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Nicole doesn’t mind living in a fishbowl

Gore Street Cafe owner preparing for third annual Fishbowl Festival, beginning Feb. 20
20180216-Nicole Dyble Gore Street Cafe-DT
Nicole Dyble, Gore Street Cafe owner/operator, Feb. 16, 2018. Darren Taylor/SooToday

People who enjoy a good meal in a relaxed, artistic environment in the city’s downtown can look forward to the third annual Fishbowl Festival, which runs from Feb. 20 to March 20, organized by The Gore Street Cafe.

Why the ‘fishbowl’ reference?

“It (the festival) happens during the time of Pisces,” said Nicole Dyble, Gore Street Cafe owner/operator. 

“I’m not into astrology in a huge way but I’m a Pisces (a distinction given by astrology believers to people born between Feb. 18 and March 20), and the first year we put on the festival there were five Pisces people in here, they looked around and said it’s like a fishbowl in here (the cafe has a large old-fashioned front window),” Dyble told SooToday.

The Gore Street Cafe, at 164 Gore Street, marked the start of its third year in business in January.

Fishbowl Festival events, Dyble said, will include a Vinyl Brunch, in which a local DJ will come in and play music while the Rad Zone sells old fashioned vinyl LPs, a Zine making workshop (‘zines’ being small magazines), the official opening of an art exhibit, a Prince dance party (in honour of the late singer/songwriter), a science cafe, an appearance by a local Bitcoin expert who will deliver a speech on the digital currency, an essential oils workshop, a beading workshop, and others. 

The art exhibit is called ‘Post-it Modernism,’ which consists of a collage of post-it notes, each one having an artistic theme, sent in locally and from all over the world, including places such as Indonesia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

Admission to most festival events will be ‘pay what you can.’     

Live music events at the cafe will include performances by Noah Derksen (from BC), Andrew Pucci, David Dino White of North Bay, and others.  

Other Fishbowl Festival events will be held at other venues, such as a party at Lop Lops and music by Pretty Archie at the New American Pub House. 

Dyble, a former Toronto resident who moved north to study in Algoma University’s Community Economic and Social Development (CESD) program, now calls the Sault her home.

“It’s a little different,” said Dyble of the Gore Street Cafe’s operating concept, which includes servings of fresh, mostly locally-produced food on a ‘pay what you can’ basis. 

“The major purpose of this place is to make wholesome food more accessible in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, but along with that I’m just trying to create a safe community hub, where all sorts of people can feel comfortable on a level playing field, where anyone can come in and have a meal, and it’s going to be good food.”

“My menu has two or three items every day so it cuts down on food waste quite a bit, I don’t serve a whole lot of meat because local, sustainable organic meat is very expensive so I keep costs down by serving mostly vegetarian fare,” Dyble said.

“Most people are generous…most people who come in pay a little bit more than I would have charged if I had actual prices. I don’t want to say it hasn’t been rocky…(but) it all balances out,” Dyble said, when asked how one stays in business on a ‘pay what you can’ basis.

Dyble prepares food in the cafe’s kitchen with partner Al Bjornaa, who is also a commercial fisherman.

The Gore Street Cafe operates from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with an open mic evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Tuesday, with various evening events throughout the month.

More information on the Gore Street Cafe, and the schedule of events for the Third Annual Fishbowl Festival (which Dyble is still finalizing), may be found on The Gore Street Cafe Facebook page.


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Darren Taylor

About the Author: Darren Taylor

Darren Taylor is a news reporter and photographer in Sault Ste Marie. He regularly covers community events, political announcements and numerous board meetings. With a background in broadcast journalism, Darren has worked in the media since 1996.
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