Every town has stories woven into its history. Stories that give a community its heart. While renovating the apartment above one of our downtown shops, we discovered something unexpected. A loose fireplace tile.
On the back was a handwritten love note dated 1944. For more than 80 years, those words lay hidden under that tile. Shop owners, tenants, families, guests… generations of people passed through that space without ever knowing a small piece of someone’s story had been waiting to be discovered.
It made me stop and wonder. Who wrote it? Did they ever get to continue their sto ry? Did they spend their lives here in Paris? Did they walk these same streets together, wave to neighbours, or browse these shops that still stand today? Maybe we’ll never know. But maybe that’s what makes towns like Paris so special. Every building holds stories. Every storefront has witnessed first jobs, family businesses, celebrations, heartbreaks, new beginnings and countless ordinary days that become the memories that shape our town’s story. We don’t see all these stories, but they’re what gives downtown Paris its character.
These stories are still being written every day. Some begin with a first date. Some begin with an artist finding the courage to open a studio. Some begin with a shop owner taking a chance on a dream. Some begin with a child remembering a treat by the river with their grandparents. Those moments are what inspired a new series we’re calling We Met in Paris. Every one of us has a moment when Paris became part of our story. Storytelling keeps the ripples moving long after the moment has passed. It keeps memories alive, reminds us that every generation adds another chapter to the story of Paris, and inspires others to create stories of their own. That’s how our shared history continues to grow. As someone who spends a lot of time downtown, I’ve noticed something special. Visitors often tell us they wish they had a downtown like ours. They talk about the slower pace, the friendly faces, and how one stop somehow turns into an after noon. They’re feeling the stories that flowthrough our downtown.
Maybe you met your spouse here. May be you found your favourite bookstore, your favourite café, or your lifelong best friend. Or maybe your story is much simpler. Maybe it’s just the familiar smile from the shop owner who remembers your order before you’ve even asked. Those are the stories that give our downtown its heart. That little note we found beneath the tile survived for more than 80 years because someone took the time to write it down. It makes me wonder how many other stories are waiting to be discovered.
Over the coming weeks, we’d love to tell some of them through our new We Met in Paris series. You can reach out to the Downtown Paris BIA, send us a message on social media, write a handwritten story and stop by my shop and say hello. If Paris has woven itself into your story, I’d be honoured to hear it, and even more honoured to share it.
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