Home-based business move to Main Street prompts beautification projects

At last week’s Town Council meeting, a couple from Niverville requested permission to move their home-based business into a downtown location. The request was unanimously approved.  

The couple, Chris and Maria Holbrow, opened their basement bakery business “Forgotten Flavours” last September and found a lot of success. So, they decided it was time to move onto Main Street.  

The bakery and eat-in establishment will have 16 seats for indoor munching and then possibly another 3 tables outside the store, set up underneath the building overhang at 69 Main Street.

Public Hearing Notice beside the Niverville Post Office historical signage.

During the Public Hearing it was also noted that “Forgotten Flavours” was moving into a Heritage Building which formerly housed the old Niverville Post Office. Chris and Maria noted they would honor that status and enhance it by giving doing what they could, to beautify the building, inside and out. 

During summer months they plan on setting up tables outside their front door, placing the chairs close enough to the building so that nothing will encroach on the sidewalk, with garbage cans nearby. 

Chris Holbrow says, “The chairs will be facing east/west and there's a six-foot clearance between the outside of the building and the public walking space, so that wouldn't encroach on the public walking space and having a trash receptacle outside is just the right thing to do.” 

During the conversation that followed, Councilor Nathan Dueck noted that perhaps more businesses would follow this couple’s lead, and work to beautify North Main Street if updated infrastructure, like street repairs, proper drainage, and proper parking were in place. 

“So, I would like to add that to our Planning Session for next year. We appreciate people that are making our town look nicer and there's also needs to push for upgrading that whole entire north part of Main Street."

Dueck continues, now speaking to Chris and Marie Holbrow. “I’d like to encourage the two of you, to continue to push the idea of an up-front patio, even if you might run into a little bit of resistance because I also believe that if it can bring people to the downtown area, even though it might not always work with our policies, I'd like to explore ways of finding ways to make that work.”  

Speaking as a Niverville resident, Dueck says, “I would really, really, really love to sit down in front of a business on Main Street and watch the world go by.” 

It was also noted that the building itself has been a target of graffiti over the years and that the Niverville Communities in Bloom committee had already placed a mural over the tagging. The Holbrow’s were encouraged to make sure the outside of the building reflected the brand of the business.  

Mayor Myron Dyck noted that there were grants and programs available for beautification projects like this one and that he’d be glad to endorse that at the next Planning Session.  

Going back to the home-based bakery business owners, Dyck says,  

“This is quite an accomplishment. It was a tough decision for the council of the day to decide about home-based businesses. Recognizing there could be an increase in traffic to neighborhoods, that other neighbors may not appreciate it, and then understanding the cost to come from one's home to bricks and mortar on a main street, it was deemed to be that if someone could make a business work in their home, they could hopefully build towards Main Street. So, to see that come to fruition as we have here, we're very grateful. For people that are willing to recognize that there's an opportunity to grow in the community and invest in the community, thank you for your investment. Thank you.”