The Scope

Craft fair empowers immigrant women

Zainab Jerrett doesn’t like to talk about herself. She’s the coordinator for the International Food and Craft Fair at the Holiday Inn in St. John’s on March 21st, organized by the Multicultural Women’s Organization of Newfoundland and Labrador (MWONL).

This is a year-round gig for Jerrett. The fair started as just a small expo about 15 years ago but, with new money from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA ) and the provincial government, it has been biannual since 2008. A former MWONL board member, Jerrett was happy to accept the coordinator position in 2008.

“It’s really a celebration of cultural diversity,” she says, “but it does a lot to promote business growth and empower women, especially immigrant women.”

Jerrett left a full time teaching position in Nigeria when she came to Newfoundland in 1992 as a PhD candidate in the Memorial Folklore department.

“I fell in love with the place, and the people,” she says. She opened her own business in 2004, the African Market Square in the the Torbay Road Mall, and has been helping other immigrants lay down roots ever since. “A lot of women were actively involved with trading in their home country,” she says, “So we offer classes in how to start and operate a business in Canada, especially with the regulations. We do our best to ensure newcomers don’t leave.” She insists that the fair is the result of many people’s collaboration, but also admits that she started lining up vendors back in November, a week after the last fair.

Jerrett can reel off businesses that started as fair vendors – the Afghan Restaurant and International Flavours are two good examples—which is a good indication that the business skills MWONL are trying to enhance often find their feet at the fair.

“This is all true,” says Jerrett, “But the fair is also about sharing culture, both from away and from here in Newfoundland. There will be food, and music, and a fashion show. There will be craftswomen from all over, but also from this province. We are passionate about promoting diversity.”

Thrift Row

The newly renovated Salvation Army on Kenmount Road has been open just over a month, and “things are great, just fabulous,” says Manager Jackie Howell. The million dollar investment has certainly turned the store around. Big windows let in natural light, the walls—well, those that aren’t covered with racks—are bright, and Howell says the place has been organized to “feel like a regular department store.” Six staff members process donations for eight hours a day, new stock is shelved on the hour, and all stock has a shelf life of 4 weeks, maximum.

It might not be as big as Value Village, but the selection, especially the VHS section, is good.

Business Owners Confident

The weather may be icy, but the climate for business in St. John’s is near-equatorial.

The St. John’s Board of Trade, which represents hundreds of businesses, recently released the results of its 2010 economic survey.

Eighty-three per cent of respondents said local economic conditions were ‘good’ or ‘excellent.’ More than 70 per cent said 2010 would be a better year than 2009 in overall performance, with about one-in-three saying it would be a better year in both profits and growth. Over half anticipated employment growth within their own business within 12 months.

Respondents named labour and skills shortages, transportation, economic diversification, and taxation or government spending as potential factors that may affect economic growth.

Local Critics Pan Pizza

Every pizza place insists it has the best in town, but one blogger decided to figure out which is most worthy of your dough.

The Gimongous Avalon Pizza Bracket—a blog written by a guy only identified as Ricky Bobby (two guys?)—pitted 17 local pizza joints against each other over four months.

The competitors were divided into four brackets based on location (centre city, Mount Pearl, etc). A panel of judges ordered from two places in a sitting, and their votes decided which competitor would move on. The winner in each bracket faced off against the winners in the others, and so on.

By the semi-finals, between Pizza Delight and Peter’s, the tasters were starting to feel like they had bitten off more than they could chew.

“Today’s competition is the second this week and will be the fourth time in two weeks we’ve had pizza,” Ricky Bobby wrote on Jan. 22. “It was quite difficult to hype up today’s competition as to put it blatantly we’re starting to get sick of pizza. The bracket has now become an obligation as we’ve come this far and eaten so much pizza that to stop now would be devastating.”

Luckily, they soldiered on. In the finals, down to Peter’s and Venice, the latter was awarded the title of “Pizza Champion of the World.”

In total, the group had pizza a meaty 32 times. Read about their journey at www.thegimongousavalonpizzabracket.blogspot.com —Kerri Breen

New snack bar

There’s some business buzz over on Freshwater Road, the fi-and-chi district. The former Johnny’s Fish and Chips location, next to perennial juggernaut Ches’s, is under construction after being on the market for years. Billy’s Eatery and Takeout is opening soon, according to the signage.

Other than that, it’s a slow time for new start ups. (If you’re opening a new business, drop us a line at storefront@thescope.ca.)

Booming baby business

Photo by maessive

A bump in the provincial birthrate is spawning new baby businesses. Will the boom last?

Our province’s birth rate, declining since the mid-sixties, is on the rebound. Some 4,905 babies were born in Newfoundland and Labrador last year, a seven per cent—or 300 baby—increase over 2007.

It seems Bellies and Bundles Maternity and Baby Boutique, among a handful of other newish St. John’s baby shops, picked a good time to be born.

The 700-square foot store specializes in natural baby products and comfortable, stylish office wear for moms-to-be, explains Ashley Russell, who co-opened the store in November with her best friend and cousin Lesley Reid.

“No one wants to wear a muumuu to work,” Russell laughs. “They’re professional employees and definitely want to be able to wear something they’ve been wearing all along, from pants to dresses to blouses.”

Neither of the pair have children of their own, but they were inspired by some of their pregnant friends who were having a hard time finding work clothing around town, Russell said.

They sell locally made items including baby slings, skincare products, hats and soon, baby booties. Russell says they are always looking for more local and Canadian items. They also offer environmentally friendly products for babies, like natural teething toys, and maternity accessories.

The buzz started while the bun was still in the oven. The Bellies and Bundles Facebook group had over 400 members long before the store opened.

So far, business is living up to the anticipation.

“We’ve been doing really well, we had a great month leading up to Christmas and we’re still going strong through the slow retail season, so that’s positive for sure,” Russell says.

But will the baby boom last—and will it be strong enough to keep the baby business booming?

The provincial government’s most generous projection is that the total fertility rate will increase from 1.35 in 2008 to 1.49 in 2025 “as economic conditions in the province continue to improve.”

Its worst projection is that the provincial fertility rate will decline to 1.11, which is more consistent with the longterm birthrate trend.

The province’s retail sales in clothing and accessories grew by more than $5 million from 2008 to 2009.

The shop—wheelchair and stroller friendly—is located in Coaker’s Meadow Plaza, Torbay Road.

Will St. John’s Pass Go?

Fans of St. John’s are sending a familiar message to the makers of Monopoly and the rest of the country: Canada doesn’t stop at Halifax.

The “Get St. John’s, N.L. on Monopoly Canada” Facebook group had over 5,400 members as of press time.

Hasbro, maker of the legendary real estate game, is having a nationwide contest to determine which 22 cities will make it onto its new Canadian Monopoly board.

Out of a list of pre-selected cities, including St. John’s, the 20 with the highest number of votes will make it onto the board. Voting closed on Feb. 7, but Hasbro took down the leader board in the final stretch of the contest to add some suspense.

The other two cities are wildcards, selected from the top nominated cities not on the pre-selected list. From Feb. 8 to 21 you can vote for these cities, one of which is Corner Brook. Vote at monopolyvote.ca

Since voting opened, interest peaked, then waned. St. John’s has fluctuated between fourth and fourteenth places, the latter more recently. The placement of the cities on the board is based on the number of votes it receives, so if St. John’s does win a spot, it may be a cheap one.

