New thrift shop forges bonds with community

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This article was published 08/06/2022 (1381 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The owner of a new thrift store in the North End is using her storefront to boost other Indigenous entrepreneurs and creatives, while giving the community a welcoming and affordable place to shop and make art.

Leona Daniels, the owner and namesake of Leona’s Marketplace and Thriftstore (1414A Main St.), opened shop in early April.

The 55-year-old former social worker turned business owner’s enterprise grew out of Daniels and her late wife Deborah Chiefs’ shared love of collecting.

“We used to have a lot of fun going out and sourcing inventory,” Daniels said, adding that they ran an online auction show and often sold items through eBay. “And then when she passed away in January, I was left with all this inventory.”

Apart from Daniels’ buying and selling efforts, the PhD-holding social worker most recently worked as a co-ordinator for Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak’s mobile crisis response. And more, Daniels drafted the province’s first Indigenous education policy.

Though Daniels has moved on from social work in the traditional sense, it’s evident the spirit of caring for the community is what drives this new venture. “Let’s serve in a different way,” Daniels said.

Daniels, like many, has noticed big-name thrift stores are gouging customers with steep prices on used items. And Daniels, like many others who are Indigenous or belong to another racialized group, know that these stores can often be hostile spaces for clientele who don’t have white skin.

“There’s a lot of racism,” Daniels said. “So, I thought, ‘I’m doing it. I’m opening up an Indigenous thrift store where our people can come and buy good quality products at a fair price. They can come and be served with dignity and respect.”

Leona’s Marketplace and Thiftstore carries everyday thrift store fare, from clothing to homeware, board games to art supplies. The store hosts a rotating variety of pieces in its auction, and a selection of its more valuable items can be found on the “Golden Shelf.” A consignment program is in the works.

Leona’s Marketplace and Thriftstore is a variation of Imagination Station, a Bulk Barn-meets-craft-store that Daniels and Chief were on the verge of opening in Selkirk, Man. when illness struck.

The basement of Leona’s Marketplace and Thriftstore is a creative hub featuring ample table space, a sewing machine, Cricut electronic cutting machine, and enough miscellaneous supplies to fill a miniature Michaels craft store.

“Maybe there’s a young mom out there who just needs to finish that star blanket so she can sell it and buy formula for her kids,” Daniels said. “If you have the gift of sewing, come use the machine.”

Art classes for area youth are on the horizon, as well as a collaborative workspace. Non-profit groups will also be able to rent the shop’s kitchen.

“That’s another way to help our people,” said Blaine Campbell, the 35-year-old entrepreneur behind Blaine’s Custom Services, a multi-faceted business whose homebase is located in the thrift store. Blaine has been instrumental in rejuvenating the store’s stock, while fostering the community surrounding the shop and helping with logistics, Daniels said.

The pair met when Chief’s illness required her to receive 24-hour home care. Campbell and her team, which began as a cleaning service, pivoted to meet Chief’s needs.

“We do basically everything. I’m branding this cleaning company as an all-in-one shop for Indigenous people in Winnipeg,” Campbell said, adding that her business also does respite care for families in need and provides payment plans for low-income customers. “We listen to what clients need and we make a plan.”

The pair have a symbiotic relationship. One thing Campbell specializes in is helping individuals let go of belongings once they’ve amassed too many items in their home. Campbell doesn’t call it hoarding, rather, she sees it as a human response to trauma.

“We come from having nothing, so when we actually have something, it’s hard to let go of it,” Campbell said. “When I go into somebody’s home, I work with them … Once I’m done, we can breathe in there.”

Campbell says that once she explains to a client that their unwanted items will be donated to a local, Indigenous-run company, they have no problem letting go. Campbell, who now runs a 14-person team, is taking new clients. She can be reached at 431-279-5536.

Leona’s Marketplace and Thriftstore is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Daniels can be reached through the store’s Facebook page or at 204-218-6379. The shop is accepting donations of all kinds.