Shore Peddlin’: N.S. woman lives out her ice cream dream with new bike business

A Nova Scotia woman serves up nostalgia and smiles on her retro ice cream bike.

A Nova Scotia woman says she is living out her “ice cream dream” and it all started with the purchase of a new-to-her tricycle.

“I bought a little Dickie Dee and I refurbished it and I got it painted,” Jess Tofflemire told CTV Atlantic’s Mike Lamb.

“And now I’m here starting my own business and running my ice cream cart doing events, doing birthday parties, corporate events.”

Tofflemire’s business, called Shore Peddlin’, takes her along the province’s eastern shore. She says her love of ice cream began when she was a little girl.

“When I went to get ice cream in the summer, I just thought everyone’s always happy and I just thought it was a great way to kind of be a part of your community and give back,” she said.

Shore Peddlin’ serves a variety of prepackaged ice cream.

“Revello bars, Drumsticks, the little tubs of ice cream. I sell vegan options, and I have the icy slushies,” Tofflemire said.

“People just love the nostalgia feeling and that was my goal, but just the positive feedback that I’ve been getting is really awesome, like the support from the community.”

Tofflemire says she’s also received many comments about the bells on her bike.

“When people hear the bells, I feel like it just brings them back to their childhood. So many people have told me their stories about how when they were little the bells would ring and they would come running for the ice cream,” she said. “I just love that; it makes me so happy.”

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