'Everybody grows, everybody learns': Regina based clothing company partners with Indigenous communities

Regina based Hudson Hill Industrial Apparel is company that is changing the way clothing is produced across Canada.

Owner and namesake Hudson Hill worked in industrial trades and was inspired to create a new type of clothing that solved some of he issues he was seeing.

“I started seeing a lot of problems in the oil field that could have been fixed or could be fixed, part of which is our cold winters,” CEO Hudson Hill said. “So we started making heated apparel and putting lights on it and basically all the shortcomings that we needed out in the field,” Hill added.

As the company grew and began creating more clothing with technology applicable to aviation, military, mining, oil and gas, they were noticed by many, including various first nations across the country which lead to their Indigenous partnerships.

“Because First Nations are in a lot of the areas that mining is done and exploration is done and resources, it kind of goes hand in hand, coupled with the conversation.” Hill said.

As the company takes on new projects, they work with the nearest First Nation’s communities in the production process, employing interested members and providing them with the training necessary to understand both the textile and technical side of things.

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“So we’re taking it from the very beginning the fundamentals of how to make a garment all the way to the very end of embedding all this technology,” Hill said.

As the team prepares to head to their next partnership in Heart Lake Nation, Alta. there’s lots of enthusiasm to pass on the knowledge of this new technology, particularly for Needha Berera, a seamstress for the company who additionally helped to create and develop many pieces.

“I really like to give my experience to the younger generation so they all they will be happy in the future. So even thought I’m not here, they will get a good future. That’s my wish” Berera said.

For Hill, there is a lot of enjoyment in seeing the pieces his team worked hard on provide a learning and employment opportunity.

“That particular nation that is most impacted from that area, we’ll get them involved and then we do a profit split with that too so it kind of benefits everyone, everybody grows, everybody learns,” Hill said.

For Hill, he is hoping that this new method will create a change in the way products are manufactured across the country.