The Flour Mill — a gourmet grocery store run by mother-daughter duo Tracy Pritchard and Alex O’Shea — gets its eponymous name from the old flour mill it’s located in.Supplied by/AB Campbell
Tracy Pritchard, co-owner of Flour Mill – a destination food store in St. Marys, Ont. – She didn’t realize the history of the 160-year-old limestone building she bought in 2021 until her first walk.
When Pritchard noticed the remains of an old flour mill, it seemed like kismet. “There was something magical about it — especially since I was baking, and we knew we were going to start a food business,” Pritchard says.
Pritchard and her daughter and Flour Mill co-owner, Alex O’Shea, wanted to honor the building’s tradition and simultaneously create space for the gourmet grocery store and bakery they had in mind. Social media seemed like the perfect platform to tell stories of the past while getting people excited about the future.
“Being in a town with a population of less than 10,000, we knew we really needed to bring in (customers) from London, Stratford and Toronto,” O’Shea said.
They launched an Instagram campaign, tirelessly documenting the renovations and their evolving relationship with the heritage site. This authentic story not only attracted attention from the local community, but also national interest, including Canada’s House and Home magazine and the Magnolia Network, which filmed a TV pilot called Comfort Food Kitchen starring the duo. “We’ve become a destination,” says O’Shea, explaining how their online presence has turned the small-town venture into a must-visit.
In addition to a bakery and retail space, the flour mill has two visitor suites for short stays.
“We know our business model and business practice and style of food may be a little new to the community,” O’Shea said. “But we definitely wanted to honor St. Mary’s [in Southwestern Ontario].”
O’Shea, who sits on the St. Mary’s Business Improvement Area board, said new residents from urban centers have moved into the town and its surrounding areas during the pandemic. “There are a lot of vacant buildings that need occupancy and tenants, and some of them could use some renovation,” O’Shea said. “But they’re beautiful, and they’re on Main Street.”
Like St. Mary’s, the challenge in many small Ontario towns is striking a delicate balance between respecting tradition and embracing innovation to attract visitors. Bloomfield, a picturesque community in Prince Edward County, meets this challenge with a blend of historic charm and modern business ventures.
In the summer, Bloomfield is filled with tourists visiting its gift shops, cafes and restaurants. But largely unchanged from the early settlement years of the 1800s, the preservation of storefront facades is a specialty.
Sarah Sottens, 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 historic charm.
Odette – Hair Salon in Bloomfield, Ont. – Located in an old converted bank with an aesthetic reminiscent of Bloomfield’s small-town charm.Supplied by/Laura Rowe
Flame and Smith occupy an old cheese factory where dairy farmers once brought their milk. “It was important to us to respect that history and preserve the old building while modernizing it to still serve as a restaurant,” Soetens said. “The Village of Bloomfield is not heritage protected, so we can’t dictate appearances and building protocols … From that standpoint, we leave each other alone and trust that the aesthetics of our town are respected.”
In November, 2023, the allure of Bloomfield’s storied past lured Jade Thomas to move her hair salon, Odette, into an old bank – formerly a converted Victorian house across the street. The historic building’s tin ceilings, original wood floors and oversized windows appealed to her sense of style and appreciation for authentic spaces.
“It’s the simplicity of it,” says Thomas, who only updated the walls and electrical paint. Thomas knows the town’s appeal well, and with 20 years of hairdressing 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 has taken her love of natural beauty a step further, offering haircuts in unusual outdoor settings: barefoot by a bubbling creek, on a beach lit at dusk or near the crumbling remains of an old farmhouse. These settings transform a simple haircut into a calm, artistic experience that’s in harmony with nature.
Jade Thomas, who owns Odette Hair Salon, recently started cutting hair in nature as part of her desire to improve her work-life balance.Supplied by/David Miller
So far, feedback has been positive, with many regular customers reaching out via social media about making their cuts.
“Part of cutting hair is meditative for me — everything falls out, and I love it,” says Thomas. “People constantly talk about work-life balance and being a single mom [and] Business owner, I cut all these little pieces.
This shift toward nature-inspired haircuts reflects Thomas’ work-life balance, offering her a way to reconnect with her craft in a fresh, mobile format.
Since then, she has approached other hair stylists who invited her to places like Oaxaca, Mexico and Virginia in the US for the series.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Thomas said. “Even though I’m still doing the same thing — cutting hair — it feels so different.”
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