We all know that Canada makes stuff. But some of the “stuff” we make is genuinely surprising. Not surprising in the “why would anyone make this?” way, but more in the “Wait, I know that brand, but I had no idea it was Canadian” way. Unless you work in these specific industries, you’d probably never know.
As we build the Maplecrafted directory, we find ourselves discovering these little curiosities along the way. This post is exactly that: a collection of world-class products we found interesting. We figured you might find them interesting, too.
To answer the question though: Yeah, bud! Canada makes stuff. Industry-leading stuff, even. Read on.
(We mean “bud” in the good way, not the bad snarky way. We’re all buds here.)
1. BBQs: Broil King and Napoleon
Canada makes a ton of high-end BBQ grills. While US-based Weber is the volume leader here, Napoleon and Broil King are firmly amongst the top-selling and best-rated BBQ brands in North America, and they are both Canadian companies.
However, you have to know which models to look for. Napoleon’s high-end Prestige and Prestige PRO series are manufactured in Barrie, Ontario. Meanwhile, Broil King manufactures their Sovereign, Signet, Monarch, and Gem series in Waterloo, Ontario.
Where to Buy: Home Hardware, Canadian Tire
2. High-Tech Car Seats: Clek
If you or your friends are having babies, you have probably heard of Clek. This is for good reason, as the brand is a top-tier choice for parents focused on advanced safety and high-end design.
While many car seats are made from plastic shells, Clek seats are famously “built like a tank” with steel and magnesium substructures. What many parents don’t realize is that this brand, often considered the “Volvo” of car seats and chosen for its sleek, European design aesthetic, is actually Canadian. Their seats are proudly manufactured in Ontario, and they are the only company in North America to offer a car seat recycling program. As a bonus, their customer service team is staffed by certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs).
Where to Buy: Clek, Snuggle Bugz, West Coast Kids
3. Jeans: Naked and Famous Denim
“Made in Japan” has long been synonymous with high quality denim. Naked and Famous imports their raw materials and fabrics and cuts, sews and makes each pair of jeans (and most other apparel) in Montreal, Quebec. Note that some items are actually made in Japan, but these are clearly marked.
Naked and Famous is well, famous for its collaborations (Dragon Ball Z and Street Fighter being two examples) and accessibility. When people “move up” from their department store Levi’s jeans to a more premium brand, they land in a pair of Naked and Famous jeans as their first gateway into premium denim.
Where to Buy: Naked & Famous Denim
4. Musical Instruments: Godin Guitars and SABIAN Cymbals
If you walk into any music store in North America, you are surrounded by Canadian craftsmanship, whether you realize it or not.
First, there’s Godin. Godin quietly manufactures some of the industry’s highest-quality instruments in La Patrie, Quebec. We aren’t just talking about electrics either, this includes their acoustic sub-brands like Seagull, Simon & Patrick, and Art & Lutherie. If you’ve played an acoustic guitar at a campfire, there’s a good chance it was built in a small village in Quebec.
Then there’s the percussion. SABIAN is one of the “Big Four” cymbal manufacturers in the world. They are the choice of drummers ranging from Neil Peart from Rush to Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers. Despite their global dominance, every single SABIAN cymbal is hammered into shape in the tiny riverside community of Meductic, New Brunswick.
Where to Buy: Godin Guitars, Long & McQuade
5. High-Fidelity Audio: Paradigm
Audiophiles are a picky bunch. They obsess over “British Sound” or “American Muscle” but Canada is actually a massive, quiet superpower in the world of high-end audio.
We have a unique history here involving the National Research Council (NRC) in Ottawa, which spent decades helping Canadian companies perfect the science of sound. This government-backed research, focusing on objective performance and blind-listening tests, gave birth to an entire school of audio design.
The most famous graduate of this research-first philosophy is Paradigm. Based in Mississauga, Ontario, Paradigm builds speakers that are revered globally for their incredible accuracy and value. They don’t just sound good; they are measurably good, competing with and often beating international brands that cost two or three times as much. These aren’t just “good for Canada” speakers; they are consistently ranked among the best in the world, period.
Where to Buy: 2001 Audio Video
6. Baseball Bats: Sam Bat
Baseball is America’s pastime (although with a deep Canadian history) but the bat that changed the modern game is 100% Canadian.
Before Sam Bat, Major League Baseball was dominated by ash wood bats. Sam Holman, the founder, theorized that maple, which is harder and denser, would make for a more powerful hit. He was right. He crafted the first maple bats in his garage, and once Barry Bonds started using them to shatter home run records, the entire league switched over. Jose Bautista also used a Sam Bat during his 54 home run season.
Today, the Original Maple Bat Corporation still crafts the gold standard of professional bats in Carleton Place, Ontario.
Where to Buy: Sam Bat
7. Tech Skins & Cases: dbrand
If you watch any amount of tech content on YouTube, you know dbrand. They are the company famous for making vinyl skins for phones, laptops, and gaming consoles, and their marketing is everywhere.
Because they are so deeply embedded in Silicon Valley tech culture, most people assume they are a San Francisco startup. In reality, dbrand is based in Toronto. They don’t just dropship products from overseas, either. They design and manufacture their signature skins in-house at their Toronto facility. So, when you buy that skin to cover up your scratch-prone phone, you’re actually buying Canadian manufacturing.
Where to Buy: dbrand
8. Winter Boots: Kamik
In the footwear industry, “affordable” almost always means “made overseas.” Kamik bucks that trend. You can find these boots in almost any shoe store in North America, often for a very reasonable price. Because they aren’t $800 luxury items, people assume they are imported.
In reality, Kamik manufactures about 70% of their products in North America, with their injection-molded rubber boots coming out of their facility in Montreal. They have been family-owned since 1898 and prove you don’t need to pay luxury prices for domestic manufacturing.
Where to Buy: Kamik, Altitude Sports, Canadian Tire, Sporting Life
9. Coins: The Royal Canadian Mint
Yes, the Royal Canadian Mint makes Canadian coins. That’s not the surprise. The surprise is that they probably made the coins you use on your vacation, too.
The Mint’s high-tech facility in Winnipeg is a powerhouse that has produced coins for over 80 other countries, including New Zealand, Barbados, and Thailand. While Winnipeg handles the world’s loose change, the Ottawa facility acts more like a high-art workshop.
These aren’t just coins; they’re stunning pieces of engineering. The Mint is famous for its “world firsts,” including the first glow-in-the-dark coin, the first coin to feature a 3D diamond shape, and even a coin with a tiny, functional 3D carousel on its face. They’ve created coins in the shape of a pysanka (a Ukrainian Easter egg), a combat helmet, and the Stanley Cup, cementing their reputation for turning currency into art.
Where to Buy: Royal Canadian Mint
10. NHL Hockey Pucks: Inglasco
Obviously.
Some things just are just universal laws. What can we say?
Hockey is Canada’s game, but we sometimes forget that the NHL is a business dominated by American teams. However, no matter which teams are playing every single goal is scored with a Canadian object. Since the mid-90s, the official supplier of NHL game pucks has been Inglasco. The rubber is sourced and molded in Saint-Jérôme, Quebec. It’s a nice reminder that even if the Stanley Cup spends a winter down south, the puck that won it came from Quebec.
Where to Buy: Inglasco