One commenter on the Facebook group wrote that she wants this edition to have a hunk of salt beef as a playing piece. Here’s hoping.

The winners will be announced later this year when the game comes out.

Revisiting the Battle of Atlantic Place

Back before Facebook groups and Photoshopped would-be cityscapes, a grassroots movement fought what it viewed as irresponsible development plans for downtown St. John’s.

In 1972 and 1973, the People’s Planning Programme (PPP) tried desperately to stop the building of Atlantic Place on Water Street.

Organizer Roger Bill’s 1974 master’s thesis — An Ethnography of the People’s Planning Programme— deals with the battle in detail. On March 22, 1972, then-mayor William Adam announced council had approved the concept for Atlantic Place, a building to be occupied primarily by the Canadian National Railway.

There was no public input before council approved the plans in principle and no city plan to guide development at the time.

Bill argues the approval had a lot to do with personal connections and Liberal party ties.

“The point that I would like to make is that the developer was a powerful man and enjoyed peculiar access to public decision making units,” the thesis states.

The PPP, and later ad hoc committees and other groups, demanded public input into this plan, which they argued threatened to mangle the downtown atmosphere and skyline.

By 1973, the Atlantic Place plans were for a building 50 per cent larger than council had initially approved, and the lobby effort to quash them intensified.

There was a protest, a petition, and calls for the provincial government to intervene.

“The mayor and city council said some unkindly things about … the PPP. We said some unkindly things about them. There was a genuine and mutual distrust,” Bill states.

Bill says the developer, Andrew Crosbie, did not acknowledge the opposition as legitimate. The group wanted a public hearing into the matter, but the mayor wouldn’t agree.

At the time, a TV station poll on the subject of downtown development was opposed 60-40.

Deputy Mayor Shannie Duff says the current debate over Fortis’s $75 million, 15-storey proposed office development is “getting up there in terms of Atlantic Place proportions.”

She was around during the days of movement against Atlantic Place and has been an advocate for urban planning in her more than 30 years in politics.

The issue is not just that these proposed buildings will violate the area’s 15-metre height restrictions, she says. City council’s decision on Fortis—a major downtown property owner—will set a precedent.

“I think people are understanding how critical this particular proposal is to the whole future of the downtown,” she says.

There are big differences between 1973 and 2010, though. In ’73 there was no municipal plan and no legislative requirements for public consultation.

“So you really had large frustration in the public that their voices couldn’t be heard,” Duff says.

She remembers large, angry meetings at city hall, demonstrations, and arts community involvement.

These days, the debate—mostly occurring online—doesn’t make as good a photo op, but it’s better informed, Duff says.

Though the city’s planning department recommended against it, Atlantic Place was approved in ‘73, and backed in part by city cash.

The efforts of the PPP failed, and the organization collapsed not long after the site that would house Atlantic Place had been demolished. Duff ran in the next possible election.

Covering costs

The latest incremental wage boost has stirred up an old debate: what about wages for artists?

When on January 1 minimum wage increased to $9.50 an hour in the province, it sparked a discussion on Facebook that the standard $5 cover charge for shows isn’t enough. Shows with a local lineup at downtown bars have generally cost $5 since at least the early 90s.

The Bank of Canada’s online inflation calculator says a ‘basket of goods’ that cost five bucks in 1990 should cost about $7.20 today.

It might not seem like a big increase, but multiply the difference by the number of show attendees, and that $2.20 or can translate into hundreds for fledgling musicians earning beer money, or veteran performers feeding their families. Or vice-versa.

Twenty years or more of the same cover charge means small scale concerts don’t get the bands as far as they did back then. Overhead costs—things like gas to get to the gig—have only increased.

The Bank of Canada’s estimate is not perfect, as of course inflation varies from province to province and the B of C uses the average.

The president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Musicians’ Association, Dan Rubin, says that cover isn’t the core issue when speaking of musicians’ survival.

“I think the whole notion of playing for the cover charge should be questioned,” Rubin says. “I think people should be very wary of doing that.”

His organization advocates for musicians to charge minimum rates and negotiate with bar owners so that what they get at the end of the night isn’t dependent on the gaggle of factors that can influence turnout. Bar owners, he says, should think of paying musicians as another operating expense.

Booze + video games

It’s now possible to stomp out goombas while you’re on the sauce downtown.

Ross Barney, owner and so-called chief geek at Hooked Up internet and gaming café, and Sandy Chisolm of CBTGs have teamed up to open Barcade.

Like a gaming café but with booze, these types of bars exist elsewhere (in fact there’s a Brooklyn vintage video game bar of the same name that runs on wind power).

“I’ve always wanted to combine video games and… you know, I’d love to have beer in one hand and a joystick in the other,” Barney says.

The bar features coin operated gaming on six networked Xbox 360s, as well as all the classics on the big screen, via emulator.

Located on the freshly painted top floor of CBTGs in Holdsworth Court, Barcade opened on New Year’s Eve.

Meat market marketing

Vegetarian restaurant The Sprout’s spicy new poster campaign trying to lure non-vegetarians is beefy on double entendres.

Three different poster designs have been splashed around town, outside on the street, inside bars and in some hair salon lobbies and washrooms.

One ad features a pensive young man sitting at a barstool internally lamenting the state of the his eating habits slash sex life.

“I never have trouble getting my hands on a plump breast or thigh. But it’s always the same. I’m not fulfilled. And the experience leaves me feeling tired and greasy afterward.”

One of the other ads is slightly racier.

“It’s not like I haven’t had my fair share of meat,” thinks a young woman sitting on her front stoop nestling a presumably hot mug of something. “But I’m sick of
the wieners, sausage fests and bones. I’m not satisfied. I want something different.”

Local marketing and communications firm Target, which recently tore it up at the ICE awards for Atlantic Canadian marketing and advertising, put the cheeky campaign together.

“The idea draws a comparison between the lack of variety in the dating scene — the meat market — and the typical diets of most non-vegetarians in an amusing, irreverent way,” says Target’s creative group head, Jenny Smith.

The ads went up just before New Year’s Eve.

