information. Method, tone, analytical approach.
Example : "Use the [method] approach..."
"Use the [method] approach..."
D
Data
Context, constraints, and desired format. AI doesn't guess what it doesn't have.
Example : "Here's the info [data]. Format: [structure]"
"Here's the info [data]. Format: [structure]"
Get the N.O.R.D.™ quick reference
The foundation for structuring your AI prompts and getting responses that make sense. Free PDF, no commitment.
Your quick reference is on its way!
Check your inbox (and spam folder).
Results and proof
What our clients experience
We accomplished the equivalent of six months of work in just one month thanks to AI. Excellent training that sheds light on potential blind spots when using AI. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Since working with Horizon Secure, 100% of our employees use AI daily—even those who were reluctant at first. The approachable explanations and reassuring method made all the difference.
I used to use AI just to proofread my emails. Since the training, I’ve applied the method to structure a whole new service—and I was truly surprised: the responses were much more precise, as if I had a specialized trainer guiding me.
A constructive and enjoyable training session—I can’t wait to keep practicing and exploring AI.
Great presentation on AI for beginners. The vocabulary was adapted to the audience. Everyone was encouraged to participate throughout, which really enriched the session.
Learning to use AI in my daily tasks truly changed the way I work. It’s become an indispensable tool.
Great presentation, very well prepared and delivered with humor. I’m already telling my friends and I can’t wait for future sessions.
The training demystified AI for me. I wasn’t using it before, and already this week it’s been incredibly useful. The explanations were clear and concise.
This training was truly constructive. It will help me make real progress with AI, both professionally and personally. You’re an excellent trainer.
Very informative and rewarding conference, well suited to my level of experience. Highly appreciated!
Very interesting and relevant training. The concepts are presented in a simple and engaging way. I can’t wait to learn more!
Professional and attentive to our needs. A trusted collaboration that I recommend without hesitation.
“The best way to use something that’s different from you is not to use it to replace yourself, but to use it in a complementary way.”
Daron Acemoglu
Professor at MIT, 2024 Nobel laureate in Economics
Fortune interview, February 22, 2026. Acemoglu advocates for pro-worker AI that augments human capabilities rather than replacing jobs. He notes 1.2 million layoffs occurred in the US in 2025, with over 50,000 directly linked to AI.
1h/day
of work time saved thanks to AI
According to Adecco (2024), a study of 35,000 workers across 27 countries found that AI users save an average of 1 hour of work per day - the equivalent of more than one full week per quarter.
49%
of employees use AI without approval
According to BlackFog (January 2026), 49% of employees use AI tools not approved by their employer (Shadow AI). Survey of 2,000 workers in companies with 500+ employees (US and UK).
Who We Are
The humans behind Horizon Secure
Samuel Bellemare
President & Founder
Father of two young boys, a paramedic since 2015 and a lifelong entrepreneur. Samuel founded his first business while still in school: a first aid and CPR training company he ran for nearly 10 years. A self-taught AI practitioner since 2023, he dedicated over 2,000 hours to mastering these tools before founding Horizon Secure in 2025. His hybrid background, combining the operational rigor of emergency medicine, a natural talent for teaching, and a reassuring communication style, lets him demystify AI like no one else. Featured on Noovo Info as an AI commentator, incubated at DigiHub Shawinigan and a local and regional laureate of the 2026 OSEntreprendre Challenge, he now helps Quebec SMBs adopt AI. He trains professionals, managers, and the curious, with no jargon and without replacing anyone. Creator of the N.O.R.D.™ Method.
Father of two young boys, a paramedic since 2015 and a lifelong entrepreneur. Samuel founded his first business while still in school: a first aid and CPR training company he ran for nearly 10 years. A self-taught AI practitioner since 2023, he dedicated over 2,000 hours to mastering these tools before founding Horizon Secure in 2025.
