With just over 6000 cases of Coronavirus in Alberta and economic stresses continuing to multiply, Calgarians are realizing more than ever that they have a vote with their dollar. In light of the novel situation, Canadians and people across the world are all experiencing, the importance and impact of local businesses and institutions has become increasingly apparent. Even with an alarming and ever-expanding crisis, Calgarians have risen to the challenge by relying on and supporting their community. Connor and Leslie Gould are prime examples of the local spirit that drives Calgary. Since the beginning of their clothing store, Camp Brand Goods, in 2011, they have grown into a recognizable symbol of Calgary and its strong sense of community and philanthropy. Amid a pandemic that has brought
financial insecurity, increased isolation, and declining public health, Connor and Leslie Gould have remained busy, and more impressive, remained generous.
Connor and Leslie Gould, founders of Camp Brand Goods.
From the beginning Camp Brand Goods has embodied a lifestyle of giving back, whether it be back to nature or the community they are a part of. Connor Gould explained that part of the inspiration for their brand came from the fact that
Both my wife and I have always been big outdoor enthusiasts.
This shared passion was something they were able to connect on from the very beginning of their relationship. Camping, fishing, summer camps, and most notably, a connection with family and community, were prominent parts of both of their childhoods. The nostalgia of those great memories, which inspired the name Camp, pushed the both of them to release their first line of clothes. At the time, Connor was working as a graphic designer, and he slowly began making images to put on t-shirts in his spare time. After the first year of their establishment in 2011, Camp began to take off. Part of that success comes from recognition in local networks; the Gould’s initial introduction to their brand began in Calgarian markets. As their brand became more recognizable, stores in the Calgary area began stocking their line.
After two years… we both quit or full-time jobs and just started doing Camp. Camp is our full-time job,
said Connor Gould on the establishment of their clothing company. As their business continued to grow, Connor and Leslie Gould remained committed to the local environment that gave them a start and continued to work with a smaller, close-knit team. Connor explained that their early start in community markets helped them realize that
The more you can do within your city, in terms of buying local, going to local events, and creating events… It makes a community more vibrant and it actually makes people closer.
That mentality has driven the Gould’s to stick with a small team here in Calgary and opening up a store, The Livery Shop, in the city as well. While Connor and Leslie Gould’s business began primarily online, which Connor explained meant
We didn’t necessarily need to stick around Calgary if we didn’t want to, but this is our home, we’re both born and raised [here], and we both love Calgary.
Their sentiment was that they wanted to create a life here, while still being able to provide their product to a larger market. Even with an international customer base, Camp is a Calgary brand at heart.
Now, with this pandemic going on, [we] can clearly see the positive impact of keeping things local… We’ve got our staff that we promised will be staying on the team, regardless of what happens… They are family to us,
explained Leslie Gould.
There may be some businesses that will not survive this pandemic, so it’s important to vote with your dollar and make sure that if you can… [think about] what business I want to see coming out on the other side of this.
While Connor and Leslie Gould believe it is always important to buy and support local business, they recognize that now is an especially prudent time. Leslie Gould is extremely aware that even with an important online presence, there is familiarity and overwhelming support in the Calgary area. Camp Brand Goods gives back to that support by doing their part to support local themselves. The photography and imagery seen in their years of clothing line is recognizable to the Calgary audience, with shoots not usually straying more than a couple of hours outside of Calgary, along with models and photographers primarily being locally sourced. Most significantly, Connor and Leslie Gould keep their brand local through their generosity. The charities they have raised money for and the giveaways they do are for local organizations or for issues that resonate deeply within Calgary.
Camp Brand Goods’ first charity t-shirt was for the Calgary Humane Society. The driving force behind that was their long-time friend Danni Bauer and the adoption of their dog Otis. Just weeks away from getting married, Connor and Leslie Gould were made aware of a dog up for adoption, Otis, and it was their friend, Danni Bauer, who was working at the Calgary Humane Society at the time, introduced the couple to Otis. Danni Bauer, who knew Connor in high school and has been friends with Leslie since she was 19, grew a liking to Otis, an abused dog that returned to the care of the Calgary Humane Society.
I gave him his first bath, and I kept telling Connor and Leslie to come see him because I thought he would be a perfect match for them.
With Otis, who had experienced a lot of trauma, Connor and Leslie got increasingly familiar with caring for animals and the important services that the Calgary Humane Society provides.
Working with Danni, Connor and Leslie independently released their first charity shirt, Pawsitive Vibes, with 10 dollars going directly back to the Calgary Humane Society. The limited-edition shirt raised thousands of dollars for the organization. According to Danni Bauer, the Calgary Humane Society relies a lot on donor money to provide food, operations and animal care, and also to pay the full-time workers of the organization. The Calgary Humane Society also has a fostering program, which allows families to temporarily care for animals in the organizations care. Through this program, donations completely cover all food and operations for the foster family. As well, volunteers play an integral role in caring for the various animals, making sure they’re walked and healthy. Danni explained,
The Camp line was a really nice pairing because of Otis. It was a nice connector to meet people because people love to talk about animals.
Danni Bauer also recognized that their focus on philanthropy at a young age was impressive. With her experience working in non-profit organizations, Danni Bauer realized that a lot of the fundraising mentality is directed towards older and retired populations.
They have money and sometimes they have money that they’re going to leave. I think that approaching people that are younger, who will eventually have that money to put back, even if they’re just giving $20 to the Calgary Humane Society now, nourishing those relationships will allow them to become an ally to what you are doing.
