One hundred years ago, Canada's former chief medical health inspector of what was then called the Indian Affairs department walked through the doors of a publishing house in Ottawa with a manuscript.
In the heart of the ByWard Market, hundreds took in performances by Indigenous artists. The event also brought out several local entrepreneurs like 11-year-old scrunchies designer Mya Beaudry.
The store is the initiative of the Assembly of Seven Generations, or A7G, an Indigenous, youth-led, non-profit organization that provides youths with cultural support and empowerment programs.
Ottawa non-profits say lack of volunteers and revenue drops made it extremely challenging for them to stay afloat during the pandemic, but the community's support is what kept them going.