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Local establishment in full bloom: Bern’s Flowers & Gifts turns 50

August 14, 2025   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

From fresh flowers to fine chocolates, wine, and even ice cream, the Bern’s Flowers & Gifts in Alliston is marking its golden anniversary with a community celebration on Aug. 16.

For half a century, Bern’s Flowers & Gifts has been part of downtown Alliston’s heartbeat, brightening celebrations, comforting families, and making everyday moments a little more beautiful.

Founded in 1975, Bern’s quickly earned a reputation for quality and creativity. For nearly three decades, Leo and Margaret Kleiss built the business into one of Canada’s top 25 Teleflora florists.

In January 2014, Lachlan and Sharon McGurk took the reins, determined to honour that legacy while bringing fresh ideas to keep Bern’s blooming for the next generation.

“When we bought the business, we knew we had big shoes to fill,” said Lachlan. “Bern’s was built on care, creativity, and community. That’s still at the heart of what we do.”

Sharon, who had been the shop’s senior designer for seven years, brought her floral artistry and UK training, while Lachlan applied his IT and project management background to modernize operations and expand offerings.

Over the past decade, the McGurks have given the 2,000-square-foot shop a full interior refresh, grown the home décor and gift ranges, and introduced new services to meet changing customer tastes.

One of their boldest moves came in 2019 with the launch of Belfry Chocolates. After acquiring and rebranding Aarden’s of Stayner, the McGurks began producing handcrafted Belgian chocolate on-site in a custom-built production room. Under the skill of full-time chocolatier Samantha, Belfry has quickly become a local favourite for its artistry, flavour, and freshness.

Bern’s has since added a wine licence, making it possible to deliver flowers, chocolates, and wine together — a perfect trio for special occasions. And when the summer heat rolls in, customers flock to the Kawartha Dairy ice cream counter, which was introduced a couple of years ago to complement chocolate sales.

Now, as Bern’s marks its 50th year, the McGurks are inviting the community to join in the celebration.

On Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the shop will host live music, sweet treats, refreshments, “Spin-the-Wheel” prizes, and a gift card draw with $100, $50, and $25 prizes. Shoppers can also take advantage of in-store specials of up to 50% off.

“It’s been an amazing journey,” says Lachlan. “From flowers to chocolates, wine to ice cream, we’ve loved growing Bern’s while keeping the heart of what makes it special. We’re excited for the next chapter.” 

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