Is Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) Canadian?
Yes
Listed as Canadian-owned; registry confirmation still pending.
What we found
Founded 1971 in Vancouver, BC as Canadian cooperative. Sold to Kingswood Capital in October 2020 (US), but in 2025 was sold back to group of Canadian investors led by Tim Gu, with Kingswood retaining minority stake. Now.
The receipt
| Verdict | Canadian-owned |
| Category | Outdoor Retail & Equipment |
| HQ | Vancouver, BC |
| Confidence | high |
| Evidence | Secondary source only |
| Source | https://www.mec.ca/en/explore/about-mec secondary source — registry check pending “MEC has been acquired by a group of private Canadian investors.” Verdicts are only marked verified once a government registry record or corporate filing confirms them. |
More Canadian brands in Outdoor Retail & Equipment
Every brand below is listed as Canadian-owned in our registry.
| Brand | Category | HQ Location | Ownership Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquaquest | Sports & Outdoors | Courtenay, British Columbia | View ownership → |
| Atmosphere | Outdoor/camping gear | Toronto, ON | View ownership → |
| Atmosphere (SAIL) | Canadian outdoor/camping gear retailers | Toronto, ON | View ownership → |
| Breathe Outdoors | Sports & Outdoors | Unconfirmed, Canada | View ownership → |
| Bushtukah | Outdoor/camping gear | Ottawa, ON | View ownership → |
| Durston Gear | Sports & Outdoors | Golden, British Columbia | View ownership → |
Spotted something wrong? Ownership changes all the time — report a correction and we'll re-check the records.