Golden Gatherings & Handmade Herbology, a new “one-stop-shop” in Golden Lake, hosted an official grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony last Saturday (May 17th). Participants were, from left to right, Renfrew County Economic Development Manager Melissa Marquardt, NAW Township Mayor James Brose, Cecilia and Andrew Hertzog standing in front of their dad, Tristan, life partner of business owner Jessica Gibson to his right; vendor Rri Povey of Rrijoice Tie Dyes, Golden Gatherings staff Lili Milbourne and Ms. Gibson’s mom, Johanna.

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Golden Lake – A new retail hub is offering homegrown and handcrafted goods from a network of local vendors under a single roof.

Jessica Gibson opened Golden Gatherings and Handmade Herbology at the main intersection in Golden Lake in April of this year. But she said the soft launch didn’t reflect the scale of the project or the overwhelming community support that followed.

Her business celebrated its official kick-off with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday. The special occasion hosted dozens of visitors as well as Mayor James Brose of North Algona Wilberforce (NAW) Township and some members of council.

Nestled between Eganville and Killaloe and located in a charming log building on Lake Dore Road in the hamlet of Golden Lake, Golden Gatherings hopes to appeal to local residents as well as the many people who travel through the community. Describing it as a one-stop shop for high-quality provisions of all sorts, she said the two-level store is filled with top-notch products from local farmers, food producers, artisans, crafters and more.

“It’s evolved into this crazy farmer’s market store and a community hub,” she remarked. “You can come in and find absolutely everything you would think you needed and more.”

With over 25 years in the restaurant industry in Ottawa, Ms. Gibson has a wealth of knowledge that she’s put to good use. A self-proclaimed “networking queen,” she’s been hard at work gathering suppliers and setting up deals. Her connections in the Ottawa Valley farming industry have also allowed her to source quality goods from a variety of vendors.

Ms. Gibson takes pride in her work and provides only the best products. She explained Golden Gatherings is all about supporting the local economy and does so in more ways than one. If she’s not sourcing her products from Renfrew County businesses, they’re Canadian brands, and it’s crucial for her to offer clean and ethically sourced ingredients.

“I don’t want garbage products in my store. I have potato chips, but they’re all fried in avocado oil. I’m really trying to not have seed oils,” she said. “That’s a big part of it, to be as eco-friendly as possible. There’s vintage vendors and other knitters and crocheters, and they’re only using natural fibres like wool and cotton linens.”

Golden Gatherings has a vast range of local products, including local dairy, eggs, produce, meat, meals and much more. It also offers honey, maple syrup, teas, coffee, soaps, pottery, vintage items, works of local authors and a lending library.

Humble Beginnings

Ms. Gibson moved from Ottawa to Killaloe in 2021 and built a small home off-grid. Setting out to grow her brand, Handmade Herbology, she originally planned to open a retail space on her property. However, after finding the building at 3295 Lake Dore Road that had been vacant for about four months, she decided to rent the space and began looking to unite the greater community of artisans.

Ms. Gibson started her business with a grant from Enterprise Renfrew County’s Starter Company Plus program, which she said provided mentorship and helped with the steep learning curve.

“That program essentially set me up to at least get the resources that I needed to do what I’m doing, because what I’m doing is insane.”

Welcoming Community

Ms. Gibson said despite the craziness that’s made up her daily life, she’s found the locals and local government to be quite supportive.

“I’ve pretty much been in communication with them from the get-go, and they have been really open about certain ideas or how to implement things,” she said. “They’ve been really great.”

She added that NAW Township’s Economic Development Officer, Cameron Montgomery, will be among the store’s many vendors.

“It’s really an amazing space. Everyone supports everyone,” she added.

She hopes the grand opening event will spread word of mouth and attract locals in the area, as she’s still working on signage and marketing initiatives to get the word out. After Saturday’s opening, the store hours were extended to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 11 to 4 on Sundays.

Mayor Brose told the Leader he’s pleased to see the new business join several others in the bustling little community, adding he hopes only for success going forward.

“I am really pleased to see this lovely, charming building back into use as a retail outlet,” he said after the ribbon-cutting event Saturday. “It’s a wonderful location and I would certainly encourage everyone to come and have a look.”

Mayor Brose added it’s new businesses like Golden Gatherings that help to revitalize the hamlet of Golden Lake, which has seen an upswing in businesses in recent years due to the increased volume of traffic to the Pikwakanagan First Nation where cheaper gas, cigarettes and cannabis products are sold.

“It adds to the flavour of the businesses that are here and at Pikwakanagan First Nation and it is certainly a charming little store,” he said.