Love Local. Love Squamish.
Read our latest guest blog from Squamish Chamber member, Amber Turnau, co-owner and operator of Substrate Studios.
The Squamish Chamber operates on the unceded lands of the Squamish Nation (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw). We are grateful to work, live and play on their territory.
Four Local Businesses to Love in Squamish
If you’ve spent a little time in Squamish, then you know how special our community is. We pull together and support one another through the good times and the challenging ones, demonstrating enormous heart and resilience along the way. We take inspiration from the wild nature that surrounds us, the rich Indigenous culture that is thriving here, and also from one another.
Small business owners are the heartbeat of towns just like ours across Canada. They hire our friends and neighbours, support fellow businesses, and re-invest their earnings back into our communities. According to LOCO BC, small businesses make 4.6 times more impact and recirculate $63 back into their community for every $100 earned, when compared to multinational enterprises.
We are a town that loves to support local. Here are just four of the many small businesses in Squamish that you can support right now:
Bisla Sweets, Restaurant & Meat Shop
Family-owned Bisla Sweets, which celebrates 11 years in business this year, serves up house-made Indian sweets and flavourful Punjabi cuisine (including their beloved samosas). The small, but mighty team of Bisla Sweets continues to persevere and is very appreciative of all of the local support they’ve received—especially over the last few years. We asked them what they love about the local business community. Here’s what they had to say:
For Bisla Sweets, being supported by the community means the world. Whether customers are dining in, taking out, or simply sharing their love for the restaurant, every little bit helps. Gurtinder has a message for the community of Squamish: “We love you, and will never leave!”
“The best part about the business community in town is that every business owner supports the others in town as much as possible,” says Gurtinder Bisla. “This is either by purchasing goods from their businesses or promoting each other's businesses on social media. It's also really cool to be able to shop at your customer’s business! You both know that the money you spent at one business somehow circles back to yours.”
Visit Bisla Sweets, Restaurant and Meat Shop at 1345 Pemberton Ave, Squamish, BC.
Stay in touch: IG: @BislaSweets FB: @BislaSweets TikTok: Bisla Sweets
Crash Hotel and The Goat Pub
The establishment on the corner and Cleveland and Victoria has been a staple in Squamish for decades. Under new ownership in 2019, the newly transformed Crash Hotel and The Goat Pub are a beacon for the entertainment-seekers and adventurous spirits who want to play and party in the mountains.
No two rooms at Crash are alike, each featuring carefully curated vintage decor, murals painted by local artists, and funky design touches throughout. It’s not just a place to crash; it’s a place to have fun and let your hair down. The Goat Pub downstairs is playful and eclectic, with its pinball games and ski memorabilia. Part arcade, part vintage shop, and part bar, The Goat hosts a variety of events, including karaoke and drag shows.
Co-owner Chad Hubbs, who has forged his career in hospitality, recently moved to Squamish to launch the rebranded hotel and pub. We asked him about his experience with the local business community:
“I love the sense of community and the support for each other, whether they are competition in business or not. There is such respect amongst the local community and business.”
Visit Crash Hotel and The Goat Pub at 38005 Cleveland Ave Squamish, BC.
Stay in touch: IG: @goatsquamish and @crashsquamish FB: @crashsquamish and @goatsquamish
O’Brien Pet Foods & Supplies
This is one local, family-run business that’s paw-sitively all in for pets. O’Brien Pet Foods and Supplies, which originally opened its doors in 1988, carries a wide variety of products for our feathered and furry friends. The business continues to be locally owned and independently operated decades later.
Lin says the Squamish local businesses are not just supportive of one another, they come out to help their neighbours, the schools, clean up the trails, and give back to non-profit organizations. “We look out for each other in Squamish. Locals supporting locals.”
“We could not thrive without the local support,” says co-owner Lin Smith. “It is very easy to get anything online these days and sometimes as a small independent family store we cannot compete against the larger multinational chains. So when anyone walks through our door we are thankful and grateful that they made the choice to come to us because they could have easily gone elsewhere. Supporting local means we are supporting all the families that live and work in Squamish.”
Visit O’Brien Pet Foods and Supplies at #103-1121 Commercial Place, Squamish, BC.
Stay in touch: IG: @obrienpetsquamish FB: @squamishpets
The Nook Refillery
The Nook Refillery was born out of the desire to live a more sustainable lifestyle and offers a growing selection of refill options and low impact essentials. All the products they carry are 100% natural, environmentally sustainable, and sourced as locally as possible, allowing people to refill and have alternative options for living more consciously.
“As a community driven business, we are thrilled to see so many people on board to live a more conscious and sustainable lifestyle,” says co-owner Jessica Bertrand. “The participation and gratitude from the Squamish locals has fuelled our hard work and their willingness to learn and change is so inspiring.”
The Nook team hopes to create a safe space for people to come together to learn about sustainable living and how to reduce their impacts on the environment. They’ve been blown away by the support of Squamish so far:
“The support of the community is incredible and never wavers. We receive constant shoutouts and positive reinforcement from other businesses in the community. We are all working to support one another – whether that be through a social media post, shopping at their locations or partnering with them to bring more awareness to our community. These business partnerships are extremely inspiring and rewarding.”
Visit The Nook Refillery at 38013 3 Ave #2, Squamish, BC.
Stay in touch: IG: @thenookrefillery FB: @thenookrefillerys
Three Ways to Love Local
Now that you’ve met four Squamish businesses, here are three ideas for how you can continue sharing your local love and support:
1) Visit their storefront or order online
2) Share you love for the business on social media
3) Leave a Google Review if you’ve had a positive experience
About Substrate Studios
Substrate Studios is a locally owned graphic design and marketing agency based right here in Squamish. Co-owners Amber Turnau and Neil Foster are a husband wife marketing and strategy team, bringing over 15 years in experience to help grow your business.
Read Substrate Studio’s blog here.
About Love Local. Love Squamish
This project is brought to you by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce, made possible thanks to funding from the BC Chamber and the Government of Canada.
