A conversation with Andrea’s 3R’s owner, Margaret Olorenshaw
By Jennifer Bews
On a recent trip to Eston Riverside Regional Park, my mom requested I stop by Andrea’s 3R’s, a thrift and consignment in Eston, to look for a small table for their cabin. So, I turned off Railway Avenue to the iconic red and white shop that has been a landmark in my hometown for 34 years.
I’ll admit I am often overwhelmed when walking into a thrift shop. The overflowing shelves flood me with the guilt of our generation’s overconsumption culture but also the inspiration to recognize quality and craftsmanship. I rarely know what I’m looking for in these shops and yet I find myself questioning my consumer habits, what our culture gets wrong when it comes to buying trends and how I can be more thoughtful with my spending. It’s a real existential crisis.
There’s so much beauty and important life lessons to be found in these shops and I believe that the Gen Z’s and Alpha’s are learning these lessons more swiftly than us millennials. I hope they encourage the rest of us.
As I walked down the aisles, I found nothing at first. It was on the slow walk out that I spotted a few things that made me feel warm and cozy. I took photos of the pieces to be mindful of ‘slow shopping’. As I was about to leave, I spotted three tables. I snatched one up and was on my way.
As I was loading my car, Margaret Olorenshaw, the shops heart and owner pulled up beside me and offered her help with loading my table. I instantly wanted to learn more of her journey and this shop.
A few days later, I got in touch with Margaret, and she was keen to meet with me the next day. Margaret and her daughter, Andrea, the inspiration for the shop, welcomed me in their home. I was taken back to the years before Andrea was born. Margaret grew up in Asquith, a small-town east of Saskatoon. Upon her graduation she set her sights on Ottawa and worked for the Bank of Nova Scotia. Following her father’s cancer diagnosis, she moved home to be closer to family. Serendipitously, on her first day to work in Saskatoon, her now husband, Cliff opened the door for her. Love had found her, swept her off her feet, and gently placed her along with two daughters, Leah and Andrea, in the town of Eston.
A year after their daughter, Andrea’s birth she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Despite being advised to move back to the city, Margaret and Cliff, alongside the expert medical care provided by the late Dr. Holmes, decided to root down in Eston. Being the benevolent parents they are, Margaret and Cliff, worked with the school system and local resources to ensure Andrea’s proper care and education. Almost 20 years into running Eston’s Olorenshaw Farm Services (53 years today), following Andrea’s high school graduation, the idea of a thrift shop began to take hold. When it seemed no local programs offered what Andrea might need to thrive, Margaret shared, “it gave her [Andrea] a reason to get up in the morning and be part of the community”.
The shop has provided Eston and surrounding areas with an opportunity to shop for treasures at reasonable prices, a responsible solution to waste management and a visual reminder of how important our daily consumption habits are.
Margaret’s demonstration of social responsibility and the love of seeing people every day only brightens the mission she’s embedded into the shop. She highlighted the joy of being part of the community
through business regardless your life circumstance. Margaret shared, “no matter how disabled you are, you can be an important part of the community”. I left their home utterly inspired.
Visiting Andrea’s 3R’s was a unique shopping experience that online can’t offer. And if you’re wondering, I did go back for the items I took photos of. As I paid for my treasures of art and silverware, Andrea offered me a smile. A human transaction you just don’t get purchasing from Amazon.
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