Some people come to Creemore in search of peace and quiet. Not Diane McQuaig.
The new entrepreneur is hoping her addition to the Creemore business scene will help restore the village to the place of bustling activity that she remembers.
Diane, who lives in Toronto, has spent weekends and holidays in the area for the last 23 years with her husband and four daughters. She says she loves the town and would like to see its shopkeepers busy and successful again.
“I’d like to help restore [Creemore] to when it was bustling in the 1990s,” she explained.
So, Diane decided to add to the attraction of Mill Street with The Creemore General Store, which will open next week.
Described as “a little bit city, a little bit country,” the General Store will have something for everyone, Diane said. The business will feature an eclectic mix of home and giftware, plus cashmere items, organic foods and photography by Diane’s husband, Robert Armstrong.
“The general store concept allows me to be broad and sit on top of what’s happening in the retail world,” Diane said.
The store’s logo features a pig in homage to her favourite childhood book, Paul Piglet the Storekeeper, which she recently dug up for her three grandsons.
“It reminded me of simpler days in the country, hence my logo for the store with the pig on it. The pig has wings because I always thought I would have a store when pigs fly… and now I do!”
According to this new shopkeeper, when it comes to the local economy, the more the merrier on Mill Street.
“The businesses really have to pull together,” said Diane. “The more we can collaborate and work together, the better it is for the community.”
The Creemore General Store will be open from Thursday to Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, and on Sundays from 12 to 5 pm.