Local businesses are trying to make a difference in our city core areas. Do you support their efforts?
One again I visited the Galt core area of the city of Cambridge with my camera. In the block of Main Street between Ainslie and Water Streets I first notice the effort of merchants and the BIA to decorate the street in a holiday festive theme. The next thing to catch my eye was window stickers that remained on a couple of the empty stores. They were left over from a film crew here about a year ago filming for a movie. Next door however, are two new to me stores; a spa and a butcher store.
However, gentlemen, if you are still in need of a Christmas gift for a special lady in your life I understnd they have gift certificates. There website is https://www.vagaro.com/ca01/thezendenaheadandsoulretreatspa
More to my taste, right next door is Butcher Boutique. Their website is https://www.thebutcherboutique.ca
Some 55 plus years ago my part-time job in high school was in a butcher store. Ivan, Helen, and the butchers at Thorman Meats in Preston taught me a great deal about meats and the cuts. I would be working in the store and a regular customer would come in and want a roast for their Sunday dinner and Ed would look up from his trimming in the backroom and yell out to me “make sure you pick out a tender one for her.” It wasn’t just something they said, they meant it. They took the time to teach us how to select the most tender piece of meat in the counter. A skill I still rely on today when shopping for my own meat.
Friday’s you had to get everything ready to go to the Galt market Saturday morning. That included bagging Tripe, a job none of us liked. You wore gloves because you didn’t want the smell of Tripe on your hands. If you were going out on a Friday night it was no excuse for being late for work Saturday morning; start time was 4 a.m. Oh, to be young again and be able to get home in time to change your clothes and go to work. Those were the days.
Will we ever see the return of shopping in the downtown cores? Only if we support our local small businesses. I hope you will make the Butcher Boutique and the Zen Den feel welcome. They are trying to make a difference in our city.