Storefront

CONSUMABLES

Eat, drink…
Linda Westcott of Candy Box Creations uses dark, white and milk chocolate to make personalized sports and novelty gifts. “A lot of my ideas come from the people who order,” says Westcott. Chocolate pianos, golf balls, and sewing kits with edible buttons and spools of thread make a sweet gift for a friend with a special interest. www.candyboxcreations.blogspot.com

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“May his whiskers grow green when he eats a crubeen.” It’s not Dr Seuss, it’s a citation from A Treasury of Newfoundland Dishes, 50th Anniversary Edition. And yes, “crubeen” is another word for pickled pigs feet. The cookbook contains over 3,000 traditional recipes submitted by Newfoundlanders back in the year 1958. The book lists 15 pages of contributors making it possible to look up grandparents or relatives who may have sent in an entry. www.boulderpublications.ca

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Screech, the infamous drink that passed through Conan O’Brien’s lips on late night TV, has produced a new limited edition aged rum for the holiday season. It’s priced at $28.94 a bottle. www.nfliquor.com

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FEELS GOOD
…And be merry
Last spring, Julliane and Rachel Moss, ages four and six, made hundreds of colourful handmade magnets in support of the Janeway Children’s Hospital­—and they raised over $8000. Now they’re beading into the holidays and our hearts with Christmas ornaments for the same cause. Twisted Sisters Boutik has teamed up with the Moss girls, and ornaments purchased in-store will be matched dollar for dollar by Twisted Sisters for the Janeway. Buyers will also receive an amount of Twisted Sisters dollars that equals the donation. rachelsspecialproject@yahoo.ca Twisted Sisters Boutik, 175 Water St

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Thanks to some wonderful grand provincial funding to the tune of $10,000, The Best of Wonderful Grand Band: Vol. 1 & 2 DVDs are now available in local music shops. The Newfoundland cult comedy is a likely hit on many a grown-up’s Christmas list. Check out O’Brien’s Music or Fred’s Records for a copy. O’Brien’s Music Store, 278 Water St. Fred’s Records, 198 Duckworth St

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WARMKEEPERS
Baby, it’s cold outside
Aromatherapy soap and candle maker Suzanne Fitzgerald has taken to melding her leftover wax with tree bark and dried grandfather’s beard twigs to make highly flammable Firestarters. All you do is “pop one knob in a wood stove, fireplace, a campfire at the cabin,” says Fitzgerald. They come in packs of 10 for $3 making great stocking stuffer material. (Just don’t hang it over fireplace.) Cosmo’s Candles, 237-2680

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Michelle May’s Mayberry Creations trigger an instant feeling of nostalgia with knitted nan-style slippers with toe cosies ($8-$15). She also crochets gorgeous flapper-inspired hats that would fit nicely on any Gossip Girl wannabe ($15-$27). www.mayberrycreations.etsy.com

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Inspired by her four-month old baby boy, Tara Bradbury designs a line of eco-friendly toys and children’s clothing called Mushy Peas. Her jersey-knit stuffed animal monkeys and cotton bunnies are a hit among Gingersnap shoppers, as are the waterproof kiddie pants she fashions from recycled wool sweaters. “I’ll wash the wool in hot water and dry it. It gets really tight like felt. Then if baby’s diaper leaks, they won’t get wet,” explains Bradbury. Gingersnap: 202 Water St www.mushypeas1.blogspot.com

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INDOOR ACTIVITIES
Stormy weather
Break-up the monotony of a day spent indoors by curling up with the new edition of locally produced arts and culture journal, Riddle Fence. The quarterly publishes poems, short stories and artwork. Subscriptions are available online at www.riddlefence.com.

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John Evans’ Shape Shifting Puzzles are made with his jig saw and each one is unique. What more, each puzzle has multiple solutions since the individual pieces can be interchanged. Certainly makes for an appropriate metaphor for times of goodwill. www.shapeshiftingpuzzles.com 726-9553

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Have a white Christmas with some green on your windowsill. The Organic Farm has made $4 pea kits which include growing instructions, soil and a pack of seeds. Sing some ‘let it grow, let it grow, let it grow’ and voila, tasty pea shoots in a few weeks. Food For Thought, 382 Duckworth St. www.theorganicfarm.net

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Send your fresh business news to storefront@thescope.ca

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ADVERTISING
Your name in lights

Your attention please! Bright white lights have been sighted on the sidewalk near Erin’s Pub at 186 Water Street at night. The message? ‘Place logo here, 690-9600’.

Gobo Atlantic is the Newfoundland company behind the advertisement.

Rick Cave, VP of operations and marketing, explains the light bulb moment that led him to establish the company: “I was in Spain and I saw fire on the sidewalk, but it was an actual light ad,” he says. “They had the fire to get your attention.”

In lighting design, a ‘gobo’ is a template that’s inserted in front of a light to produce a certain image. In addition to images and logos, templates can create a number of effects—clouds, rain, and even oil spills—all designed to grab attention.

Since its debut, Rick has been meeting with the representatives at city hall and the St. John’s Heritage Committee to talk policy and iron out regulations around using the technology.

Rick is optimistic that gobos will find a place in the metro. “People don’t think or pay attention to [billboards] anymore. But when you see the light, it gets your attention,” he says.

For more information visit www.goboatlantic.com.

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DAYCARE
Growing up, moving out

Parent-run preschool The Children’s Centre is leaving its home at 40 Golf Avenue for a larger space. Parent and board member Chris Driedzec says the new venue, the former Tiny Tots Preschool space at St. Mary’s Church on Cornwall Crescent, will allow for twice the programming offered now.

“We’ll be able to run our nursery and pre-school programs in both mornings and afternoons. And hopefully more families will want to join us,” says Driedzec.

The centre has been educating the two to five year old set since 1968 (a whole year before Big Bird set roost on Sesame Street). Daily sessions are fixed around a child’s sense of play, says Driedzec, incorportating music, storytelling and make believe.

For information on The Children’s Centre and January enrolment, visit www.thechildrenscentre.com.

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OPENING
Smoke on Water

Mary Jane’s Smoke Shop is an Eastern Canadian smoke and novelty chain, and Scott Doucette is its owner. As a snowboarder on the BC professional circuit in the early 90s, Scott met cannabis activist and Hemp BC storekeeper, Marc Emery and fell under his tutelage. But it would take a sports injury before Scott would try his own hand at business.

“I came home to Halifax and ended up opening up a skate/snowboard shop, and at the same time opened Mary Jane’s. I put the two together—a sort of skater/snowboard culture store.”

Since then, the Halifax Mary Jane’s has cast out the boarding gear and sticks mostly to smoke paraphernalia. Music has also found a way into the shop, as Doucette is a partner in a recording label called Change The Game Recording.

Doucette sees a lot of potential for business here in Sin City.

“We had so many people coming over from Newfoundland to our Halifax store saying, ‘you need to open up a Mary Jane’s in St. John’s!’ I’ve been on the hunt for several years and I finally found the right location.”

Mary Jane’s Smoke Shop is located at 174 Water Street. Call 726-0100 for more information.

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ANNIVERSARY
Murray Premises: 30 years young

Dell Texmo, owner of home and kitchenware store Living Rooms, is recognizing a 30-year milestone at the Murray Premises this month.

“There was a bit of drama back then because the Murray Premises was going to be knocked down,” remembers Texmo.

The building—St. John’s oldest fishery warehouse—was in poor repair. The Newfoundland Historic Trust and the St. John’s Heritage Foundation worked together to save the building from destruction.

The newly-restored Premises reopened on November 30th, 1979.

To celebrate, on Saturday, December 5th, Texmo and Living Rooms will be hosting a day of holiday fun. Eric White will be facilitating a holiday decorating workshop (11am-1pm), followed by an in-store ornament signing by Mummer’s the Word artists Cara Kansala and Pam Dorey (2pm-4pm). A week later, on December 12, the store will be throwing a party with giveaways and cake cutting. All are welcome. For details call 753-2099.

Send your fresh business news to storefront@thescope.ca

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PET FOOD
Eat Your Vegetables, Kitties
Vegan cat food is now available at Food For Thought, thanks to local animal activist Matthew Finateri. A vegan himself, Finateri decided to seek out meat-free feed for his kitties.

