Quick on the heels of a glowing testimonial from the Expedia travel site, Almonte has been profiled by Shopify as an example of a small town that “has successfully created a self-supporting ecosystem of retailers, driving tourism and building the foundation for a self-sustaining future.”
Ottawa-based Shopify is an e-commerce company that powers over 150,000 online stores around the world, including those of numerous Amazon merchants.
Focussing on the experience of Emily Arbour in building her Mill Street Cheerfully Made Goods business, the article describes Almonte’s evolution from a mill town several decades ago to an arts and shopping mecca today.
It describes Mill Street as “the cherry on top of a community already rich with galleries and arts events – drawing its own share of the tourism. Long-standing antique stores and staples are now padded on all sides with gift shops, independent apparel and footwear boutiques, a hip café, a kids’ store, and a handful of small businesses all working together for the common good.”
