Ignite - About Us

Our History

The idea for Ignite was born in 2001 within the confines of a cramped 2-person tent pitched deep within the Brook’s Range in the Yukon territory of Canada. How could we get more Canadians to enjoy and care about the wild, especially in communities where specialized outdoors stores don’t exist?

Ignite was the answer. Ignite founders Alexis Thayer and Jared Stroud got the project going with only 3 partners and 10 subscribers back in 2003.

Since then, Ignite has grown to over 1.1 million members across Canada, and in 2013 we opened a shipment center in the United states.

Our Values

At Ignite, we strive to provide the best quality gear through the most environmentally responsible ways possible.

Green Buildings

Our distribution centers all meet the Natural Resources Canada C2000 Green Building Standard that acknowledges buildings that achieve a 50% reduction in energy consumption over conventional structures.
Green Inks

We used soy-based inks for all our printing, which results in 0 VOCs emitted during manufacturing.

Green Materials

Green materials Our boxes and packaging is 100% recyclable and is sourced from Forest Stewardship Council© (FSC) approved materials.
Green Profit

1% of Ignite profits go to 1% for the planet, an initiative to conserve wild spaces across the world.

Our Impact

Preserving Woodland Caribou Habitat

Ignite put $150 000 towards the purchase of wilderness land near Grand Forks, to protect sensitive woodland caribou habitat from deforestation caused by the logging industry. It has now been designated as a protected area by Yukon officials. Ignite has a continuing project in the region to employ locals in monitoring and protecting the site.

Protecting the Crag

Ignite continues to work in partnership with the Ontario Access Coalition (OAC), a not-for-profit group that works to keep Ontario climbing and bouldering areas open in an environmentally responsible manner.

Due to the funding provided by Ignite, the OAC has kept climbing routes open along the Niagara Escarpment while also funding initiatives to remove invasive plant species and garbage from the sensitive sites.

Getting Sheepish in Sequoia National Park

Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are now occupying the Great Western Divide for the first time in over 100 years due to recent efforts by Ignite in partnership with the US National Parks service! Ignite has funded and will continue to fund biologists studying the impact of humans on the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, to ensure these majestic animals remain a part of the landscape for decades to come.

Our Founders

Jared Stroud

Rock climber, ice climber, and newbie kayaker with a love for wild edibles.

I’ve worked as a conservation officer for most of my life, and right now I am working for Banff National Park. It’s so important to keep these beautiful areas protected for years to come. Wether I’m watching elk rut by the Athabasca River, or watching a Grizzly sow and her cubs eat berries on summer ski hills, I’m always in awe of the natural world around me.

Take the family out for a day hike. Book a vacation in the sublime rocky mountains. Volunteer at your local conservation area. It is important for all of us to care and be involved in the wild spaces left in our beautiful country. Our hope is that your Ignite gear can help entice you to get out there and start seeing the beauty that’s waiting for you right outside your doorstep.

Jared Stroud
Ignite Co-founder

Alexis Thayer

Avid trekker, mountaineer, and dogsledding enthusiast.

I was actually a huge city girl growing up. Malls, fashion, soap operas- that was a day well spent back then. But a part of me craved for something more than the material life I had lead since my infancy. So I surprised everyone when I packed a 60 liter bag and announced I was hitch hiking to Inuvik, in the Northwest Territories.

After that trip, I was forever changed. A whole new world of adventure had opened up to me; wild spaces, vicious storms, and self-reliance. I saw how isolated northern communities got by with so little, and how they all pitched in to help each other every day.

I urge you to answer that call to adventure that aches in your chest. Take that step out your front door and go looking for that something that keeps pulling at your spirit. You never know where you might end up, but I guarantee you will be wiser for it.

Alexis Thayer
Ignite Co-founder