“I never knew this was possible, as cats are carnivores by nature,” he says. “I learned about it more and found that there are several brands of vegan cat foods.”

Cats require certain nutrients and vitamins usually only found in meat, but brands such as Ami Cat have been fortified with amino acids and other essential vitamins and nutrients essential to cats, says Finateri. To know whether a certain vegan product is safe for your pet, it should be labelled as AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials) approved.

Ami Cat is available at Food For Thought located at 376 Duckworth Street, 738-3544.

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LOCAL PRODUCT
Georgecraftsmanship

Walter George ended his 16-year tenure with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation as a VLT programmer to take a gamble on his own custom furniture-making business, Georgecraft Woodworks. Since then, George has been chipping away at the custom furniture market, creating pieces for the home, office and cabin.

“It’s custom-work so I’ve been doing a little bit of everything,” says George.

Flip through the photo catalogue and you’ll find reproduction bed frames, headboards, bedside tables, wardrobes, and spirit and wine cabinets. George once crafted a Queen Anne-inspired cabinet for a client’s ties and belts which would not have existed in that era.

“The alternative meant him not having what he was looking for. It was a neat little piece of furniture,” he says. Smaller wares such as cutting boards, wine bottle stoppers and serving spoons and forks can be found at Craft Council’s Devon House.

Custom pieces may have a turn around time of days, weeks or months, depending on the size. Prices range from $800-$1500. To request a consultation or to view his portfolio contact walter.george@nf.sympatico.ca.

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CRAFTS
Craft Seeker
This year’s Fine Art & Design Fair experienced a few changes, most notably, a move back to the original Arts & Culture Centre venue. Exhibitors showed their wares for five or 10-day stretches, and admission for fair-goers was dropped completely. Here’s what caught my eye at this year’s fair:

Wood
Nigel Drover of Unique Woodturning can spend a year working on a single natural edge bowl that look like the inside of a tree trunk, rings and all. “I like to see how thin I can get it,” he says. “If I can get it translucent then I think I’ve done a pretty good job.” Price: $20-$200 Contact: 722-0967

Glass
From far away, Urve Manuel’s Pâte de verre look like bits of sculpted sugar. But when the light catches it, you start to second-guess your senses. “Pâte de verre means glass paste,” says Manuel. “You can see each individual granular texture.” Her website A Stones Throw Glass boasts ornaments, plates and window panels of flora and wildlife inspired by Gillams, NL. Price: $20-$120 Contact: www.astonesthrowglass.ca

Wool
Woolen and knitted treasures appear to have not lost their charm (or warmth) on us islanders. Molly Made Fibre Art Studio from Woody Point sells do-it-yourself knitted hat kits, complete with needles, pattern, hand-dyed wool and instructions for $20 a bag. Erin Ryan, an Anna Templeton Centre student, makes sheepware chic with her wool over wire necklace line, Urban Regalia. Meanwhile, a tight-knit group of ladies from Pool’s Cove Crafts design all sorts of traditional knitwear from three-finger mittens to Christmas stockings. And Willow Designs’ Trine Schioldan fuses wool with silk to produce art, fashion and handy home items like pot holders, pincushins and coasters. Price: $5-$100+ Contact: Molly Made Fibre Art Studio at www.mollymade.ca / Anna Templeton Centre at 739-7623 /Pool’s Cove Crafts at 709-665-4151 / Willow Designs at 726-7704

Bone and Stone
Whale bone and moose ivory are the materials of choice for the indigenous-inspired pendants and earrings Albert Biles creates for Wild Things on Water Street. “It’s geared towards the Labrador culture and that’s where my ancestors were from,” says Biles.

Looking for a new hobby? Worry stone kits by sculptor Nathaniel Noel allow you to sculpt away your worries and create a soapstone pendant for $8.

Similarly, archaeologist and flintknapper Tim Rast of Elfshot Gallery sells his own arrowhead-making kits using glass bottles found around the house.

Price: $8-$50 Contacts: Wild Things at 722-3123 / Nathaniel Noel at 709-744-3384 /Elfshot Gallery at www.elfshotgallery.com

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PLANNING/PARKING
Georgestown’s lot

When The Casbah restaurant owner Steve Curtis considered opening a gourmet deli on Hayward Avenue, he didn’t foresee the negative affect on area residents.

“Then I found out that parking was an issue,” says Curtis.

The commercial space Curtis eyed lies right in the heart of Georgetown, near the popular Georgetown Bakery. Georgestown residents like Meagan Broderick are already competing with bakery-goers to find parking near their homes. They fear a second shop would limit residential parking even more.

“It probably would be too much. I have trouble parking here on Saturdays because of the bakery,” says Broderick.

Curtis has since withdrawn his application for this location, but does have a suggestion to solve Georgestown’s parking problem.

“Behind the basketball court [on Hayward] is an unused parking lot. If the court moved 10m to the west and parking was created where the court is now, you’d have 20 [additional] spots, eliminating congestion from any business and more on-street parking for the neighbourhood.”

Broderick, who lives houses away from the commercial space, sees merit in Curtis’ idea. “If there was more parking right there, I think [a deli] would be fine. I’d park there.”

Transportation engineer with the City’s Planning Department and Downtown Parking Study chief Robin King, offers insight on Curtis’ idea.

“The on-street parking in these areas is at a premium. We know that, and the only thing that we can do is protect the interests of the residents.”

For a suggestion like Curtis’, King says that many departments would get involved and consider the issues affecting residents before a plan could be drafted.

“There may be some impacts associated with having the basketball courts back closer to the houses, especially if it’s used late at night, say.”

The bottom line, says King, is that Georgetown is a residential area so residents come first over commercial matters.

—Sydney Blackmore

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LOCAL PRODUCTS
Tickles for sale

Tickle Kids, a Newfoundland-centric line of prints, greeting cards and children’s clothing by artist Amber LeDrew-Bonvarlez first began as a doodle.

“I work with the Historical Sites Association and they were looking for content aimed at kids. I brought these sketches I did for fun into the office and everybody loved them,” she says.

The Tickle gang is a watercolour collection of rounded and smiling characters Oliver, the Newfoundland dog Jigger, Sarah, Adelaide, Aiofe and the Cape Spear superhero Cathy Sparks. Each character relates to a provincial site or emblem like Signal Hill, Cape Spear, sou’westers and lupins.

“It’s all about protecting and preserving the culture. And that connection, that space between two places is what a ‘tickle’ is to Newfoundlanders,” says Amber. “The greeting cards for kids is a way to connect two places that aren’t that far out of reach.”

Amber is also in the early stages of producing a children’s book to entertain and teach lessons in Newfoundland history and heritage. Tickle Kids can be purchased at any Heritage Shop and the St John’s Farmer’s Market. For more information contact the Heritage Shop Gallery at 739-7994. —SB

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FITNESS/HEALTH
Using the force

Bobby Bessey and Meaghan Hutchings are offering over 20 yoga classes per week at the new Shakti Yoga Studio located at 286 Torbay Road in Coaker’s Meadow Plaza. Shatki aims to be an inclusive yoga studio for adults and youth alike with classes for prenatal, yoga for mom and newborn and children aged 3-5 years.

“We wanted to fill every need in the city,” says Bobby.

