'It is the end of a very long journey:' Dunrobin gift shop reopens after being destroyed by 2018 tornado
After more than two-and-a-half years of waiting and rebuilding, The Heart of the Valley Gift Shop reopened its doors in Dunrobin on Friday for customers.
"It is the end of a very long journey," said Jodie Bowen, owner of The Heart of the Valley Gift Shop.
"And I am so grateful to my shop back, my staff back… and my stuff back!"
The gift shop operates inside a yurt right beside landmark The Heart and Soul Café on Dunrobin Road. The business has been part of the community for more than 30 years.
In September 2018, the shop was destroyed by the devastating tornadoes that hit Ottawa's west end. The café was heavily damaged and was able to reopen shortly after, but the gift shop could not be saved.
The shop moved into a temporary trailer on the property. But insurance delays and construction delays continued to set back rebuilding the yurt.
Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, delivering another devastating blow to plans to rebuild.
"It delayed it because we weren’t allowed to reopen,." says Bowen.
Finally, after months of waiting, Jodie’s son Matt, along with his team, was able to construct the yurt.
"It is nice to be back to close to where we were before the tornado hit, it is a big thing for my family," says Matt.
Employee Kathleen Murdie says she is happy to be back working.
"It has been part of my life for 20 years. It feels like home when I am here. It is a second home," said Murdie.
Customers took no time to come back. Deborah McCullogh came from Orléans.
"(I am) ecstatic! We have missed it in the last couple of years and my plan is to do Christmas shopping for my grandkids," said McCullogh.
Even though it took more than two years to get to this day, Bowen says her heart is finally full again.
"It is so awesome. So awesome!"
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.