Colt Hill was restocking his table at Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery in St. Davids on March 21 when he ran out of product — not a bad problem for a 13-year-old who started his concrete home décor business at age nine and last week donated $700 to the Niagara SPCA.
Hill was one of more than 30 vendors at Ravine’s second annual spring market organized by Little Hearts Market, held March 21 and 22, where entrepreneurs sold handmade goods to a community that organizers say is buying local with more hesitation than it once did.
Hill, of Welland, pours concrete and jesmonite — a lightweight composite material — into silicone moulds to make planters, candle holders and decorative trays entirely on his own. He started Colt Creations five year ago and built it into something more deliberate than just a hobby.
“I really wanted to not only donate to the SPCA, but also save for a car and get a head start on life,” said Hill.
The $700 donation to the Niagara SPCA came from proceeds accumulated over months of sales. Hill said the Niagara community has made that growth possible and that he plans to keep the business going long-term.
Ashley Langohr, co-founder of Little Hearts Markets alongside Miranda Veide, said the spring event fills a gap after a long off-season during winter. She was candid about what that community is now up against. Vendors have raised prices to cover higher material costs, and buyers have felt it.
“Tariffs and the rising cost of everything make it a lot harder to support local when prices are higher,” said Langohr.
She acknowledged that the buy-local surge since COVID has fluctuated with inflation, but believes customers still make the effort when they can.
Emma MacEwan from Fonthill started her art business from unlikely direction. She excelled in math at school never taking a formal art class. She enrolled in finance in college and only picked up a brush during a difficult stretch of her life. Her brand, Bloom Script, now sells textured paintings she creates without sketching or planning in advance — a style widespread in Australia but still rare in Canada.
“I do not really plan any of the pieces out,” said MacEwan. “I just intuitively let myself paint and see how it turns out.”
She runs Bloom Script full-time and is expanding into children’s workshops, partnering with Niagara Falls children’s book author Lacey Boucher. MacEwan said she eventually wants to move the business toward mental health programming.
Building that kind of practice requires more than craft, she said. At a recent bank meeting, an adviser suggested she keep art as a side project and return to finance.
“You have to be so strong in yourself,” said MacEwan. “A lot of people who do not have that mindset can make you question yourself.”
Sadie Janzen, 19, of St. Catharines started her brand Sadie’s Own in Grade 8 with a self-care product line that has since expanded into jewellery, candles, accessories and charm-making workshops she hosts. She now studies business administration at Brock University while running roughly two markets per month and selling through Instagram.
Direct customer relationships have become central to her business, as it is something buyers can’t get from the big box stores and other online retailers.
“They can get an actual connection with me and get to know me and my products,” said Janzen.
Little Hearts Markets will return to Ravine Vineyard in the fall with indoor and outdoor vendor space and a new roster of makers.
