New gift store opens in Emo

“I like to try to have something different. If you have more of a variety for people, they’re better off, and you’re better off.”
That’s the policy Vanessa Hebert has held since she opened “Weeza’s Gifts Etc.” in Emo on Jan. 2., offering everything from candles to figurines to miniature fountains to shoppers.
Located in the same mini-mall as the Corner Closet, Hebert said her business has started off on the right foot–despite opening during a traditionally slow shopping season.
“It hasn’t been too bad considering people are just getting over Christmas,” she said. “But that’s because Emo is such good place.
“They’re really accepting–even if someone comes in and just looks around, they get an idea of what they can find here.”
While Hebert lives in Fort Frances now, she grew up in Emo and enjoys “coming home” to open the store every day.
“I know a lot of people here. In Emo, you don’t lose touch with people. And they’re always willing to talk,” she said.
And Hebert knows people have been talking about her store, saying she already has heard of birthday gifts that were bought there thanks to word of mouth.
“It makes you feel real good when you know that’s happened,” she noted.
An aquarium with glass fish, gargoyles, plush animals, and other toys are just a handful of an expanding list of items Hebert is selling. “I’m getting a full line of craft supplies, like paints, paint brushes, stencils, pre-cut wood products, wire,” she noted.
“Some people like crafts but don’t have the means to get out of town, or have to get others to get their supplies for them,” she reasoned. “This should help them out.”
Party supplies also may be available in the near future.
As to what makes “Weeza’s Gifts Etc.” different than any other store in Emo, Hebert said it’s her variety of giftware.
“There’s something for everyone from young to old,” she stressed. “And we have everything from dollar store stuff to $135 items–we want to cater to everyone.”
One thing Hebert can’t give her customers is a complete explanation for the store’s name. “We originally had a different name but found it didn’t work well with advertising,” she explained. “Then we thought of another but found out it was already taken.
“So, ‘Weeza’ was a nickname one of my girlfriends thought up a long time ago. I don’t think it really means anything–she just decided she was going to call me that, and it’s stuck,” said Hebert.
“Of course, we sell ‘Gifts,’ and the ‘Etc.’ after the gifts means there’s no end to what we might be selling in the future.”