Page 19 - INSIGHT MAGAZINE - NoBleed_Neat

When they asked the youngster if he
wanted to check out the pen show at the
Toronto landmark, he agreed.
“If Arman had said no, we wouldn’t even
be having this conversation,” jokes Mano,
describing the deep passion that was
ignited in Baldeep as he explored what
the vendors had to offer. “When he left
the show, he had decided he was going to
open a stationery store.”
As a boy, Baldeep had developed an
interest in fine writing instruments after
spending many hours exploring pen
stores with his father, a University of Delhi She says it’s not uncommon to
professor, meticulously selecting various
inks and writing tools. Mano also grew find customers spending several
up with a deep appreciation for books, hours poring over the store’s
journaling, and notebooks, as well as fine more than 200 ink swatches
papers. trying to find that perfect colour

Driving by 63 Dickson St. Baldeep noticed or shade. In fact, for their 10th
a ‘For Lease’ sign which led to the couple anniversary in business the
purchasing the building and its two stores. couple created their own ink
(The neighbouring shop is now home to
Arman’s business Disko Coffee). appropriately called 'A Leap of
“I literally thought he had lost his mind,” Faith'.
laughs Mano, referring to Baldeep’s plan. “I think shops like ours are the heartbeat
“At the time, our daughter was leaving for of any community and must survive,”
university, and we had been saving money. says Mano, describing how many long-
We didn’t know anything about pens.” time customers have become like family.

But together they took a leap of faith, even “The stories they share with us are such
an important part of the fabric of this
when potential suppliers warned them business. They get seeped into Phidon; it’s
a stationery store of this calibre would not just about a notebook and a pen.”
be better suited for Toronto, something
Baldeep refused to consider taking into In terms of community, the couple have
consideration the daily commute along given back as much as possible including
Highway 401. working in partnership with the BRIDGE
“That would have defeated the whole Centre for Architecture + Design, an affiliate
of the University of Waterloo School of
purpose of the life we were looking for,” he Architecture, on the 100 Notebook Project.
says. “We were deeply committed to this In 2014, the store donated notebooks to
idea.” hundreds of members of the community
They named the store Phidon Pens, a to share their creativity in any way they
play on words that was inspired by the wished, including diagrams and writings,
ambitious Greek King Pheidon, who was over several months. The notebooks were
credited with establishing a system of collected and have been displayed at
weights and measures, to recognize the several public events, including at Tapestry
‘balance’ they were seeking in their lives Hall in 2019.
and opened in the summer of 2008. “I always tell people who’ve taken part in
“I think our customers have really this project that the notebook is bigger
helped us arrive at this balance,” says than them and is part of a bigger world than
Mano, describing the success the store their lives,” says Mano, noting the ongoing
experienced that first year. project has resulted in the collection of
“People came because they loved pens 800 notebooks. “We’re always thinking of
and because they were curious. Some how to make this community better by one
bought their first $15 ink pen and then pen and notebook at a time.”
moved to the next one and the next and
have become real pen aficionados.” For more on Phidon Pens, visit www.
phidonpens.com, or call 519-624-8787.
PHOTOS BY BRIAN RODNICK

www.cambridgechamber.com Fall 2023 19