Small-town pride inspires

Ty Friesen, left, and The Burg clothing line owner Seth Martin wear T-shirts and hats from the small-town-inspired brand. (Amanda Modaragamage photo)

Amanda Modaragamage, Echo Contributor

After leaving for Laurier to study business last year, Seth Martin realized just how deeply connected he was to his roots in Sweaburg, his hometown. Faced with the challenges of living in a bigger city, he found himself missing the small-town life he grew up with.

This inspired the business-minded Martin to create his own clothing line in homage to Sweaburg.

“Being away from home made me realize just how special The Burg really is,” said Martin. “I started to feel disconnected, like a piece of me was missing. That time away helped me see how important it is to be proud of your roots. It made me fall back in love with the place I grew up.”

Reflecting on his upbringing, Martin says his family—especially his grandfather—had a significant influence on his work ethic and outlook on life.

“My grandpa was a farmer, and he taught me the value of hard work and to have pride in everything you do,” he said. “We actually have a farming collection coming out soon in honour of him.”

The Burg clothing line, currently available online, blends local pride with designs meant to help shoppers feel connected to their communities across southwestern Ontario.

The website features a wide range of items, including men’s, women’s, unisex and kids’ hoodies, quarter-zips and T-shirts. There are also trucker hats, with more styles—along with the new farming collection—set to be released this fall.

Martin designs all logos and graphics himself and says his pieces are curated for small-town life.

“There are a lot of people out there drop-shipping different clothing items, but I’m not one of them,” he said. “I run this business myself, and I want to make sure it’s tied to my small-town roots.”

While travelling back and forth to university, Martin says he still feels most connected when he’s home.

“From a young age, it was more than just a place to live; it was my entire world,” he wrote on his website. “The best memories of my life happened there: back road bonfires, early morning fishing, bike rides with my buddies, baseball games, beers around a fire, community events, and having my whole family close by. The Burg wasn’t just home, it was the best time of my life.”

Looking ahead, Martin hopes to see how far The Burg can go.

“I really just want to show people it’s good to be proud of where you came from,” he said. “I don’t know how big The Burg will get, but I just want people to look at this brand and say, ‘ya, I love where I’m from.’”

The Burg is currently featuring their summer line, but will soon be promoting their brand new fall line on their website and social channels. For more information, follow @shoptheburg on Instagram or visit www.shoptheburg.ca.