For 88 years, Woodland Jewellers has been a part of many special moments and occasions for their customers and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“It’s something I didn’t consider when I took the training for jewellery making, but once I got to work on people’s jewellery the meaning of that meant much more,” said owner Geoff Bourdon.
“There’s far more sentiment attached to it than I anticipated.”
The shop, located at 150 Oliver Street is a fourth-generation family-run business founded in 1933 by Bourdon’s great-grandfather E.G. ‘Tony’ Woodland.
Bourdon has been with Woodland Jewellers for 14 years designing, goldsmithing and making breathtaking hand-fabricated pieces.
Each has a different story and history which fascinates Bourdon, who had repaired and refurbished a ring for a couple’s 75th anniversary a few years ago that was purchased from his great-grandfather.
One of the things Bourdon enjoys most about owning a small business is being part of the community.
“We contribute to the community not just through employment but also through donations and organizations,” he said.
“Being in business gives a good feel of how the community is doing, and that’s what’s nice, especially through this last year and a half.”
Over the past 11 years, Bourdon has designed a jewelry piece to be raffled at the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Trust Gala for equipment purchases, which to date has raised more than $115,000 for the hospital.
Woodland Jewellers is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and located on Oliver Street.
A facelift to its exterior, including a jewellery mural on the front security shutters by local artist Tiffany Jorgensen was completed earlier this past year.
“Thank you to the community for continuing to support us being in business through these challenging last few years,” Bourdon said.
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