Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Give me a point. Hello, everybody at home, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world, because there's a lot of people tuning in outside of the region. So my name is Elliot Pierre. This is the Mac city morning show. I started off the same way every episode. I want to thank you so much for tuning in. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time. So the fact that you're spending with us means the world to me. Now on that note, Tanner hit him with the,
Speaker 1 00:00:27 Oh, she caught me, loves near listen to the next any morning show.
Speaker 0 00:00:36 Okay. We are back and I'm excited for this episode. We have a lady who brought us a gift. It I'm assuming is suites myself and Tanner love gifts. So thank you. I don't introduce my guests because they can do a better job at it than myself. So can you please introduce yourself to the people at home?
Speaker 2 00:00:55 Absolutely. Yes. My name is Melanie Ferris. I'm the, uh, well, first of all, resident, certainly Fort McMurray and, uh, order of chocolates and candlelight little shop in Timberly for those people who somehow have not reached us.
Speaker 0 00:01:07 There you go. I wouldn't call it a little and I would assume at this point, most people know of your story.
Speaker 2 00:01:13 Well, yeah, but then, you know, in the last week I've had a handful of people, again, as we normally do come in saying I haven't been in here yet.
Speaker 0 00:01:21 Yeah. It's crazy that people would say that. And it's a great store in regards to when you go in there and I want, I'll let you explain it. Cause obviously it's your store, but it's more than what you would think in regards to you have more than just chocolate and candle lights there. So can you tell us what is in the store? What it's all about? Like, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:01:40 Yeah. So obviously those two things will always be in the store. Certainly. That's how we started. So it was a little shop, uh, downtown for a number of years that had those things in it. And then over the years, over 22 plus years now, um, has evolved to like, you know, most businesses hope to do. And so we've been lucky enough to be able to do that. So we now have gift baskets and decor items and jewelry, and we just fill in the voids, you know, it's like, okay, what are people asking for? What seems to be missing? What's the trend right now? Um, obviously anybody that's been here for some time knows for McMurray's, it's a little tricky for retail and for shopping. And so we don't have all the big stuff that you find elsewhere. So we, we, we try to fill the gap.
Speaker 0 00:02:28 That's right. Yeah. So in regards to filling the gaps, how do you source your material? Cause when you go into your store, it's super cool. Like if, for anybody who hasn't been there before I've been in attend, like you guys have some really nice items from furniture to decorations, who is the one sourcing this,
Speaker 2 00:02:51 It usually is me. Um, mainly, but I, yeah, so, you know, years back as a retailer, you would go to gift and they happen a couple of times a year, different spots across the country. That was your main source. Obviously things have changed over time and, and certainly now we can rely on the internet and we can rely on still communicate with our reps, but they do that a lot easier and a lot less, um, time constraints and things like that. So it makes it easier. You can jump on and you can search for things. My main objective always is to find, first of all, Canadian companies, um, so anybody, you know, that's the first thing I searched for. And then if it's closer to home, even better. So lots of really great new places in the shop in the last, I'm gonna even say six months. So whether it's food based, uh, things like, uh, an Edmonton based company that does raw chocolate to, um, uh, Oh, utopia, which is a great place at a Winnipeg that totally plugging them. Cause they're awesome. And uh, yeah, just like anything I can find that's that's new or small local, we do it. And so, yeah, I, I don't even know sometimes, like, I mean, my girls will say to me, what time of the night did you order that? And sometimes I questioned, but you know, mostly
Speaker 0 00:04:07 It's pretty good. We do, we do. Okay. Okay, nice. No, back in the day I am, maybe I heard the story or incorrectly, or I'm not sure, but I heard you guys used to make your own chocolate or you learned how to do, explain that a little bit. To me,
Speaker 2 00:04:22 That's how I started. So it was completely random and not planned whatsoever. A friend of mine at Christmas time was making targets for family members and she invited me over just to come in and join. And if I wanted to, so I did and we did that and it was fun and whatever. And I was a legal secretary at that point and had no thought in my brain of becoming a business owner or a chocolate maker or anything like that. But that's kind of how it evolved. Uh, there was a business in town home-based business that was for sale and things had changed where I was in the office. And so it just kinda fell into place. And I thought this is interesting. So we bought the business and, uh, continued. So I did that for a number of years from home. So basically was, you know, trade shows and markets and things like that, where I, I had, uh, commercially, um, uh, checked if you will, a separate kitchen in the home. So it couldn't have been more set up, uh, you know, better. And so that's where everything ran out of the little kitchen in the basement. And so I made all the talks and did all the, did all the things did all every weekend and hauled it all in and then took home whatever
Speaker 0 00:05:36 Continued on. Okay. I heard that. I'm just like, no. Yeah. I was just like, cause it's been, like you said, you've had the company for 20 plus years now, so that's how it started. Okay. So from time to time, do you still make chocolate?
