Who I am
Mary Jane Howie, P.Eng.
Everyone calls me MJ. I build websites and I do local SEO, from an office in Armstrong, BC.
I finished a civil engineering degree at UBC in 2012 and started building websites the same year. My first career was at Shell Canada. I am a registered professional engineer, and I still work like one.
The business has been my full time work since 2021. It is a one-person business, so the person who quotes your project is the person who builds it and the person who answers three years later.
I live and work in Armstrong, in the North Okanagan. Most of my clients are within an hour of here. I have four kids, which is why my calendar runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and why I am quick on email.
In 2026 this website won Best Business Website at the Web Excellence Awards.
Names
Howie now, Duford before.
My name is Mary Jane Howie. In writing and in person I go by MJ, so MJ Howie is what you will see on this site and in my email signature.
Work published under Mary Jane Duford or MJ Duford is also mine. That covers most of what I put out before 2026, including the case studies and articles here.
The business changed names too. It trades as Acorn Websites now, and it was Duford Digital before. The company behind it is 1337376 B.C. Ltd., a numbered company, which is the name on invoices, agreements, and the legal pages here. So: MJ Howie is the person, Acorn Websites is the business name, 1337376 B.C. Ltd. is the company.
Background
An engineer who builds websites.
- Professional engineer
- P.Eng., civil engineering, University of British Columbia, 2012. First career at Shell Canada before web work became the whole job.
- 14 years building websites
- Since 2012, first alongside engineering work and full time since 2021. The company was incorporated in December 2021.
- Design and SEO, both
- I build the site and I do the search work on it. A site built by somebody who does not do SEO usually needs an SEO to come fix it afterward.
- Where I work
- 3005 Wood Ave, Armstrong, BC V4Y 0H1. Weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., by appointment.
My own sites
I test on my own work first.
I own and run a handful of content sites. They carried 1.3 million pageviews in 2025. When I recommend something to a client, it is usually because I already tried it somewhere the only person paying for a mistake was me.
- Home for the Harvest
- A gardening site with more than a thousand articles.
- Mama's Must Haves
- Product research for parents.
- Armstrong Local
- A free community hub and business directory for Armstrong.
- Select-A-Plant
- A plant database built as a data product.
- Play Bluegrass Music
- A reference site for bluegrass players.
In town
Work I do for Armstrong.
Four local nonprofits have a website I built and I keep running at no charge: North Okanagan Minor Hockey, the Armstrong Garden Club, Three Trees Okanagan, and the Armstrong Elementary School PAC.
I am title sponsor of North Okanagan Minor Hockey for the 2025-2026 season, and I was a Gold Tier donor to the Armstrong Elementary School garden build in 2025. The full list is on the community page.
Reach me
One person, one inbox.
Email hello@acornwebsites.com
Call or text 778-692-5555
I reply within two business days. Pacific time.
On LinkedIn: mary-jane-howie
Ready to talk?
A 20 minute call. No pitch. What you need and what it costs.
Or text 778-692-5555 or email hello@acornwebsites.com. I reply within two business days.