Sep

5

East Meets West, Meets West: Part Four.

Filed Under Life Slice 

JPP Sample Book

In 1982 Nancy returned from a trip to Europe. Her longterm relationship had ended. She had little to no money.

And so, as was always the case with Nancy, she started to invest in the “power of positive thinking.”

A shop had become vacant on Queen Street west. A small space, “in no man’s land,” right across from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Next door was a paint shop. The rent was cheap. Three hundred dollars. It was somewhere people could discover. Nancy saw it as being successful. She considered a name that reflected the business of what she was doing. She called it, “The Japanese Paper Place.” There was an opening. Kindred spirits were invited.

Immediately, workshops were underway. People had to learn about the properties of the paper. Lampshade making, bookbinding and portfolio classes grew popular. Don Taylor was one of the first instructors.

Artists found a rare resource. They embraced the tools, and Nancy embraced them. Artistic activity was constant. A community had formed. The Japanese Paper Place was fulfilling its mission: “to support local creativity through Japanese papers and products.”

It does so to this day.

Business, was good. Five years after opening, Nancy, with her neighbor, bought the building. Then, there was the fire.

Friday, January 1993, on the coldest day of the year, flames had set to the building next door. An appliance store. The fire, was arson.

Nancy had a huge mortgage and little insurance on the building. That week, a large order of paper stock had been delivered. Total amount: $75,000. None of it had been sold yet. Almost all of it was gone.

Don Taylor’s wife helped organize a party. About 300 people showed up. Artists bought remaindered paper, donated things to sell and even attempted to restore damaged goods. Around the city were studios filled with delicate Japanese papers, being pressed and aired to dry.

The party raised $7,000. The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre pitched in too. Nancy “had no idea that she had that kind of support.” In no time, the Japanese Paper Place was able to “get back on its feet.”

It cost $17,000 to demolish the building and $7,500 to break the mortgage early. The arsonist continued to vandalize the property. Pollutants were leaked, destruction followed. Nancy sold the building for next to nothing. The following Tuesday the shop had re-opened for business. TO BE CONTINUED….

Comments

One Response to “East Meets West, Meets West: Part Four.”

  1. karyn Valino on September 7th, 2008 11:42 pm

    tell me more! this is a gripping story, please don’t delay.

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