Speaker 2 00:05:50 I don't anymore. Um, yeah, it's it kinda got to a point, you know, early on when we were in the space, uh, already that I did continue that when I was still in my, my home at that point that had the kitchen and everything. Um, but then it became clear pretty quick that you can't do in the store and make chocolates and then start to have a family and all these other things. And so there's not enough hours in the day. So then we just sourced the companies across the country already doing that. And I still enjoyed making the talks, but it's very time consuming. So for me to just be able to do this and sell the chocolate was way more fun.
Speaker 0 00:06:28 No doubt. Well, I'm sure your family misses you making the chocolates at home for them though.
Speaker 2 00:06:32 You know, a little of that is it's still, you know, fun once in a while and you know, just doing, doing it for fun, but certainly not for store-based. I, no one would ever see me if I had to keep up.
Speaker 0 00:06:44 I mean, it's a support that I give your stores, I buy these, your gift baskets, how, and I give them to people and they love them. And they're awesome. You guys deliver them. It's just, it's easy. And I'm a dude, so I can just call in and just be like, Hey, can I just get a gift basket? And then it's delivered and I don't have to put any all processing. How did you get the idea to start doing these gift bags? They're all.
Speaker 2 00:07:06 Yeah, it it's a lot of fun because literally, I mean, I can't even begin to guess how many different variations we've made over the years, right? Because your requirement and your requirement and this other person everybody's different. Right. Um, so we kinda just started the gift basket industry. I think at that point had just really started to kind of roll. So this is back in, uh, 2001 when we opened the store 99, I'm sorry, 99. We opened the store in the retail space. So it seemed like it was really kind of getting going then. And uh, we just thought, okay, we have this and we have this, let's put it together and see how this goes. So it became obvious, pretty clear early on that that was something to continue. Right. So yeah, I mean, th the neat part about what we offer in the store, because there's so much variation is there's literally no boundaries as far as what can, and can't go into a basket because I've created it with food product, which is sort of the traditional idea. Uh, but we've done everything from you bring us, you know, special bottle of wine or you name it, like literally you name it. So it's a lot of fun. It's, you know, we have a conversation, we figured out what the need is. We figure out somebody's favorite things. Um, you know, and then we just try to accommodate that. So, no, that's good stuff.
Speaker 0 00:08:28 No, they're cool. And I think they're when you come to the store, it's neat to see how many you have. Like, they're there, they're very present. Where else would you keep the basket and stuff? You wrap it in and ribbons and stuff. So you see all these gift baskets. And I know when I've come in, I just like to look at,
Speaker 2 00:08:44 Huh? Like that's a, who's that goal options. Options are good. Sometimes it's too much. So we just kind of break it down and we're like, okay, we have these in these, you're looking for this, a, B, C, those are good options for you. So
Speaker 0 00:08:59 Yeah. Now, as far as location is concerned, you said it started off as a home business. You were downtown now, where are you guys located for people who need to?
