My Favourite Canadian Brands

When I paid off my debt in 2018, I decided that when I bought something I would make the effort to support local shops and Canadian brands. And, if possible, buy things actually made in Canada. (Occasionally, this can make things a bit more expensive. But, as my Daddy used to say “Quality over quantity.”) In the last year and a half, supporting local has been especially important to me. Both my personal and professional networks comprise of entrepreneurs, and small businesses have needed the support.

Here’s the thing: supporting local doesn’t always mean a purchase. (Though that is always helpful.) Google reviews, social media engagement, shout-outs and shares are also powerful ways to show your favourite brands some love. Which is what brought about this blog post.

Packing and wearing pieces of home

As I was packing my suitcases for the move to England, I started a list of my favourite Canadian brands and businesses because I knew I would miss them. (Also, because many of the retail brands ship internationally — and everyone should know about them!)

The list was clearly on my mind when I packed my day-of stuff — because my plane outfit was head-to-toe Canadian brands. And I didn’t realize it until I took a picture before leaving my hotel room. Knowing that — aside from my sunglasses — I was repping Canada felt like a big hug on an exciting, emotional day.

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My favourite Canadian brands and businesses

Without further ado, below is my list of favourite Canadian brands, restaurants, wineries, breweries, wellness companies, etc. The majority are BC-based, and all have done such a great job of persevering throughout the pandemic. Needless to say, I’m so proud of Canadian businesses!

