J ay Grant never planned to run a cottage business in Nova Scotia. A longtime golf course superintendent from Brampton, Ontario, Jay spent over 25 years maintaining greens before shifting into a regional maintenance role for a golf developer, overseeing six courses across the province. But after years spent commuting on Highway 401 - one of Canada’s busiest highways- and growing tired of city life, he and his wife started quietly exploring a change. “A friend of ours was just casually looking at properties online, and she found Riverview Cottages. She didn’t tell us it was in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.” Curious but cautious, Jay flew east to see the property for himself. “I met the real estate agent, toured the property for about two hours. My wife couldn’t come, so she was basing it on my opinion,” he said. A month later, they put in an offer - conditional on selling their Ontario home - and officially took over Riverview Cottages in August 2017, just in time for the town’s busiest weekend: the annual gem and mineral show in Parrsboro. Thrown immediately into the deep end, Jay and his wife learned the business quickly. “The previous owners trained us for a few days, showing us around and getting us used to the procedures,” he said. “But after that, it was really just trial and error.” Jay took on maintenance - plumbing, electrical, and carpentry - while his wife handled housekeeping and shared front office duties. “We were both very shy people before this. That kind of brought us out of our shell.” Originally opened in 1939, Riverview Cottages is a cherished piece of Parrsboro history. The property sits along the banks of the tidal river just minutes from downtown and offers a peaceful blend of comfort and rustic simplicity. Spread out over more than 14 acres, the 18 standalone cottages range from single-room, overnight-style units to larger, multi-room family cabins equipped with kitchenettes. “We’ve got four smaller cottages... more or less overnight cottages,” Jay explained. “Then we move up to bigger ones with kitchenettes. Some sleep up to five people.” While he and his wife were committed
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BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 95 when they were little kids and now they’re in their seventies and eighties, and they still keep coming back ” We’ve had people that have stayed here
94 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 25 ISSUE 3
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