Where Craft Becomes Connection

Jacob Sheehan grew up watching visitors walk through the doors of his family’s pewter studio in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Inside what is a former 19th-century boatbuilding workshop, artisans at Amos Pewter craft original designs of jewelry, ornaments and home decor.

Jacob saw the sparks light up in people's eyes as they observed the careful work of artisans pouring molten pewter into moulds, drawing out pendants that captured their journey — a seagull, a sand dollar, a lighthouse.

Today, Jacob still spends much of his time in the workshop-boutique. He now leads the tours and sees every day how eager people are to discover the craft, to speak with the artisans. What they are really seeking is to connect fully during their travel experience.

“People want immersive experiences. They want to touch, taste, try,” says Carl-Éric Guertin, Executive Director of the Économusée Network.

An Économusée is a working artisan business that also functions as a museum experience. The network supports artisans, like Amos Pewter, who open their workshops to the public, sharing their expertise and offering visitors a more meaningful connection to the places they are exploring.

Oilers Économusée, Québec

TournevenT produces organic first cold-pressed oils — but its mission goes further: demystifying how everyday cooking oils are made.

In a dedicated workshop space, visitors see each step, from plant to bottle. “People no longer see just a simple bottle,” explains co-owner Audrey Bouchard.

The project began when Audrey’s father-in-law sought succession for his former dairy farm in Hébertville, in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, known for its fertile land and favourable growing conditions, particularly for canola.

Inspired by cold-pressed oil producers in Bordeaux, France, the family replaced dairy herds with oilseed crops. Today, the property resembles a small vineyard landscape, set against the backdrop of Parc national des Laurentides.

Glass Blowing Économusée, Québec

Giuseppe Benedetto’s curiosity knows few limits. In La Baie, he created an arts complex centred around an 1868 stone presbytery.

Originally a stone sculptor, he later incorporated glass into his work - adding transparency - and expanded into fine stone polishing for jewelry.

The site now hosts two Économusées: one for blown glass production and one for stone polishing. “Two Économusées in the same place is rather rare,” he says.

At Touverre, visitors watch him work at furnaces he built himself. “In 20 minutes, I can make a beluga, for example. Glassblowing starts and finishes very quickly.”

He crafts local fauna: white geese, hummingbirds, snowy owls, and the Saguenay classic, blueberries.

Before even entering, visitors encounter outdoor sculptures made from salvaged stone and glass from the building’s renovation, along with a geological garden. New ideas continue to take shape. “I’m constantly bringing to life the ideas that come into my head,” he says.

Distiller Économusée, Saskatchewan

Barb Stefanyshyn-Cote often paraphrases Jackie Kennedy: “In the chaos around us, everyone should have access to beauty.”

Beauty might be tasting a well-crafted gin or whisky. Or walking through flower fields in a Saskatchewan valley.

Around Black Fox Farm and Distillery, everything turns green in mid-May. By mid-June, 3,000 peonies bloom, followed by perennials, annuals, and 52,000 gladioli. Grain fields shift with the seasons.

Cattle Ranching Heritage Place, Alberta

“We’ve always seen the West as a place of adventure, animals, and wide-open spaces,” says Adam Charbonneau.

At River Ranch in St. Paul, which he runs with his wife, Crystal, that sense of freedom is immediate.

It is a family story. Adam’s grandfather left Sainte-Rose-de-Laval, Quebec, to settle in northern Alberta and start a ranch. Adam is a third-generation rancher; Crystal represents the fourth generation on her side.

They practice sustainable ranching, sending herds onto perennial forage and emphasizing symbiosis between cattle and land.

Two years ago, they opened their world to the public.

“People can do a bit of what we do every day: ride horses. And simply be part of this universe.”

The meeting point is the barn, home to horses and cattle, where an interpretation space has been created. From there, horseback excursions lead through hills and valleys with expansive views.

“I show them the ranch and talk about the practices we use to enrich our soil.”

Some choose multi-day excursions, sleeping under Alberta’s wide skies, near the herd and horses. Others opt for shorter rides or simply learn to handle a lasso in the barn.

These places offer more than a visit. They offer encounter, process, conversation, and the chance to carry home something shaped not only by hand, but by place.

Within the walls of the Économusée, there is passion and authenticity. Discover the whole Économusée Network.