HOK #126: Meet Molly van der Schee

Molly van der Schee is the owner of Village Quire in Westboro. Photo courtesy of Molly van der Schee.

“I am from southwestern Ontario—a small town in the country, about an hour between Windsor and London. It has a population of only 1,000 people. I went to school in Windsor, but then found my way to Ottawa. 

It’s a funny story, actually…My aunt was a Member of Parliament and she had died in the House of Commons. When that happened, a friend of hers—Susan Delacourt, who is a journalist with the Toronto Star—had written about my aunt, and I came up to do the transcripts and everything. Four days later, I ended up with a job. 

I was an esthetician in my previous life, and I have a degree in communications. When I first moved to Ottawa in 1999, I was living downtown and worked for the city and federal government as well. I eventually met my husband Dave and we got married.

I always wanted to take aesthetics and I worked at a couple of spots here in Westboro which are no longer here. I bought the Village Quire 11 years ago, but it’s been around for about 20 years. 

I remember the day the former owner was hanging her ‘for sale’ sign and I thought I’d maybe like to do that. We are a true greeting card store. People who shop here from England like it because it reminds them of home. We carry not just Canadian but many North American and British lines. 

It’s been a good match for when we had a young family because we aren’t huge travellers; we are more home bodies. I was never far from the kids if they needed me: I could shut the store for a couple of hours and be at their school in 20 minutes by foot. 

I chaired the Westboro BIA for the past couple of years, and that’s coming to an end, but it’s been an amazing life experience, learning how boards and non-profits work. I think it’s important to volunteer your time and give back to your community. 

Kitchissippi reminds me a lot of growing up in a small town—a lot of my family owned their own businesses and it’s the same vibe for me when I come down to open the shop. It’s great to say hello to everyone, whether it’s friends and neighbours, other shopkeepers, or customers who feel like friends. 

During the pandemic, I learned patience and the value of now. Life is in the present: it’s not wishing that you had done things in the past or hanging on hopes for the future which may or may not come. 

We recently have done two pandemic things: we got a dog and we got a pool. So right now, if we are not organizing for the pool, we are walking the dog and hanging out around the great patios in Westboro. We like to bike down to the Remic Rapids and catch up with all the festivals, whether it be Westboro Fuse or the Tulip Festival.”

Story collected by Charlie Senack

Meet Molly van der Schee

“I am from southwestern Ontario—a small town in the country, about an hour between Windsor and London. It has a population of only 1,000 people. I went to school in Windsor, but then found my way to Ottawa. 

It’s a funny story, actually…My aunt was a Member of Parliament and she had died in the House of Commons. When that happened, a friend of hers—Susan Delacourt, who is a journalist with the Toronto Star—had written about my aunt, and I came up to do the transcripts and everything. Four days later, I ended up with a job. 

I was an esthetician in my previous life, and I have a degree in communications. When I first moved to Ottawa in 1999, I was living downtown and worked for the city and federal government as well. I eventually met my husband Dave and we got married.

I always wanted to take aesthetics and I worked at a couple of spots here in Westboro which are no longer here. I bought the Village Quire 11 years ago, but it’s been around for about 20 years. 

I remember the day the former owner was hanging her ‘for sale’ sign and I thought I’d maybe like to do that. We are a true greeting card store. People who shop here from England like it because it reminds them of home. We carry not just Canadian but many North American and British lines. 

It’s been a good match for when we had a young family because we aren’t huge travellers; we are more home bodies. I was never far from the kids if they needed me: I could shut the store for a couple of hours and be at their school in 20 minutes by foot. 

I chaired the Westboro BIA for the past couple of years, and that’s coming to an end, but it’s been an amazing life experience, learning how boards and non-profits work. I think it’s important to volunteer your time and give back to your community. 

Kitchissippi reminds me a lot of growing up in a small town—a lot of my family owned their own businesses and it’s the same vibe for me when I come down to open the shop. It’s great to say hello to everyone, whether it’s friends and neighbours, other shopkeepers, or customers who feel like friends. 

During the pandemic, I learned patience and the value of now. Life is in the present: it’s not wishing that you had done things in the past or hanging on hopes for the future which may or may not come. 

We recently have done two pandemic things: we got a dog and we got a pool. So right now, if we are not organizing for the pool, we are walking the dog and hanging out around the great patios in Westboro. We like to bike down to the Remic Rapids and catch up with all the festivals, whether it be Westboro Fuse or the Tulip Festival.”

Story collected by Charlie Senack.

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