Meet the Neighbours: Shannon & Kelly and the Artisan Heart of Rutherford Hill

If you ask a longtime local where to find the Rutherford neighbourhood, they’ll probably still give directions that include "Rutherford Mall.” And while the mall has officially been renamed Nanaimo North Town Centre, the area around it has grown with parks, shops, restaurants, and some serious neighbourly love.

Turn onto Rutherford Road from the Island Highway, then head past the mall to begin the climb up Rutherford Hill. Near the top, 10 kilometres inland from the coast, you’ll find The Boardwalk. This quiet, tree-lined village centre is so seamlessly connected that neighbours casually wander between the bakery, the dentist, the vet, and the boutique shops in their athleisure and walking sticks.

From Madman McKay’s to Island-Ish

For Shannon and Kelly, running a small business in Nanaimo isn't just a career choice; it’s in their DNA.

"We moved here in 1979... we were very little girls," Shannon recalls. "The Rutherford area was the end of Nanaimo, as a city at that point. So this was just all forest and farmland."

Their family’s arrival on the Island sounds like something out of a movie. "Our dad owned small businesses back east, TV stores… but wanted to leave Ontario." Kelly shares. "Our parents came and visited friends out here in Nanaimo for Bathtub Weekend... Not a raindrop in sight, sunny weather. Sold their businesses, bought a house over the phone while they were here!"

That impulsive West Coast move gave birth to an iconic piece of Nanaimo retail history. "He opened an electronics store called Madman McKay’s," Shannon laughs. "Our dad was the Madman! He used to hand-deliver TVs on Christmas Eve... We worked for him forever. Small business in Nanaimo is our heart and soul."

When their father passed away, a new dream began to take shape alongside their mother. "My mom had worked with him forever... and she’s like, ‘I don’t want to be done yet. Let’s do something girly,’" Shannon explains. "And I was in a position needing to work, but needing to raise my kids as a single mom. I had become a community support worker, which was incredible. I grew so much in learning how to communicate and interact with people, but I knew I needed a school-hour job."

Kelly adds, "We always dreamed of having a place where you could sell Nanaimo bar soap and stuff. We worked for other businesses, and we had ideas:” Her eyes light up. 'You need to sell local artisans!' No one was doing it. We wanted somewhere local where we could support local, feature local, be together, raise our kids, and live in community."

Turning that dream into a physical storefront, however, meant pushing past plenty of skeptics. "To be honest, we looked at a lot of buildings," Kelly reveals. "We had an organized business plan, and our mom had decades of experience in business. But no one would give us the time of day. They looked at us like we were crazy—'What kind of business is that?' Some people were quite rude to us."

A local connection in Departure Bay finally gave them their shot. "A landlord down at the bay gave us a handshake deal and the best rent," Shannon says. "He gave us five years in a tiny space. We grew out of it quickly, but that’s where it all really started."
 

Honouring The Quilted Duck

While Departure Bay gave Island-ish its start, Shannon and Kelly always had their eyes on the top of Rutherford Hill.

"This was always our dream spot to open a business," Shannon shares. "Our mom had tried to buy it a few times over the years... we always loved it here and knew it was a special place."

Their Boardwalk location has deep roots in Nanaimo’s retail history.
"For over four decades, I think, the Quilted Duck was in existence here," Shannon says, looking around the small staff area tucked into the back of the shop. "It was the most special little gift cottage run by a lady named Molly and her sister... and then Charlotte, who had it for over 20 years and would open a Christmas room every year and send a holiday letter to the entirety of Nanaimo. So we try to keep the spirit alive, honour what they did here, and have our own little version of that gift cottage."

After finding foundational growth down at the bay, fate stepped in in spring 2019.
"I drove by, and she walked by on the exact same day, and we both messaged each other: 'There's a lease sign!'" Shannon recalls with a laugh.

The timing was pure chaos: Kelly was away in Hawaii on her first vacation without her kids, and they handled all negotiations, discussions, and decisions by phone. When she returned, the pace only picked up. 

