Peep & Keep Ecotique

11/29/2025

This is a big project that is near and dear to our heart in Dorchester. With funding shortages, it’s becoming more difficult to preserve our built heritage. All
of this comes at a time
when Keillor House Museum is in need of a new roof, structural work and reinforcment and repair of the stone wall at the rear of the building. The gift of your time is also appreciated. If you would
like to volunteer send a note to [email protected]! We’re now on Canada Helps so we can accept
donations from all over the world!

We need help from Santa and his helpers! Did you know our beloved Keillor House Museum in Dorchester is in need of a roof and stonework repairs. Every bit of help is appreciated. As a registered charitable organization we provide tax receipts! Thank you in advance for your support! Donate here:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/the-westmorland-historical-society-inc/

08/09/2025

Sunday is Fun Day!

We have another exciting day at our Traditional Artistry Festival tomorrow! Start the day with an information session on shorebirds inside the Keillor House and continue with demonstrations from local artists.

08/08/2025

Celebrate Sandpipers and learn a new skill! The Old Village Shoppe at the Keillor House Museum is restocked with our best selling felted sandpiper kit from Loopy Wool Supply. Get yours this weekend to celebrate our famous Peeps and try your hand at felting.

08/07/2025

Peeps have arrived! Don’t miss the Sandpiper Festival this weekend in Dorchester!

Every summer, the shores near Dorchester become the stage for one of nature’s most breathtaking spectacles, the arrival of thousands and thousands of semipalmated sandpipers. These tiny shorebirds stop here to rest and refuel on mud shrimp and crabs, nearly doubling their weight before continuing their epic journey from the Arctic to South America.

Dorchester celebrates this incredible migration with the Sandpiper Festival, three days of family fun, heritage, and art in honour of this awe-inspiring natural event. Mark your calendars for August 8–10, 2025!

And if you’ve passed through the village, you’ve likely spotted Shep, the giant sandpiper sculpture that welcomes visitors. This whimsical landmark was created by my friend Robin Hanson, a talented artist and gallery owner from French Lake.

07/13/2025

Join us for a trip back in time to the Victorian era at the Keillor House Museum Victorian Garden Party on July 26th at the Keillor House Museum! Here’s a peek of what we have planned! 💐

https://facebook.com/events/s/victorian-garden-party/691074810419727/

07/09/2025

Elephants in Dorchester?

06/12/2025

Join us this Saturday for the season opening of the Keillor House Museum and check out the new “Old Village Shoppe” operated by the Westmorland Historical Society.🕊️

06/08/2025

Hello Peeps –
We’ve heard you’ve all been wondering what the Gals @ Peep & Keep Ecotique have been up to and now we can finally share our news!

We’re all about supporting our little community in Dorchester and we know that helping each other is the essence of who we are and what we do. That’s why our little piece of heaven in Dorchester has so much activity in such a small place – it’s because of people like you who support rural businesses and great causes that give back.

Our goal with Peep & Keep was plain and simple – celebrate our amazing place in the Fundy Biosphere, support our community and local artisans and to provide our customers with unique local gifts and goods.

Debbie and I are always dreaming of what’s next and we came up with a great solution that will allow Debbie, myself and others to do even more for our community. After all, it does take a Village!!

We too are “migrating” and we're excited to announce that we’ve partnered with the Westmorland Historical Society and we’ll be helping to expand their gift shop with all of our learnings from Peep & Keep. We hope to continue to receive your great support and help get the word out the good old fashioned way!

The Westmorland Historical Society, is a non-profit charitable organization whose mission is to preserve and share the stories and traditional methods of our region. As such, their gift shop is also a non-profit charity.

Each of your purchases will make a difference! You'll help support much needed repairs @ the Keillor House Museum and the St. James Texile Museum, the Bell Inn Building and the Payzant & Card Building. Every year, funding is a struggle... Now, more than ever we need to be creative and find new ways of becoming less reliant on funding which can be unpredictable, especially in this day and age.

As a not-for-proifit charitable organization, every one of your purchases makes a difference AND aren’t subject to tax – another great thing!

The new name of the shop is "The Old Village Shoppe" which is a nod to Dorchester's rich heritage as a thriving village with many small businesses.

We’ll have special collections of gift and goods that represent the Keillor House Museum, The St. James Textile Museum, the Fundy Biosphere and of course your favorite items from Peep & Keep Ecotique.

Where to Shop
While we’re in the development stage, the shop will be located in the Keillor House Museum and the team at the Keillor House Museum will be drumming up business and visitors by attending various markets throughout the summer.

We invite you to stop by the Keillor House Museum Season Opening on Saturday, June 14th from 2 p.m – 4 p.m. to chat with us about our plans.

We’re looking forward to the next chapter of our adventure as passionate community supporters.

You can follow us for updates on the Keillor House Museum page.

Stay tuned for more news along with a new facebook site dedicated to The Old Village Shoppe.

We look forward to seeing you at the Keillor House Museum :)

Yours Naturally,
Kara Becker & Debbie Wiggins-Colwell

04/18/2025

It’s spring and many of you are wondering when we’ll be open! The shop will open later in the spring as we’ve been working on a special project that we can’t wait to share with you! Stay tuned to find out what’s next…. 🌷🌷 Happy Easter!

02/02/2025

During this unprecedented time, Debbie and I would like to share our gratitude
for all the loyal support from our customers. Now - more than ever - supporting local and Canada is not only important from an economic perspective but we need to unite, stay strong and preserve our sovereignty. 🇨🇦