The fun and eclectic shopping experience that we’ve long known as Mosaic Market has been at the same location in Davis Bay since 1997. With new owners and a new name, “The Shop on the Shore” continues to delight locals and visitors with a surprising array of high quality wares from an enterprising and creative collective of vendors.
New owner Crystal Bakaluk originally joined the market as a vendor. When the opportunity came up to buy the business, she and co-owner Denee Bosco jumped at the chance.
“I loved being a part of this shop,” says Crystal, “so when it came up for grabs, it was a must, so my friend Denee and I bought the business! We . . . thought about a name change and, well, it is a shop and it is on the shore— a stunning one at that. ‘The Shop On The Shore’ it is!”
The location and collective approach has been a success since the original founders, Sally Bondy, and Wendy De Roos, moved their small Gibsons shop, “Trinkets and Treasures,” to the larger, more promising space in Davis Bay. They renovated to make space for up to 25 vendors and later opened a tea room in the adjoining business space. Wendy recalls, “From top to bottom and side to side, it was a collective, creative effort among all the participants, offering everything from jewellery, china, antiques, art and art supplies, to clothing and bathing suits.”
Next, Kathy Trites headed up the market for 11 years and gave it the name that became familiar to all: Mosaic Market, with its connotations of artworks and craft, as well as gifts and vintage.
It’s important to slow down when visiting The Shop on the Shore. Fine art nestles alongside vintage, decor sets off jewellery, contemporary clothing hangs beside antiques, with everything of the highest quality and artfully presented. The new owners, both originally from Kelowna, are drawn to our coastal “beach vibe,” and you will see delightful examples of this all over the store, particularly in Crystal’s own driftwood sculptures.
But they are not messing with what has long been a successful formula.
Crystal continues:
“It will absolutely remain to be a collection of cooperating vendors. It’s a great dynamic we have going. We have a wonderful group of people working together to make this shop as special as it is, and the community’s support is amazing . . . As a local artist myself, it is a pleasure to house the creativity of other local artists, as well as the unique, and always changing, blend from all of our vendors.”