His hybrid background, combining the operational rigor of emergency medicine, a natural talent for teaching, and a reassuring communication style, lets him demystify AI like no one else. Featured on Noovo Info as an AI commentator, incubated at DigiHub Shawinigan and a local and regional laureate of the 2026 OSEntreprendre Challenge, he now helps Quebec SMBs adopt AI. He trains professionals, managers, and the curious, with no jargon and without replacing anyone. Creator of the N.O.R.D.™ Method.
Samuel Bellemare, President & Founder of Horizon Secure
«»
No mind is complete by itself. It needs contact and association with other minds to grow and expand.
Dominique supports Samuel in the structuring and strategic development of Horizon Secure through DigiHub Shawinigan's incubation program. The one who gets things back on track when it matters, and shows the way at every fork in the road. Through his network and strategic vision, he multiplies opportunities and connects Horizon Secure with the right people at the right time.
The first to believe
In June 2025, Dominique was the first person outside Samuel's close collaborators to hear the Horizon Secure project. His response: "We can do something. We can help you." Since then, it's been meetings, plenty of laughs, and a trust that has only grown stronger. Through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, Dominique always pushes in the right direction. And when it comes to practicing cold calls, let's just say he doesn't go easy: he puts Samuel through such a grilling that the real call feels natural afterward.
30 years of experience, a unique vision
With over 30 years of business experience as owner-manager, corporate executive, trainer, and entrepreneurial coach, Dominique is now Director of Incubation and International Development at DigiHub Shawinigan. Author of several books on entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal development, he draws on martial arts principles to build a leadership philosophy rooted in balance, flow, and resilience. This is the approach he brings to Horizon Secure every day.
Lydia M. Carrier
Speech-Language Pathologist, Pedagogy Consultant
Her role at Horizon Secure
Lydia serves as a pedagogy consultant and content reviewer. Training programs, marketing content, technical concepts: she ensures every Horizon Secure message is clear, precise, and accessible.
Making the inaccessible accessible
A speech-language pathologist for ten years, with a bachelor's and a master's in speech-language pathology from Université de Montréal, Lydia specializes in working with children with autism spectrum disorder or intellectual disabilities. Her daily work: helping people for whom communication is not innate find the means to express themselves. She has also contributed to the development of Quebec's digital health record and serves as an expert within a diagnostic support program for autism in children. At Horizon Secure, the mission is the same: making AI understandable for those who don't speak its language.
18 years of partnership
Samuel's partner for 18 years and mother of their two boys, her involvement in Horizon Secure came naturally. Turning complexity into clarity is what she has always done.
Bruno Laribière
Computer Engineer, Technology & AI Consultant
His role at Horizon Secure
Bruno serves as an external technology and AI consultant. Architecture, artificial intelligence integration, backend development: he brings the perspective and rigor of an engineer who lives these challenges daily in global industry. He is the expert eye on our technology choices before they become decisions.
Partners since 2008, an ocean of trust
Bruno and Samuel have been collaborating for over 15 years. For ten years, they built and operated large-scale community digital platforms together: online payments, databases, server infrastructure, and managing massive user volumes, all in Java. That shared adventure is where the duo's passion for technology was born. An ocean separates France from Quebec, but never their collaboration, marked by reunions in Paris and Quebec alike. When Samuel founded Horizon Secure, he barely had time to pitch the project: Bruno had already said yes.
Expertise forged at Michelin
A technology enthusiast since the age of 15, Bruno is now a computer engineer at Michelin, where he leads technology intelligence for all development teams. He drove the implementation of GitHub Copilot across the group and trains developers on using AI in their daily work. This world-class expertise is exactly what he brings to Horizon Secure and its clients.
Anthony Douville
Business Administration Consultant
His role at Horizon Secure
Anthony advises Horizon Secure on entrepreneurial vision, long-term planning, and business management. Where entrepreneurial instinct needs a framework, he brings the structure and perspective to see further ahead.
