Heart of the Falls

A grocery store can be a lot more than a place to pick up dinner, especially in a small town like Iroquois Falls in northern Ontario.

It's where neighbours catch up, students fundraise for school trips and a local sports team jersey sparks a whole lot of excitement. It’s also a place for something much bigger.

Meet Mandy Toor and Rajeev (Raj) Sharma, former Torontonians and store owners of Mandy & Raj's Your Independent Grocer in Iroquois Falls. Their local store is part of the rhythm of the town where the barbecue gets fired up, the hockey talk never ends and small acts of care ripple far beyond the aisles.

So how did a couple used to the hustle and bustle of a big city end up in a place where traffic lights aren’t a thing?

Mandy and Raj knew it was time for a change when they became empty nesters and Raj’s own personal career journey made settling in the north even more meaningful.

Watch their journey unfold(Open in a new tab) and be a reminder that pride in this country often lives in unexpected places – by the grill, at centre ice or simply in a local store where people know your name.

Please note: English and French captioning is available for this video by clicking on the 'settings' gear icon located within the video screen.