Profiling Local 2SLGBTQI+ Businesses
Whether you have grown up in Lanark County or have recently moved to the county you may have thought that you would have to drive into Ottawa to connect with the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
That is not the case - here in Lanark County we have an annual Pride Parade in Perth as well as pride events in Smiths Falls, Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place. Each community is evolving in its own way with more and different events each year.
Whether you have grown up in Lanark County or have recently moved to the county you may have thought that you would have to drive into Ottawa to connect with the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
That is not the case - here in Lanark County we have an annual Pride Parade in Perth as well as pride events in Smiths Falls, Mississippi Mills and Carleton Place. Each community is evolving in its own way with more and different events each year.
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Business Spotlight:
THRIVE Tory Baker-Reed and Kathryn have launched the Thrive Centre, a psychotherapy, counselling and coaching business. Based in Smiths Falls, they are currently working virtually and can support anyone living in Ontario however they are focusing their services locally. They offer individual and group support, specializing in coping with stress, life transitions, grief, trauma, and relationships. They seek to serve individuals in our LGBTQ+ community who are single, monogamous, ethically non-monogamous, poly-amorous, and celebrate all gender identities and non-binary expressions. Previously Tory worked as a social worker with families and youth in crisis for over 20 years and Kathryn worked at sexual assault centres, both as a counsellor and ultimately as an executive director, for 25 years. They have been together as life partners for 26 years and they are combining their experience to form the Thrive Centre. In the longer term they plan to add other professionals to the team but want to launch and get established before taking on more responsibility. They offer free 15 minutes 'meet and greet' sessions and sliding scale fees to the LGBTQ+ Community (E.G. typically a one hour session is $150 but will reduce to $100 or even less depending on income level). Groups are $25/week and typically last 10 weeks. Sessions are available to be booked now. They can be reached phone (613) 205-0822 (confidential voicemail) or email at support@thrivesmithsfalls.ca or website www.thrivesmithsfalls.ca |
Business Spotlight:
Rocky River Café is reopening soon in Perth and also continues to
operate Rocky-River-at-the-Falls in Smiths Falls!
Here are their facebook pages:
https://www.facebook.com/Rocky-River-at-the-Falls
https://www.facebook.com/Rocky-River-Cafe-367602603257739
Photo courtesy of Cathy Blaine
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Business Spotlight:
From Doggie Daycare to Dirt busting Detergents and More - Meet Cathy Blaine Mōdere.ca representative by Beth Schilling for Queer Connection Lanark May 1st, 2021 If you have been in the Lanark County area for awhile, you most likely know of the former Rainbow Doggie Daycare run by Cathy Blaine and Tracy Smith. The spouses ran the dog sitting service for 17 years out of their family home, where they raised their kids, in Port Elmsley at the corner of Highway 43 and Port Elmsley Rd. You could not miss the cute old house with the quaint gardens, giant fence, and sweet rainbow doggie sign out front. This local business was one of the first local role models of an openly Queer business presence in Lanark County. Sadly, for the canine customers, the daycare had to close when the couple relocated, and the house is now gone as well. But this move and the Covid-19 lockdowns led to Cathy seizing the moment and investing in a new business venture: locally representing an online health and wellness company, based in Utah, Mōdere (https://www.modere.ca/). Don’t get confused about the head office location, this is a fully local undertaking: Cathy is a part of a multi level online sales team, operating on a commission and referral basis. This enterprise is truly homegrown at heart with a rural origin story of how small community works to help and support each other. |
