Cathy Dobson Chrissy McRoberts spends mornings in her basement workshop building primitive furniture from discarded wood. At noon, she brushes off the sawdust and heads upstairs to open her new multi-artisan showroom at 161 Mitton St. S. Dog Eat Dog Home Furnishings and Décor held its grand opening on May 1. McRoberts says it’s her dream… Read more »
Cathy Dobson One of downtown’s most beautifully restored historic buildings is opening this week as The Blue Line Pub & Lounge. It will be a new sports bar, welcoming the public and honouring first responders with discounts and a display of emergency professionals’ hats and shoulder patches. Owner Tracey Moore Mamak and husband Paul Mamak… Read more »
Cathy Dobson The opening of Sweet Lemons, a children’s resale boutique on Confederation Street, is a testament to Jerica Giresi’s determination. It also proves that lessons learned from one failed attempt can lead to a new and much more viable venture. It’s been seven years since Giresi opened the first Sweet Lemons on Russell Street. She… Read more »
Cathy Dobson Jess Haughton and Renee Corry say their approach to business is winning the trust of area craftspeople and proving a collective for handmade goods can be successful in Sarnia. Parallel Junction has been open two months, and even at this traditionally slow time of the retail year it’s working for them and their… Read more »
Cathy Dobson Jessica and Iain Farrell say they could never have opened a restaurant this early in their careers if it weren’t for The Refined Fool. “In this industry, it’s hard to get off the ground without a lot of resources,” says Iain. But the young couple found efficiencies when they opened their March Hare… Read more »
Cathy Dobson When Crystal Tilson started a part-time job at a Sarnia pottery studio called Crock A Doodle she saw it as a good way to ease back into the working world. It quickly became a passion in which she could combine her love of business, marketing and art. “I was in a really bad… Read more »
Cathy Dobson Chrissy McRoberts still calls her favourite coffee shop by its proper name – Blackwater. But she could also call it her office, and even her showroom. Many mornings she’s perched near the front of the downtown café, sipping coffee at a 6’6” long table she made from recycled construction lumber. She custom-built the… Read more »
Cathy Dobson Local developer Patrick Coutu gives James Currie a lot of credit for seeing the potential in an old building. “He signed a letter of intent when this place looked very different,” Coutu said of the project he undertook at 117 Christina St. with partner Jim Pumple. “It’s now been completely gutted and rebuilt… Read more »
Cathy Dobson Weeks before the opening of their new clothing store in Point Edward, Patti and Gary Prowse are hard at work laying the flooring. Spring has sprung and it’s hot. But they can’t get over how good the washed grey laminate looks. “Everything is falling into place perfectly,” says Patti. “As soon as I saw… Read more »
Cathy Dobson A Sarnia couple is converting the former Chipican Restaurant into a new grillhouse and lounge, with a nod to the memories the building holds for so many locals. “I remember as a little girl in the ‘70s seeing the flames coming up from the barbecue pit,” says Laurie Frayne, who bought the closed… Read more »
