There’s something quite remarkable about Clarksburg, Ont., a small town tucked between cottage country hotspots Collingwood and Blue Mountain: nearly 75 per cent of the town’s businesses are owned by female entrepreneurs, a major feat that feels right to celebrate this International Women’s Day.
The list of businesses in this quiet town of 3,000 residents is diverse. From pottery studios and art galleries to a little cafe set up against the wall in the local market, it’s the female entrepreneurs who have helped shape the identity of this artistic village, something that has unfolded quite naturally.
“I hadn’t realized that before,” laughs Abby Gauthier, owner of The Market on the Marsh and head of the Clarksburg Village Association. “But now that you mention it, even the whole board is women.”
Abby Gauthier. Photo by Sandeep Panesar.
And that sets the stage for the remarkable journey the women in Clarksburg have embarked on.
A marriage of collaboration and connection
There’s one thing that each of these female entrepreneurs credits their success to: one another’s support.
Vanessa Aragona, a ceramic artist who runs VARA Studios out of a quaint little shed by the hill in the village, says being surrounded by other women in business makes a difficult path feel less lonely.
“It’s really inspiring,” the Design and Architecture graduate shares. “Entrepreneurship is hard, and being a female entrepreneur can add extra challenges. But here there’s a built-in community where you can lean on each other.”
Reflecting on the resilience the women of Clarksburg have shown in building this fabric of female-owned businesses, she says she’s grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the community.
Vanessa Aragona. Photo by Sandeep Panesar.
The women regularly share ideas, collaborate on projects, and offer advice at different stages of business.
“You can problem-solve together,” Aragona says. “It’s like having a team, which you don’t usually get when you run your own business.”
The journey of reinventing
Many of the women who have opened businesses in Clarksburg arrived through unexpected paths.
Tania Piunno, who runs Enduro Espresso, moved to the area during the pandemic after working as a camera operator in the film industry. After years of commuting and travelling, she decided to try something new.
“The only other job I’d ever really had was working in cafes,” she says. “I think everyone dreams of opening a little coffee shop in a small town.”
And Piunno turned this dream into reality.
Tania Piunno. Photo by Sandeep Panesar.
With support from the Clarksburg Village Association, she began selling coffee from inside Gauthier’s The Market on the Marsh, a small experiment that quickly found an audience.
“It’s been a year now,” the barista reminisces on her humble beginnings. “The support from the other businesses here has been overwhelming.”
Piunno confides something that really stands out. She believes the town’s entrepreneurial spirit comes from a mix of generations.
“Some women here had long careers and then retired and decided to start their dream business,” she says. “Others are younger and just trying something new because the town makes it possible.”
Piunno reiterates how the town’s foundation is built on intergenerational efforts by women who have inspired one another to follow their dreams.
A realm where creativity thrives
Clarksburg, fondly known as “Artsburg,” seamlessly reminds you that creativity flows through nearly every business in the village.
At Clarksburghers, a vintage shop and music space, owners Antina and Eric combined two neighbouring storefronts into a mix of fashion and musical instruments.
“It feels like stepping back in time,” Antina says. “People tell us it reminds them of somewhere in New York.” And if you step inside the store, you can see exactly why.
Music plays a big role in the shop’s atmosphere, especially encouraging young female musicians. “We had a young girl come in and buy her first electric guitar. Seeing young girls pick up instruments and start playing is amazing,” Antina recalls.
Eric and Antina. Photo by Sandeep Panesar.
Nearby, artist Sue Tupy has spent decades building her career at The Clark Gallery. Originally a potter, she later expanded into painting, fashion, and retail.
“I’ve been an artist my whole life. It’s how I made my living,” she says.
Tupy played on her father’s strengths, who was one of the founders of the famous pottery manufacturer, Blue Mountain Pottery. Her work now ranges from landscapes and florals to expressive nudes, which she admits is a part of a lifelong evolution in art.
Reinvention at every stage
The women of Clarksburg have gracefully settled into their careers on their own timelines, and tattoo artist Josie Hewgill, owner of Fine Lines by Josie, is a perfect example of that.
Hewgill opened her studio after years devoted to motherhood and other careers. Originally trained as a teacher with a background in visual arts, she eventually discovered a passion for fine-line tattooing, a delicate and specific style she couldn’t find locally.
Josie Hewgill. Photo by Sandeep Panesar.
“It was a lightbulb moment,” she remembers. “I realized there was a gap here.”
Hewgill trained, opened her studio, and intentionally designed it to feel different from a traditional tattoo shop. “My goal was to create a cozy, private space where women feel comfortable,” she admits.
Many of her clients bring deeply personal designs — drawings from children, handwriting from loved ones, or symbols tied to meaningful memories — and that, she says, makes her work so much more purposeful.
The meaning of International Women’s Day
For many of Clarksburg’s female entrepreneurs, International Women’s Day is less about recognition and more about reflection.
“It’s nice to get some kudos,” Antina says with a smile. “There are so many talented, creative women doing incredible work, sometimes even behind the scenes.”
Elizabeth Dyer. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Dyer.
Others see the day as an opportunity to acknowledge the progress women have made, and the work still ahead.
Elizabeth Dyer, a local artist and owner of Elizabeth Dyer Studio, explains that the day reminds her of the women who paved the way.
“I come from a line of strong feminist women who fought for their rights,” she says. “That legacy inspires the work I create today.”
For Hewgill, International Women’s Day also celebrates the quiet strength of everyday lives. “I love celebrating women’s achievements,” she says. “But I also want to honour the quieter work: raising children, caring for others, starting over, becoming.”
Despite its small size, Clarksburg has quietly become a powerful example of what happens when women support one another, highlighting that entrepreneurship doesn’t have to be isolating; it can be deeply collaborative.
“I feel like that’s something special,” Piunni says. “You walk down the street and realize just how many women are building something here.”
There are a total of 27 female-owned businesses in the village, and each of them deserves lauding in their own merit: Lemonade Collective, Hluboka, Kelly Gale Creative, Marsh Street Gallery, reDiscovered on Marsh, The Market on Marsh, BREADxCircus Studio, Barking Brew, Beyond Framing, and Enduro Espresso are all fine examples.
But the list doesn’t end there. Farmers Pantry, Vara Studios, Inheritance Studios, Clarksburghers, The Honey House, Riverside Press, Active Arts, Sophie Caap Fitness, Imagination Studio, Fine Lines by Josie, Elizabeth Dyer Studio, Erin Guenter Beauty, Bayside Wellness, Clarksburg Medical Group (all female doctors), and Sheffield Black History Museum also make up the roster of female-powered businesses in this little town in Northern Ontario.