Profiles
COLLECTA CO.
Collecta Co. builds community at Clearspring Centre
A passion for community is immediately apparent when one walks into Collecta Co. Located at Clearspring Centre, the store features Hitch + Boler as well as hundreds of locally crafted products by more than 90 artisans. For Marsha McMullin, the founder of Collecta, it’s a place of calm, a place for people to meet and an opportunity to connect while giving local artisans a place to showcase their products. McMullin, a Steinbach native who spent almost 20 years living and working in Vancouver returned and started the business. An artist herself, she knows the importance of having a location like this. “I thought there has to be a better way than going to markets con- stantly, where there’s a permanent location for artisans to sell their products and build community around that,” she said. Many of the vendors are young moms with young families and Mc- Mullin said spending every weekend attending sales can be a lot. McMullin’s husband Pete and brother-in-law Dave operate Hitch + Boler Coffee Roasters and Café, an important part of the space. The two support each other and help create the community feel she had intended. The store opened in June 2023, but it took months to prepare a busi- ness model they thought would work. “We want to be as accessible as possible, for the most amount of mak- ers that we can, without this costing a fortune for them,” she said. That’s why the business model they chose was one that isn’t intended to earn a profit. “We look at this as a non-profit in a way because the point of the store is not to be profitable,” she said. “We aim to break even.” The variety of items is staggering. A casual look at their website re- veals a range of products including things like a highchair footrest, epoxy trays, pacifier clips and teethers, bath products, plant pots, fidget toys, art supplies, coasters, coffee, food, beard oil and beauty products, and so much more. While the range and quality of products is impressive it’s only a part of who they are. McMullin said they consider building community one of their goals. They do that by supporting local makers, teaching and inspiring, of- fering unique goods, bringing awareness for local arts and connecting consumers with the artisans.
“We want to share our passion for high quality, hand made, unique artisan goods with our local community, but more importantly we are here to build relationships and restore a sense of local community.” Collecta Co. has hosted book swaps (with the next one planned for early June 5), and is planning events like an open games’ night, live music, workshops and artisan demos. Details can be found at collec- taco.ca. This year their Christmas Village Market is teaming up with the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce and Summer in the City to host a new family friendly winter event called “Christmas in the Village” on the first weekend of December at Clearspring Centre. It will include an artisan market, carnival for kids, community activities and live music. McMullin said everyone involved has a stake. “We’re all in this together, we all need each other to survive but we all bring different things,” she said. McMullin said people in the area want to support local businesses and makers, but don’t always know where or how to do that, especial- ly for smaller vendors. “It’s giving the community an opportunity which they wouldn’t have had before,” she said. And Clearspring Centre was the ideal place for all this to happen. The thriving mall is expanding, and unique businesses are common. “There’s a lot happening here,” she said. McMullin who has a background in marketing, church leadership and is a therapist, said the store quickly became something more than she expected. “The store has given me an opportunity to reach into people’s lives that as a therapist I never could,” she said. Her faith is important to her and also has motivated her passion to give back and to connect with people in the community. She keenly feels the responsibility and desire to connect in a mean- ingful way. “I am a believer that everything I have is only by the grace of God so I will use everything I have to further his kingdom and his purposes,” she said. “That’s my guiding light.” Visit Collecta Co in store at Clearspring Centre for your next cup of coffee, to support your local artisans and find incredible goods. You can also go to collectaco.ca for more information.
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