Wendy McBain
Special to the Tribune
Four years ago, Sandy’s Closet co-owners Sandra Rainville and Carolyn Couchie had no idea that their little clothing consignment shop on King Street would take on legs and move in a whole new, secondary direction.
The mother-daughter duo wanted to sell quality, name-brand items and all the accoutrements that make a lady’s apparel complete, serving the fashion needs of the budget-minded in West Nipissing. As their store blossomed, Rainville soon realized she was receiving more donations than she could possibly sell, so she decided on a plan of action.
Having come from a service-oriented family, with her father George Couchie a now-retired OPP Sargeant, she decided to reach out to the North Bay OPP and spoke with Gilles Lachance, Regional Coordinator for the Provincial Liaison Team in the North East Region, an advocate for indigenous communities in need. The two discussed the possibility of shipping the excess ladies clothing and accessories to isolated First Nations communities further north.
So from a whisper of an idea to one box shipping out in November, 2021, Sandy’s Closet has now delivered 25 boxes of clothing to remote Ontario communities in co-operation with the Provincial Liaison Team. It’s now at the point where many of the store’s Sturgeon Falls clients have caught on to the idea and, sometimes, bring two boxes when they visit the shop – one to consign and one for wherever she’s shipping too next. This past spring, Franco-Cité high school donated 15 boxes of brand new children’s and baby’s wear to be added to the next shipment.
A community in the grips of a natural disaster like a flood or fire will, of course, require replacement goods for almost everything lost, but the other surprising need that community police officers are noticing, when new shipments arrive, is in the children. The little ones make a great commotion of excitement each time a shipment arrives, and the entire community hears and sees the emotional effect these boxes are having at a time of great stress. Officers say the drop off points become places of laughter and release for the children and their parents, alleviating some of the immediate trauma.
This past May, Rainville received an e-mail from the OPP inviting her and her mother to an awards presentation at police headquarters in Orillia on July 11th. There, Sandy’s Closet received the 2023 Accolade Award for their service to remote indigenous communities. This award is the highest given by the OPP to its own personnel, however, the agency decided to honour the Sturgeon Falls store as the only civilian recipient this year. Gilles Lachance stated, “Sandy’s Closet was recognized as a relentless advocate in making a difference in the further north areas.” Rainville and Couchie were handed the 2023 Accolade Award by OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique.
When looking back over the past few years on this project, Sandra Rainville is emotional. “I feel absolutely humbled and grateful for this award. Four years ago I never imagined my vision could have turned into such a huge project with the support of an entire team of OPP officers. To be able to support Indigenous women in 25 different communities who are facing clothing insecurity truly makes me happy. As my father says, ‘Everyone has a spark. Share it with others.’ This is my spark. Our combined sparks have lit a beautiful fire,” she sums up.
