Heard On The Street

After five years in the same Town of Tecumseh location (11962 Tecumseh Road East), Lisa Berbynuk is moving her

Closet Cravings Upscale Consignment

Boutique to 25 Amy Croft Drive, in a plaza next to Sobeys. “It’s a larger and much nicer space with ample parking,” says Berbynuk. “It’s a busy plaza and I’m looking forward to the change.” She expects to be open in early February and will be near The Hungry Wolf Express. As a result of COVID-19 shopping restrictions, Berbynuk has been offering curbside pickup services once customers have placed their orders and paid online. “It’s been awkward, but the online sales have kept us going and we’re just looking forward to coming out of this and getting back to normal,” adds Berbynuk. The store sells clothing, activewear, purses, footwear and jewellery. For more information, visit: ClosetCravings.ca.

Hakka Khazana, a new restaurant specializing in cuisine from India, China, and Nepal, has opened at 157 Wyandotte Street West (previously Jade Chinese Cuisine) in downtown Windsor. Curbside pickup and takeout is offered until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Owner Milan Kc says it’s disappointing to face these restrictions for a new business, but he knows everyone is in a similar situation. This is the third Hakka Khazana in Ontario with others located in Mississauga and Scarborough. “We wanted to expand and thought Windsor would be a good location because of the city’s ethnic diversity,” explains Kc. The restaurant serves vegetarian food, seafood and non-vegetarian appetizers, and main courses, as well as soups and stir fries. To view the menu, which offers a “Taste of Everest in Canada,” go to: Windsor.HakkaKhazanaCanada.com.

Last issue we told you of Whamburg (Whamburg.com) opening a ghost kitchen offering smash burgers, fries and malted milkshakes — now two more burger joints have opened in Windsor. But, with COVID-19 restrictions in place, they can only offer curbside pickup and takeout. The Burger Farm, featuring burgers, fried buttermilk chicken sandwiches, fries, shakes, poutine and a selection of local craft beers, opened at 300 Cabana Road East in south Windsor. It’s been in operation since the end of November 2020. And more recently, Brgr Boyz, also specializing in burgers, shakes and fries, has opened at 2212 Huron Church Road. For more information on either restaurant (each owned separately), visit: BurgerFarm.ca and: BrgrBoyz.ca.

Princess Auto and Winners are close to opening their new stores on a heavilytravelled stretch of Walker Road, in a plaza anchored by the Real Canadian Superstore. A sign on the property (4347 Walker Road) indicates that Winners opens February 23, taking over the space previously occupied by Home Outfitters, while Princess Auto is slated to open in early spring in the old Designer Depot near Michaels. Princess Auto has another Windsor location situated at 3575 Forest Glade Drive. Winners also has stores at 2430 Dougall Avenue and 7201 Tecumseh Road East.

The Baby House Tavern, a long time staple on Windsor’s west side, at 1683 College Avenue, has been purchased from the City of Windsor by an undisclosed buyer. The property was vested to the city as the result of an unsuccessful property tax sale. Unpaid taxes on the property, which includes a bar on the main floor and rooms for rent above, exceeded $250,000. It was listed for sale on MLS in October 2020 for $249,000. The city’s real estate services department received eight offers with seven being above the list price. The new owner took possession of the property on January 22, 2021. Two adjacent properties on Campbell Avenue, owned by the same corporation, were also taken over by the city for unpaid taxes in excess of $70,000. It’s expected that the new owners will have to gut the building in order to prepare it for new purposes because of defects in the roof, windows, porch, skylights and foundation.

Despite construction slowdowns because of COVID-19 restrictions, the value of building permits issued by the city in 2020 fell only $27 million below 2019 levels. Permits issued last year totalled $392,635,699, compared to $419,631,180 in 2019. The only increase was recorded in the residential sector which showed a jump from $224 million to almost $254 million. Industrial fell from $30 million to $24 million, commercial fell from $55.9 million to $34 million and government and institutional dropped from $109.5 million to $80.6 million. The major projects listed at the end of last year included $21 million for renovations to the University of Windsor’s law building on Wyandotte Street West, $1.5 million for a construction project at St. Clair College and $899,000 for alterations to an office building at 525 Windsor Avenue.

FROM THE BOOKSHELF “The Overcomer” . . . Facing Challenges With Faith And Courage

Local author Dorothy Graham O’Dell has used her tests in life and has made them a testimony.

She believes that by sharing her story of overcoming all obstacles in her life and going on to finding true happiness — after conquering low self-worth, abusive relationships and family tragedies — to keep the information locked up would not help anyone.

After being bullied all through public school for being overweight, which led to low self-worth, which then led to making bad relationship choices and staying in abusive relationships for longer than she should have, she decided to tell her story.

She aims to let other women know they are not alone and to identify the signs to get them out of relationships that do not serve them well.

Graham O’Dell indicates: “Actually, ‘The Overcomer’ was born after six years of prompting from God, saying this book needs to be in print to help other women.”

After leaving her last abusive relationship and getting the help she needed to heal herself mentally and emotionally, she decided it was time to speak up and be a voice for the voiceless and to assist other women in similar situations.

Since the beginning of the pandemic Graham O’Dell started writing her memories and stories in early March 2020 and finished her book in July. After the editing process, “The Overcomer” was born and released in November of 2020.

In addition, she now coaches women and is available for speaking engagements.

Her advice to others is to not let your past define your future, because if she had given up on relationships, she would not have found the love of her life and true happiness.

Graham O’Dell is a firm believer in living

Dorothy Graham O’Dell is a bookkeeper by trade, currently living in Windsor with her husband. When she is not working on her next book you will find her helping out with #YGQcares and other volunteer opportunities. Photo courtesy of Trish Roberts of Custom Concept Photography.

your dream, not someone else’s, and just being yourself. After years of living her life for others she found true happiness this way.

For more information and to connect with this author, please go to her social media page: Facebook.com/dorothy.graham3.

Find “The Overcomer” in Windsor locations at Storytellers Book Store, 1473 Ottawa Street (StorytellersBookstore.ca) and Elevate Health Boutique, 815 Erie Street East (ElevatehealthBoutique.com). It's available on: TheOvercomer.samcart.com/ products/the-overcomer.