Tell us a bit about yourself.

This year I turned 70…I’ve now lived more of my life in Hamilton than anywhere else! I’ve lived in Quebec, BC, and Ontario and for 34 years I’ve called Hamilton home. Eight years ago semi-retirement allowed me to indulge my passion for all things with a previous life and I started my small vintage shop on Instagram (Shabby Tabby Vintage) which evolved into my Etsy shop (Shabby Tabby Homegoods) five years ago. I love being a small biz owner, setting my own schedule, and having time for family, friends and gardening.

Where did you grow up?

Montreal, Quebec

Why Hamilton?

My husband and I were living in Toronto when we discovered we were pregnant. Even 34 years ago Toronto was an expensive place to raise a child. We decided to move to Hamilton where my husband was from. We rented downtown for a year and then bought on the central mountain where we lived for 16 years. We bought on the mountain because that was where my husband grew up. We moved again to the east mountain which we love.

What neighbourhood do you live in and why did you choose it?

We live in the Huntington Park neighbourhood on Hamilton mountain. We are 1 block from the escarpment on a ‘best kept secret ‘street. It’s an older established neighbourhood with lots of room to garden. If it wasnt for this fabulous location I would love to live in the lower city.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the city in the last decade?

The art scene has exploded, there are so many new places to eat, and lots to do… but these are hard times for small businesses. There seems to be a core of people interested in improving life for everyone, in supporting each other, doing small things to make a difference and I’m definitely more aware of that. Unfortunately though, the pandemic seems to have brought out a lot of ugly behaviour as well – I had hoped that isolation would make us realize how we need each other!

If you were travelling outside of the country and someone asked you about where you lived, how would you describe Hamilton?

A vibrant city surrounded by nature, green spaces and waterfalls are woven throughout our city. Lots to do and fantastic restaurants! and Art Crawl!!