From high school to entrepreneurship
Samuel and Anthony have known each other since high school. They reconnected by chance during Horizon Secure's early months, through conversations about entrepreneurship, business administration, and artificial intelligence. Samuel introduced him to AI, Anthony brought his perspective on business structure. One thing led to another, and the collaboration took shape naturally.
A profile that breaks the mold
With a Bachelor's in Business Administration from UQTR, Anthony also has training in police technology and criminology. An atypical background that gives him a unique lens: the rigor of business analysis, combined with the critical thinking of someone trained to assess complex situations quickly.
Mathieu serves as an external cybersecurity consultant. Answering our questions, validating content, informing key decisions: his background spanning both development and security makes him an invaluable asset day to day.
Years of mutual trust
Samuel and Mathieu have known each other for about fifteen years, connected through a partnership that has always been mutual. Mathieu was a loyal client of the first aid training company Samuel ran before Horizon Secure, and Samuel has called on his expertise in development and cybersecurity over the years. When the project took shape, the collaboration was a natural fit.
From the field to the code
A former volunteer firefighter, Mathieu knows what it means to make decisions under pressure. An offensive security specialist, he brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of development and cybersecurity. Now an intrusion testing specialist, he approaches security as a partnership, not an audit. He understands both those who build and those who protect.
Juhana Hamel
Administrative Assistant, SMB Specialist
Her role at Horizon Secure
Juhana is Horizon Secure's administrative safety net. When things are running at full speed, she steps in behind the scenes: organization, follow-ups, accounting, coordination. Don't be surprised if you receive an email from her one day. She has been a tremendous help during busier periods, and still is.
The one who gets it right away
It's always a genuine pleasure to work with someone so authentic and straightforward. Juhana doesn't need things explained twice: she quickly identifies needs and brings her full skill set to every collaboration. No detours, no complications. Samuel and Juhana have been collaborating for several months, and the trust was there from day one.
Founder of Adjointe Signature
A virtual administrative assistant and SMB specialist, Juhana founded Adjointe Signature to support entrepreneurs who don't have time to manage the back office. Accounting, invoicing, coordination, process design: she transforms administrative chaos into clarity. A school secretary by day, she holds a vocational diploma in secretarial studies and a vocational diploma in accounting. Her sweet spot: fast-moving businesses. Construction, transportation, landscaping, and family businesses.
Choose a scenario and discover how much you could save.
AI-assisted employee
Estimate savings for your administrative and management team by integrating AI into their daily tasks.
Administrative and management team.
Average gross wage for your team.
Estimated time saved with AI.
According to Adecco (2024), AI saves an average of 1 h/day per employee.
Automation process
Calculate what an automation could save you, with or without human intervention.
How long does this task take manually?
h
min
Wage of the person performing this task.
How often is this task performed?
Savings Simulator: two calculation scenarios
Scenario 1: AI-assisted employee. Estimate savings for your administrative and management team by integrating AI into their daily tasks. Enter the number of employees, average hourly wage, and time saved per week per employee.
Scenario 2: Automation process. Calculate what an automation could save you, with or without human intervention. Enter the time per execution, hourly wage, and task frequency.
According to Adecco Group (2024, international study of 35,000 workers across 27 countries), AI saves an average of 1 hour per day per employee.
The results presented are estimates for informational purposes only. They do not constitute professional advice and may vary depending on your business context. Horizon Secure assumes no responsibility for decisions made based on these results.
Guide
How does the simulator work?
1. Choose your scenario
AI-assisted employee estimates savings when your administrative and management team integrates AI into their daily tasks. Automation process calculates savings on a repetitive task you want to automate, with or without human intervention.
2. Enter your data
Fill in the fields with your numbers: number of employees, hourly wage, time saved or time per execution. The more accurate your data, the more relevant the estimate.
3. Get your results
The simulator instantly calculates your potential savings in money and time, broken down by day, week, month and year.
Free, instant and no sign-up required. Your data is neither stored nor shared.