The studio also sells Canadian made yoga gear, eco-mats and bags, and 100% cotton unbleached blankets. To check out their schedule, upcoming seminars and blog at www.shaktiyogastudio.ca or call 722-YOGA. —SB

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RESTAURANTS
At the bistro

There’s one less Coffee Matters in the metro, as the 320 Water Street Coffee Matters Too is now home to Bistro Sofia.

Gregory Bersinski, former Executive Chef of The Vault, is one of four partners that operates the shop, which will sell Montreal smoked meat sandwiches, brioches and specialty chocolates. Sofia will also offer pastries and cakes for weddings, birthdays and special events, plus catering and delivery upon request. For more info call 738-2060 or e-mail bistrosofia1@gmail.com. —SB

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Storefront

COSTUMES
We’en it up
Here’s a list of venues for scouting out this year’s Halloween costume or stocking up on discounted items for next year’s haunt.

FOR COSTUMES
GARAGE 606
606 WATER ST, 726-2996
This weekend garage sale store has transformed into the Witch’s Closet where storekeeper Alison Sturge displays specialty costumes for kids and adults she herself has sewn. Orange and white ‘Cinderella’ pumpkins are available too, making this downtown’s most convenient pumpkin patch. Open Thursday to Sunday, 10am-4pm until October 31st.

STANDOUT ITEMS: Bayman, a Batman-inspired costume for men complete with cape, crab shell medallion and a mussel shell utility belt. “A pair of rubber boots is key,” says Sturge.

MODEL CITIZENS
183 DUCKWORTH, 722-2777
The downtown vintage carrier has one-of-a-kind used costumes imported from NYC. If you’re looking for pieces that nobody else will be sporting, this is the place. The store will be hosting a special costume event on Monday, October 26, 7-10PM. Costume viewings for groups are also offered upon request, call the shop for details.

STANDOUT ITEMS: Period costumes.

•••

FOR ACCESSORIES

HALLOWEEN DISTRIBUTORS
56 KENMOUNT ROAD, 579-3107
The store for your pre-packaged costume and accessory needs. Find aisles filled with a variety of sequined and feathered masks, wings, wigs and fake body parts.

STANDOUT ITEMS: Sequined wang (‘penis envy?’), ginormous boob, Stephen Harper.

VALUE VILLAGE
161 KENMOUNT ROAD, 726-5200
If you don’t have a costume idea, try sifting through the used clothing racks, and hopefully the items themselves will inspire. I once dressed up as a lady of the night with a macramé vest, go-go boots and a froofy wig… and only one of these items was actually located in the Halloween section. That’s the magical randomness of the Double V.

STANDOUT ITEMS: You never know. This is the place where old toys become props, or a curtain can be altered into a cape, veil or dress. Huzzah!

•••

FOR MAKE-UP
Dollar stores sell make-up, glitter and fake hair for next to nothing. Fabric paints, craft items and other cheap tricks are also found here add a personalized touch to your costume.

Pharmacies, department & accessory stores are good spots for cheap stockings, nail polish and fake eyelashes that actually stay put all night.

•••

FOR DECORATIONS

MICHAEL’S ARTS & CRAFTS
36 STAVANGER, 576-1400
This warehouse sized craft store is packed with all sorts of pre-made and DIY Halloween props. Creepiest fake birds ever!

•••

LOCAL PRODUCTS
Drumming up business

Handcrafted Drums is a St. John’s-based company that manufactures hardwood drums and kits. Stephen Little is the drummer boy behind the brand who, under the tutelage of drum-making books and Internet blogs, decided to take a crack at drum building.

“I pieced together everything that I researched and started making some different.”

And different can be good. Instead of relying on the conventional ply method to build a drum, where a mold, sheets of wood, and glue form the drum’s circular frame, Stephen uses a coopering method. Coopering is a process dating back to the first barrels and wine casks, where woodworkers would create a liquid-tight curved surface without bending the wood. Here, wood pieces of all equal sizes, called staves, are fitted into a round, concentric shape.

Coopered drums can retain their circular shapes longer than drums made using alternate methods and less glue is used in their design, keeping the drum’s tone clean, says Stephen. “Glue is acoustically dead. Glue in the conventional drum traps the sound qualities of the wood in and doesn’t resonate.” He claims to use about 600 times less glue than in mass-produced drums.

Stephen joins the city’s small drum making population with the likes of local musician Brian Downtown, who also makes his own kits and drums for resale. (Info is available at Drum Garage NL Custom Drums & Repairs Facebook group.)

For more information on Stephen Little Handcrafted Drums, visit www.handcrafteddrums.com. —SB

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Storefront

By Sydney Blackmore

NEW MANAGEMENT
New ownership for Asian Variety
After 17 years, the Chiu family of Asian Variety Store at 159 Water Street have retired.

The specialty grocery store, which was voted Best International Food Shop in 2008 by Scope readers, was handed over to loyal shop-goer Gaylynne Lambert in September. Says Gaylynne, “A couple of years ago I changed my diet to encompass a lot of gluten free products, so I started coming down here just about every day.” Gaylynne became acquainted with Simon Chiu and his wife Irene over the years and when she learned there was an opportunity to take over the shop, Gaylynne jumped at it. “It fits well with my lifestyle,” she says.

Asian Variety was one of the first storefronts in the city to offer international goods and remains the only convenience store to service Water Street east. Good news: Gaylynne intends to change little. “It’ll still be Asian Variety with the same great groceries that everybody has come to want and expect. But we’ll expand the Asian groceries and have more convenience and lunch items.” Gaylynne also hopes to hold seminars on Chinese remedies and a ‘recipe of the week’ feature that’ll teach customers how to prepare meals using store ingredients.

As for the Chius, hopefully they’re enjoying a much-earned rest. “Simon will be here from time to time,” reports Gaylynne. “He’s going to consult with us on a few things, so you still may see him around the store.”

Enjoy the retirement Mr. and Mrs. Chiu!

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LOCAL PRODUCTS
Pure Indigène-uity

Edible partridgeberry crystals are a ‘beauty food’ produced by Indigène. The NL all-natural beauty company makes use of indigenous ingredients like bakeapples, seaweed and iceberg water in its products.

Creator Lisa Walsh explains why these crystals are ‘berry’ good for you. “Partridgeberry gives you an antioxidant boost, it’s antibacterial and has lots of flavonoids and some fibre in it.” The berry is also said to have naturopathic properties for women, a discovery first made by Native Americans who would use partridgeberries to relieve cramps, regulate menstruation, induce childbirth, and ease delivery.

The crystals are produced at Rodrigues Winery in Whitbourne, where partridgeberry mulch is crystallized on dryer. The crimson crystals are packaged in 200 gram travel-ready bags that can be mixed with water, smoothies, cereals or whatever you like to compensate for your daily fruit intake, says Lisa. “One gram of product is equal to 15 grams of fresh berry. With one heaping teaspoon a day, you get your percentage of fruit.”

The crystals are sold at www.indigena.us and at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market.

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HOME DECOR
Downtown goes country

Home decor store Country Dreams from the Village Mall has opened a second location at the old Extreme Pita address, 200 Water Street. “We’re testing new waters,” says co-owner Dianne Bishop.

