Words Jamila Douhaibi
Photo Wind Gypsy Photography
A thrifter, a mother, a shop owner, a grandma, a manager of two businesses and a local artist-hub creator.
This seems like too many descriptors for one person, but Katherine Margetts is all of these things and more. Having lived in Sidney for 18 years, she has grown with the town and remains loyally committed to supporting and sharing with the local community.
Katherine grew up in Penticton and says that she has “always been a thrifter,” because she went to garage sales with her mom every Saturday growing up. Her mom even put pins into a map so they had their schedule pre-planned. Katherine always thought she’d be an entrepreneur, but after having two children, she focused on raising them and didn’t start her first business, keekeeklean professional house cleaning, until she was older. Perhaps an unpopular view, Katherine says: “I love cleaning,” and through her business she met the nicest, friendliest clients.
When her sister and mom both passed away within one month of each other five years ago, it turned her life upside down. She gave her cleaning clients to her other employees and after coming back to work says that “I didn’t know what to do so I opened The Shop.”
The Shop, which started on First Street in Sidney, is the perfect place for a curator of interesting things. Though it has often meant working at the store during the day and running keekeeklean at night, Katherine says about The Shop: “I never set out to do this but it’s the thing I’m most proud of.” Katherine says that there are more than 30 local artisans represented at The Shop, which acts as “the hub” for local gems. She sources everything that comes to the store and travels around the Island for great pieces to add to the displays of artists’ work. Favourite spots are Parksville and Qualicum and Katherine has come back with several full cars after days of thrifting. She says that some of the artists are older ladies that like to sew and craft, or people who make one specialty item, so The Shop is the perfect place for them. She loves decorating and arranging everything in the store and says that she is “very minimal at home” so everything thrifted and chosen comes to The Shop. She also carries some items of clothing, but says that “I only carry great clothes at a medium price point,” rather than piles of mismatched items.
Outside of working two jobs and finding pieces for The Shop, Katherine loves to swim, bike, host big family dinners and go camping. Katherine and her mom were supposed to go camping just before she passed away, so she’s “making the whole family go camping this summer.” Katherine’s oldest grandchild, aged 21, meets her for lunch every two weeks, and another grandchild helps at The Shop. Her dog Molly is also “world famous in Sidney” and had a sweet 16 party at the store.
Exciting news is The Shop is moving to Beacon Avenue! Though the original home provided a lot of good memories over the years, the location off the main drag has also been a struggle. Katherine says that even though rent is a bit higher in the new place, when a space came up, she decided to “take the plunge and find a better spot with more foot traffic.” For her, the important aspects of what she does won’t change in the new location. She still looks forward to working with and highlighting community artists, offering personal touches like dropping purchases off for older shoppers, referring people to other shops if she doesn’t have what they’re looking for, and providing elevated goods. The opening date for The Shop’s new location (107-2506 Beacon Avenue) is July 1!
As someone who wears many hats and loves the roles she’s taken up in her community, Katherine is adding to the character of Sidney, and doing it in style.
