Sylvia's Nail Care Centre

At this point, Sylvia’s Nail Care Centre is an Oshawa institution. Serving customers since the ’80s, it is considered the longest-running nail shop in the Durham region. Sylvia's is the brainchild of Sylvia German, a former hairdresser who struck out on her own to open a nail care centre. Her shop provides a sense of community that only a business that has been around for this long can offer.

“I really admire my mother,”  says Caroline Alcook, Sylvia’s daughter and coworker since the late ’80s. “She built something up on her own and created a place that’s wonderful and welcoming.” The results of Sylvia’s hard work are immediately apparent: despite retiring in 2010, Sylvia still comes in regularly, and employees and customers alike get excited to see her. “We call her our greeter,” Caroline says with a laugh. “Everyone gets so excited when she comes in. Many of our customers have been getting their nails done here since we opened, so they all know her.”