The Flour Mill – a gourmet grocery store run by mother-daughter duo Tracey Pritchard and Alex O’Shea – has earned its eponymous name from the old flour mill it’s located in.Supplied/Abby Campbell
Tracey Pritchard, who co-owns the Flour Mill – a destination food shop in St. Marys, Ont. – didn’t realize the history of the 160-year-old limestone building she bought in 2021 until her first walk-through.
When Pritchard noticed the remnants of an old flour mill, it felt like kismet. “There was something magical about that – especially since I was baking, and we knew we’d open a food business,” says Pritchard.
Pritchard and her daughter and Flour Mill co-owner, Alex O’Shea, wanted to honour the building’s tradition and simultaneously create space for the gourmet grocery store and bakery they had in mind. Social media seemed the perfect forum to tell the stories of the past while getting people excited about the future.
“Being in a town, as charming as it is, with a population of under 10,000, we knew we’d really need to bring (customers) in from London, Stratford and Toronto,” says O’Shea.
They launched an Instagram campaign, tirelessly documenting the renovations and their evolving relationship with the heritage space. This authentic storytelling not only drew attention from the local community but also attracted national interest, including from Canada’s House and Home magazine and the Magnolia Network, which filmed a TV pilot called Comfort Food Kitchen featuring the duo. “We became a destination,” says O’Shea, reflecting on how their online presence turned a small-town venture into a must-visit location.
In addition to a bakery and retail space, the Flour Mill has two visitor suites for short-term stays.
“We know our business model and business practice and style of food are maybe a bit new to the community,” says O’Shea. “But we definitely wanted to honour St. Marys [in Southwestern Ontario].”
O’Shea, who sits on the board of the St. Marys Business Improvement Area, says the town and its surrounding area saw an influx of new residents from urban centres move to the region during the pandemic. “There are a lot of empty buildings that need occupancy and tenants, and some of them could use some restoration,” O’Shea says. “But they’re beautiful, and they’re on the main street.”
Like St. Marys, the challenge in many small Ontario towns is striking a delicate balance between honouring tradition and embracing innovation to attract visitors. Bloomfield, a picturesque community in Prince Edward County, faces this challenge head-on with its blend of historical charm and modern business ventures.
In the summer, Bloomfield fills with tourists perusing its gift shops, cafes and restaurants. But what stands out is the preservation of the storefront facades, mostly unchanged from the early settlement years of the 1800s.
Sarah Soetens – chair of the Bloomfield and Area Business Association and co-owner of Flame and Smith, which focuses on sustainably-minded, woodfire-cooked meals – says she chose to set up shop in Bloomfield because of its historical appeal.
Odette – a hair salon in Bloomfield, Ont. – is located in an old converted bank, with its aesthetic reminiscent of Bloomfield’s small-town charm.Supplied/Laura Rowe
Flame and Smith occupies an old cheese factory where dairy farmers previously brought their milk. “It was important to us to honour that history and preserve the old building while still modernizing it to service as a restaurant,” Soetens says. “Bloomfield’s village is not heritage protected, so we can’t dictate appearances and building protocols … From that perspective, we just leave each other alone and trust that the aesthetics of our town are respected.”
In November, 2023, the allure of Bloomfield’s storied past drew Jade Thomas to relocate her hair salon Odette into an old bank – previously housed in a converted Victorian home just across the street. The historic building’s tin ceilings, original wooden floors and massive windows appealed to her sense of style and appreciation for authentic spaces.
“It was the simplicity of it,” says Thomas, who only updated the colour of the walls and the electricals. Thomas is well-aware of the town’s charm, and with 20 years of hair-cutting experience, she knows the essential nature of her business keeps customers coming through the door.
But that hasn’t stopped her from exploring her craft in new and creative ways.
Recently, Thomas took her love for natural aesthetics a step further, offering haircuts in unconventional outdoor settings: barefoot by a bubbling creek, on a dusk-lit beach or near the crumbling remains of an old farmhouse. These settings transform a simple haircut into a tranquil, artful experience that harmonizes with nature.
Jade Thomas, who owns Odette hair salon, recently started cutting hair in nature as part of her desire to foster a greater work-life balance.Supplied/David Miller
So far, feedback has been positive, with several regular customers reaching out over social media about doing their cuts outside.
“There’s a part of cutting hair that’s meditative to me – everything falls away, and I love that,” says Thomas. “People constantly talk about work-life balance, and as a single mom [and] business owner, I’m cutting all these tiny pieces of pie.”
This shift toward nature-inspired haircuts reflects Thomas’s pursuit of work-life balance, providing a way to reconnect with her craft in a fresh, mobile format.
Since then, she’s had other hair stylists reach out, inviting her to places as far as Oaxaca, Mexico, and Virginia, U.S., for the series.
“I have no idea what will come of this,” says Thomas. “Even though I’m still doing the same thing – cutting hair – it feels very different.”