The amazing story of the Tin House Emporium and its mission to help those in need
Tara Steeves and her husband moved to Bathurst two years ago, and her business, the Tin House Emporium, is celebrating its one-year anniversary.
When I went downtown to speak to Tara about her consignment shop filled with used clothing, furniture, CDs and records, as well as paintings, jewelry and more, I did not know about the story that I was going to hear.
Tara has traveled to 32 different countries, and when she and her husband decided to move to Bathurst, they were living in Ireland.
“We’ve been sponsoring children for many years,” says Tara, “And I was headhunted to go to Ireland and help them start a sponsorship program over there. They have about 17 different orphanages all over the world and I got to go on different trips.”
One place Tara visited was Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa.
“It’s one of the world’s most dangerous countries right now. Extreme poverty, and although there are a lot of humanitarian efforts in the country, it doesn’t always get to the people.”
Tara was working in Ireland, but once COVID hit, they moved back home when her husband got a job in Bathurst. Once arriving, Tara thought, What am I going to do now?
That’s when the idea for the Tin House Emporium came to be. With the help of her father, she opened the store, and now helps feed over 900 orphans in Burkina Faso. If that isn’t amazing enough, it still isn’t all that Tara is doing. She’s also providing humanitarian efforts right here in the Bathurst area with the help of her husband, Brent.
“We help people here in town as well. We help seniors who might need it, the homeless, we give out clothing. We do different things. There are a lot of charities here and we want to compliment them,” says Tara.
The name Tin House Emporium represents the living conditions of many of the orphans which she sponsors.
Tara is also an aspiring crafter/artisan who makes all the crafts that you’ll see at the store. With that and the other items at the Tin House Emporium, Tara is donating the proceeds to orphans in Burkina Faso and to local charities.
In Northern Heat Report fashion, I had to ask a globetrotter like Tara, what exactly she finds special about Bathurst?
“We’ve traveled all over the world, living in Ireland, in the US, and my husband and I are hoping to never leave,” says Tara. “We love the community. We love the camaraderie between the French and English. You can never go wrong with seeing the ocean every day. The people are generous and friendly, and I’d love to continue to be a part of the community.”
Tara is an amazing person, with an amazing story, and if you want to visit the Tin House Emporium, it is on the corner of King and Main at 197 Main Street. You can also reach Tara, at 506-588-9420.
We want to say thank you to Tara and Brent for everything they do, and we wish them continued success in all of their efforts.
Lastly, a big thank you to everyone who continues to support the Northern Heat Report, and continues to tune in to the stories that have not yet been discovered.