West Coast Wildflowers Shares the Local Love in Campbell River and Beyond

Alissa Assu’s business West Coast Wildflowers often gets mistaken for a flower shop. That is, until customers come in and browse the many carefully made pieces and products by Canadian and Indigenous artists. The store’s name is actually inspired by Assu’s West Coast roots and the time she spent harvesting soapberries with her grandmother in the Wet’suwet’en territory in Witset.

Assu started West Coast Wildflowers as a side project during the pandemic to support local businesses. But the pop-up in November 2020 soon became a retail store, and Assu saw $1 million in sales in her first calendar year after opening in Campbell River. Since then, she’s become a serial entrepreneur, acquiring two more companies, Ravensong Soap & Candle and Bear Essential Oils. In June, Assu and her brands led TIDAL: Turtle Island Design and Lifestyle, along with Copper Canoe Woman and Sriracha Revolver Hot Sauce. TIDAL is the first Indigenous women-led pop-up shop to open in downtown Vancouver and is on until October 31.

What’s the best part of your job?

I love being a Canadian family’s first store because we all need to get into just one store to start. It’s amazing because they see their products next to big brands and feel that immense pride and joy. To me, that’s really rewarding.

What’s one (or a few) items you’d recommend from your shop, West Coast Wildflowers?

It’s hard because we have around 250 Canadian brands. For an Indigenous brand and something that’s skincare, I would say Satya. Satya is owned by Patrice Mousseau, who used to be a journalist, but her daughter developed eczema and she didn’t want to give her steroids, so she started the skincare line. She’s the first Indigenous woman to get her products into Shoppers Drug Mart all across Canada. She is like my best friend, my sister, my mentor.

But then there’s also another artist, she’s just starting out, her brand is Olivia’s Botanicals. She harvests leftover flowers and turns them into jewellery. She’s from Quadra, and we were one of her first wholesalers. One of the beautiful things about owning a business is not just selling products. It’s building relationships with all the vendors.

If you’re shopping to buy somebody a gift, where are you going? Are you looking locally or from your own business?

I do a bit of both. I shop from my own business because I know that I’m supporting people’s mortgages, I’m helping them buy groceries. And then I’d also shop at Bough and Antler. I’m also really close friends with Cheryl and Sarah (who own the business) and I have so much respect for them and they’ve been so kind to me since I launched my business. Sarah is an artist, she does printing on, you know, glasses and t-shirts. And then you have Cheryl, who does pottery and she has her kiln there. We share the same philosophy of just supporting local.

What’s your favourite place to grab a coffee or tea in Campbell River?

This is a personal favourite: Java Shack coffee shop. When I first started, they just kind of became family. The coffee shop is pretty much right beside me. I remember their daughter and her cousin (this was four years ago), these two little girls would walk over and hang out at my store. I’d even give them gifts for helping out. But yeah, I love it there, I love the food. And they’ve been around for 25 years. You may even catch me behind their till helping customers or serving dishes sometimes, that’s how close we are.

If you have an event, or a dinner, or something coming up and you need to shop for a new outfit, where are you looking to buy some new clothes?

It’s hard because we’re so limited in Campbell River, especially for children’s clothing. This is a real barrier for our community. We’re losing businesses at a rapid pace, either due to lease increases or they can’t compete.But if I’m going out, I think of two B.C.-, female-owned brands. One of them is Brunette the Label based out of Vancouver, and then there is also Priv Clothing—both are good just for everyday essentials.

Another brand I want to mention in ANIÁN. Often minimum orders for wholesale clothing is like $2500 to $5000 and it’s very difficult as a small business. ANIÁN allowed me to start off with five sweaters. They are one of B.C.’s most sustainable clothing brands, preventing clothes from going to landfill—and when everything shows up at my store, there’s no packaging. We’ve also carried them almost since the beginning.

Do you have a favourite place outdoors where you like to unwind or just to be in nature around Campbell River? Or even somewhere your kids love?

We go to the suspension bridge in Campbell River all the time. It’s called the Elk Falls Suspension Bridge. When we started going with my kids, they were 3 and 5. And still to this day, with our dog, we bring them out there. It’s such an easy, low barrier hike.

This interview has been edited and condensed.