My name is Mona, and I initially started a business in my home called Kountry Kookin. Back in the early 2000's, a girlfriend and I started making homemade salsa (it's a secret recipe). We held sales at Christmas and from the response to our salsa, we started adding other things like pepper jelly, antipasto, and gift ware. I was a stay-at-home mom who liked to volunteer with my child's school and o
ther activities. This was something that I could do from home but still have the flexibility to do the other things that I loved to do. In 2006, I opened my store, Kountry Korner Gifts, at Jack fish Lake, Alberta. This little store was on the lakefront and by appointment only. In 2009, my only son graduated from high school and I was looking for something to fill my additional time. I first started working part-time job outside of the home but soon felt the urge to expand my store and move it into a small town. I was looking at Spruce Grove or Stony Plain as both towns were only 20-25 minutes from my home. I have volunteered for many years with the Friendship Committee for the Japanese twinning of Stony Plain and Shikaoi, Japan. I was given the opportunity to travel to Japan with some of Stony Plain's Town Council members and other people in the community. Connecting with this unique group of people made my decision to move to their community easy. On June 1, 2010, I sub-leased some space with a tea house and then in October, I expanded to the whole building, where we are currently located. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Kountry Korner Gifts has a unique motto, "Around Each Korner Something for Everyone."
