There’s been moments over the past two-and-a-half years when Dee Skeith has felt like she’s living in a “fantasy town.”
Skeith, a grandmother, moved to St. Marys in 2019 not too long after her daughter came to town with her husband, a St. Marys native. “I moved here to be closer to the grandkids,” she said. “I wanted to be more apart from their lives.”
That decision turned out to be even more life-changing than she had imagined.
Shortly after arriving in Stonetown, Skeith said she was diagnosed with cancer. Not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic declared in March 2020, that’s when things began to get a little surreal.
Still a relative newcomer in St. Marys, Skeith said the encouragement she received from the community stunned her. At one point during a particularly desperate moment, Skeith said she was out for a walk when one of the neighbors along her route greeted her with a friendly hello and a generous gift card.
It might not sound like much, but that small gesture turned out to be a huge moral boost.
“This community really supported me,” Skeith said. “It’s the strangest thing. I felt like it was some sort of fantasy town. Once my cancer thing was better and I got back to work, I wanted to find a way to give back.”
Skeith works at the local LCBO but every Saturday morning you can find her at The Flats managing the St. Marys Farmers’ Market.
The new part-time gig was exactly what she was looking for.
“I thought this would be good to support the community that supported me,” she said. “The farmers’ market I think is vital.”
The weekly outdoor market that moved to the Flats last year officially opened up for the season this month and a number of familiar vendors have returned.
Green Haven Bakery, a St. Marys shop that got its start selling at the farmers’ market, continues to offer its popular fried pies at the Flats. Breadtopia, a St. Marys micro bakery, is another busy stop for locals every Saturday morning.
Melody Arnhold, the co-owner of Forest Hill Orchard, makes the one hour drive to St. Marys nearly every week, bringing with her a variety of apples, cider, and other produce. Her orchard supplies various grocery stores in southwestern Ontario, but the St. Marys market is one of her favorite spots.
“I love it here,” Arnhold said. “It’s the atmosphere, the people. (It’s) a very friendly community.”
Skeith expects to see the number of vendors at the market increase to about 30 as the weather continues to get warmer.
“Everyone wants to support local,” Skeith said. “I want this small community to remain the incredible place that it is and I think something like the farmers’ market is what makes it special.”