HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Ron Gillespie and his youngest daughter, Tracy Nietvelt-Prentice, opened The Market Shoppe in September 2013 after working Farmers’ Market booths together for a few years. They wanted to bring the market indoors year round. Ron ran most of the business side of things so that Tracy could spend time focussing on her young family. Over the years their community has shown up for them and they have been very grateful to serve them. In April 2020 Ron passed away of a sudden heart attack. Tracy closed the Shoppe for a month to get her feet back under her and re-opened at the end of May. You can live in a community your whole life and not fully understand how surrounded in love you are. Tracy was born in the Markdale hospital and went to the local schools (as did Ron). This has always been home base. You have no way to prepare yourself for the death of your father/business partner/best friend but you also have no way to prepare yourself for the tidal wave of love that you can receive in a community like Markdale.  With the support of the customers old and new, Tracy has been able to grow The Market Shoppe since Ron‘s passing and has hired amazing staff who treat this store and its customers just like family. The Market Shoppe is always looking for new ways to support their customers, community and Ontario small businesses. 

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