This universal ability to support must have become apparent to Connor and Leslie Gould as well. In 2016, 49 people were killed and 53 were injured by gunfire in the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, making it the deadliest attack on LGBTQ+ people in America’s history. After the traumatic attack, Connor and Leslie began their In It Together line.
Connor and Leslie Gould decided that Camp Fyrefly was a good organization to send their support. Camp Fyrefly is Canada’s only national leadership retreat for all kinds of LGBTQ+ youth, which encourages their camp goers to explore their identity, build a sense of self, and create a long-lasting support network, all while having a summer camp experience. For Connor and Leslie, donating to Camp Fyrefly allowed them to intersect their love for the outdoors with their fundamental belief of equality, which was targeted on June 12, 2016.
[In It Together] was actually supposed to be a temporary collection, but it quickly became one our better selling shirts,
Connor Gould said, speaking on their second charity line.
To date, we have raised 70 000 dollars, and we have some new restock coming out this summer.
Connor and Leslie’s goal is to make it to 100 000 dollars by the end of this year.
Their multiple charity lines helped solidify the importance of a local network for Camp Brand Goods, with Calgarians showing that their support for their city is broad and strong. This was further solidified for the couple at the beginning of this year. Unfortunately, at the end of January, Otis went missing out in Springbank from Connor and Leslie Gould. Leslie Gould said,
To realize the support in Calgary reaches way beyond the financial support, and to see so many people and local business owners looking for him, day in and day out, was unbelievable.
Over the course of the initial month, thousands of people reached out and went looking for Otis, who inspired their Pawsitive Vibes line. Sadly, Otis is still missing, but even though the efforts were unsuccessful, Connor and Leslie are still extremely grateful and touched by the self-sustaining and supportive nature of their community. For more information on Otis and tips on finding him, the Camp Brand Goods Instagram has a storey highlight titled “Finding Otis.”
Even under unprecedented circumstances, Camp’s dedication to Calgary hasn’t slowed down. In the middle of March, Connor and Leslie released The Great Indoors collection. Connor explained that the collection began
mainly because we just saw this wave coming across North America where there were huge shortages of personal protective equipment [due to COVID-19].
Connor and Leslie Gould decided it was time to do their part, releasing The Great Indoors line and donating 50% of sales to secure necessary equipment.
At this point, we’ve raised 50 000 dollars and secured 25 000 masks, as well as just donating to a few different funds to get supplies to hospitals that are in need.
It may seem kind of ironic for an outdoor brand to release a collection, which has been very successful, focusing on a need to stay indoors. Connor and Leslie are just firm believers that everybody has to do their part, and they contribute the successful donations to the fact that Calgarians have always wanted to help, and Camp Brand Goods just provided another outlet. On a personal level, this project became a physical memento of this crazy time.
I have a sweatshirt in my closet that was from when Leslie and I got married, and it’s one of those things that never goes into the donation bins. It’s nice to flip through my closet to see various parts of our company and parts of our history.
According to Connor and Leslie, The Great Indoors line has become a weird souvenir for the necessary social distancing that everyone has been taking part in.
However, for Camp Brand Goods, it still isn’t business as usual. The Livery Shop, which the pair opened in 2014, has closed its doors for the time being.
Our number one priority is making sure our staff is safe and our customers are safe… We shut down a week before the mandate came out to close non-essential businesses.
As a company, they switched their focus online, continuing to employ a small group of staff to organize orders in the store, while remaining in isolation. Leslie Gould explained that their store has now become The De-Livery Shop.
Now we deliver packages for people, which has helped increase sales for this time.
Connor and Leslie Gould realize that these are very strange times for everyone and have been amazed by the way local businesses, including themselves, have been able to get creative to stay afloat and help the community. The couple noted that the equality of the situation, where everybody was in the same position, strengthened their community and enhanced a sense of belonging.
I’ve been talking to local shop owners, especially within the Inglewood area, and everybody had the same sentiment of “what can we do to help you?”
Connor said, speaking on the importance of harbouring and supporting the local networks that exist in Calgary.
Clearly, Camp Brand Goods has become a local staple. Danni Bauer noted
I’ve known them for so long that I remember going to Connor and Leslie’s house and Connor talking about ideas for a clothing company. [Now] it’s a very notable Calgary brand that people wear… Even now when I see people on the streets I just think I’m friends with them because they’re wearing Camp, and I have to remember that Camp is no longer my circle of friends clothing, it’s Calgary’s clothing.
Camp Brand Good’s recognizable quality is due significantly to Connor and Leslie’s commitment to Calgary. As a couple and a company, they have made impressive contributions to the Calgary Humane Society and Camp Fyrefly. Now, they are continuing to show their support with The Great Indoors line, which in a short amount of time, has raised a significant amount of money for COVID-19 relief, specifically in the health care system. Outside of these impressive campaigns, Connor and Leslie Gould are fantastic examples of community builders.
I love that they do stuff in the community and take the time to be more inclusive… They are just solid people that are trying to do their best with what they have,
recognized Danni Bauer.
While their company has had to make some massive changes, they are still committed to remaining true to the core of their brand. Recently, Camp Brand Goods launched their Spring collection, Homeward Bound. As well, they’re excited to release some smaller projects on the way. Mainly, Connor said that he’s
excited to see our team and actually work with people. We’ve been doing FaceTimes, but it’s just not the same… and seeing our customers when things return to normal.
When things eventually return to normal, Connor and Leslie Gould are going to continue what they do best and are doing right now, support their city and help their community grow and thrive.
All images and information was provided from interviews with Connor and Leslie Gould and Danni Bauer, along with the Camp Brand Goods website.