Diane created her home decor business alongside fiancé Andrew Tilley, starting out as a mall kiosk called Trinkets and Treasures. Over the years, the pair moved into a Village storefront with a new name, Country Dreams. “We have been a home decor business for 12 years, so we’re not new to what we’re doing.”

With stores like Home on Water, The Weavery and Living Rooms already offering home decor downtown what makes Country Dreams special? “I try to stay away from what everybody else is doing. I look for different things. I think we’re all going to compliment each other,” says Diane.

Country Dreams on Water will operate seven days a week until the end of the Christmas season, when it will switch to more regular business hours. [Addended Oct 9]

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COSTUMES
If you’re going to San Francisco
Wondering where the heck the Avalon Mall’s San Francisco escaped to, just weeks before Halloween? It’s moved across the street to the old Emerald Palace restaurant at 56 Kenmount Road, as Halloween Distributors. The costume superstore is open seven days a week at until Oct 31st.

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CORRECTION
Karma number

The last issue of Storefront (Sept 24-Oct 8) listed an incorrect telephone number for Karma Hair Salon at 132 Water Street. The new salon’s correct phone contact is 722-5127. The Scope regrets the error.

Storefront

T-SHIRT DESIGNERS
In a fog

St. John’s, Newfoundland is the foggiest city in the country. That’s 118.96 days of inspiration for Chris Evans, Mike Grouchy and Matt Barnable, the guys behind up-and-coming clothing label, Fogtown.

“We grew up playing in hardcore bands together and were using ‘Fogtown’ on apparel and demo tapes all the while,” explains Matt.

The designs incorporate local themes, says Chris.

“Fogtown is for people who want to celebrate the scenes they are part of and the people they know, not fictitious crab shacks or beaches they’ve never been to.”

Case-in-point: Their best selling t-shirt, “Hell-Raiser” depicts a lion’s head statue—a nod to the St. John’s war memorial site.

Fogtown is happy with street-level success but ultimately aims to transition into a recognizable label. Future plans include designing attire beyond t-shirts and creating a line specifically for women.

“Fogtown is in the early stages, so keep your eyes peeled,” says Matt.

To follow them, check out their blog at fogtown.wordpress.com. This isn’t their blog, but it’s an excellent source for local punk and hardcore show and band information.

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SALON
Karma Chameleon

Karma Hair Salon is the second new salon to pop up on the east end of Water Street this fall.

Owners Tonya Pottle and Jane Matthews were hair stylist and make-up artist, respectively, to former hair and piercing salon, Tectonics Hair Studio. Karma is actually one floor below another Tectonic alumnus, Dave Munro of Trouble Bound Tattoo. How’s that for good karma?

Karma carries only eco-friendly products at their salon, like Biolage, a fair-trade haircare product that uses recycled packaging. Jane Matthews says, “That’s how we live our lives, so we’re just bringing ourselves into the store.”

Karma operates Tuesday to Saturday and to book an appointment, call 722-5217 722-5127 or e-mail karmahairsalondowntown@gmail.com

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DANCE STUDIO
Let’s dance
Going by the number of new dance studios opening across town, it’s obvious people are getting in the groove.

Two new ones opened recently…

First, The Dance Academy at 75 Airport Road is a dance centre targeting folks in Airport Heights, Portugal Cove and beyond. Owners and instructors Lisa MacDonald and Ashley Knee teach ballet, hip hop, modern, jazz and stepdancing.

Programs that promote movement and dance to children with autism spectrum disorders are also in the works, explains Lisa.

“Ashley has Applied Behavioral Analysis training and we’ve been asked by the home school program to offer some dance programs to individuals with Aspergers and Autism.”

To contact The Dance Academy, phone 237-7007 or visit their website at www.thedanceacademy.ca.

Next, there’s Wild Lily Dance Centre which has filled the former Neighbourhood Strays studio at 163 Water Street. Wild Lily offers non-Western forms of dance and is headed by one-time Strays students Vanessa Paddock and Lori Savory.

“We teach Bellydance, Bollywood, Flamenco, Yoga and Hula Hooping,” explains Lori.

“We’re an alternative for dancers in the city and want to expose people to different ideas of dance and alternative cultures.”

The centre has an on-site shop called Jingles that sells bellydancing costumes, accessories and customized hula hoops by Hot Hoops. To check out Wild Lily’s dance schedules or inquire about Jingles, visit www.wildlilydancecentre.com or dial 753-5232.

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NEW GALLERY
Art Heritage
The Historic Sites Association is piloting the Heritage Shop Gallery at 309 Water Street where local art is on display and up for sale.

“The idea is to provide history and culture through local arts and crafts,” explains supervisor Amber Ledrew.

The exhibit Transmission & Defence: Images of Signal Hill runs until October 3rd, Monday-Friday, noon to 6pm.

For information on submission requirements, contact Amber at 739-7994 or wsheritageshop@nf.aibn.com.

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RENOVATIONS
At a junction
Junctions at 208 Water has been closed since the beginning of September but will be back in business come October 4th. “‘We did do a few small renovations. We moved a few booths and got a new sound board area,” says owner Luke Viau. Info on the bar’s upcoming events, like the NL debut of hardcore metal band Silverstein, can be found at www.junctionsclub.com and the Junctions Facebook group.

—

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Storefront

Margie McMillan and Nora Flynn of Granny Bates. Photo by Sydney Blackmore.

BOOKS
Turning a page

After twenty-three years of providing the children of St. John’s some of the finest tales at bedtime, the children’s bookstore Granny Bates is saying goodnight, and the store owners Margie McMillan and Nora Flynn are going on to other things.

“There’s sadness in terms of all of the people we’ve met over the years, the children and parents, and we’re now getting grandchildren of the customers that came in here,” says Margie. “I’m ready to move on. There are too many things that I want to do and I’d like to have a different involvement in my community.”

In 1986, Margie and Nora were two book lovers that were struck by the city’s lack of good reading material for kids.

“If you couldn’t find a copy of Goodnight Moon in St. John’s, you didn’t have to make up a business plan or do a lot of research to know that there was a need here.”

The pair set up shop at 2 Bates Hill and have been living happily ever after ever since. However Margie does have concerns for the future of the city’s independent bookstores.

“There’s one independent bookstore [for new books]—The Bookery, period.” says Margie. “It’s absolutely appalling that downtown St. John’s doesn’t have a library, and that we as a community have not been able to support an independent adult bookstore. I think people feel that they can buy it cheaper at Chapter’s.”

“I think people working in the community deserve to be supported.”

Granny Bates will be open until the end of September and is offering a sale on the store’s remaining books. Past patrons are welcome to drop in and say goodbye to the store they grew up with.

“If you have a really good children’s book, in 40 years you can give it to your grandchildren,” says Margie. “It doesn’t get any better than that. It’s food for the soul.”

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FOOD
Food planet

Your gateway to the world awaits at the corner of King’s Road and Duckworth Street.

After weeks of piquing the curiosity of passersby the Multi Ethnic Snacks & Eatery catering truck is now serving international breakfast, lunch and supper meals to its hungry public.

The eatery was cooked up by Zainab Jerrett, the proprietress responsible for the benne cake paddies and jerk chicken that sell out each week at the St John’s Farmers’ Market. “We cook from the truck,” Says Zainab. “As I see it, [Ethnic Snacks] compliments the city because it’s becoming more and more multi-cultural.”