COMPANY	CATEGORY	CONNECT	CITY	NOTES
Persephone Brewing	Brewery	@persephonebrewing	Gibsons, BC	Really awesome farm-fresh brewery over on the Sunshine Coast. They also make excellent pizza and Are a certified B Corp.
Steel & Oak	Brewery	@steelandoak	New Westminster, BC	Fab brewery — really good beer and snacks. Friendly staff.
Townsite Brewing	Brewery	@townsitebrewing	Powell River, BC	One of my absolute favourite breweries. The Perfect Storm stout is mint. We love their brewer — only Belgian brewer in BC.
Yellow Dog Brewing	Brewery	@yellowdogbeer	Port Moody, BC	My favourite Port Moody brewery. Love their Shake a Paw Smoked Port and their back patio.
Aritzia	Clothing	@aritzia	Various	Stylish basics and pretty things. The pieces you invest in will last you forever.
Blue Sky Clothing	Clothing	@blueskyclothingco	Vancouver, BC	Excellent, ethically made bamboo underwear, socks and dresses.
Daub + Design	Clothing	@daubanddesign	Vancouver, BC	Tie-dye and solid colour basics, yoga wear and athleisure. Designed and made in Vancouver.
Duer	Clothing	@duerperformance	Vancouver, BC	My favourite jeans company. Small batch, designed in Vancouver.
Edna Smak	Clothing	@ednasmak	Vancouver, BC	Maker of my skyline yoga leggings. Shamiza started Edna Smak to create size-inclusive clothing for women.
Friday Sock Co.	Clothing	@fridaysockco	Calgary, AB	Cute, purposefully mismatched socks. Designed in Calgary, made in Italy. Make for excellent gifts.
Knix	Clothing	@knix	Toronto, BC	Awesome Canadian brand promoting body-positivity and getting rid of that underwire. Seam free tanks, thighsavers and undergarments.
Mila + Paige	Clothing	@milaandpaige	New Westminster, BC	Cute boutique owned by my lovely friend Anita. Great brands, both local and international.
Nominou Designs	Clothing	@nominoudesigns	Vancouver, BC	Beautiful Indigenous print leggings; eco-friendly designs. I’ve always wanted a pair and they are next on my list.
Orb Clothing	Clothing	@orbclothing	Vancouver, BC	Designed in BC, mostly female-run. Love their versatile basics and ALL the sweaters.
Public Myth	Clothing	@publicmyth	Vancouver, BC	Vancouver-made athleisure and yoga gear. Really soft bamboo tanks and tees.
Ativo Skincare	Other Retail	@ativoskincare	Vancouver, BC	My fave skincare brand — very grateful they ship to the UK! I love their lip balm, hyaluronic acid serum, and the Balance moisturizer.
Canvas Candle Co.	Other Retail	@canvascandleco	Vancouver, BC	Handcrafted soy wax candles made in BC. LOVELY scents.
Crawford Street Skincare	Other Retail	@crawfordstreetskincare	Toronto, ON	Toronto-based skincare. The lavender chamomile lotion is DIVINE.
Halfmoon Yoga	Other Retail	@shophalfmoon	Vancouver, BC	Women-owned, sustainably made yoga props. I have had a Halfmoon Yoga mat in my home since I was in my early 20s.
Hartley Bee	Other Retail	@hartleybee	Ottawa, ON	Makers of beaded mask chains. Highly recommend.
Kasi Bamboo	Other Retail	@kasibamboo	Vancouver, BC	Makers of my favourite masks. Made in BC, soft bamboo fabric.
Little May Papery	Other Retail	@littlemaypapery	Calgary, AB	Calgary-designed and printed cards and stationery; owned by the lovely Leanne.
Murchie’s	Other Retail	@murchiestea	Victoria, BC	The OG team company. All their EG teas are fab and their cafe has a great selection of baked goods.
Natoya Ellis	Other Retail	@studionatoyista	Vancouver, BC	Black artist with beautiful prints and stationery. My step-sister and I each have this powerful print.
Scarlett Designs	Other Retail	@scarlettdesigns	Vancouver, BC	Indigenous-owned business; pretty masks. Haven’t tried them yet, but I’ve heard good things.
Silk Road	Other Retail	@silkroadtea	Victoria, BC	Lovely teas and wellness products made in Victoria. I love their Quench tea.
The Refillery in Port Moody	Other Retail	@portmoodyrefillery	Port Moody, BC	Seller of lovely home things and excellent loose-leaf tea; refillers of home liquids like shampoo, laundry detergent and cleaning products.
Two Blooms & Co.	Other Retail	@shoptwoblooms	Victoria, BC	Apothecary products and jewelry designed and made by sisters Michelle and Caron. I adore their Bliss candle.
Vessi	Other Retail	@vessi	Vancouver, BC	Waterproof sneakers; vegan friendly. I have the original and Weekend sneakers. LOVE.
Victoria Distillers	Other Retail	@vicdistillers	Victoria, BC	Makers of the purple Empress 1908 gin that I absolutely adore.
We Air	Other Retail	@weaircanada	Vancouver, BC	Antimicrobial mask-makers. These guys plant a tree for every mask sold.
Belgard Kitchen	Restaurant / Pub	@belgardkitchen	Vancouver, BC	Divine brunch, stunning venue; also home to Settlement Brewing and Vancouver Urban Winery.
Blue Water Cafe	Restaurant / Pub	@bluewatercafe	Vancouver, BC	My favourite fancy restaurant in YVR. Everything is wonderful.
Chambar	Restaurant / Pub	@chambar_restaurant	Vancouver, BC	Great vibe. The Mussels Congolaise are to die for.
Little Jumbo	Restaurant / Pub	@littlejumbobc	Victoria, BC	This is where you want to have a fancy, but not stuffy, date night or girls night in Victoria. LOVE. Make a reso.
Nuba	Restaurant / Pub	@nubatown	Vancouver, BC	Quite possibly my overall favourite restaurant in Vancouver. Lebanese food. Najib’s Special and the Falafel Plate… My mouth is watering…
Secret Garden Tea Company	Restaurant / Pub	@secretgardentea	Vancouver, BC	I love this place so much. Lovely afternoon tea and great service. A Vancouver staple.
