The Northern store in Garden Hill First Nation, Manitoba, has begun stocking traditional meat snacks from Indigenous-owned brand Mitsoh, bringing pemmican-style strips and other dry meat products to the community’s main grocery store in early February 2026.
The initiative between The North West Company and Mitsoh focuses on increasing the availability of culturally relevant foods. Ian Gladue, Mitsoh Co‑Founder and Rainmaker, said: “Mitsoh started as a way for me to reconnect with my family’s food traditions and bring that spirit forward for future generations.” The move aligns with NWC’s Indigenous procurement commitments and efforts to feature more Indigenous-made brands in northern stores.
Mitsoh recently received a multi‑million‑dollar investment from Raven Indigenous Capital Partners in November 2025 to expand production capacity and national distribution; the company says that scaling will help it reach more remote communities. The investment and distribution plans support Mitsoh’s ability to supply smaller, fly‑in northern markets.
Garden Hill is a fly‑in community about 610 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg where residents face very high grocery prices. The Northern store is a major local employer, with more than 60 staff — roughly 91% of them local Indigenous residents — and stocking Mitsoh products is part of a broader effort to support Indigenous entrepreneurs and improve culturally relevant food choices in northern communities.
