Happy 20th Birthday Oracle
Turning 20 in 2024!
The Oracle is celebrating its 20th birthday! Launched in June of 2004 with a vision to make the ‘stranger things’ in life accessible to anyone. It has been a dance between metaphysics and the mainstream. The Oracle from a teeny little shop with readings in a ‘spooky’ little room in the back to a pretty substantial biz.
The Oracle is a retail store offering very unusual products that reflect our environment and our community; sculptures and paintings of whales, octopus, massive mermaids and tiny starfish art, boho clothing, silver jewelry, greeting cards, self-care, books, journals … all with a ‘good vibe’ theme. There is something for everyone, from cheap and cheerful to stunning high-end. We are a place to visit and to be wowed and amused by the art, and the tongue-in-cheek humour of the store. No purchase expected or required.
Twenty years later, the Oracle is a full-on family business. In 2021, the Whistler and West Vancouver shops were sold, and my son, Ian, and daughter-in-law, Michelle, moved with their two children to join the team in Sechelt to operate the store with fresh eyes and innovative ideas.
This next generation has a rich understanding of the cultures we immerse ourselves in and appreciates the effort and skill that is involved in creating the stunning items available at the Oracle. Our family visits the home businesses of our suppliers – our kids meet their kids – and now the grandchildren do too. During this Oracle adventure, we have successfully produced our own products, and we actively promote the spirit of independence, self-sufficiency and entrepreneurism in others through scholarships and “Be the Change” endeavours. We offer two $500.00 University Scholarships, one to Chatelech Senior Secondary School and another to The Sunshine Coast Alternative School. We are constantly learning and growing from our connections with people; artisans, creators and customers – our people and products are all beautifully intertwined.
It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun.
Never give up!
Turning challenges into opportunities.
The Oracle has solidified and grown over the past 20 years despite the many challenges that face any small business, plus, a few massive obstacles such as The Leman Brothers Crisis in 2008, destruction by fire in 2013, flood in 2018, COVID in 2020 and now inflation.
During the Leman Brother Crisis, we lost our suppliers – so the Oracle went to Bali to fill our first container. We have been buying directly ever since; challenge + opportunity = we became our own supplier.
Then the fire at Tyndall Stone Lodge closed the Oracle for a year, but we used the time to open the Oracle in Vancouver, improve the Sechelt location, and develop an extensive greeting card line. By 2019, health issues, personal loss, and the joy of becoming a grandmother triggered the sale of the Whistler and West Vancouver Oracle shops.
Next, COVID arrived. Yikes!
My adult children moved closer to partner with the Sechelt store. We used ‘COVID time’ to improve our web presence and create more of our own products. We have grown with technology and so many other things that didn’t exist 20 years ago. However, it’s still all about people. Our family, our team, our suppliers and their families, our customers and our community.
We feel that personal connections, financial responsibility and the tenacity to create are the major factors for our staying power. Personal connections extend from our team and customers, to our suppliers and communities here in Sechelt and in our villages of import. We pay attention to our budget and adjust our expenses to match our income, not over-extending ourselves. The Oracle has gone from a 600-square-foot store to a 2,100-square-foot gallery. Creativity is a strong pillar of the Oracle’s success as many of our products are created by us. This gives us uniqueness and personalizes our selection of eclectic products.
At The Oracle, you’ll discover unique gifts, home décor, jewelry, fashion, a vast assortment of self-care tools, books, journals, kid’s stuff and a myriad of cards, decks and eclectic, interesting items. Our products are fairly-traded or locally made.
We work towards making the Oracle better every day and yes, we have exciting plans for the future… expansion into wholesale, a new charitable endeavour beyond our “Be the Change” scholarship program, and a new line of independent fashion.
Plus… we make it fun.
The Oracle is more than just a store… it’s an experience.