BIZZ BUZZ

The Burlington Chamber of Commerce holds its Business Achievement Awards gala next Friday, May 9 at the Burlington Convention Centre. The finalists by category are: Innovative Technology - Edge Imaging and Xiris Automation Inc.; Manufacturer - Mars Metal Company and Thordon Bearings Inc.; New Product or Service - ADFLOW Networks Inc. and Marsh Instrumentation; Retail/Wholesale - Classic Jewellery and The Grinning Gourmand; Service - Bay Gardens Funeral Home, Customized Global Logistics Inc. and West Plains Bistro; and Small Business - Mighty Transportation Services, Rapid Tools and The Centre for Personal Surgery.

A specialty toy store is the latest independent retail venture to spring up on Locke Street. Citizen Kid will specialize in mostly European-designed and manufactured items made with renewable resources and safe, non-toxic materials.

“We’re a small fish in a big pond,” says Rebecca Bamford, who is co-owner of the store, along with her husband Trevor Westerhoff. “We’re not here to compete with Toys ‘R’ Us or Walmart. We’re dealing with many products of heirloom quality.”

Rebecca and Trevor recently relocated their family from Vancouver to Hamilton and saw great potential for their concept store in the west side’s most quaint shopping district. “We saw a wonderful opportunity here in Hamilton and we haven’t been disappointed,” Rebecca says. “Locke Street has a wonderful energy. It’s a beautiful neighbourhood.”

Citizen Kid is located in a newly refurbished building at 188 Locke Street South at Melbourne. The store is scheduled to open in mid May.

Tricia Hellingman is president of Hellingman Communications, a Hamilton-based public relations and marketing agency. You can email her at thellingman@hellingman.com. BizzBuzz appears every other Friday.