Some businesses are built in glass towers, their success measured in quarterly reports and foot traffic. Others are built in living rooms and back kitchens, their value measured in something less quantifiable—the patience of craft, the intimacy of a familiar scent, the quiet persistence of a neighbor who has been there long enough to become part of the neighborhood's memory.
La Parfumerie, a home-based perfumery in Winnipeg's Wolseley neighborhood, has been ordered by the city to either re-zone or cease allowing walk-in customers. The owner, Michael O'Malley, says he cannot afford commercial zoning. For nearly three decades—since 1999—he has lived and worked in the same location, creating custom-blended natural perfumes that have drawn customers from across the city and beyond .
This is not the first time the business has faced closure. In 2015, the City of Winnipeg's zoning department attempted to shut it down. The community responded with overwhelming support, and a subcommittee of city councillors voted unanimously to allow La Parfumerie to continue operating under a 10-year conditional use order. That order expired in May 2025. In the intervening years, the city changed its zoning bylaw to prohibit home-based businesses from conducting retail sales—a decision made despite the earlier public support .
More than 1,000 people have signed an online petition urging the city to allow the business to remain open. The petition argues that a small artisanal operation is not the same as a large commercial retail store, and that La Parfumerie has demonstrated for decades that it can operate responsibly, with limited hours and minimal disruption to the neighborhood .
There is something worth pausing over in this story. Cities are living organisms, and their rules must evolve. But evolution does not always mean expansion. Sometimes it means learning to make room for the small things that give a place its texture—the shop that smells of cedar and lavender, the owner who knows his customers by name, the business that occupies the space between commerce and community.
The city has not yet responded to requests for comment. What happens next may depend on whether Winnipeg sees this as a simple matter of zoning compliance or as a question about what kinds of work a city values, and what kinds of places it is willing to let survive.
AI Image Disclaimer: The visuals in this article are AI-generated illustrations and do not represent the actual storefront or individuals mentioned.
Sources: Global News, Canadian Trends, Change.org
Published by Banx Network. This article is part of the Banx decentralized media programme, powered by the BXE token on the XRP Ledger.
