By Emily Stonehouse

It seemed like it happened overnight; we blinked, and suddenly Handmade Heaven, the shop at 160 Highland Street which featured a variety of local artists, was gone.

Shelves emptied, signs pulled down, and lingering questions about what happened abound.

For artist Heather Robertson of The Painted Pine, she is still reeling from the whiplash of the sudden closure. “We had absolutely no forewarning, no indication that any of our money would be refunded,” she said.

Robertson originally started with Handmade Heaven through the Peterborough location in March of 2022. The chain had opened a series of stores across the province, all boasting the same concept of featuring local artists in a consignment-style shop. The Haliburton branch of the chain opened on July 27 of this past year.

Robertson shared that her initial experience with owner Sam Milne was very positive. “He was very encouraging to new makers such as myself, and really threw his whole heart and soul into the business,” she said. “I truly believe he had every intention of making Handmade Heaven a big success.”

Milne continued to open new locations across the province, and Roberston moved her product into Oakville and Haliburton as well. As the expansions rolled out, Robertson noted that her payments for her products were continually on time, and if there were ever any questions or discrepancies, Milne would address them immediately. “He really wanted people to know he was fully behind them and the business,” she said.

Fast forward to January of this year, and Robertson noted that things started to change. “I was receiving messages from a couple other vendors asking if I’d been paid, and I had,” she shared. “I didn’t think anything of it, other than that banking may be delayed depending on a branch or bank you were with.”

To start the year, the business offered the vendors a special promotion of paying rent for the whole year ahead, resulting in getting November and December for free. Robertson shared that these types of promotions had been presented before, so she didn’t think much of it, and went ahead with the deal for multiple locations. “I thought I was going to have a great year,” she said. “Little did I know what would happen just a few short weeks later.”

On the morning of Tuesday, March 3, Robertson and all the vendors received a brief but cutting email, stating that effective immediately, all Handmade Heaven stores would be closing, and products needed to be picked up as soon as possible.

At that point, all communications were shut down for the business. Robertson noted that she emailed every contact she had ever made through Handmade Heaven, and nothing went through. The Echo made several attempts at reaching the owners, and all means of communication have been removed at the time of publication; a ringtone notifying the caller that the number is no longer in service.

Robertson shared that the managers and staff at both the Peterborough and Haliburton locations seemed just as shocked as the vendors at the sudden closures. “They had no knowledge that this was happening, and found out in the same email as vendors did,” she said. “I felt horrible for the staff, as they were in the stores kindly helping us pack up, and they had all just lost their jobs.” She went on to thank the staff, and noted they were “polite, caring, and wonderful.”

According to Robertson, many of the artists are at a loss for words. “Vendors themselves are shocked, furious, and shattered by these goings on,” she said. “None of us were aware, and so many have lost thousands of dollars in rent, and products that were sold and they never received the money for the sales.”

Following the brief note to confirm the closure, Robertson said that she received a follow-up email from Milne, citing ongoing issues with former business partners, though he did not get into great detail. Robertson believes this to be the true reasoning behind the sudden closure, “at least, that is what I want to be the truth. I doubt we’ll ever know,” she said.

Robertson shared that people from the community have been reaching out to herself and fellow vendors, offering support and understanding during the challenging time. “That means more than people could ever imagine,” she said. She noted that she’s been in touch with other local maker stores, and hopes to continue to have a presence in Haliburton. “I’ve loved the community of friends I made through Handmade Heaven,” she said. “So many of us are still in touch; it’s hard to keep a creative mind down.”