An Atlas of Calgary Local Business & Brand Ownership
FIND LOCAL — YYC
"An interactive map to help you keep your money local."
Local Commerce
You know the logo.
Do you know who it pays?
A Global View
We traced the origin of brand ownership behind the chains, franchises, and brands in Calgary โ from the Tim Hortons on your corner to the gas station in Forest Lawn. For many we found a Canadian brand or local business nearby offering a similar product or service, so trying local is one click away.
Open the Interactive Map →
Fig. 1 — Every listing, under the glass.
The receipt reads differently depending where you shop.
Of every dollar spent at a small, local business in Canada, 66 cents stays in the local economy. At a large multinational retailer that drops to 11 cents โ and to just 8 cents at an online giant.
92% of Canadians say they love having small businesses in their community โ but only 13% actually do most of their shopping there. The other 87% spend most of their money at large multinational retailers.
Small businesses are 98.2% of all employer businesses in Canada and employ 5.8 million people โ 46.6% of all private-sector jobs.
97% of small retailers give back to their community in some way โ 74% donate to local charities, 56% sponsor local events or teams, 55% create jobs for young people.
Private Equity & Corporate Consolidation
Look for a purple ring (U.S. or Multinational) or a pink ring (Canadian) around a pin โ these highlight where private equity, either with U.S. & foreign investment, or Canadian P.E. investment, is active in your city. Corporate and private-equity roll-ups acquiring local businesses can impact neighbourhoods and in some cases make it more difficult for local and independent businesses to survive.
Roughly 25% of veterinary clinics, 5% of dental offices, and about half of pharmacies in Canada are now corporately owned.
Some ownership stories are worth celebrating, not just tracking.
Alongside the flags above, a teal ring marks an Indigenous-owned business on the map โ not a caution, an invitation. Indigenous entrepreneurs launch new businesses at five times the rate of non-Indigenous Canadians, and Indigenous-led enterprises now contribute more than $31 billion a year to the Canadian economy across 50,000-plus businesses โ from the Tsuut'ina Nation-owned casino on the edge of town to the coffee shop a few blocks from you.
Every pin is a chance to explore and support your city.
Ownership at a Glance
Every brand is flagged Canadian, U.S., or one of 18 other countries โ right on the pin, and again when you click in.
A Canadian Alternative
Click any U.S. brand and, where one exists nearby, we'll name a Canadian business doing the same thing.
e.g. "Try A&W Instead"Search Your Own Street
Search by name, filter by country of ownership, or zoom into your own neighbourhood to see what's really there.
Can't find your business on the map yet? We can add it. Or want your local Canadian business to stand out from the multinational brands nearby? Ask about our featured listings. We'd like to hear from you.
Why we built this.
Find Local started with a simple question: when you spend money at a business in your neighbourhood, where does it actually go? We matched public business licence data against a set of roughly 400 chain and franchise ownership patterns to trace who ultimately owns the brands you find in your neighborhood — a Canadian company, a U.S. multinational, or one of 18 other countries.
The map shows businesses we could confidently match to a known chain, franchise, or parent company, each with its country of ownership identified through our research. Independent, locally owned businesses are invited to request a free pin: use the “Add your business” link, and we'll confirm ownership before adding it. Once verified, any local business can also choose a paid featured listing to stand out on the map: use the “Ask about Featured listings” link. Our goal is to include every verified locally owned business, so consumers can easily find and support local businesses in their communities.
Find Local is an independent research project. It is not affiliated with city or provincial government, or any business or brand named on the map. It currently covers Edmonton and Calgary, with more cities planned.
Spotted a mistake? Corrections & tips: [email protected]