Andréa’s journey from the Peninsula, to Newfoundland, and back to Bathurst
When traveling downtown Bathurst, the first building likely to catch your eye is Confiserie Andréa Confectionery on Main Street. The inviting paint work done by Caraquet artist Luc Dugas, tells you all you need to know about why visiting this unique shop is essential for downtown visitors.
Andréa Duguay-Cormier grew up in the Acadian Peninsula, and started her journey by making different chocolates and bringing them to the Tracadie market. Then, later on in life, Andréa would find herself in Newfoundland, wondering what’s next?
“When I moved to Newfoundland, I didn’t really know how to speak English,” says Andréa. “There’s a lot of money there because it’s a mining town and they didn’t have anything like that.”
For the first year and a half, Andréa worked out of her home because of the language barrier but after joining a craft guild, she soon felt comfortable to go out and open a shop.
In the beginning, it was a small shop, roughly 450 square feet, but it didn’t take long before it doubled in size.
The shop proved to be a success in Newfoundland, and when the time came for Andréa to return to New Brunswick, the same idea crossed her mind. There’s nothing like that in Bathurst, so why not?
She looked for a building and saw the location on Main Street for sale. The area was bigger than she thought she needed, but she’s happy that she took it, because now every square inch of the place is being used, including the basement.
“It’s a passion. I try to bring some stuff that’s not in town. If you copy your neighbor, it’s not going to help anyone. If you bring something different, it makes your town a nicer place to live.”
The shop offers a lot of specialty products including a full section devoted to nostalgic treats. They create gift bags year round, which are great for corporate events. The Confectionery also offers seasonal treats for different holidays including, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter.
For those interested in checking out this one of a kind shop, it’s located on 120 Main Street. You can also visit their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/confiserieandrea
If you’re looking to become a business owner, Confiserie Andréa Confectionery is now for sale. Andrea is looking to retire, but she isn’t looking to simply sell the building for someone to close the shop and open something else. This is an important part of the downtown landscape, and if you’re interested in carrying the torch, this could be a great opportunity.
We want to thank Andréa Duguay-Cormier, for taking time out of her busy day to speak with us and tell us a bit about her history and the history of this great shop.
That’s it for another edition of The Northern Heat Report. The place you come to listen to the stories that have not yet been discovered.