Noteworthy: Eric Mosher

A Hello Oxford series on the movers and shakers, sometimes loud but often quiet, who contribute to our community. If you think someone in our community deserves to be recognized, drop us a line at info@hellooxford.ca

In July 2026, a neighbourhood in New York City inaugurated its first ever Summer of Ludd Festival. It is a celebration of all things Luddite – originally a movement established during England’s industrial revolution to resist the adoption of machines – now morphed into a resistance of Big Tech.

If there is one person who could have fit right in with the crowd, it is Oxford’s Eric Mosher; unfortunately, Eric was busy in his store (and store window on the day I spoke with him), GDJE enterprises, better known as The Alphabet Store. But Eric likely wouldn’t even have known about the festival since he does not use, or own, a cell phone or a laptop. He doesn’t have internet and therefore is not connected to social media, shopping, and online banking.  Instead, Eric spends his free time experiencing life in his own way.

Treasures galore but so much more

For the locals who have not taken the time to visit the Alphabet Store – approximately 90% of Eric’s customers are visitors to the region – or stop in to have a chat with Eric, they have no idea what they are missing. Old-fashioned candies, local yarns, cards, kitchen wares, unique clocks, and Christmas decorations. And that is just in the first five minutes. Yes, the GJDE store is a veritable treasure trove with literally something for everyone. 

The Mosher family moved to Oxford when Eric was 13 and the now 65-year-old has been involved in the store’s ups and downs over the years since his family’s arrival. Situated on what was once a bustling Water Street, the historic building that houses both the store and Eric (and Willow, his lovely dog), has gone through several changes and upgrades. As one of the tallest buildings in town besides the churches, Eric worries about lightning strikes and fire. And with the purchase of some of the empty lots beside and behind his home, he has made interesting discoveries. For instance, he learned that his family was inadvertently paying for electricity in adjacent buildings. He realised that his barn could never be squared up because one wall is longer than the other. Mostly though, he learned that an old lot filled with bricks and brambles could be turned into a peaceful garden where he can plant flowers and vegetables and let Willow play.

Eric’s love of all things artistic is not new. In 1978, while he was still a high school student, his designs submitted to the Butterick Pattern Company in New York earned him a second-place finish. In 1997, a mural he designed based on a 1913 photo of Dominion Day in Oxford and that was painted by Dale Naugler’s grade 4 class won honours at the National Heritage Fair in Kingston, Ontario. Interestingly, the photo advertised A.E. Smith’s movie theatre which was housed in what is currently the GJDE store. 

Dining and Dragonflies?

Recently, Eric has looked to expand his love of artistic projects. Though he has a master’s degree in photography, his artistry has taken him elsewhere. Passersby now peer into windows to witness the progress of his bistro. It is a plan behind a passion. Yes, Eric loves to eat and eat well! Oxford already hosts eateries including the pizzeria, Parkview, and two fast food joints, but Eric was looking to offer a different kind of experience. The menu is not set but if all goes according to plan, some lucky community members will be given the chance to visit the bistro in October for a special occasion to see and taste the works of art for themselves. Local craftspeople have been busy bringing Eric Mosher’s vision to life while he has been sampling menus from around the region, looking for culinary inspiration. His hope is to entice more visitors downtown once the bistro officially opens in a year or so. More dining options are something that can only be beneficial for the town.

His other project was to set up the garden equipment store “Dragonfly Dreamscapes: A World of Garden Delights” adjacent to the bistro. Anyone looking for whimsical garden lights, ornaments, and whirligigs will find enchantment in his little shop, which was built in 2020 – in the same year as the start of the pandemic – and opened about four years ago. Eric was careful with his design: “I wanted the character inside to match the period or vintage of the look of the store.” Operating two stores at the same time is a complicated matter, but Eric has taken on extra hands at the stores and can now devote more time to those customers who come from across the province and elsewhere to seek out a piece of magic.

Of course, what good is having a store that offers beautiful garden supplies if one cannot test them out? In the walled section behind his store, Eric has established a haven which he has decorated with lights, a waterfall, a range of flowers, and various ornaments suspended from the trees. His garden may not rival in size with that of one of his inspirations, Les Jardins de Métis – the Reford Gardens, located on the lower north shore of Quebec’s Gaspé peninsula, but for a one-man show, it is a welcome and well-hidden surprise in a town known more for its blueberries than anything else. 

Nostalgia?

Eric laughs when he recounts how things have changed. When his family bought the property in 1974, “the driveway went all the way around and came out by the drug store, and it used to be like the Dukes of Hazzard – the town police would be chasing the perps through the back, and a lot of cars would avoid the intersection.” Those days he does not miss and is happy that his fence has stopped the backyard traffic. But he speaks of his home with a certain nostalgia as he recalls how the Maple Players drama club members used to climb the stairs to the third-floor former movie theatre to create sets or practice on the stage. He also noted the industriousness of the time when the Capitol Theatre was built and was supported by the townspeople who were a captive audience for entertainment. Today, Eric struggles to adapt to “industriousness” of a different kind that is removing access to sales reps, to human interaction, and to reliable and well-supported information. In a changing world where it is a challenge to make a doctor’s appointment or pay an invoice without a phone in hand, Eric thinks about how our society has been transformed and how frankly he doesn’t “want to do more stuff!”

The bottom line

Eric Mosher recognizes that Oxford has the charm which could draw more tourists to the region and knows there are cultural activities happening in the town, but a dream for him is to have the townspeople encourage him when he eventually opens the bistro. He is happy to see the increased tourism thanks to the town’s efforts and pleased when people drop back into his stores to pick up some souvenirs after passing by on their four-wheelers. That said, Eric states that while “a lot of people do things to make money, [he is] motivated a different way.” He continues by saying that he looks “for the magic of things and how that can give back.” He knows that he is probably his accountant’s worst nightmare! Yet, his store does offer magic and peace. 

“A lot of my customers are repeat and have been coming for years.” He tells of a couple who met online about 15 years ago and had their first date at the store. They now are married and come back every year. Other people drop by because it makes them feel good -– one customer lost her son and asked Eric if she could simply sit in the store because it brought her a sense of peace. “There is a spiritual element to what I am doing that is important to me as an artist and as a human being. A lot of businesses tend to lose that.” 

So the next time you are looking for a unique gift or souvenir or even if you just want a card, or a piece of old-fashioned candy, consider stopping on Oxford’s Water Street. The real treasure you find might be in the form of a smile on the face of a tall, curly-haired artist.

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Joy Blake is a former Oxford resident with an interest in community life. She now lives in Quebec but heads back to the rivers and shores of Cumberland County throughout the year. She teaches and produces educational films at the Cegep de Granby: Virtual Reality.