New retailer brings calm to stressed customers
Cathy Dobson Opening a store called Mystic Mind prompts a lot of questions about metaphysics and spirituality, says co-owner Sandy Moreira. And that’s largely why she and Angela Melnyk decided to go...
View ArticleExpanded Sitara Indian restaurant keeps ‘em cumin
Cathy Dobson Manjit Singh and his wife Balwinder Kaur recently invested $100,000 to upgrade the kitchen at Sitara Indian Cuisine and quadruple the seating capacity. “When we opened in 2012, we didn’t...
View ArticleWomen’s business breathes new life into old furniture
Cathy Dobson Two friends with a penchant for painting and a need to clear their homes of pending furniture projects have teamed up to start a new painting and design business. Leanne Fera, 42, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bad Dog puts the bite on new downtown location
Cathy Dobson The owners of Bad Dog Bar & Grill in Corunna looked at least six years in Sarnia for the right spot to open a second location. Jason and Margo Winter knew they found it when a former...
View ArticleDoor shuts at Norm’s, a window open at Twisted Arm
Cathy Dobson Saying goodbye is so much easier when you can say hello again a few days later. Jenn and Tyler Armstrong admit they’re sad to see the business they’ve operated for nine years shut down on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
‘Oystertaker’ seas an opportunity, decides to shuck it
Cathy Dobson Anthony Wing wants to make oyster bars a cool new trend in Sarnia. He’s already hosted a couple of “Buck-a-Shuck” events at downtown’s Ups N Downs to introduce locals to oyster culture....
View ArticleSugar Sugar has sweet idea — the ice cream brrrr-ito
Cathy Dobson “These things are really popular,” explains Martin Lacombe as he flattens out a large piece of pink candy floss, drops three scoops of ice cream in the centre and sprinkles unicorn dust...
View ArticleProHibitions brings back that old-time barbershop feel
Cathy Dobson Business partners Bonnie Worsley and Sean Rae opened their own barbershop after deciding the big corporate life wasn’t for them. Both have worked for others, most recently at a haircutting...
View ArticleRepair shop gives new life to former UBE building
Cathy Dobson Jason Button is head mechanic at Sarnia’s newest commercial truck and trailer repair shop in the former UBE building. Opening the shop to the general public is the newest business venture...
View Article‘Walking mall’ planned for Point Edward’s commercial strip
Cathy Dobson Businessman and lifelong village resident Stephen Jay has big plans to revitalize Point Edward’s commercial strip on Michigan Avenue. “People are saying they want choice and they want...
View ArticleArtists-turned businessmen bring marketing firm home
Cathy Dobson Ryan Lindsay and Andy Powell say they live a laptop lifestyle. They use their computers to find just about every product and service they need, and make their living with digital...
View ArticleHotel could be start of Point Edward building boom
Cathy Dobson Judging by the number of potential developers beating a path to Point Edward’s municipal office lately, there could be a substantial investment in the village soon. What’s all-but-certain...
View ArticleFamily turning former Chipican into grillhouse and lounge
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...
View ArticlePopular women’s clothing store doubling down in the Point
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...
View ArticleNew downtown Hawg Bar to feature lounge overlooking river
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...
View ArticleSelf-taught woodworker expands by going against the grain
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...
View ArticlePottery studio worker saw her chance and seized the clay
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...
View ArticleMarch Hare doing pub fare with a twist at Refined Fool
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...
View ArticleNew downtown store providing outlet for local crafters
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...
View ArticleReincarnation of Sweet Lemons boutique is bearing fruit
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...
View Article
