Taking Friendly Manitoba to the streets

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This article was published 25/02/2022 (1293 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two university students who graduated just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit and with job opportunities looking a little slim, decided to start their own clothing line celebrating Manitoba friendliness.

“We both graduated university into a global pandemic and with time on our hands, and with a lack of good news, the situation created the perfect storm to try and create some much-needed positivity,” said Cole Wielgosz, co-owner of Friendly People. 

“We tossed around a lot of ideas for our slogan, eventually landing on flipping the classic ‘Friendly Manitoba’ slogan to ‘People here are more than friendly, they’re Manitoba Friendly.’

“We began our journey with a hand-painted sign, sitting in public parks asking people to share stories,” Cole said.

When a neighbour heard what they were doing, she gifted Wielgosz and business partner Brady Chalus a screen-printing press and they began a line of clothing. Today they sell cool clothing that includes sweatshirts, hats and canvas bags, all with Manitoba centric sayings or the words ‘Manitoba Friendly’ boldly emblazoned across the front.

Cole and Brady have been friends since they started playing hockey as kids, and they have heard all kinds of stories while canvassing people for tales of Manitoba friendliness.

“One story that sticks out is a woman who decided to finally part with an old wishing well her late husband had crafted, as it had weathered outside for many years,” Chalus said. “She gave it away for free. Hearing of the well’s origin, the people took it and refurbished it to be as good as new, then brought it back and installed it back in place.”

You can check out the clothing, which includes a shirt that pays homage to honey dill sauce — a unique Manitoba treat — at www.friendlypeople.ca

To read all of the stories Cole and Brady have collected, or to share your own big or small act that gives our province its friendly reputation, visit @FriendlyPeople.ca on Instagram, or www.facebook.com/FriendlyPeople.ca

Carolyne Braid is a community correspondent for Crescentwood. You can reach her at carolyne.braid@gmail.com