Speaker 2 00:09:06 Yeah, absolutely. So we are in, Timberly in a building called Cortana building. So if you think of where Boston pizza is, we're a same parking lot. Is that behind the independent grocery store? Uh, so that zone, so we'll know they tucked away and, you know, kind of the traditional Fort McMurry, uh, condo building with retail on the bottom of that. Right?
Speaker 0 00:09:26 Yeah. So next you guys for the dudes who maybe have driven by the meat shop is in that same process for all the men at home, like some of the women who buy the meat from the meat shop, I just see mostly dudes there, be honest with you swing by there, like two doors down, get something for your wife, trust me, or girlfriend, you'll be killing it. That's usually how I end up in your store. So I'm just speaking from my own personal, um, experiences is I'll go buy like a burger or a steak. And I'm like, Oh, you know what? I'm here. I might as well get some brownie points.
Speaker 2 00:09:59 Yeah. Nothing that's, you know, required, but why not? You're right there.
Speaker 0 00:10:03 So let's talk a little bit about your story. I like to promote businesses when people come on, but I also love to hear about how people came to Fort McMurray. So what brought you here?
Speaker 2 00:10:14 Uh, well, two things. It was a job opportunity that I got literally over fax at that point over the phone. Yeah. And, uh, and then secondly, I had family here, so I don't know, as a 19 year old that it would have been as brave, uh, at that point in my life to just randomly go to Fort McMurry from rural Manitoba. Cause that's where I'm from. Uh, but I had family here, so I felt comfortable coming. And, uh, so yeah, I came, took on a job as a legal assistant secretary at that point. And, uh, and yeah, that was in 1993,
Speaker 0 00:10:49 1993. And you stayed, started a business and have a family yeah.
Speaker 2 00:10:54 All around and, and, uh, and I have granddaughters, so
Speaker 0 00:10:57 Congratulations. That's awesome. It is awesome. Yeah. What kind of grandmother are you?
Speaker 2 00:11:04 Oh, well, I hope fun so far. Right. I mean, I'm the one that has to talk at store. So I think I have some points there right off the bat, but, um, you know, just somebody who's obviously gonna be present. I mean, I'm lucky enough that I have my kids here and, and uh, so we get to spend time together more often, you know, COVID rules obviously in place, but, um, yeah, it's, it's pretty cool because my, uh, my husband works in the oil and gas industry, my son as well. And so they've made their life here and, and now obviously have, have a little one, so
Speaker 0 00:11:37 Awesome. Pretty cool. It is cool. I love to chat with grandparents cause uh, I have a little kid and my parents, although somewhat liberal. We're pretty strict when I grew up. And uh, now that I have this kid, my parents can be the nicest people in the world. This kid gets away with murder when it comes to grandma and granddad to the point where like, I will be correcting him and my father Gregory, Pierre, AKA uncle silky, um, he'll be like, Hey, chill out on the kid. And I look at him, I'm like, what if I w like, if I wouldn't have anything close to this, it would have been lights out. And he's just like, yeah, it's all good. Don't worry. I'm like, where were you when I was going, how come this is so different? Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:12:24 It, it will be interesting to see when, you know, the toddler stage comes into play and, and, uh, I can definitely see how, as a grandparent, you're way more lenient for sure. But, you know, have to keep in mind, respect mom
Speaker 0 00:12:38 And dad's, you know, ground rules too,
Speaker 2 00:12:41 And try to accommodate both things, but, you know, will they have ice cream for breakfast or taco for breakfast? Absolutely.
Speaker 0 00:12:47 <inaudible> to do that. Yeah. When you go home, you have a regular breakfast, that's it? I see. So you're going to be that nice grandma as well then, too, for sure. Mine is bedtimes. Don't exist for my S my son, when grandma's over, don't exist. Like grandma has beds at seven 30 and I'll come home and it's 10 and I'll just feel like footsteps, like, is he gone? Yeah know, so we're reading stories. Yeah. So we're, we have a segment here. It's Tanner segment. He came up with it. I got to give him all the credit in the world. It's called the Mac city minute. So he's going to ask you five questions, do your best to answer them. Um, yeah. We're gonna put you a little bit on the hotspot, I guess. So I I've watched the show. So I know about this part. It's awesome. There you go. Tana hit her with the Mac city minute
Speaker 3 00:13:36 Student. Number one. What is your favorite chocolate en candle within your store?
