Growth Stories

Tucked away on Foord St. in Stellarton is a new bakery quickly rising in popularity. Since opening in January, Birgir Robertsson’s bakery, The Little Pastry House, has quickly gained a loyal following. The consensus is the same among locals and folks trickling in from the city: The Little Pastry House offers mighty good treats. Robertsson has owned bakeries in Ontario, Manitoba, and now Nova Scotia, where he has thought of moving to for some time. He’s been developing his baking skills since he was a young boy growing up in Iceland. It wasn’t until he moved to Canada that he picked it back...

Art Store Fills County Gaps Madison LeBlanc and Justin Parkinson share a life, and a dream. The pair have thought about owning a business for as long as they can remember. While Parkinson didn’t have specific visions for what that business might be, an art store is something LeBlanc has vividly dreamed of. The family moved to Pictou County from Guelph, ON in May 2022. Moving to Nova Scotia created opportunities and allowed them to expand. They had a list of positive reasons for the move, but at the top was the appeal of settling somewhere they felt safe, where their children could grow up...

When doors continue to shut on you, an entrepreneurial path can become a necessity over a choice. Though she’s been busy for 13 years now, it hasn’t been an easy journey for Angela Cromwell. In the early 2000’s, after living in Toronto for 20 years working as a restaurant manager, divorce brought Cromwell, her son, and twin daughters’ home to Pictou County. Her endless search for work here continued to result in disappointment. “Coming home and not finding anything was hard,” she said. “You weren’t going to find something appear, you had to create it.” There are many tasks that come with...

Do What Makes You Happy Encouragement from friends and family sparked Stephanie Grants decision to put her baking skills to work and start a cupcake side hustle. “I always liked to bake, and I wanted to do something fun on the side,” said the owner of Sassy Sweet Cups. “I mostly gave away more than I ever did sell (in the beginning).” During the COVID-19 pandemic, Stephanie's family moved home to Pictou County, where the entrepreneur grew up. For Stephanie, the pandemic provided perspective on a lot of aspects of her life, one being the importance of being close to family. “(Covid) kind of...

A business idea sometimes blooms out of a solution to a problem. When that problem involves your beloved dog, finding a solution can feel like the only option. That’s what it felt like for Trisha MacDonald. “It started with one of my dogs,” said the owner and operator of The RAW Edge Pet Health. MacDonald has been around dogs her whole life. When one of her own, a labradoodle Rylee, received a hip dysplasia diagnosis as an 8-week-old puppy, it set MacDonald down a new and unexpected path. “The vet took the X-ray and showed me how severe it was,” she said. Rylee was put on various medications...

The Meadows Retreat and Creative Space Taking risks is a frightening, inevitable part of growth. For entrepreneurs, taking risks is part of the job. One that opens the door for innovation and success. Carissa Ainslie has experienced the fear that accompanies taking those risks when making the leap to turn your ideas, your passions, into a business. But the entrepreneur has also figured out how to push through inevitable fears that accompany starting something new. For Ainslie, it’s her business, The Meadows Retreat and Creative Space. Originally from Halifax, Ainslie was first introduced to...

New businesses make a destination exciting, regardless of where you are. They give communities something new to experience, or something distantly familiar to reacquaint yourself with. Simply Golf, an indoor golf facility with space to learn, practice, and play the game, is offering Pictou County the ultimate golfing experience, in any weather, and season. Whether you’re new to the game or a seasoned veteran, Simply Golf has something for you. Their state-of-the-art golf simulators have life-like graphics with precise ball tracking and a variety of world-class courses for you to choose from,...