MBiz

26 SPRING 2019 client needs it. When that kit gets back to us, we harvest data from that and enter it into our system and create the custom vest. It has to fit perfectly. "For our customers that are going out, it comes down to life and death. The equipment is not cheap, but it's going to last." After 21 years in operation, Slater finally opened the doors of K9 Storm Inc.'s three-storey Bannatyne Avenue outlet last year because, well, everyone kept knocking on them. "It got to the point where people were knocking on our door and asking if they could buy our harnesses and leashes along with our patrol vests," he says. "We had no sign on our door. We were happy working behind the scenes in the shadows, but the public pushed us forward into opening our retail store, where we sell the exact same quality of equipment that we sell to the police and military to anybody from the public who appreciates high-quality gear." Dog owners have since flocked to the store, not only to purchase gear, but to participate in leash-making workshops and to tour the family-run operation, where they can see how everything is made from scratch, from design to sewing and milling. Slater says they've had visitors from as far as Oslo, Norway, as well as New York and Los Angeles. He's pleasantly surprised that K9 Storm Inc. has become a bit of a tourist destination. "You can't imagine sometimes where life takes you," he says. "It's a lot of fun." Visitors can shop, tour the operation and take leash-making workshops. Above photos by Darcy Finley. Photos at left and above right courtesy of K9 Storm Inc.

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