Speaker 2 00:13:42 Ah, okay. Well, it depends on the moment, but typically a dark chocolate Turkish delight would be my favorite chocolate, um, or talk at raspberry combination either of those two and favorite candle is going to be, Hm boy, that's tricky. Uh, we have a really great line from run wild designs, small little company out of elk point. And he does some amazing stuff. So probably the chocolate rasper yeah. Love to eat it. Love to smell it. So yeah, there you go.
Speaker 3 00:14:14 Question number two. What is one thing about your business that people might not know about?
Speaker 2 00:14:20 Uh, I would say delivery, obviously that's been a huge, you know, COVID thing. Um, so is delivery available? Absolutely. Uh, anywhere in town all the time, do we deliver outside of town? Yes. So if you have somebody in a Newfoundland that you want to send something to, we can take care of that for you. So it doesn't mean that we send it from here. We don't have locations across the country to utilize, but we can take care of all that. So it, it makes it pretty easy for you to just pick up the phone and say, this is what I need. Here's my credit card. And it's a done deal. So yeah.
Speaker 3 00:14:56 Question number three. What is one company you enjoy having in your shop?
Speaker 2 00:15:01 I'm going to give that to Charlie's chocolate factory. Uh, that is a company out of Vancouver that I have worked with from day one of adding chocolate into the store that I didn't make. So, uh, definitely those guys and they, if I remember correctly have gone into there, I think it might be 40 years of business. So, you know, if I'm going to deal with somebody, let's go with those guys. Cause they know what they're doing obviously after 40 years or so. So yeah.
Speaker 3 00:15:30 Question number four. What is one thing that men buy in your store that might shock people, candles for themselves?
Speaker 2 00:15:37 Yes. And other people I will never forget. I have to tell you a little story when we were in the river point shops, uh, it was later in the day and, uh, I was by myself a day, which was kind of most days. And I had these two gentlemen walk in. And so picture, uh, you know, somebody who you would think rides a Harley and, you know, kind of has the typical traditional look of what that would, you know, put that in your mind. So I have two of these gentlemen, they're not small men. They're like six, three, and coming in the vest and the whole bit, and they're looking for candles and I have them, of course. Yeah. I'm so, you know, I'm holding my own. I'm not feeling super nervous about them. They didn't give me any vibes like that, but I just thought it was very interesting. Cause I said, Oh, you guys, you know, buying something for your wife? No, no they're working in the shop and they just want to have a different sentence there. So they burn candles while they're working on their bikes. I was like, okay, I love that. I'm going to use off forever. Never judge a book by its cover. Never. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:16:40 And your last question, what would be in a gift basket? That's perfect for you.
Speaker 2 00:16:46 Oh man. You've just nailed a question that everybody I know says, what did we even buy you like seriously? Uh, okay. So let's see, uh, some chocolate raspberry, dark chocolate raspberry, uh, uh, the Italian cookies, probably one of the salt West salt, because those are great for everything. Uh, the salted caramel chocolate caramel one for sure. And then surprise me. Cause I like surprises. So, so yeah. Throw something else in there. That was the venue. Five questions I got to say, like your questions are awesome. I don't know what he's ever going to ask. And it kind of makes me nervous in regards to like, I don't want to step on his toes and ask the question right before his segment. Right. And every time I'm just like, man. Yeah, they're good. Those are good terror. Just I'm saying, man, like I can think I'm good at asking questions, but some of the stuff you come up with when
Speaker 0 00:17:50 You only have five questions to ask, it gets a little easier. Yeah. Fair enough. But you got to do it every day, so yeah. Good job, man. Very good job. So yeah, you killed it. Good. Good job. Asking questions. So I guess my last thing that I want to talk to you about, cause I know we're running out of time and the shows shows, designed that way. So we got a little bit of you, not everything. So you can come back again and again, um, you've been in town for a very long time, as you've described, um, you have a business, there's been some ups and downs in Fort McMurray, but you're still here. So, uh, and that's great. That's a story of a lot of us, but uh, what keeps you in Fort McMurray? Like why, why are you still such an active participant in this community?