Zainab, who is originally from Nigeria, learned the ins and outs of business in St. John’s via her first storefront, African Market Square in the Torbay Mall. She says Ethnic Snacks will allow her and other immigrant women to network and make a living by sharing their passion for cooking.

“There are so many people coming here from so many countries and for a lot of women, they [feel] invisible,” she says. “They are so excited that people like their food, and that they can make some income.”

“The ladies from the different countries prepare true, authentic, traditional dishes from all over the world,” says Zainab.

Some dishes to watch out for include Moroccan couscous, jollof rice, plantains, and curried vegetables.

For Ethnic Snacks catering and menu inquiries, contact Zainab at 726-7666 or e-mail at zharuna@warp.nfld.net.

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FREE CAKE
Free cake alert
Manna Euopean Bakery & Deli, the bakery that in 2004 held the Guinness World Record for preparing the world’s largest hot cross bun (114 lbs!!?) is turning 25 and wants you to help them celebrate.

“We thought the occasion of our 25th year in business would be the perfect time to say thank you to our customers,” says Manna’s Jonathan Rusted.

On Saturday, September 19th the eatery at 342 Freshwater will be offering free food samples, tea, coffee, and prizes to fellow partiers from 7am to 7pm.

Manna’s new pastry chef Vanya Velinova—formerly of The Vault—will prepare a special birthday cake for the event, and Fergus O’Byrne and Jim Payne will be the afternoon’s entertainment.

For more information, call Manna at 739-6992.

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CORRECTION
Bug juice
A correction from last edition’s Bug Juice entry (Aug 27-Sept 9): “Bug Juice” refers the name of Neville Button’s earwig control company and not his patented earwig formula. The bait and traps is one service supplied by Button on a monthly basis, and aren’t sold separately.

Call him at 690-7385 if you have questions.

—

Send your fresh business news to storefront@thescope.ca

Storefront: Buy Local, Buy Eco

How much green can you afford to drop for planet Earth?

Eco-products are a billion dollar industry, they’re all over the place, ranging from the affordable (green) to the expensive (au vert). Save your carbon credits by checking out the city’s markets, stores and groceries which stock goods made by local companies and that are in-step with the environmental movement. Below I have listed just a few.

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Reusable products
They’re the ultimate investment. Over time you’re spending less than you would to re-purchase disposable items. Ecowise is a popular St. John’s manufactured hempware label that started 12 years ago with just one product: the Reusable Hemp Coffee Filter.

“It’s made from 100% hemp fabric,” explains company veteran Karen Power. “They’re easy to use and can be used again and again.”

Filters come in different sizes, ranging $5-$6 a pack and are found at Food For Thought and Auntie Crae’s. Other cool items include the Ecowise Hemp Water Bottle Carrier ($7.50) and customizable Hemp Conference Bags that are great for carrying school books and groceries for $20 and up. www.ecowiseproducts.com

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Got earwigs?
Bug Juice, an earwig killing product containing no poison or pesticide, is manufactured here by ex-exterminator Neville Button.

“As an applicator I’d be harassed by people in the neighbourhood who didn’t want to be exposed to chemicals. So I started doing the research and came up with an attractant for the bugs, a liquid recipe that I made myself.” The concoction is placed in a vat, and when the earwigs take a whiff, they crawl in and drown.

The treatments cost $39 a month and this pays for new batches of Bug Juice attractant and the emptying and refilling of the vat. For inquiries and orders contact 690-7385.

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Blanket solution
The Whitakers in St. Philip’s use the wool from their Rushmere turkey and sheep farm to produce wool queen-sized blankets in all sorts of colours that’ll last a lifetime. For the farm owners, these blankets are a way to make use of the sheep by-product that’s almost valueless in the province, explains Jill Whitaker. “I think it’s just that people have gotten used to using synthetics and they’re less expensive.” Blankets are $135.00, plus tax and can be custom ordered through the Rushmere Farm at 895-3393.

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Toiletries galore
The Metro area is awash with all-natural and organic toiletries. Tvål soap-makers produce a line of soaps, lip balms, creams and a deodorant made of certified organic ingredients, each for under $20. The idea came from a fresh-faced Tvål intern named Elizabeth, who worked with staff members last fall to perfect the line’s products. www.tvalskincare.com

Viola and Aubrey Goulding have been charming honey bees for over 20 years and sell beeswax products and edible honey through their ‘bzzz’ness, Bee Natural Paradise Farms. Customer favourites include the Beeswax Foot and Hand Creams, Furniture Wax and Bee Balm for Baby that the Gouldings created especially for their grandchild. Viola recommends a facial product called Honey Ointment that purifies skin with a special ingredient.

“I use bee propolis. It’s antioxidant, antibacterial, it’s fabulous.” (In case you’re wondering, propolis is the resin bees use to seal the hive.) Products range from $1.25-$18 and can be purchased online or at participating vendor locations found on their website at www.beenatural.ca.

Olivia Canela is an all-natural line of lip balms and massage oils free of artificial scents and dyes. Creator Paula Mendonça posts new products and event information on the Facebook group, Olivia Canela and vends products each Saturday at the St John’s Farmer’s Market. E-mail contact is oliviacanela@hotmail.com.

Real Soap! is headed by sisters Marina Cole and Susan Hansen of Torbay, who make all-natural products to counter the harsh ingredients found in brand name ‘soap’.

“Ivory brand soap is technically not even a soap,” explains Marina, the suds specialist. “It’s called a synthetic detergent bar. It’s a bar of chemicals.”

Marina produces eight types of all-natural soaps by hand at $3 a piece. Other big sellers include their Multi-Purpose All-Natural Cleaner ($5 for 500ml bottle, $3 for refills) and Bag of Suds Laundry Shavings ($5 a bag per 500g), a collection of leftover soap pieces that make for excellent suds for your duds, especially for those with sensitive skin. Real Soap! also frequents the Farmer’s Market and can be purchased at Food For Thought, the Tickle Trunk and Devon House. Custom orders may be made by telephone at 437-6928.

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If you’re looking for more Earth-friendly resources, a great eco-business directory created by local activist Judie Squires is available at nlnatural.webs.com. So keep shopping around, Planeteers! Even on a small budget, you can afford to live green in the city.

Send your fresh business news to storefront@thescope.ca

Storefront

SEWING
Quilty pleasure

The Piece Makers Quilt Shop in CBS could be your prelude to a hobby. For proprietress Cathy Pittman, it was the other way around. “It was a hobby and still is, it’s a hobby gone wild I guess,” she says. “Quilting is very fast growing and now I think it’s more of an art form. You can totally get lost in it.”

Cathy is a retired French teacher from Rocky Harbour. When her job was named redundant in the early 1990s, Cathy turned to her childhood hobby as a pursuit.

“I moved to Deer Lake and they were really into quilting,” she says. “And my grandmother, she quilted. I remember her sitting in her chair and quilting by hand and making blocks. She did teach me some things [but] I was in my 40s when I really started to do quilting classes.”

