The Pulse: Feb. 12, 2025

A woman sits on a camping chair holding a stuffed dog.

Upcycler helps Kuma give old tents new life

Feb. 12, 2025
By Stephanie Swensrude

Katrina Hillyer's living room is packed to the ceiling with camping gear, but not the equipment she uses on a summer weekend. Instead, these tents and camping chairs have minor manufacturing defects, and Hillyer will cut them up and turn them into tote bags and wood carriers.

Hillyer, the founder of Earth Warrior Lifestyle, had been doing corporate upcycling for a few years when she met Kuma Outdoor Gear founder Rob Gomme at a mutual friend's Christmas party in 2023. "I told him I was a local upcycler, and he told me, 'I just learned about textile waste at a summit I was at, and I think I want to create a program in (my company) — would you be open to something like that?'" Hillyer said.

"It just aligned so perfectly with my personal life, because when I'm not working I'm outdoors, and so it worked perfect."

Kuma is among the first outdoor gear companies to give a second life to camping gear through the ReDiscover Project, Hillyer said. Industry leaders Patagonia and Arc'teryx are well-known for their programs that offer repairs on clothing and backpacks, but Hillyer doesn't know of a company other than Kuma that's doing the same for larger gear like tents and chairs.

When Gomme first thought of starting an upcycling program, the Kuma team was small and didn't know how to transform returned items into new products, said Kuma's marketing manager Deanne Ferguson.

"We just want these products to have a second life in a different way. The items that we get back, some of them are sun damaged, or there is damage to the frame, but the fabric is still good, and we just didn't want all this textile waste going into the landfill," Ferguson said.

Currently, most of the gear that Kuma upcycles has manufacturing defects and never made it to a customer, but the company also accepts returns from customers who want to extend the life of their gear. Edmonton-based customers can return their gear to Breathe Outdoors or Lordco Auto Parts.

Although the upcycled products are only available on Kuma's website for now, the company aims to offer them in stores soon. "Our focus right now with this program is to also get it into our retailers's stores, just because they are such a one-of-a-kind item that (Hillyer is) creating, it's hard to sell online and it doesn't really translate very easily," Ferguson said.

Hillyer started Earth Warrior Lifestyle in 2013 after working in the fashion industry for many years. "I saw how much waste was made in manufacturing, and when the company I worked for went under, I decided to leave the industry because it just didn't sit well with me," she said. Her first corporate upcycling contract was with the Edmonton Convention Centre when it was rebranding from the Shaw Conference Centre. "They had all these vinyl signs that were going to go to the landfill, but they … wanted to find a way to upcycle them instead. So we took their signs and we turned them into bags."

Another contract Hillyer has aims to address single-use lanyards at networking events and conferences. Hillyer is working with non-profits, Green Drinks, and Sustain YEG to create a lanyard library. Hillyer sews two branded lanyards together, logos facing in, to create reusable lanyards, and the groups share among themselves instead of making new ones for each event.

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Headlines: Feb. 12, 2025

Feb. 12, 2025
By Mariam Ibrahim

Edmonton city council's urban planning committee approved a plan to close intersections along Stony Plain Road to expedite Valley Line West LRT construction. The plan would allow the project contractor, Marigold Infrastructure Partners, to fully close sections of road for up to nine weeks in an effort to complete necessary work by the end of the year. Several businesses that will be affected by the closures spoke against the plan at the meeting. The LRT project is now projected to be completed by 2028, but no opening date has been set.
Former Edmonton Police Service sergeant Ken Smith has been demoted to constable and removed from leadership roles after making sexualized comments to three gay officers under his command. The disciplinary decision, which includes a $14,000 annual pay cut and mandatory harassment awareness training, was issued after Smith was found guilty of insubordination and discreditable conduct. Smith will be ineligible for promotion for at least two years.
The Alberta government has accused CUPE leaders of interfering in negotiations between the Edmonton Public Schools and striking education support workers, claiming the union pressured the nursing agency Nurse Next Door to withdraw services for some children in the division. CUPE Alberta called the accusations "baseless attacks," while the nursing agency said in a Facebook post that it had received multiple emails and that it will not work with any other schools until negotiations have been settled. The education support workers strike is in its fifth week.
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra hosted service dogs and their trainers for a special rehearsal on Feb. 10 at the Winspear Centre. The initiative was intended to help the dogs get used to crowds and live music as part of their training. "They have to be able to go into any environment and just relax and hang out with their person, and it's a tough skill for them," said Pidra Angotti with Dogs with Wings.
Toronto-based CAPREIT announced the $79.4-million acquisition of The MacLaren in Edmonton, a 240-suite rental property in the Wîhkwêntôwin neighbourhood. The purchase is part of CAPREIT's strategy to upgrade its portfolio by acquiring newer properties with growth potential while selling non-core assets. The Edmonton property, built in 2019, offers residents convenient access to downtown and local amenities.
Edmonton's office market vacancy rate rose to 17.2% in the fourth quarter of 2024, with vacancies in downtown areas increasing to 19.2%, according to a new report from Avison Young. Despite this, suburban markets showed resilience with slight positive absorption and a lower vacancy rate of 15%. Additionally, investment activity surged due to lower interest rates, with seven sales totalling $105 million, reflecting a preference for suburban office spaces driven by cost efficiency and accessibility, the report says.
Several Edmonton-based artists have been nominated for the 2025 Juno Awards across various categories. Trombonist Audrey Ochoa received a nomination for her fourth album, while Samantha King & The Midnight Outfit are up for Blues Album of the Year. Metal band Striker is once again nominated for Metal/Hard Album of the Year, and folk singer Celeigh Cardinal earned two nominations. Other nominees include fiddler Brianna Lizotte for Traditional Indigenous Artist/Group of the Year and reggae artist Skystar for Reggae Recording of the Year. A full list of nominees is available online.