Wildflower Mercantile’s New Space is Growing More Than Flowers—It’s Growing Community

In an era when many businesses prioritize profit over people and the planet, Wildflower Mercantile stands out as a rare bloom of genuine community care. Emily Yewchuk launched the boutique in 2022—a florist and sustainable-lifestyle shop (think: local home goods, skincare, books, natural cleaning supplies) offering fresh bouquets, children’s toys and wellness products she uncovered during her career as a commercial photographer. Tucked into a heritage house in Courtenay, its aged walls lent timeless charm—but as demand grew, so did the need for more space.

Two years later, Yewchuk moved the tiny 850-square-foot neighbourhood shop into a nearly twice-as-large, 1,210-square-foot former clothing store in Comox Valley. That blank-slate space sparked her imagination: “It feels like everything we were growing to be.” After sketching six or seven layouts, she settled on an airy, floral-and-bright design that perfectly reflects her vision.

Working with Chris Tolton of Tolton Construction and Massey Electric, she hung glass pendant lights beneath a chandelier of dried hydrangeas, roses, eucalyptus, local ferns, amaranth, baby’s-breath, pearly everlasting and palm leaves—most of which she grew and dried herself. Tall wooden shelves now line every wall and stand before the windows, bathing the boutique in natural light. Yewchuk even retrofitted the old changing rooms into two custom flower refrigerators: “Looking back, it’s funny—they look like they’re custom built for us.”

When designing Wildflower Mercantile’s new home, the mother of three carved out a children’s corner—complete with a child-sized table and chair set from HomeSense for colouring projects while parents shop. Low shelves hold toys at eye level, and a custom-built dollhouse sits within easy reach. Featured items include Maileg’s artfully designed cloth mice—each with its own soft-clothes wardrobe and wooden mouse-house furniture—and The Garden Girls dolls, handmade and embroidered on Vancouver Island. Five percent of each doll sale funds the Wildflower Kids Scholarship, an initiative Yewchuk launched in 2022 after returning to Vancouver Island in 2019 and discovering how slow and stressful securing early-intervention services can be. “In B.C., it can take three years to get an autism diagnosis—and during that time there’s no financial support,” explains Yewchuk. The scholarship helps families access private care when they need it most.

The move also created space for workshops. In March 2024, Wildflower Mercantile hosted one of its first community events—a “Raising Resilient Girls” workshop in honour of International Women’s Month. The sold-out session brought together 12 girls for art therapy with Art Lab therapist Jamie Dobbs. Through neurographic art—encouraging free-flowing lines and shapes—and zentangles—repeating black-and-white patterns—the participants built confidence and resilience while exploring wellness through creativity. “At first, no one spoke—they took their seats, unsure,” recalls Yewchuk. “By the end, they were laughing and sharing their work. Parents messaged afterward: ‘My daughter loved this—she’s excited to try everything she learned.’” Buoyed by its success, Yewchuk now invites local artists—from cookie makers to photographers—to lead workshops, with 10 percent of proceeds donated to the scholarship fund.

The boutique’s commitment to giving back extends beyond flowers and workshops. The larger space allowed the installation of a full-service refillery with back-of-house storage for large product drums. “Aren’t we the ‘love-the-ocean-and-the-whales people’? Yet we’re asking customers to toss glass in the garbage,” says Yewchuk. The refillery stocks eco-conscious Canadian brands like Mint Cleaning (from Ucluelet; featured on Dragon’s Den), The Bare Home  (woman-owned; from Burlington) and Om Organics (all-natural; from B.C.). Situated next to a grocery store, customers often drop off empty bottles, pop next door for groceries, then swing back for refills. But it’s more than convenience: from locally sourced bouquets and digital receipts to reusable totes—proceeds of which support the scholarship fund—this green routine keeps people coming back.

Part boutique, part florist, all heart: this shop makes wellness its business model and community its bottom line—and for that, we give flowers.

Find upcoming workshops and shop online at Wildflower Mercantile