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ALUMNI u
MEET
Cynthia Findlay ’65 and Andrew Johnston ’13 CYNTHIA FINDLAY ’65 38
Q: Tell me about your profession. A: I run a very eclectic antique and estate jewellery shop in the heart of downtown Toronto with my husband, George Paterson, who I met at Acadia in 1966. Mine is an unusual profession that some may think to be a hobby. We started on the harbourfront of the Queens Quay in 1978 by taking a space for one day at an outdoor market. With some luck and success in the beginning, it quickly became more than a hobby. I recall one of our first customers, a patent attorney who collected porcelain turtles with his wife, stopped by to add to his collection. When I asked, "Why turtles?" he shared that it was a reminder to him and his wife that nothing happens unless you “stick out your neck." This was a great motivation to me. George became the administration team. My family background in retail and my years at Doulton China complemented George's corporate savvy from his experience at IBM, GE and Shell. We were quickly consumed in our business. I also soon realized this would be a career of constant education. I was fortunate to take several courses and seminars in London, New York, and Toronto. Today we have the internet which makes everyone an expert. Over the years we have had many wonderful customers who have become friends. We see several Netherwood girls - Suzanne (Somerville) McLean '48, Jennifer (Oland) Paterson '65, Patricia (Kettles) McFarlane
THE HEAD ’S LETTER
'65, Frances (Hazen) Carmichael '65, Kathryn Wilson '57, and nothing is as much fun as a visit from Paul Kitchen or helping Catherine (MacKenzie) Nugent '66 with one of her many charities, Heist! Our business is run on the mandate to always buy quality - this was the backbone of my parents business in Bristol, NB. My mother instilled the values of always treating all our customers the same and with equal respect. It is a profession for people who enjoy learning from people and helping them add more beauty to their lives. We are constantly learning, and our experiences with adverse situations have taught us to anticipate and welcome new challenges. We feel very grateful for our good fortune. Q: Describe a typical day in the Antiques Business. A: Our shop is located in the entertainment district on King Street right between the Mirvish theatres in Toronto. There are no typical days as we are a retail shop and the day is like the theatre - it will have a schedule but evolves as the curtain opens, anything can happen. Recently we had Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe (designers and TV personalities) visit to find finishing’s for a client’s new home. This is fun because they are decisive and professional and easy to collaborate with. Set designers come to find items for television and film. In the new CBC series Anne we helped with their search - from dinner sets to decorating fireplace mantles. While the TV series Hannibal was filming, we rented a different dinner set every week for 30 weeks - this came