MEET THE BEACHER™

Planks Canada was established in 2016 out of a need to do retail, better.

I was tired of not knowing what I was actually purchasing and supporting with my own money and when I asked questions to retailers, and small businesses about where or how their products were made or if they were made ethically. I was honestly disturbed with how little anyone knew. More often than not, when I asked, no one had any idea of what they were selling, where it was made, who was making it and what it was even made from. I quickly realized that this was the norm and I thought to myself, with all the knowledge available these days, this cant be the only way to shop, could it? Couldn't this be done better, more mindfully, more purposefully?

Being a Canadian certified Fashion Designer, I knew in my heart we could do better. From there my dream to create a sustainable, ethical and purposeful shopping experience began. I decided if it wasn't available, I would create it and thats exactly what I did.

We started with an extremely small space in 2016 in Crystal Beach, Fort Erie Ontario, with almost everything manufactured by us from conception to completion. We quickly realized that we would not be able to sustain this model alone and began looking for other brands that shared our values. Flash forward a couple of years and Planks Canada quickly became a local community space for people who were wanting to know more about what they were purchasing and supporting. People started walking into the shop saying EXACTLY the things that I had said that led me to Planks Canadas creation and I knew that we were on the right path. Heading into 2023, we've expanded once more and it's become extremely clear to us that there is a need for what we're doing. Since we began, people have become more aware of whats actually going on in the retail world from fast fashion to sweatshops and so much in between. We can see the change happening, we can see people caring. Our overall health, wellness and our planet, depend on us. I truly believe that most of us wouldn't choose to support child labor or wearing clothing with toxic lead levels if they knew thats exactly where their hard earned money was going. My hope is to create a retail space that you can trust. A space for shopping with purpose, where you can shop with a little more ease knowing your purchase is going to support positive initiatives, ethical manufacturing and sustainability.

When you choose to shop with us, not only are you supporting a small Canadian family business, but families, communities and a positive impact on our future.

Thank-you from the bottom of our hearts for choosing to purchase with purpose.

Ashlynn Ross

PLANKS CANADA FOUNDER