A calm, light-filled space in small town Ontario

Small-town Ontario ain’t what it used to be. When architect Kaegan Walsh was in short pants, Thornbury (current population 3,474) was a dusty farming town, and the factories still had operating punch clocks and workers to punch the cards.

Today, one of those factories has a cider and beer brewhouse, and, on Bruce Street South, there are at least three hipster coffee shops, an art gallery, celebrity chef Mark McEwan’s Fabbrica restaurant, an “artisan pasta” shop and a few well-appointed home décor shops. While in Thornbury’s case it might have to do with the proximity to Collingwood (and all the coffee-addicted ski bums) it suits retirees Chris and Suzanne Sadler just fine.