Blog
Latest articles
Our analyses and practical advice for SMBs looking to leverage AI without compromising their security.
horizon-secure
Horizon Secure: When AI Becomes a Mission
In Quebec, only 12.7% of businesses use AI. The gap is widening. Learn how Horizon Secure was born from a real-world observation, and why cybersecurity is built into every AI training we deliver to SMBs.
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes, it is completely free with no commitment. The first consultation lasts about 30 minutes and helps assess your situation and determine if our services truly match your needs.
No prerequisites are needed. We start from where you are. Our training programs are designed for professionals, executives, and anyone looking to get up to speed, regardless of your industry.
No. Our approach aims to empower your team, not replace it. AI reduces repetitive, time-consuming tasks to free up time for what matters: higher-value work, creativity, stress reduction, better job satisfaction, and improved work-life balance. It’s also a real advantage for staying competitive in your industry.
The program unfolds in three complementary stages: a diagnosis of your current situation, a personalized 3-hour training session in person or by video conference, and ongoing support over 2+ months (extendable based on your needs), with biweekly meetings to embed best practices within your team.
No. We are based in Shawinigan, but we support organizations across Quebec. Our in-person training is also available online, and on-site visits are possible across all regions.
Our open enrollment training starts at $36 per participant. Corporate training and the Horizon 360° Program are priced based on group size and level of support needed, and custom services are available upon request. A free consultation helps identify the best option for your situation.
Yes. From solopreneurs to businesses with 100+ employees. Our programs adapt to your size, budget, and industry.
The N.O.R.D.™ Method is a quick-reference method developed by Horizon Secure to structure AI prompts. In four parts (Nature of the role, Objective, expected Reasoning, available Data), it helps provide the right information to get relevant results from the very first interactions. It’s a solid foundation for beginners that evolves naturally with practice.
AI adoption should be progressive and organized. Start with a diagnosis of your current situation to identify real opportunities. Involve your team from the start: listen to their needs, concerns, and ideas. Work with professionals for guidance rather than going it alone. And above all, don’t bury your head in the sand: letting every employee use AI without structure exposes your organization to real security, privacy, and quality risks. A structured adoption is the difference between a successful transformation and a source of problems.
Yes, provided its use is properly managed. At Horizon Secure, security is built into every step of our support process. We train your team on best practices: never sharing confidential data with unapproved tools, respecting Quebec’s Law 25 on personal information protection, and favoring solutions hosted in Quebec when data sovereignty matters. We also offer sovereign AI options on Quebec-based servers, with no dependence on American tech giants.
It’s an on-site assessment of your organization’s current state when it comes to AI. We analyze your processes, tools, team skills, and business goals to identify where AI can genuinely save you time and money. The diagnosis also helps spot adoption barriers and prioritize actions. At Horizon Secure, the diagnosis is the first step of the Horizon 360° Program and can also be performed independently.
Horizon Secure is located at 1250 Av. de la Station, Shawinigan, QC G9N 8K9.
Serving SMBs across Mauricie and all of Quebec.
Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM
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Select everything that interests you.
2
We bring the group together
As soon as the minimum is reached, things get moving.
3
You vote for your date
3 options by email. You have 3 days.
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Horizon Secure · Shawinigan
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30 min to transform your AI approach
A free call to explore how AI can drive real results for your business.
An $18 million investment was granted to the Olymel plant in Trois-Rivières to initiate a digital transformation including the integration of artificial intelligence into manufacturing operations.
Samuel Bellemare, founder of Horizon Secure and AI adoption specialist for SMBs, provides expert commentary on the opportunities, adoption challenges, and importance of supporting workers through this technological transition in Mauricie's manufacturing sector.
Content owned by Noovo Info / Bell Media. Reproduced for reference purposes.
In the media
Interviews, press coverage, video clips, and public appearances. Samuel and Horizon Secure's media features, updated as they are published.
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