Smith’s Pub	Restaurant / Pub	@smithspub	Victoria, BC	Funky, British-ish-style pub in Victoria. Good vibe and a great drinks and food selection.
Spinnakers	Restaurant / Pub	@spinnakersbrewpub	Victoria, BC	First brewpub in Canada; excellent patio views; lovely B’n’B accoms; great craft beer and food.
Swans Brewpub	Restaurant / Pub	@swansbrewery	Victoria, BC	Good menu, solid craft beer. Perfect for date night.
Taps and Tacos	Restaurant / Pub	@tapsandtacos	Port Moody, BC	Delightful taco menu and local drinks selection.
The Distillery	Restaurant / Pub	@yaletowndistillerybar	Vancouver, BC	A Yaletown favourite of mine. Perfect for date-night, girls’ night, or pre-show/concert/game. Awesome patio; really well-priced (especially for Yaletown!!)
TWB The Wine Bar	Restaurant / Pub	@twb_thewinebar	Vancouver, BC	Timing and the pandemic made it so I couldn’t visit this Yaletown gem before I left. Great patio and nibbles, amazing #GetThrifty deals, fab wine selection.
White Heather Tea Room	Restaurant / Pub	@whiteheathertearoom	Victoria, BC	Oak Bay tea house with a solid afternoon tea and really wonderful scones.
Soul Restyled	Services	@soulrestyled	Vancouver, BC	Kellie’s mission is to help women find their best selves through mind, soul and style.
Botanica and Bloom	Services / Resources	@botanicandbloom	Victoria, BC	Victoria-based florist creating bespoke florals for events and weddings. She also makes the loveliest market bouquets.
Broad World	Services / Resources	@broad_world_biz	Vancouver, BC	Boutique marketing and branding agency run by the lovely Stef McAuley. I do some freelance stuff for her and she knows her stuff!
Business Babes Co.	Services / Resources	@businessbabesco	Various	Business empowerment, events and resources for women entrepreneurs. Vancouver-based, but chapters around North America.
Create the Love	Services / Resources	@createthelove	Vancouver, BC	Relationship advice and insights from a Vancouver male who is super in touch with how to be a good person and partner. (But not preachy.)
Emily Kiloh	Services / Resources	@cool.mom.101	Vancouver, BC	PR and confidence coach extraordinaire. This girl will give you the boost you need!
Hervana Coworking Collective	Services / Resources	@hervanacollective	Vancouver, BC	Co-working space and virtual community in Downtown Vancouver run by the fab Meredith.
J Josue Photography	Services / Resources	@jjosuephotos	Vancouver, BC	Almost all my pro photos have been taken by Jana. She is such a good soul and talented capturer of moments and beauty.
Jam PR	Services / Resources	@jamprco	Vancouver, BC	One of the first PR companies I ever did any influencer stuff with. Ada and her team are a joy.
Karlie Rosin	Services / Resources	@karlierosin	Vancouver, BC	Talented artist creating prints and mixed media art. She also takes commissions for those who want a custom piece.
Pink Crown Creative	Services / Resources	@pinkcrowncreative	Vancouver, BC	Lindsay is passionate about helping women entrepreneurs accelerate their business through savvy marketing.
Town Hall Brands	Services / Resources	@townhallbrands	Vancouver, BC	Hospitality and F&B focused PR company with in-house graphic design. Owned by the fab Leeann Froese and her hubby, this company has a lot of heart.
Vivian Kaye	Services / Resources	@itsviviankaye	Toronto, ON	Business coach with a big personality, real talk, and not being afraid to do what “Chad” would do.
Acupoint	Wellness	@acupointwellness	Vancouver, BC	Wellness clinic run by the AMAZING Suka. I was a client for 10 years until I left Canada.
Be Chiropractic	Wellness	@bechiropracticwellness	Vancouver, BC	Co-owned by the lovely Dr. Geneive Burley. Great chiro clinic in Yaletown.
Coast Therapy Port Moody	Wellness	@coasttherapy	Port Moody, BC	Port Moody wellness clinic offering RMT, chiro, etc. Nari was my RMT and she’s amazing.
Dr. Genieve Burley-Howes	Wellness	@drgenieveburley	Vancouver, BC	Chiropractor, yoga teacher and wellness guide extraordinaire. She’s the best.
ICARIA CBD	Wellness	@icaria.co	Vancouver, BC	Seller and educator of CBD oil and its benefits. Owned by digital nomad Nadya.
Pearl Cicci	Wellness	@pearlcicci	Vancouver, BC	Pearl is a ray of sunshine ready to get you to your best self through movement and plant-based eating. She is wonderful.
Thursday Plantation	Wellness	@thursdayplantationcanada	Toronto, ON	Makers of tea tree oil. The tea tree oil is high-quality and I love their tea tree face wipes.
Vitasave	Wellness	@vitasave	Vancouver, BC	Vitamin and supplement retailer with #GetThrifty prices and excellent brand selection
WithinUs	Wellness	@withinusnatural	Vancouver, BC	Makers of sustainably sourced marine collagen and other wellness collagen-based supplements. I love their travel packs.
WOASH	Wellness	@woashwellness	Vancouver, BC	Making tea blends for whatever your body needs. Their Period tea is a lifesaver and the Revive is great to helo with jetlag.
Blue Grouse Winery	Winery	@bluegrousewines	Cowichan, BC	Lovely winery in the Cowichan Valley. The Rosé is divine.
Evolve Cellars	Winery	@evolvecellars	Okanagan, BC	Okanagan winery making quality wines and bubbly; #GetThrifty pricing under $30.
Pacific Breeze Urban Winery	Winery	@pacificbreezewinery	New Westminster, BC	Urban winery in New West with excellent wines made on site.

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What are your favourite Canadian brands? Share them in the comments below!