"We moved in like three days," Shannon explains. "Our kids were painting, my international student was painting, we put in the flooring ourselves, built the racks. Coming into this space felt serendipitous. It was the fruition of everything we dreamed of."

It’s like "Pinterest Blew Up in a Store"

Walk into Island-ish today, and the first thing you notice is the artful, eclectic charm that fills every shelf and shop rack.

"Someone described us even down at the beach as 'Pinterest blew up in a store,'" Kelly laughs. "And we’re like, 'That’s pretty much us!' It’s everything we love, would need, and would buy."

The shelves are packed with curated treasures from Vancouver Island and BC artisans, like hand-hammered silver wave rings and sea glass jewelry by Jolene Soheir (Pacific Alchemy) out of Ucluelet, fine art prints by April Lacheur and Renee Faganello, whimsical West Coast apparel from Market of Stars, and natural home products from Mint Cleaning. A piece of living history is also available.

"Christina, the potter... she’s been doing this for decades," Shannon shares. "She’s here every Tuesday. She used to be a potter at the Quilted Duck back in the day! She doesn't have social media, but she is our biggest consignment artisan every month. People in the community come just for her pottery."

When it comes to business, the sisters’ distinct strengths balance each other like clockwork.

"Kelly is a really good researcher—she researches to no end!" Shannon smiles. "She’ll find products and things that are just starting to grow and be like, 'I think we should look at this,' and I’m like, 'Yes!' or 'You're crazy!'"

"Shannon is the aesthetic," Kelly chimes in. "Packaging matters, the look of things matters. If a good product doesn't have good packaging, it's not going to sell. We’re a magical sister combo."

Though retired, their mother stays behind the scenes, handling the business’s books and keeping them grounded. "She holds our feet to the fire," Kelly admits. "'Girls, how are you going to pay for that? Do you know what cash flow is?' Our bookkeeper mom will get us in trouble even though we're in our 50s!"

That blend of creativity and business acumen proved crucial when the pandemic hit in 2020. Early on, Kelly's web-savvy nephew had urged them to get on Shopify before most small retailers even knew what it was.

"Shopify saved us in the pandemic," Shannon says. "We were ready to go."

Instead of shutting down, they leaned into online sales, porch shopping, and curb drops. They even spent time helping other local shop owners build their own websites so they could survive, too. "We helped a lot of people get on Shopify," Kelly reflects. "We were so grateful we could do that.”
 

"Come As You Are": Neighbourhood Gathering Place

While the carefully curated inventory brings people through the door, genuine warmth and community connection keep them coming back.

"It’s a village feel," Kelly notes. "When you drive up the hill from the mall, it’s noticeably different. There are people walking in their running clothes with their walking sticks. They’re like, ‘I’m a mess.’ We’re like, ‘We don’t care! Come on in!’"

"The community is what is the most special," Shannon says softly. "We have women who come here while their husbands are at the hospital in town, and they come in just browsing. So many guys who are like, 'Help me find a present!' Or people from the vet clinic whose pets are having to end their lives, so they come and cry with us. We want to be that safe place for people."

"We don’t want to just sell stuff," Kelly adds. "We want to build that relationship with people. It’s taken on a life of its own... it's bigger than us."

Whether you are a visitor discovering Nanaimo's north end for the first time or a lifelong resident taking a stroll up the hill, Shannon and Kelly's invitation remains simple.
"Come as you are," Kelly says with a smile. "All are welcome. We would love just to have you browse or buy, whatever you need... Come become part of the Island-ish family.”

Shannon & Kelly’s Local Shout-Outs

Planning a day up the hill? Here are a few of the sisters' go-to local spots and neighbourhood recommendations:

• Eats & Drinks: Horang, Berakah Brunch, Kame Japanese Restaurant, Bodhi's Artisan Bakery, Serious Coffee Hammond Bay, and Regard Coffee all top the list for these two.
• Local Shops & Services: Meat Craft, Maison Cookware & Bakery, Olive This & More, Citrus Kids, Elements Day Spa, Aura Hair, and Island Clinical Counselling.
• Parks & Outdoor Strolls: Neck Point Park, Pipers Lagoon, Linley Valley Marsh Loop, and Copley Park.