Oh hi! Happy Earth Month!🌏

It’s been a minute since my last blog post (4 months actually🙈), but this is one I knew I had to share with you.

Following the horrific violence perpetuated against the AAPI communities this past year especially, I was trying to find a resource with a list of Asian-owned small businesses that are local to me. Despite there being hundreds of these businesses in my province, I could not find a list anywhere, so I decided to make one myself that focuses on those who do their part to reduce their impact on the planet.💚

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list & that I will be updating it as I discover more Earth-conscious local small businesses owned by members of AAPI communities. Know of one I’ve missed or own one yourself? Please comment below or DM me on Instagram here and I will look into their sustainability practices prior to adding them here. :) Also, I wrote Winnipeg to make the list easier to find, but the business can be operating from anywhere in Manitoba to be added!

Don’t forget to check out and support the ones below that resonate with you (even if it’s just with a follow, support isn’t only monetary😘) and read until the end for more helpful resources.

So here are sustainable Asian-owned small businesses of Manitoba for you to discover!

Vegan-Friendly

Cloud Mylk

New to the Winnipeg scene, Cloud Mylk is bringing back the milkman days with a sustainable twist! They produce fresh, nutritious plant mylks locally in small batches using premium ingredients. The mylk is then packaged in returnable glass bottles and can be delivered straight to your door or purchased at several small businesses across the city! They even have a subscription plan so that you get your weekly dose of delicious mylk! My favourite is their Maple Cashew (but I love all of them and am already looking forward to the holidays when their special edition nutnog might be available again).

Di Erbe Inc

Locally-made vegan natural skincare with many low-waste and refill options, Di Erbe is known across Canada for their Dry Patch body butter for eczema. This shop offers much more however, including soaps, deodorant, hand sanitizer, makeup, and raw ingredients to create your own products.

Fruit de la Vie

Looking for freshly-made cold-pressed juices that have a glass bottle return program? Fruit de la Vie is it. This cafe offers juice cleanses, almond milk, smoothies, plant-based meals (including their famous watermelon “tuna” poke bowl!), local goods, & more. Visit in person or have it delivered to your door within Winnipeg & surrounding areas.

Monuts Cafe

Move over, Timmies. This plant-based, gluten-free donut shop is another new business that prides themselves in making the tastiest sugar-free donuts in Winnipeg. They also create plant-based sandwiches and carry local products (including Cloud Mylk). See their full menu here.

Spice World

This family-owned & run spice shop has all the seasonings you need, with most of them being gluten-free. They are GMO-free and non irradiated. When requested, your order can be packaged in glass shakers instead of plastic, and some spices also have a refill pouch option. Simply email them with your order number after checking out online.

Roughage Eatery

This fully vegan restaurant is Asian co-owned and queer-owned also! They use many local ingredients and have a few gluten-free options including some vegan cheezes you can bring home.

Fashion

Shapes & Feelings

This consignment shop sources quality secondhand clothing & home goods. They use eco-friendly packaging including backyard compostable mailers and donate a portion of their sales to grassroots organizations doing great work for our communities and our planet. Check out their Instagram for conscious living tips and important discussions on IGTV!

Hello Darling

Ethically-made small batch statement pieces, such as headbands and whimsical headpieces, using deadstock fabrics in small batches. Just take a look at her Instagram, you’ll be obsessed!

Plaecido

Angela is a young entrepreneur who handmakes wire jewelry & keychains sold on seed paper backing cards (so you can plant wildflowers!) & mailed in eco-friendly packaging. Check out her cute monstera leaf earrings, my personal fave!

Stitch Sisters

This crafty sister duo creates made-to-order, upcycled goods from repurposed fabrics: face masks, scrunchies, gift bags, and more. They also have local delivery and pick-up options, and a pay scale system on their website. They accept donations of used textiles that they repurpose to decrease textile waste reaching the landfill, so if you’ve got any old volunteering t-shirts at the bottom at a drawer somewhere, they’ve got you!

204 Thryft

This secondhand clothing & accessories shop is co-owned by @consciouslychristine, while also being Black co-owned by @melissatheecostylist. These thrift queens and sustainable fashion gurus are always supporting local and bringing smiles to my face. My vintage rust pants in the photo above are one of the pieces I’ve purchased from them. :)

Home

Second Isle

This secondhand shop curates home decor, furniture, & vintage treasures via Instagram story sales. Secondhand packaging is also used, such as thrifted biodegradable jute twine, gift bags, cards, and any other reusable material they have. They pride themselves in giving new life to just about anything, preventing a lot of items from being sent to the landfill. Just look at the pretty mirror I scored from them last month!

Masagana Flower Farm & Tinta Studio

Many flowers sold conventionally come from continents away and thus have a large carbon footprint, but this farm near La Broquerie, MB grows blooms locally and with sustainability in mind! Lourdes makes sure to reduce her impact as much as possible, which led her to learn natural dyeing processes so that she could use her remaining flowers & plants at the end of the Summer season to create naturally tinted goods. You can find these goods on their shop page, Tinta Studio.

par Chloe

Chloe creates floral arrangements in thrifted vases she paints herself to achieve the look you’re after. She curates the florals &  pampas from either local or Canadian distributors, and even forages some of the prairie pampas herself while hiking with her husband. The foliage is then dried in her home and combined in unique arrangements or to decorate wire wreaths. She also offers macrame plant hangers.

Supporting these businesses is just one of the ways you can help #StopAsianHate, but there is a lot more work to be done. Remember to call out harmful language, jokes, and attitudes towards Asian communities, and keep doing your own internal work on anti-racism towards ALL ethnic groups.

If you are looking for more lists like these, check out Black Owned Manitoba and Queer Folks of Winnipeg!

Sending love & support to all marginalized communities. You are so loved & worthy, and your traditions, cultures, & wisdom deserve to be honoured & respected.

In love & solidarity,

-Chanelle oxo