janet davies « Build A New Life in Prince Edward County

Looking Back on 10 years of County Biz Columns

this blog is contributed by Janet Davies

Graham Davies, photographer | Lynn Leavitt, farmer | Jennifer Lester, web whiz

At the start of 2011 I decided to review the last 10 yrs of my Picton Gazette “Our Creative Rural Economy” columns about people doing business in the County. 10 years! I was surprised and delighted with how many people and businesses I’ve featured: 109 – and I’ve only scratched the surface, from brand new enterprises to venerable established firms, including a 180 yr old drug store. Most are still going strong, many have grown a lot, only 5 have folded – that’s a 95% retention rate! The full list is at the end of this post.

Of the 109, 62 were established, 47 were new and 20 focused on young people. The Services sector got the most ink, which reflects the wider Canadian economy that is dominated by service industries and growing less labour-intensive & more high-tech. Five were about Manufacturing, 9 Wellness; 10 Tourism; 10 Culinary; 11 Arts and Culture; 30 Agriculture (including several in a series we called Farmers Faces) and 35 Services – from financial to construction to dog grooming.

I showed my husband the list and he pointed out a glaring omission. Him. Oops. In business in the County for 11 years he deserves recognition, so I started the new year with a profile of my favourite County artist: Graham Davies. Very briefly: a fine art photographer with a photojournalist background. A rare beast these days: a master of the art of black and white, real film photography and darkroom printing. He came from the UK to Toronto in 1993 and to the County in 1999. His Toronto colleagues thought he was crazy to leave the city back then. They don’t any more, not with PEC featured regularly in news and lifestyle pages. Best known for dramatic B&W nudes and landscapes, he shoots digital for commercial work but is a fierce champion of B&W for his fine art and portraiture – particularly those body portraits, as he calls them. He proves there is no age or weight limit to beauty and art. A professional photographer since his teens, he looks puzzled when you mention retirement. He just finished shooting for the Arts and Taste Trail brochure and says his life and work have never felt better. A good quote, I think, to kick off another year of Our Creative Rural Economy columns. Now take a deep breath and check out that list of 109 business.

Tags: bald photographer, Bloomfield, consecon, Creative Economy, Creative Rural Economy, Economic Development, entrepreneur, graham davies, janet davies, Picton, Prince Edward County business, Small Business, Wellington
Comments (3) | Posted over two years ago by Jan Davies

From Nunavut to Picton to make a dream come true

this blog is contributed by Janet Davies
photo by Graham Davies

Natalie Babcock gives handsome Brooklyn a holiday groom.

As far as I know, Natalie Babock & Kyle Wood are the first couple to come to the County from Nunavut. Kyle is a conservation officer working with the MNR at Glenora. Natalie is a professional dog groomer, originally from WaWa, about 200 kms north of Sault Ste. Marie. Here’s what she told me.

“We loved Nunavut, but not much call for dog grooming up there, so I somehow became the postmistress! When Kyle got a job in the County I was excited because this place is like a mecca for small business. I knew I could open a shop, what I didn’t expect was to be so successful so quickly. I took a business plan to PELA CFDC – very aware that I’m not like other businesses opening here, not a winery or tourism-based. But they gave me a loan. Then I met Dave Cleave who offered me affordable space in Picton. He converted what was storage space in the Lockyer Building for me, and it’s worked perfectly. We’re right on Main St. but set back, private and safe for the animals. It’s the best of both worlds. My business is called Aspen’s.

Other local groomers have been awesome! Friendly and welcoming. Not like some places I’ve worked where it’s all competitive and catty. Here people work together. I remember one of them saying “There’s easily enough animals to go round.” We refer clients to each other. I use Parkers Barkers products, and I have adoptable kittens in the shop for the Humane Society.

Are most dogs easy to work with? It varies. I’m very calm. Rescued dogs can be touchy. You need tons of patience to do this job, and I have that. I love my work. Winter slows down, but summer is crazy busy. I get walk-ins, visitors who say, ”Can you help me? Our dog stinks!”

It’s just like creative hair cutting. There are classic cuts, and owners have their own ideas, but I have ideas, too, and we can have fun with it. I do a little dyeing on request, lion cuts for cats, sometimes a coloured Mohawk on a small dog. Some of my clients used to take their dogs to Belleville. Now I have Belleville dogs coming to me.”

Natalie looks much younger than her 31 years, and new clients don’t always recognize her as Aspen’s owner. But that’s what she is: owner of a thriving business servicing locals and visitors, a young woman who came to the County for the opportunities it offers.

Tags: animals in the county, aspens grooming, Creative Economy, dog grooming, graham davies, janet davies, natalie babcock, new business in the County, PELA CFDC, Picton, picton downtown, young people in prince edward county
Comments (2) | Posted over two years ago by Jan Davies

RETURN OF (ANOTHER) COUNTY KID Part 1

this blog is contributed by Janet Davies

All rural communities are sad to see their young people go away to find work and experience the world. But here in the County young people are actually moving IN. Or coming home. I know at least 10 young couples who have CHOSEN to live and work here. They didn’t come looking for jobs. Most created their own, or started a business, and some are growing fast and employing other young people. Like Crowe Video Productions.

Trevor Crowe is 29, a County farm boy who left to become an engineer and work for Big Industry. He did very well until Big Industry laid him off together with 1,000 co-workers. Job security was out the window, a recession was looming, so Trevor changed direction. “I made videos on the side, mostly for our church,” he told me. “I love helping people tell their stories.” And he was good. His 20-minute documentary “Busy Dying” sold 700 copies locally. He had no job but he had talent, courage and the support of his wife, Rachel. So in Oct. 2008 they went into the videography business, working from home.

“I I started going to business networking meetings in Belleville where I discovered big demand for web videos.” Yes Virginia. The world is changing. Businesses that used to hire sign-painters now hire web designers and video-makers. On a visit back home, Trevor also discovered exciting things had happened in the County while he had been away. What he saw impressed and surprised him – and inspired him. At a Creative Minds meeting he met a lot of other young entrepreneurs and felt the energy flow. So he took another bold step. He moved Crowe Video Productions to Prince Edward County. He’s coming home, and he’s creating jobs. Read more in Part 2 of Return of a County Kid, to be posted soon. For a taste of a Crowe production watch Closson Chase – the video playing on the screen behind them in this photo.

Tags: Creative Rural Economy, Creative Workers, crowe productions, crowe video productions, Economic Development, Jan Davies, janet davies, Picton, Prince Edward County, Trevor Crowe, web video
Comments (0) | Posted over two years ago by Jan Davies