Is Mountain Equipment Co-op Canadian?
Yes
Listed as Canadian-owned; registry confirmation still pending.
What we found
Founded 1971 by UBC hiking club members. Operated as consumer co-op with 5M+ members. Sold to Kingswood Capital (US) in 2020; returned to Canadian ownership May 2025 by group of Canadian investors led by Tim Gu.
The receipt
| Verdict | Canadian-owned |
| Category | outdoor/sporting goods |
| HQ | Vancouver, BC |
| Confidence | high |
| Evidence | Secondary source only |
| Source | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Equipment_Co-op secondary source — registry check pending “CBC News reports that MEC is back under Canadian ownership after 5 years of U.S. management.” Verdicts are only marked verified once a government registry record or corporate filing confirms them. |
More Canadian brands in outdoor/sporting goods
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.