North on Bruce Street

Published Date: September 7, 2022

Someone once said, “life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall”, just kidding, we all know it was F. Scott Fitzgerald, but his point reins true all these years later. Fall may just be the perfect season; every year, without fail, it reminds me to breathe deeply, love madly, and get cozy. It’s the perfect time to pop on your favourite sweater, or “shacket”, because that’s a thing now, and head out to take in the last of the frost-bite-free weather and beautiful crisp colours.

I am lucky enough to work in Thornbury (Hi, Good Grief Coffee!), but rarely have the time to enjoy everything it has to offer; for a town with such a small footprint, it sure has a lot going on! So, I sweatered up (can you tell I’ve been re-watching How I Met Your Mother?) and stepped out to check out some new instant favourites on the other side of Bruce Street:

After checking out the salmon migration at the Fishway (nature is cool you guys), I headed north on Bruce Street and popped into Blue Thornbury. Owner, Sarah Beveridge, has transformed the little red house at 19 Bruce into a true work of passion. Whether you’re looking for inspired art to decorate your home, or a workshop to express your inner artist, you are not going to be disappointed. Sarah has expertly curated a collection of Canadian made goods for everyone to enjoy, including Eugenia’s very own Infinite Glassworks!

My next stop had to be Pom Pom Treat Hut before they close for the season. If you haven’t tried the apple pie ice cream, you don’t know what you’re missing; it’s like Fall in your mouth… but a little bit colder (should product descriptions be my new day job?!) Do yourself a favour and grab a scoop while you can. It’s the perfect treat in any weather for cruising down to the municipal harbour for a little photo op, checking out the food and drinks at Sterlings Restaurant and Boutique Market, walking along the Georgian Trail (whose entrance is a stone’s throw away!), hanging in the Bruce Street Parkette with the red fisherman while looking at all the real fishermen, or even as a palette cleanser in between other apple inspired stops along the Apple Pie Trail, of which Thornbury alone has 7!

Just a leaf’s throw away from Pom Pom, you’ll find Loved You Madly at 16 Bruce Street. An ever-growing consignment boutique, LYM has taken over several spaces in Harbour Mews since opening in 2019. Seriously, owner Lesley just knocks down walls and takes names like it’s nobody’s business! You name it, Loved You Madly has it. Did I justify my maybe-I-spent-a-little-too-much purchase by reminding myself I was not only shopping local, but also shopping smart? Yes, yes I did, and you should too. Shopping second-hand is an easy way to live more sustainably and I’m here for it! This isn’t your average second-hand shop, btw. They’ve had everything from Gucci to Prada.

After an afternoon North on Bruce Street in Thornbury, I’m feeling as refreshed and renewed as the new season. Sorry, Mr. Fitzgerald, it turns out we don’t need to start all over again, but instead we need to pay attention to what’s been around us all along. Get outside, be kind, and enjoy everything Grey County has to offer!

Originally published in fall 2021.

Alix at Sterlings Thornbury
Alix Haddy Bio

Guest Writer: Alix Haddy

A millennial with many hats, I’m an entrepreneur, a novice philanthropist, and an aspiring gardener, to name a few. I am co-owner of Good Grief Coffee Roasters and am also the proud co-founder of a local charitable duo, Galentine’s. I can often be found indulging in a glass of wine (but not like, too often) or chasing after my corgis: Harry & Marv. It might be clear, but just in case it isn’t, I take great inspiration from iconic television and movies like Home Alone and Parks and Rec. 

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