Bradford artisan opens new store at Upper Canada Mall (12 photos)

Bradford artisan opens new store at Upper Canada Mall (12 photos)

Bradford woman opens new jewellery store inside Upper Canada Mall

When COVID hit in March, Bradford entreprenuer Kimberly Harvey didn’t know what was going to happen to her jewellery business. Her income relied soley on the sales she made at various vendor and craft markets across the province.

With gathering restrictions and events cancelled, Harvey was forced to think of other ways to sell her products. She sells her products online, but it just wasn’t enough to keep afloat.

“When everything closed and all the festivals started closing, I can tell you I had a major mental breakdown,” she said. “I feel like my hands are tied I couldn’t go anywhere, I couldn’t do anything, my business was crumbling.”

It took her years to build up her business, getting herself booth space into popular in-demand festivals, “and it was all taken away from me in a matter of days,” including her tens of thousands of dollars invested in vendor fees. In 2019 alone she spent $25K in booth fees.

“There is so much uncertainty right if big festivals will reopen,” she commented. “I know so many full time vendors like myself are losing everything right now.”

“With everything shutting down I had no work, and CERB was ending, I had no choice but to do something radical,” she said.

With the pandemic pushing into the summer months, Harvey decided to take a leap of faith and open her own store inside the Upper Canada Mall, with support from the Ontario Made program from Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME). The program helps retailers and consumers promote and identify local products.

“All the big companies are flooding the ads on social media so you can’t get many views,” she said. “Since I announced the store opening I’ve had a lot more people interacting with me online and they’re excited about the store and they want to come see so I think I’m making the right move.”

Harvey has invested every last penny she has to open her store, My Lil Gem. Prior to starting her own business, she worked at Peoples Jewellers as a manager and customer designer.

“I always love making that unique hard to find anywhere else styles for people,” she explained. “Simple but meaningful.”

She creates all her inventory of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. The only items she doesn’t make are her rings, which she purchases from a supplier. To make her jewellery, she sources supplies from all over the world, and other local craft stores.

She has become quick at her craft, and able to make many pieces in a few hours, but once a week she challenges herself to make something unique that she’s never made before, just for fun.

“It just makes me happy,” she said.

She has spent the past few months renovating the space to have it ready for opening day, Oct. 1.

“The demo proved to take three times as long as I originally planned,” she explained. “I was so surprised how many of my friends just showed up to come help, they would be at the door of the store in the mall and I wouldn’t even know they were coming.”

To show her support for local business, she enlisted the help of local business E-Signs in Bradford to make her store signage, and had decor pieces made by Innisfil businesses, Anchored Signs and Knot House.

Selling out of a brick and mortar location will be different than travelling to sell her items she says, but admits it will be nice to keep her stock in one spot without the hassle of travelling and setting up. Another added bonus is she now has more space to showcase her products.

Currently she has two employees, but hopes to be able to hire a few more before the holiday shopping season. Eventually, she would like to open up a few other store locations.

My Lil Gem is located in the lower level of Upper Canada Mall in the former Things Engraved space. You can also visit their online store here.

Four burglaries of businesses reported to Guelph police within 24 hours

KITCHENER – Guelph police are investigating four different commercial burglaries that were reported to them within 24 hours.

According to a Tuesday news release, all four incidents involved the businesses having their front glass doors smashed to gain entry.

However, police say it’s not known if any of the burglaries are related.

A passerby reportedly noticed the first incident at 7 a.m. on Monday, where a business on Macdonell Street had its front glass door smashed.

Police say no one was found inside, but a display cabinet was also smashed and products were missing. It’s believed the break-in happened overnight.

“Our jewellery cabinet was smashed in and robbed,” co-owner of Wild Rose Consignment Beth Cosentino said.

She said she’s glad nothing major was taken.

“It feels invasive but it could have been worse,” Cosentino said.

A few minutes later, police were called to another reported break-in at a business on Edinburgh Road South near Forest Street.

Mike Durcik said his Quick Stop Variety was broken into.

“You feel aggravated, you feel violated,” he said.

The front glass door of this location was also stolen, while a small amount of cash and product were stolen, according to officials.

“What they took from us, $200 is not a big deal nowadays,” Durcik said. “But the door, that’s going to cost me about $1,000 to repair.”

Officers were dispatched to a third business on Speedvale Avenue West near Silvercreek Parkway North shortly after noon on Monday.

Police say an unknown suspect smashed the glass door to get inside and made off with the cash register.

Guelph police were called to the fourth break-in at 2:17 a.m. on Tuesday at a business on Kortright Road West near Edinburgh Road South.

They say that two people had arrived about half an hour earlier, smashed the front glass door, entered and took a number of items.

Unlike the other incidents, suspect descriptions were given. Police describe one as a six-foot tall male wearing all black, a studded belt, and Adidas sandals with white socks. The other suspect is described as a 5'9 female also wearing all black, a grey toque, and black Nike shoes. Both suspects were wearing face coverings.

“Certainly these are crimes of opportunity,” said Scott Tracey with the Guelph Police Service. “They are happening when businesses are closed.”

All four incidents are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Guelph Police Service.

Last two men who robbed Kitchener mall jewelry store sentenced

Baseer Ahmed was sentenced to four years in prison Monday, while Mohammad Kermani was sentenced to a little more than one year.

The two were the last to be sentenced of the four men who robbed People’s Jewellers in Kitchener’s Fairview Park Mall in December 2010.

In a quick robbery that even the Crown admitted was well-planned, the quartet grabbed more than $200,000 worth of jewelry and speedily made their way to a getaway car.

During the heist, Ahmed was wearing a wrestling mask – later recovered nearby – and using a fake gun to order people to the ground.

None of the jewelry was ever recovered.

In court, Ahmed said he is now considered a “disappointment and disgrace” to his family.

“My sister is going to graduate from medical school, my brother from law school,” he said.

“Me … I’m going to jail.”

Unlike his three cohorts, Kermani was not involved in a similar robbery in Guelph.

In Kitchener, his role was to break display cases with a hammer, grab as much as he could hold, and run.

Crown prosecutor David Russell said the main reason for Kermani receiving a lesser sentence was his past as a “straight-A student” who had never been in trouble with the law before or since.

“It was amazing that he did this,” Russell said.