'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
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.