Michelle Taylor has always had an entrepreneurial streak. She also has a love of arts and home décor. So when she was looking for a business to buy, the Little Cricket Craft Gallery seemed like the perfect fit. Michelle had been a customer at the Maple Ridge store for years had always appreciated the selection of Canadian-made gifts and crafts. She took over as the owner of the store in 2014 and has continued to line the shelves with handcrafted wares from Canadian artisans. “It’s really important to me to support local business,” Michelle says. “I love that I carry local artists and want to support that. I want the community to support local. That is my main mission.”
Maple Ridge's downtown core has undergone a transformation in recent years and Michelle is proud that Little Cricket Craft Gallery is part of the retail revitalization. “You only have to take a walk around the downtown to see there are a lot of little wonderful stores," she says. "Mine in particular is an absolute gem; it’s the closest thing to Granville Island.”