The Pulse
June 16, 2026

A company that makes protein-dense snacks based on Indigenous knowledge is expanding its product line from bison to beef after leveraging a sizeable investment into scaleup success.

The road has not been easy, but it has ended up in a good place, Mitsoh co-founder Ian Gladue said at an event at Edmonton Unlimited on June 12, which followed his company's win for Inclusive ScaleUP of the Year at the ScaleUP Awards earlier in the week.

"I'm a guy who has no education — homeless, drugs, alcohol, addictions, jail, grew up on the streets — and now has this tremendous amount of support," Gladue said at the ScaleUP Week event in Edmonton. "I learned my identity and my culture, and investors believe me when I say my word is my word. They believe in me. They believe the story and the purpose, and they've invested because of that."

"Mitsoh" means "eat" in Cree. Gladue, who is from the Bigstone Cree Nation in northern Alberta, came up with the idea to make pemmican and dried-meat snacks in 2015. He wanted to avoid the kinds of additives brought by colonizers — the pemmican is made of bison meat, berries, maple syrup, and smoke, with no fillers.

The bison-based snacks are available in more than a thousand stores across Canada. Now Mitsoh has expanded its product line to include grass-fed beef sticks, too.

"Pemmican was never the end goal. It was just the beginning," Gladue told Taproot at the event. "We're continuing that story: same values, same love in the products, and same tradition."

Mitsoh has sold more than three million units since the brand launched from Gladue's defunct Native Delights restaurant. He was reluctant to close the restaurant at the time, but now sees it is what helped him find success.

"I realized that what was stopping me from closing it was ego," Gladue said of Native Delights. "What are people going to think about me? I closed the restaurant — I failed. I failed, but that story opened up another chapter for me, and it took me a long time to see that."

The pivot proved to be wise. In November of 2025, Raven Indigenous Capital Partners invested several million dollars into Mitsoh, allowing it to expand its manufacturing capacity, enhance distribution, and bring in Mike Fata to chair Mitsoh's board. Fata, based in Winnipeg, helped Manitoba Harvest become a $100-million company.

• Edmonton city council approved rezoning for six downtown lots, allowing developers Greenlong Construction Inc. and Stantec Consulting Ltd. to continue using them as parking lots until 2033 or until they build two high-rises on the lots. This decision grants one of 62 applications among 113 city centre lots seeking permits, as the June 30 deadline nears. Ward papastew Coun. Michael Janz advocating for developments that boost tax revenue and optimize land use.
• Sport Edmonton has launched the Event Accelerator Fund, supported by Edmonton Destination Marketing Hotels. The fund offers $10,000 grants for two new events and $5,000 for four existing events during the 2026-27 season. Only events created by Edmonton-based organizations are eligible, boosting local sports and community engagement. Sport Edmonton's CEO, Evan Daum, emphasized the fund's potential to enhance local sports organizations. Applications are due by July 31.
• The Risky Restaurants investigation by Postmedia and MacEwan University won the Gold CAJ Award for Data Journalism at the Canadian Association of Journalists' annual ceremony in Ottawa. The project, led by MacEwan professor Steve Lillebuen and involving 15 journalism students, exposed significant issues in Alberta's restaurant inspection system. The effort included more than 200 interviews and extensive data analysis, leading to increased provincial action on food safety.
• Retired Edmonton Police Service detective Bill Clark was sentenced for leaking confidential information, including details of a suspect photo, and incidents involving stabbings and a city hall shooting, to the media. Clark acknowledged that he knew the rules but chose to disseminate the information. There was no evidence Clark received any compensation in exchange for the leaked information. The court imposed a conditional discharge on Clark, requiring good behaviour for a year.
• A four-year-old girl died after being struck by a person driving a Jeep in Edmonton on June 14. The incident happened around 5:15pm in a parking lot near 66 Street and 170 Avenue in the McConachie neighborhood. The child was hit after she ran onto 66 Street after breaking free from her mother. Bystanders called EMS, and she was transported to the Stollery Children's Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The 23-year-old Jeep driver remained at the scene and police said speed and impairment were not factors. The Edmonton Police Service is investigating.
• The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is supporting women's hockey by granting Lakeland College $75,000 over three years. This funding will expand the Rustlers' community programs for young women, Indigenous youth, and newcomers to Canada. Initiatives include Wintergation, an introductory skating program, and girls' hockey camps. The Rustlers, established in 2021, recently gained recognition by winning gold in its conference.
• Two juvenile moose were spotted in Edmonton's Sherbrooke neighbourhood on June 15. Local authorities are monitoring the situation to ensure public safety and the animals' well-being. Wildlife officials have advised the public to keep a safe distance and contact them if the moose appear distressed or pose a danger.
• The NHL has launched an investigation into Mike Babcock's 2023 resignation from the Columbus Blue Jackets, probing whether any additional penalties are necessary, or if the Edmonton Oilers can hire him, Sportsnet reported.

Here are some events happening today in the Edmonton area.

• Lunch at the Tri‑Region Mayors' Golf Classic starting at 1:30pm at Links at Spruce Grove
• Entrepreneur Circle: From Idea to Action starting at 6:30pm at Hearth Co-work and Co-wellness
• Frank's Open Mic starting at 7pm at Frank's Community Pub
• Fully Committed starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• June 19-28: Edmonton International Jazz Festival
• June 24: Tech For Good Alliance Working Group at Arcadia Brewing Co.
• June 25: Nerd Nite #94: We're Making it Gay at Fringe Theatre Arts Barns

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

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