In the age of AI, brick-and-mortar businesses aren’t just making a comeback, they’re being built as an intentional choice to centre human connection. Here are the towns proving that people still crave a face-to-face chat with a farmer, the creak of a bookstore’s floorboard and the smell of fresh food in a local café.
Springford Farm | Nanoose Bay
Since 1853, the Springford family has built their enterprise from a small homestead into a seventh-generation cornerstone of local food.
In 1989, descendants Colin and Diane Springford moved to Nanoose Bay, laying the foundation for today’s Springford Farm. The grass-fed beef herd and free-range egg operation grew in the late 2000s, and in 2014 Diane opened the on-site market—now a well-known barn-style landmark on Northwest Bay Road offering the farm’s products alongside Vancouver Island–made foods.
The Springford family says the storefront reshaped the farm’s trajectory, forging a direct link with customers and grounding farm-to-table in everyday life.
The once-modest shop has grown into a hub where people can support Island growers and stay connected to the land and each other. Next up: the launch of a viewing barn in that offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at how free-range hens live—and how eggs move from the barn to customers’ plates.
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The Book Nook | Port Hardy
In the heart of the northernmost town on Vancouver Island sits an unexpected gem: a bookstore, café and craft shop under one roof. Welcome to the Book Nook—part of Café Guido & Company—where books, art, gathering, community and belonging meet.
“At first, some locals were skeptical—they’d say, ‘How many cappuccinos can you sell in Port Hardy?’” owner-operator Davida Hudson laughs. “But it’s about more than coffee. It’s about belonging.”
Since 2004, the Book Nook and Café Guido have collaborated with North Island College, hosting events including readings by authors Eden Robinson, John Vaillant and Lucy Hemphill, as well as the premiere of the documentary How a People Live—about the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw First Nation.
In a town where gathering spaces are few and far-between, the Book Nook has become a celebrated space for the community—reminding locals and visitors alike that connection can still thrive in remote corners of the province. “There’s a richness to life here—you just have to open yourself to it,” shares Hudson.
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Yaga Cafe | Prince Rupert
Perched in Seal Cove, Yaga Café Garden Co. is an abundant garden centre, event space and café—a gathering place that nourishes people, the land and Indigenous identity.
Originally Azalea Gardens, a local fixture since 1991, the space was purchased in 2013 by the Gitmaxmak’ay Nisga’a Society. Renamed Yaga—meaning “at the bottom of the hill”—it reflects both its location and community roots. The business quadrupled in size between 2014 and 2025, adding new greenhouses in 2021 and 2024 and launching the outdoor patio café in 2022.
Their mission: connect people to the land and create local jobs. “We hire Nisga’a members whenever we can and have a great team of people who are passionate about this place,” says Sheri Pringle, garden centre manager.
Today, Yaga is known for its plant nursery and hydroponic facility. The café serves up a menu as vibrant as its gardens—salads and sandwiches alongside cultural favourites like Nisga’a stew.
