Liberty is like Madonna, constantly reinventing, and thereby outliving most others of its type. For seventeen years, Liberty existed in downtown Simcoe, Ontario. Christy Miedema is the third owner and the store is currently housed in its sixth location at 19 Harbour St. in Port Dover. The store was moved from Simcoe to Port Dover in June of 2018 to access higher foot traffic volume in Norfolk’s fastest-growing community. A perfect storefront opened up right on the waterfront and Christy decided to take the plunge and move the business. The legal business name is ‘Liberty Home Decor and Gift Boutique’ but locals have always just called it ‘the Liberty store.”
Christy is helped out by employee Terri, and her husband, Darryl Hunt. Darryl works odd hours as a construction manager and gets volunteered on some of his off days to man the shop, while Christy works in the pottery studio. Her hand-made pottery as well as the work of half a dozen other members of the local potter’s guild is available to purchase in the shop. Terri mans the shop one or two days a week, and she likes to draw! If you ask, she’ll customize your bag with a doodle or your recipient’s name in pretty handwriting.
Welcoming and fun, a visit to Liberty is like popping in at a friend’s house; a friend who has a ton of cool stuff! The shop is always full of ever-shifting, busy displays that follow themes or colour-stories and invite customers to take their time exploring and interacting with the products. A visit to Liberty is intended to be a mini-adventure, a visit to a place full of curiousities and delights that stimulate the senses and invoke laughter or nostalgia. The blend of locally handmade, commercial and vintage goods allows browsers to feel like they are on a little treasure hunt, and ideally to purchase a unique gift, for giving or keeping, that quickly joins a person’s trove of prized possessions. In this, Liberty is on the forefront of an emerging trend in independent retail to provide shoppers with more than just goods for purchase, but a shopping experience that enriches a person’s day
So browse our inventory online, or better yet, come down to the pier one of these days and pop into the shop to explore and be entertained by our selection of great items for great people. A visit to Liberty is likely to interest and inspire you, because Liberty is The Good Idea Store!