A border, not a barrier
A border, not a barrier
The path to fulfilling a dream isn’t always the straightest one.
Michele McCarthy married her Canadian-born husband in 1983 and become a permanent resident who now lives in Burlington, Ontario. For the past two years, McCarthy’s made the nearly hour-long commute almost every morning to Lewiston, New York, where she owns the Chantilly Rose boutique.
Deborah Parker grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, until heading off to college in New York at Niagara University. After earning her nursing degree, Parker started dating an American-born man who later became her husband. In 1978, the couple married and settled in Ransomville, New York, where she now owns the Knead the Dough restaurant.
While love may have sent the two women’s lives in opposite directions across the U.S.-Canada border, they now are on a similar path, with personal goals of being successful American business owners.
Even as a child, McCarthy hoped to one day have her own shop in the Lewiston’s quaint downtown village. With her marriage and life taking her to Canada, it took more than four decades for that to come to fruition in 2017 when she opened Chantilly Rose, a clothing and home decor shop on Center Street.
“It’s nice to finally put that dream into action,” McCarthy said. “It’s a hidden jewel.”
Elaine DeFazio was best friends with McCarthy in high school, and the two would spend afternoons shopping along Center Street. DeFazio credits McCarthy for never giving up on her aspirations.
“She was busy raising the family and she did a lot of volunteer work,” DeFazio said. “She put her dreams aside, she was not selfish.”
Although McCarthy admits the commute and crossing the border can be taxing at times, she has enjoyed reconnecting with her hometown and owning her own shop.
Parker also has found a second career as American business owner. While working as a nurse, Parker and her husband talked about opening their own restaurant in Ransomville about 30 miles north of Buffalo.
Deborah Parker: It’s the sense of the community. I actually had some other people who owned another restaurant that they wanted to open and I was very flattered because they said to me we want you to bring to our area what you brought to Ransomville. So, that makes me feel good. If you want to be part of community you have to be part of the community, so we do that.
In 2002, her husband died, prompting Parker to fulfill the couple’s dream by opening Knead the Dough, a homey eatery that serves breakfast and lunch.
“It’s a small town atmosphere,” Parker said. “They get absorbed as part of my family.”
Parker said most of her customer base is local. Also, she occasionally has Canadian customers who may be in the area shopping or camping.
“It’s a pretty border friendly area,” said Parker, who also credited border agents with a few friendly referrals. “I have people at the border, who tell them if you are going over the States you better go to Knead the Dough and eat.”
But despite being a U.S. resident for more than 40 years, she hasn’t lost touch with her roots across the border. She even works in a few reminders such as signs and knickknacks into the restaurant’s decor.
“I am proud to be a Canadian,” she said. “That will always be home and I will always have that connection.”
is a staff producer for The NewsHouse.
