When Byron Gourley first purchased a beautiful heritage home in Hillsborough, he envisioned an art studio in his future, not a grocery store. He and his life partner had been living in Moncton, but sought a larger home that afforded space to expand his artistic endeavours. Although it needed work, the Hillsborough house was an incredible deal. Too good to pass up. They hired a local contractor to start the repairs.
“Then I fell in love with the people,” Gourley says. “The warmth and welcoming we received…our neighbours brought us welcoming gifts. In Moncton, we didn’t even know our neighbours.”
In discussions with neighbours and workers, he heard how much residents missed the grocery store that closed in 2019. In his role as an economic development officer for Metepenagiag First Nation, he brought in businesses to meet the needs of the community. Now, he saw a niche that could be filled in Hillsborough.