The Voice for Canada’s Next Generation of Small Business

GarageShops.ca is a national advocacy initiative dedicated to rebuilding Canada’s small business economy — one garage at a time.

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We exist to spark conversation, raise awareness, and mobilize public support for a bold idea:

That underused residential garages can become the foundation of a new era of local entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and food security.

A young girl on someone's shoulders waving a Canadian flag at a crowd gathering, with many people waving flags and some wearing red and white clothing, likely at a patriotic or national celebration event.

Our Role

GarageShops.ca is not a government program or funding body.
We are an independent advocacy platform working to:

  • Champion small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs

  • Promote policy innovation that supports home-based production

  • Engage Canadians in shaping new economic opportunities

  • Bring forward real ideas to policymakers, municipalities, and industry leaders

We aim to bridge the gap between citizens and decision-makers — ensuring that grassroots ideas are heard, refined, and acted upon.

Program Overview
A man and a boy working together on a woodworking project in a workshop, both wearing safety glasses and plaid shirts, with woodworking tools and equipment on the workbench.

As Canadian statesman Preston Manning has often emphasized:

“The role of government is not to tell people what they should want, but to listen to citizens and help create the conditions that allow them to achieve what they value.”

What We’re Advocating For

We are advocating for policies that would enable:

  • Conversion of residential garages into safe, compliant micro-workshops

  • Public and private investment in tools, training, and retrofitting

  • Support for home-based businesses and local manufacturing

  • Expansion of food security initiatives, including technologies like freeze-drying

  • Modernized zoning and regulatory frameworks that reflect today’s economy

These ideas are not final — they are starting points for national dialogue.

People moving and organizing boxes inside a garage with various household items and furniture.

Starting the Conversation

GarageShops.ca exists to ask the question:

What if every garage in Canada had the opportunity to become a small business?

We are actively:

  • Gathering public feedback and community input

  • Engaging with entrepreneurs, tradespeople, and homeowners

  • Opening dialogue with government and policy leaders

  • Sharing stories and ideas that highlight the potential of this model

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Together, we can advocate for a new foundation of local innovation — starting with the spaces we already have.