ABOUT GREAT LAKE LIFE
Great Lake Life is a Canadian family-owned small business based in Thessalon, Ontario. Thessalon is truly a hidden gem located on the North Channel in Lake Huron. Living here gave us the inspiration for the Great Lake Life brand. We love living on the Great Lakes and we know you do too! We decided it was about time for someone to create a brand that truly captures what it means to live on the Great Lakes, so we did it!
We are striving to bring you quality products that help you celebrate your Great Lake Life, and through your purchases, we are able to give back to the organizations who are working to protect and conserve our Great Lakes ecosystems. Please see our Environmental Impact page for more details on how we lower our business's footprint and how we are giving back.
​
Values:
At Great Lake Life our values reflect our passion for the outdoor lifestyle and our love for the natural beauty of the Great Lakes. We believe it is possible to live and play outdoors and still leave these ecosystems better than we found them. The Great Lake Life brand provides products with a low environmental impact, whether it's the materials used, or the low carbon footprint, we strive to continuously reduce our impact on the earth. We believe it's possible to live a big lifestyle and have a small environmental impact.
​
Mission:
The Great Lake Life mission is twofold. First, we aim to inspire people who live the Great Lake Life to appreciate all that the lake regions have to offer, while instilling in them the importance of doing no harm. The products we’ve designed demonstrate our pride and passion for the Great Lake Life without compromising the invaluable Great Lakes ecosystems. Our second goal is to give back to the Great Lakes by donating a portion of our profits to organizations who are actively working to protect and conserve these ecosystems.
​
Land and Cultural Acknowledgement:
For thousands of years indigenous people lived around and cared for the Great Lakes. The arrival of European settlers marked the beginning of the destruction and erosion of the Great Lakes ecosystems. There are approximately 20 indigenous nations that have been recorded as living along the shorelines of the Great Lakes (e.g. Ojibwe, Algonquin, Odawa). Furthermore, 30 treaties (agreements between indigenous nations and the Canadian government) exist and are meant to govern the sharing of land and resources around the Great Lakes. In order to keep things simple here, we will specifically acknowledge the territory upon which our business is based. We are located on the traditional territories of the Anishinabewaki and Mississauga Nations, and our location falls under the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850. We strive to help protect the ecosystems that have been carefully stewarded by indigenous people for so many years, and we aim to do no harm to these ecosystems. We will also continue to learn about the relationship between indigenous people and the Great Lakes, and we will share what we learn, as well as credible resources, with our community.
We encourage you to learn more about the land you live on and the indigenous cultures that have existed in your area for thousands of years prior to and following colonization. You can start by using the Native Land map to determine the correct traditional territories and treaties for your location.
