Back in the day they used to call them ‘Mom & Pop’ shops, those local businesses that always seemed to flourish because they offer something special. But lately we have frequently seen the emergence of successful ‘Mom & Daughter’ local businesses.
One of the most interesting partnerships here in Okotoks is located on McRae Street right across from Okotoks Town Square. It’s a gift shop called BG’s Design and Decor by Beth Grainger, which shares a striking building with Boy O Boy Flowers, owned by her daughter Nikolle.
Nikolle, her husband Lawrence Wurz and their sons Tyson, 17, Kaidon, 13, Jaymes, 11, and Levi, 9, moved to Okotoks from Saskatchewan in 2009. “I have sisters in Calgary and Strathmore,” she explained, “and Lawrence grew up in a nearby Hutterite colony. He was working in the oil industry, and his job required him to be in Mexico on a regular basis.”
Nikolle was exposed to the flower business at a young age. Her parents, Beth and Walter Grainger, had a farm just outside Fort Qu’Appelle and Beth, a master florist accredited by the Canadian Academy of Floral Art, owned a gift and flower shop in town.
At 13, Nikolle became the youngest person ever to write the academy’s basic qualification examination. Years later, while she was a stay-at-home mom, she would still pack up the boys and head to Fort Qu’Appelle during holiday seasons to help out.
“Mom has a very creative mind,” Nikolle said admiringly. “In addition to being a florist, she is also a seamstress who has created costumes for the motion picture industry.”
Nikolle always dreamed of owning a flower shop in Okotoks, but it wasn’t until Levi started kindergarten that she began to make her dream come true. She had joined an informal social group of local business and professional women and had prepared several small floral arrangements for them as part of a gift exchange. They were so impressed that they encouraged her to open her own shop. She credits Carol Thompson and Caroline Knox, among others, for inspiring her.
She started by renting space in The Hidden Gem in Stockton and later moved to Main Street Market downtown.
Business was good then, but it really took off after Beth, who had moved to Okotoks in 2023, bought the building on McRae Street from Cozy Cottage. After installing a custom cooler and making alterations, their store opened for business at the beginning of last May.
“Beth was the one who led the way,” Nikolle said. “She had the vision, and I knew enough to support her.
“Combining the gift and flower businesses means that we can go outside the box and create memorable displays that incorporate keepsakes as well as flowers,” Nikolle said. “For example, the other day I placed a pyramid stone with a light underneath it in my flower arrangement. It will be a beautiful keepsake that can be kept long after the flowers are gone.”
