Community
We believe a region's vitality depends on its small businesses. Every success here benefits everyone.
Three decades of innovation. A new home base.
From Montreal to Vancouver, from San Francisco to Shanghai, then from Bali to Montpellier: our story, our values and our awards.
At a glance
Petite Nation Numérique is a bilingual AI and web agency launched in August 2026 in Montpellier (MRC de Papineau, Quebec) by its founder, Robert Scales. It is a division of Holistic Hybrid Inc., a federal Canadian corporation incorporated in July 2023. We meet clients in person in all 25 municipalities of the MRC de Papineau, and we also serve the Outaouais (Gatineau, Ottawa), Eastern Ontario, the Laurentians (including Mont-Tremblant), Montréal's North Shore and, online, all of Canada. Petite Nation Numérique is an independent business, not affiliated with the MRC de Papineau, the municipalities or any funding organization. We have no public storefront and no phone number: email us at info@petitenationnumerique.ca, in English or French.
01Our story
For three decades we've lived at the pace of technology and innovation on the international market, from Montreal to Vancouver and from San Francisco to Shanghai. Our expertise spans the web, artificial intelligence, applications, content creation, marketing and business strategy.
In 2003, Robert Scales co-founded Raincity Studios in Vancouver, a Drupal and social media agency that later also opened an office in Shanghai. The team built platforms for SPIN Magazine, 7x7 San Francisco, Sony BMG, Warner Bros. Records, Rhino Records, Harlequin, the Mozilla Foundation and many others, while contributing to the open-source Drupal and WordPress projects.
In 2011 we headed to Southeast Asia, where Holistic Hybrid worked with tourism businesses, online stores and online communities. In 2015 we co-founded Ceningan Divers, an eco-dive resort we built and ran full time for ten years, and which was recognized many times for its commitment to sustainability.
After decades of working with global brands and Fortune 500 companies, we chose to take a step back towards nature and community. Based in Montpellier since 2025, we now want to work with small local businesses and help drive the region's economic development.
Markets are conversations. Our job is to help local businesses take part in the conversation.
Milestones
- 1988-1990 · Montreal
The beginning: first steps online in the bulletin-board days, studies and first community projects (a BBS game board reached by modem over the phone line). - 1998 · Vancouver
Building HTML websites, exploring Photoshop and various creative software. - 2003-2010 · Vancouver
Co-founding Raincity Studios: an award-winning agency offering Drupal, WordPress, social media, podcasting and platforms for the media and music industries. - 2005 · Vancouver
CBC's ZeD People's Choice Award and Best Interactive Game. - 2006 · Turin
International media and BBC coverage of the 2006 Torino Olympics. - 2006 · Toronto
Winner at the Canadian New Media Awards. - 2006-2009 · Shanghai
Raincity Studios opens an office in China. - 2006-2010 · Vancouver
Faculty member at Vancouver Film School, teaching and mentoring in the Entertainment Business program. - 2006-2012 · Austin · San Francisco · New York
Platforms for SONY, Warner Bros, SPIN, 7x7 and Hartle Media. - 2008 · Beijing
Olympic Symposium and BBC media coverage of the Beijing Olympic Games. - 2010 · Vancouver
Vancouver 2010 Olympics: accredited media. - 2011-2015 · Bali
Marketing and advising diving and tourism businesses. - 2015-2020 · Nusa Ceningan
Co-founding Ceningan Divers, an award-winning eco-dive resort. - 2018-2026 · Singapore
BlueGreen 360 Award for Best Dive Operator in 2018
BlueGreen 360 Award for Best Resort in 2019
Green Fins awards in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with a net-zero score in 2025-26. - 2021-2025 · Montreal
Teaching the ASP Lancement d'une entreprise at CFP Calixa-Lavallée (CSSPI): a 12-week cohort program with individualized coaching. Consulting for international clients on Web3, cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. - 2023 · Canada
In July 2023, Holistic Hybrid Inc. is incorporated federally (Canada Business Corporations Act) as a consulting, publishing and holding company. - 2023 · Montreal
Publication of A Beginner's Guide to ChatGPT: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Supercharge Your Career and Life, and of its French edition, ChatGPT : Le Guide Pour Débutant. #1 in Amazon's AI category from April to July and again in September and October 2023, with more than 4,700 copies sold. - 2025 · Montpellier
Moving to Montpellier, spending more time in nature and writing. Preparing Petite Nation Numérique, the future local web and consulting arm of Holistic Hybrid Inc. - 2026 · Montpellier
In August 2026, launch of Petite Nation Numérique, the Petite-Nation's AI and web agency, in English and French. - 2026 · Duhamel and Chénéville
First local projects: the Coopérative de solidarité de Duhamel (business plan, funding, bilingual website) and Wilfrid David, plumbing and excavation in Chénéville. - 2026 · Montpellier
25 years of articles back online: the Raincity Studios and Holistic Hybrid archives republished on our blog, in English and French. - 2026 · Petite-Nation
Opening offer for local businesses: websites prepared in advance for our neighbours, and 25% off for the first eight.
02Our values
Our values
Sustainability
Our years in eco-diving taught us to build to last: lightweight, lean sites that are easy to maintain.
Honesty
We say what we know, we check what we claim, and we don't promise what nobody can guarantee.
Passing it on
We train our clients to be independent. Your site, your data and your logins belong to you.
03Awards
Awards
Over the years, our work and our businesses have been recognized in Canada and internationally.
Canadian New Media Awards, 2006
Winner: Best Graduate of the Year (Robert Scales).
New Media Slam, 2005
ZeD (CBC) People's Choice Award and Best Interactive Project (team awards).
New Media BC
Award recipient.
BlueGreen 360
Award recipient.
ADEX
Award recipient.
Green Fins · Ceningan Divers
BlueGreen 360 awards in 2018 and 2019, and Green Fins awards in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Ceningan Divers is recognized as a global leader in sustainable diving and tourism.
Dive industry · Ceningan Divers
Named best dive resort several times, with multiple industry awards since 2018.
04Robert Scales, founder
Robert Scales, founder
Co-founder of Raincity Studios and a business and marketing strategist, Robert taught at Vancouver Film School and served as an advisor on various boards. As a photographer and citizen journalist he covered the Turin, Beijing and Vancouver Olympic Games and events such as SXSW.
A scuba instructor and co-founder of Ceningan Divers, he spent more than ten years in Indonesia before settling in Montpellier in 2025. He now leads Petite Nation Numérique, launched in August 2026, a division of Holistic Hybrid Inc., which is also a multimedia publisher.
Robert Scales wrote A Beginner's Guide to ChatGPT between October 2022 and March 2023, just as ChatGPT was reaching the general public. It was published in April 2023 by Holistic Hybrid Inc., with a French edition in June 2023 (ChatGPT : Le Guide Pour Débutant), and spent several months at #1 in Amazon's AI category. Book website · Amazon · Amazon.ca (affiliate links)
Your business deserves to be found.
Tell us about your project. We answer in English or French, and we travel anywhere in the MRC de Papineau.