Niagara Local Stories

Niagara is full of small businesses, and it is these local business owners & entrepreneurs who have made our region a truly vibrant place to live. Many of my Real Estate clients run their own small businesses here and they’ve got great stories to tell! With the help of filmmaker Jay Lupish, I wanted to give you a glimpse of these amazing people – and of the “Home Chapter” of their epic stories. These stories embody what I love about Niagara: #community#supportinglocal#smalltownfeel and genuine #grit!

My Mama’s Buttercream is a local custom cookie company, and owner Ashley has a story – and an outlook on life – that cannot NOT make you cry! Many have shared it, but not everyone has taken it on like she has. Just as her company started to grow out of Ashley’s sheer grit and determination, I got to help her find a new home so her family wouldn’t bust out of their seams. Here is her story in this video that will 100% bring you joy!
Mary Jo, owner of The Happy Baby in #Grimsby, is one of those fearless people you meet once in a lifetime – someone who isn’t afraid to jump into starting a business with a tiny little baby to care for, or take a old house right down to the studs and rebuild it into something breathtakingly beautiful! Working with Mary Jo on her homes has been an inspiring experience, and her shop is truly something unique for local Moms! #Renovators#Builders#Investors#Innovators, and #Moms, unite!
This woman loves a big house haul!
Christine Monfriese, owner of Monfriese Rum Cakes, has been a ‘pivoter’ since before she came to Niagara Falls. A TTC bus driver in Toronto who dreamed of opening her own bakery, Christine decided to live her life now rather than later – and moved her family to Niagara, opening up her business and starting a brand new life where she “felt like home”. Christine has worked hard every day since she got here, building towards opening up her new bakery shop on Queen Street in Niagara Falls. Her Grand Opening was postponed by the Covid-19 crisis, but in response Christine turned adversity into opportunity, pivoting in her business model to sell boxes of Jamaican Patties for #stayhome Niagarans who need deliveries to cook at home. Finally, once Stage 3 allowed, Christine has opened her very own bakery, and daily she offers a “vacation in your mouth” in the form of her delicious rum cakes & exotic flavoured cheesecakes!

Questions? Comments? Looking to move to Niagara & get in on this exciting lakeside culture? Email me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!