Speaker 2 00:18:32 Uh, you know, form of Murray just has kind of everything to offer in, in the sense that, you know, if you want to come here and try something out business-wise, or you're starting a new career or whatever, you know, all of that's available to you. And for me, uh, you know, I met my husband here and certainly family and business have come into play since then, but I, you know, you hear it often, but I, and I still say it and I still mean it because it really doesn't mean the people are, are definitely, uh, the biggest part of it. So lots of cute, great communities that have lots to offer, uh, maybe Fort McMurray is missing some of those things. And we, you know, we go elsewhere to find a fill those voids sometimes, but we always come back and it just, uh, you know, if you want outdoors, you have the outdoors.
Speaker 2 00:19:17 If you want to get involved in anything that you could possibly imagine, you have that opportunity here. So, uh, beautiful location, you know, great people, lots of opportunity to get involved in anything. I don't know. It just, it, you know, even when I think of retirement, I don't know what the chocolate lady is going to do when she retires. But, um, we, we really have no thought to leave. Uh, this is home. So, you know, I, I can see us staying here and I can see us maybe having a place elsewhere. Right. We can go for a couple months, you know, I know their kids' family or whatever can come visit and friends can visit, but yeah, it, it, it'd be very hard to find another location, another community that has the same vibe for sure.
Speaker 0 00:20:03 Nice. Yeah. My parents had the same way in regards to, uh, they immigrated to Canada, I think like 1975, they moved to Fort McMurray in 1977. Wow. So they've been here for awhile and uh, when they're both retired, now my mom spoke at or taught at the college and my dad worked, uh, at Syncrude in a warehouse. Um, and they both loved what they did the whole time. They did it. And then when they retired, the assumption was like, yeah, you're probably going to move somewhere else. And uh, no, they've been retired for a long time now. And they still are like, I'm not going to give away their address because my dad would kill me. Um, but they're still here in Fort McMurray and they, they love it. And they have no intention of moving anywhere else. Like you kind of mentioned, they travel
Speaker 2 00:20:48 A lot and they, they, they get out to do what they want, but their home base is Fort McMurray. And they say like, this is home. They're not going anywhere. It used to be that it, when you retired, it wasn't a question of where are you going to leave? It was, where are you going? That's when I first moved here, that's all you heard. Oh, retiring in five years. And I'm gone. I'm this, I'm that. And in the last 10 years, for sure, especially through the store, uh, I've seen so many more people state aid or people who have left comeback that have retired. And so they're coming back as their kids are here, they're coming back because you're spending way too much money traveling back and forth, but they miss their friends. And that's what it comes down to. I mean, you can move someplace that has cheap taxes, but if you have nobody around you to do things with, it becomes pretty lonely.
Speaker 2 00:21:33 So yeah, it just, uh, it definitely becomes home for sure. There you go. Yeah. Okay. On that note, I know we went over on time. It's a reoccurring theme, but that's okay. Um, before I let you go, though, I want you to plug your business one more time. Please tell people what the business is, where you're at, how they can support you. You betcha. So come buy chocolates and candlelight up in Timberly. Uh, we are open Monday to Saturday, 10 to six. You can contact us any which way you imagine, you know, all the social media pages, certainly websites, all that good stuff, but we'd love to see you, you know, maybe feed you a chocolate or two. So there we go. Awesome. Well, on that note, that's the end of the show. Everybody who's watching at home. Thank you very much. Once again, for taking the time to tune in, really do appreciate it. My name Elliot, Pierre. This has been the Mac city morning show. Hope you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow. Peace.
Speaker 4 00:22:24 <inaudible> talk about quenching your ugly thirst.
