
This story first appeared in print in the Winter 2020 issue of Revelstoke Mountaineer Magazine. Read the e-edition here:
Photography: Laura Szanto
Words: Louise Stanway
Styling: Catherine Marleau
Models: Steph Schaft & Darren Gill
“Like many others, we, as a store, need to reduce our footprint,” says Catherine Marleau, Retail Manager at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. “For us, this means supporting brands that share our values.”
Catherine has been working at the resort’s retail store, R Gear, for just over two years now. Her mission is to promote smarter decision making when it comes to gearing up for winter. In the retail world—an undeniably materialistic industry—this is done in two ways, she says. First, by supporting local. Second, by favouring sustainable items.

With this year’s unprecedented hardships top of mind, she has chosen to give local artists front and centre stage. Talented female artists and designers such as Emily Beaudoin, Turbo Bambi, SickChick, Vanessa St-Yves, Hailey Stewart, and Tina Lindegaard (of Begbie Studios) are just a few of the names you will see featured in store this winter.
The store also carries a wide selection of organic cotton t-shirts and hoodies that are printed and designed in B.C. (in fact, 80% of them are designed and printed here in Revelstoke, by Integrated Apparel). The result of these partnerships is an exclusive range of custom souvenirs that you will not find anywhere else in the world, let alone in other Revelstoke stores.
Now, let’s shift our focus to the technical selection. Catherine knows that buying new gear to support our seasonal hobbies doesn’t quite fit under the umbrella of living sustainably. And, as such, she has made a conscious effort to work with brands that are paving the way for greener gear alternatives. One such brand is Picture Organic Clothing. Every season, this France-based brand cooks up new, innovative ways to recycle product waste by actually building it in to their freshest line of technical garments. The goal here is to minimize the environmental impact of their products, post-life.
Another factor when selecting “key” brands, is prioritizing local, made-in-Canada product lines. This is why Catherine has chosen to heavily endorse the Vancouver owned-and-operated apparel brand, Arc’teryx Equipment. “In terms of quality, their line of products is one the best, if not the best, in the outerwear industry,” she explains. An Arc’teryx item can last a lifetime (literally) and if something were to break or underperform, their lifetime warranty is there as a safety net. The thinking behind this approach, is that if you invest in one quality garment, it should alleviate the need to buy multiple pieces of equipment year on year; reducing both your carbon footprint and your overall spend.

Steph wears the Arc’teryx Women’s Sentinel LT Jacket in Dark Magic ($769.95), layered with matching Sentinel LT Bib Pants in Sundance ($649.95). Her outerwear combo is teamed with the Dakine Lotus Mitt in Caramel ($104.95), the Dakine Cutter Beanie in Buckskin ($26.95), and completed with a staple piece of gear for those with smaller faces: the Smith IO Mag S Goggle in Polar Blue ($279.95). She rides the Salomon HPS Asmo snowboard (available to buy at Critical Parts).Photo: Laura Szanto
If you’re curious to find out more about what’s in store and how it encompasses Revelstoke’s vibe, well, with its convenient ski-in, ski-out location, the easiest way is to pop by and take a look around. R Gear is conveniently located at the bottom of the gondola in the village plaza, and season pass holders are eligible for 10% discount in store.
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