You’ll find a new face to greet you whether you’re looking for flowers, fishing, coffee or kayaks in Cook County this summer.

In October 2009, Jill Terrill bought the building in downtown Grand Marais that not only houses her clothing store, Threads, but also the former Lind Chevrolet Garage. Terrill has spent the winter renovating the garage space which will be called The Garage, although it’s not a place to take your car. In its new incarnation, the Garage will be a marketplace of sorts that hosts artists, antiquers, and community members.

“Basically our mission is to offer locals a way to make some supplemental income,” said Terrill.

To date, The Garage will host an antique booth, an artists’ cooperative, a weekend indoor/outdoor market, and a space called Underdog Art, where local artists and crafters can sell their creations and determine whether they’d like to transform their art into a small business.

“We’re trying to be an incubator for small businesses,” said Terrill.

Terrill said she hopes people will use The Garage as a place to gather. There will be free wi-fi internet and a coffee cart selling coffee, milk, and cookies from Lola’s Sweet Life Bakery. The Garage is scheduled to open on June 14.

Sandi McQuatters is the new owner of Terra Bella Floral.

Kitty-corner from The Garage, the Terra Bella flower shop has new owners. Lifelong locals, Clint and Sandi McQuatters, along with children Breyer and Trace, bought Terra Bella at the end of April.

“If you need flowers, we do it,” said Sandi McQuatters. “We are also putting in a lot of local consignment gifts.”

Terra Bella offers floral arrangements for all occasions and can do special orders. They also offer a selection of houseplants and McQuatters has expanded the gift selection.

Meanwhile, Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, a new business tailored to the Northland adventurer, plans to hold a grand opening over the summer solstice weekend (June 18-20) from its location on Grand Marais’s East Bay. Stocked items will be Langford canoes, Maelstrom kayaks, Wintergreen clothing, and Oboz shoes as well as a selection of paddles, tents, maps, books, and other outdoor related items.

“We’ve tried to identify what’s missing in the community and provide those items,” said general manager Bryan Hansel.

In addition to retail, Stone Harbor will offer guided kayaking and fly-fishing trips, teach classes, issue Boundary Waters permits and provide limited outfitting.

Nancy Waver (center) and her family have rebuilt the lodge at Trout Lake Resort.

Up the Gunflint Trail, business continues as usual at the Trout Lake Resort. The main lodge burned down in April 2009. A new lodge is now standing.

“We were open last year on a very stressful, limited basis,” said Trout Lake’s Nancy Waver. “This year we’re functioning a little more normally. We’re doing pretty good.”

Trout Lake Resort has been in Waver’s family for decades. She returned home to the resort 24 years ago to help her mother after her father’s death. The resort hosts seven housekeeping cabins and Waver said with the high percentage of returning clientele most guests feel like family. In addition, all of Waver’s children live in the county and help her with the business, she said.

“It’s not like running a business,” said Waver. “It’s more like giving people an opportunity to share this beautiful spot with us.”