Glenda's Christmas Cottage History

In 1974 Glenda & Jim Cox purchased Glenda’s parents 10-acre hobby farm on Mt. Lehman Rd. “Hobby” was the operative word as together they converted the old dairy/poultry farm into a home for their family of 4. They dabbled in the raising of pigs, cows, laying hens, and most preciously, horses; the latter of which the children entered into the Mt. Lehman 4-H horse Club. The kids went on to winning many ribbons and trophies, which they proudly displayed on the walls and ceiling of the 60-year-old milk house. It was converted into their “tack shack” and eventually became Glenda’s Christmas Cottage.

When the kids grew up and left for university, Glenda looked for a new purpose and motivation for day to day activities. Jim suggested converting the 135 sq. ft. tack shack into a home-based retail Christmas store, seeing that they were both “kind of Christmas Nuts”. The thought further piqued our family’s interest because one of the many ventures for our farm was a U-pick Christmas tree lot, where we grew and sold Christmas trees and families visited us yearly to choose the perfect tree. At the time, our family used the proceeds to purchase our family Christmas gifts. While we no longer sell real trees, it did really start it all. In those beginning stages, Glenda wasn’t all that interested in a store, but her attitude soon changed when she experienced success in her very first year, so much so, that on many occasions she had to stand outside the store to make room for her clientele.

 Our store has a long and interesting history. Glenda’s employees (including her daughter and granddaughters) treat the Cottage as their own, and many have been with her almost from the beginning. Her loyal customers, many of whom have patronized her store over the years, have brought their children and now grandchildren, to this annual Christmas tradition. Their support has been tremendous and was proven some years ago when the City gave Glenda’s a “Notice to Close” as she was in contravention of City By-laws. In response, the City Council received over 400 letters & notes in support of her little Christmas store. In addition, it was a feature item on a CTV broadcast depicting Council as the “Grinch Wanting to Steal Christmas”. Needless to say, after many meetings with the ALR and City Council, she was one of the first to be granted special zoning privileges.

 Sadly, Glenda passed away on Feb 2, 2018, but the legacy of her Christmas Cottage in the country will be continued by her family: daughter Shawna, Glenda’s husband Jim, and their loyal employees. Glenda loved to see every one of her customers as they returned each year to get one more special thing to add to their Christmas collections from her little store. She knew many of her customers’ names and considered them a part of her family.  She created a business that is locally cherished.  We want to continue that tradition far into the future. We look forward to sharing our love of Christmas with you. Here we are, in 2024, celebrating Glenda’s Christmas Cottage’s 36th Anniversary….

Welcome to our store!

Check out this story in the Abby news https://www.abbynews.com/home/daughter-carries-on-moms-christmas-cottage-legacy/