Welcoming House of Local to East Kildonan

East Kildonan

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/08/2023 (1145 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There is a freshly painted building on Watt Street called House of Local and I was eager to find out what was inside this new neighborhood landmark.

I met with owner Ryan Bowman, who told me that, although the building is named House of Local, his own flagship business, We Heart Winnipeg, is just one of the featured businesses you will find inside.

“House of Local is a hub to promote locally made products and all things local,” Bowman said. “Local is a lifestyle.”

What began in 2017 as an online blog to support other local businesses eventually progressed into an online store. Ryan said that he and wife Jessica decided to take their business to the next level in 2019. They opened their first store on Osborne Street and, after outgrowing that space, they have completely reimagined and renovated the space at 680 Watt St.

On the main floor you will find their own brand of items — mainly Winnipeg-themed clothing items, mugs, bags, and hats — along with locally made and produced brands that he calls “Common Goods.”

“We genuinely want to help other local businesses”, Bowman said. “We see this as a hub to promote local products.”

On the weekend of Aug. 25-27, House of Local’s newly renovated second floor will feature the Watt Street Weekend Market, which will showcase other local vendors who have handmade and/or locally sourced items to sell.

“We won’t thrive alone,” Bowman said. “We need new people to come in and new reasons for them to come in. We welcome the chance to connect with people and local brands”.

Any local vendor wishing to have a booth at this weekly weekend market can apply through a link on House of Local’s Instagram page — @houseoflocalwpg

In the coming years, Bowman hopes to feature a coffee shop, an in-house screen-printing studio, and food trucks. Soon to come is a “build your own shirt” studio, where customers can choose their own shirt, design, ink colour, and have it printed.

Bowman genuinely spreads positive vibes and a love for our city.

“We wanted to flip the script and spread positive vibes,” he said. “There is so much negativity in the world today.”

The Bowmans believe in “community over competition” and say that “it’s not about the product, it’s about the experience”.

Welcome to the neighbourhood, House of Local. I look forward to popping in on a regular basis to find my favorite local products, and to find out what is new.