With her newly refined skills, Cathy returned to Rocky Harbour and began to offer quilting classes part-time in her basement.
In 2000, the first Piece Maker’s quilting specialty shop was opened in Rocky Harbour and three years ago made its move to CBS. The store is stocked with sewing machines and batting supplies, fabrics, cutting tools, quilting books, patterns and kits. Cathy continues to offer classes year round.

Piece Makers is located at 251 Conception Bay Highway in CBS. Fall registration for beginner, intermediate, and Block of the Month classes is also underway. Sessions range from $20 to $40, depending on the cost for materials. Special sessions featuring textile artists from across the country happen throughout the season.

For a class schedule check out www.piecemakers.ca or call 834-9558.

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RECYCLING
E-cycle it

Earlier this year, Recycle My Cell was launched as the country’s first nation-wide recycling program for mobile devices. The program was created by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) in an effort to cut down on the super-toxic electronic waste which ends up in landfills, and causes serious pollution and health problems for the surrounding areas.

Unlike some e-cycle programs which ship their collectibles to landfills in third world countries, Recycle My Cell says it deals only with ISO 14001:2004 certified companies approved by the Electronics Product Stewardship Canada’s Recycling Vendor Qualification Program. The devices are taken apart for scrap, or are refurbished. Proceeds from the sale of these are donated to charities throughout the host countries.

If you have a cell you want to get rid of, visit www.recyclemycell.ca and you’ll find a list of more than 70 e-cycle drop-off sites operating across the province.

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DOWNTOWN CHANGES
Shuffle step
On your next jaunt harbourside, be on the lookout for new shops in and around the downtown. There are plenty.

Sappho Cafe at 183 Duckworth opened a few weeks ahead of schedule to stake its name as the street’s newest take-out site for drinks, sandwiches, salads, soup and desserts. Owner Jean Smith hopes Sappho will be as essential to downtowners as were previous delis that served the area.

“This location was the original Duckworth Lunch,” she says. “A lot of my customers came in and say they remembered coming here. This place has a lot of history.”

Wireless Internet is available in the cafe and hours of business run Tuesday to Saturday, 8am-5pm.

Head west one block and you’ll cross an as-yet-unnamed restaurant undergoing renovations at 252 Duckworth. It’s the successor to recently nixed Chinese eatery Bamboo Garden and a source in the area says the new resto will function as a Chinese tea room. A stone’s throw away is Shalimar Restaurant, another new eatery in its work up stages at the old Not Just Desserts space at 272 Duckworth. Once opened, food fare here will be an intriguing mix of “Asian, Canadian and Mexican” cuisine.

Cross the lights at Prescott and take a left at the bottom of Water and that’s where you’ll find beauty salon Water Colours (pun intended) at 134 Water Street. This salon is a revamped version of the two-year old Zhaira salon at 125 Long’s Hill, with Deborah Blackmore and a team of stylists packing up and relocating to Water in mid-August.

“It seems as though all the young hipsters want to be downtown,” says Deborah, “and I can identify with that, because I did too when I was their age. So it’ll be funky, cool downtown salon. We’ll be offering the same services and same values that Zhaira has always had.”

To schedule an appointment with Water Colours or to inquire about its salon services, call 754-8964.

Catch that Buddy bus west down Water and you’ll pass by Byron’s moving sale at 188 Water Street. The men’s clothing shop is putting their digs up for sale and moving into Hostyle’s old location at 191 Water next month.

Send your fresh business news to storefront@thescope.ca

Storefront

By Sydney Blackmore

FASHION
In SECH-ion

Wishbones and shooting stars are poor substitutes for good old fashioned hard work. Add passion and talent to the mix and you get someone like Sara Hodder, the designer and creator of local clothing label SECH designs.

“I’m more into expressing myself through fabric and making people feel good and look good,” says Sara. “I think it’s just the blood flowing through my veins that I can’t control. I don’t know what else to do with myself if I’m not making clothes.”

SECH first hit clothing racks three years ago in a selection of Montreal boutiques as a men’s and women’s clothing line made of new and recycled fabrics. In the past year, Sara has worked from her home in St. John’s to turn the part-time business into a full-time one. Now, just months later, Sara has her own studio amid downtown’s fashion district at 156 Duckworth Street. “It rocks my world! It’s a beautiful, beautiful space on Duckworth, overlooking the ocean and huge rooms compared to what I’m used to. It’s kind of making me feel more human to just like get up and have a job, it’s nice to come to work and to leave work.”

With three times more space to her avail, Sara has more machines and is more organized. She’s also recruited stitchers to help with clothes production.

“There’s me and two other women sewers,” she says. “…And do my parents count? Because my Dad’s been cutting!”

Clients can schedule SECH visits in advance by calling 690-1377.

The new studio will be holding its debut open studio party on August 1 and 2, from 10am to 8pm. It’s open to all of the public. SECH clothing is now available at Model Citizens and Tval. SECH homeware items are available at the Devon House. For more, check out www.sechdesign.com.

ALSO FASHION
Casual at Dusk

Having received much customer feedback on its summertime dress code, an upscale club on George has decided to relax its dressy-uppy stipulations for the remainder of the hot summer.

Says Dusk in a Facebook message: “We will allow flip-flops, sandals and some shorts, etc. But will still be strictly enforcing the baseball hat, hoodies, athletic wear and tattered or baggy clothing rules. Our normal style code will return in effect in September.”

CONSTRUCTION WOES
Blocked Keg

Business hasn’t been great for The Keg Steakhouse & Bar recently. A section of pipes directly in front of the restaurant on Harbour Drive has been under construction since June, cutting off an entire section of the road to traffic and pedestrians.

“We’ve had two cesspools of sewage in front of us for the past month and it’s been affecting our business,” Keg’s manager Kelvin Butler explains. “Some weeks we’ve been down 20 to 30 per cent.”

“Word on the street three weeks ago was that The Keg was closed, which is not true. This is the absolute worst for us.”

The re-piping that’s underway on Harbour Drive is under the umbrella of the St. John’s Harbour Clean-Up initiative, the multi-phase Sewage Treatment project that’s been on-going since 1997 to provide primary treatment to the city’s wastewater. John Barry, the Clean-Up Project Engineer, explains how Harbour Drive is involved.

“The Sewage Treatment plant involves construction across the river and down Water Street Harbour Drive and Water Street (East End) to Temperance Street. We’ll be working in Beck’s Cove, Bishop’s Cove and Harbour Drive sections right through into the fall.”

It’s no small feat orchestrating the project’s demands while keeping local business priorities in check, says Barry.

“We’re there to make very good communications with businesses. Take The Keg for an example. You’ve got telephone, light and power lines all underground and you have to set them up on temporary systems and set up a temporary water supply feed and not take away from their services. The easiest way to keep disruptions at a minimum is to ensure that the work is completed very effectively.”

The Keg crew are anticipating improvements to their entrance way in the very near future, but Kelvin thinks the majority of The Keg’s business dilemmas could have been dodged through more effective communication. “The City didn’t give us detailed information, we had to press them for it. [The City should've] met with all the stake holders months in advance, given specific time lines and let us know specifically what was happening so we could develop some good contingency plans. That’s what I would’ve liked to have seen.”

So, yes, The Keg is open and operating with regular business hours. For info and reservations, call 726-4534.

Send your fresh business news to storefront@thescope.ca