When the Fusée convenience store in Bolton Est, next door to their home, went up for sale, Jannick Leblanc and Anabel Faubert—who had been selling their handmade soap and vegetables at farmers’ markets—saw an opportunity to take over the only business in their small village. The couple also wanted to provide local producers with an additional, reliable place to sell their fresh, local and artisanal products, in addition to the staple items offered at such stores.

Since January, the Marché La Fusée has reopened its doors to the delight of residents as well as tourists, vacationers and campers. It must also be said that the Fusée is an attraction in itself, with its huge rocket, installed on the premises in 1965 by a former owner fascinated with the conquest of space.

As soon as the idea of the project was born, the couple, aged under 35, turned to the CAE Memphrémagog’s Youth Strategy program. Since they had little retail experience, the assistance was helpful far beyond the personal loan they received.

Anabel and Jannick agree that “the expertise of the CAE Memphrémagog’s advisors has been invaluable. They helped us at every stage, including drawing up our business plan, putting together our financial package and analyzing budget projections. When we showed up at financial institutions, we knew we had a strong case.” Jannick adds that, “Without them, I don’t think we could have made the project a reality.”