10 Years of truLOCAL: A Decade of Local, Delivered

Ten years ago, truLOCAL began with a simple idea: Canadians shouldn’t have to choose between convenience and supporting local farmers. High-quality, responsibly raised meat should be easy to access and not something that requires multiple stops, long drives, or compromise.

What started as a small operation built on belief, relationships, and determination has grown into a nationwide community of farmers, customers, and team members working together to strengthen Canada’s local food system. Along the way, we’ve remained committed to partnering with trusted producers, like those you can learn more about on our Suppliers page, and delivering food we would proudly serve at our own tables.

As we celebrate our 10-year anniversary, we feel two things above all else: pride in what has been built, and deep gratitude for the people who made it possible.

2016: The Beginning

The story of truLOCAL took shape in early 2016 with a series of modest but meaningful firsts. On January 3, the company shared its very first Instagram post, quietly introducing the concept of local meat delivered directly to customers’ doors. A couple of weeks later, on February 25, the first truLOCAL box left the warehouse and arrived at a customer’s home, a milestone that proved Canadians were ready for a new way to buy meat. The launch of truLOCAL.ca created a simple online marketplace where customers could browse products, customize their selections, and schedule deliveries from home, establishing the foundation for the direct-to-consumer model that would drive future growth. What began as a small regional service now had the infrastructure to scale.

2017: Stepping Into the Spotlight

Momentum accelerated in January 2017 when truLOCAL’s founders appeared on Dragon’s Den, presenting their vision of a frozen meat subscription built around supporting local farms. The national exposure introduced the brand to millions of viewers and transformed awareness almost overnight, turning a young startup into a recognizable name across Canada. For many households, this television appearance marked their first encounter with truLOCAL and sparked curiosity about a service that combined convenience with a commitment to Canadian agriculture.

2018–2019: Expanding Across Canada

As demand continued to grow, the company expanded westward in 2018, opening a warehouse in Calgary to better serve Alberta customers with faster delivery and regionally sourced products. Later that year, operations launched in British Columbia, extending truLOCAL’s reach to the West Coast and allowing more families to access locally raised meat without leaving home. Recognition soon followed in the form of the FedEx Small Business Grant, which highlighted both the company’s rapid growth and its dedication to supporting local producers. By 2019, customer adoption had reached a new level with 50,000 boxes shipped nationwide, each delivery representing a direct connection between Canadian farms and household dinner tables. That same year, truLOCAL made a significant sustainability shift by replacing Styrofoam insulation with recyclable packaging, reducing environmental impact while responding to customer demand for more responsible solutions.

2020: Rising to an Unprecedented Moment

The events of 2020 reshaped daily life and food purchasing habits across the country, and truLOCAL adapted quickly to meet changing needs. New safety protocols were implemented, operations were restructured, and the team worked tirelessly to maintain reliable service during a period of intense uncertainty. As more Canadians cooked at home, demand surged, leading to the fastest growth period in the company’s history. During this time, The Globe and Mail recognized truLOCAL as one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies, ranking it #14 nationally, a reflection of both momentum and impact. Even amid rapid expansion, the focus remained on community, with initiatives like the Equal Opportunity Grant supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs and new member offers providing additional value to customers navigating a challenging year.

2021–2022: Building for the Long Term

In January 2021, truLOCAL entered a new phase of development when it joined the EMERGE Commerce family, enabling further investment, operational scale, and strategic growth while preserving the company’s core mission and values. Later that year, the corporate gifting program launched, allowing organizations to express appreciation to employees and clients with something meaningful and practical. Customer loyalty became an even greater focus in 2022 with the introduction of a loyalty rewards program, giving members the opportunity to earn perks, discounts, and free products over time, while the launch of the Mega Box provided greater variety and quantity for households that had fully integrated truLOCAL into their weekly routines. The expanding product catalogue made it easier than ever for customers to tailor their deliveries to their specific preferences and cooking habits.

2023–2024: Expanding the Product Experience

By 2023, truLOCAL evolved beyond traditional cuts of meat, introducing deli-style snack sticks and other dried meat products and prepared meals such as meat pies to meet demand for convenient, high-protein options suited to busy lifestyles. Later that year, the launch of private-label products under the truLOCAL name, including staples such as ground beef and salmon, allowed the team to curate quality more directly while expanding consistency across regions. Improvements continued into 2024 with the rollout of extra points redemption, which gave customers the flexibility to add more products to their boxes without increasing subscription size, reflecting years of feedback and a commitment to continuous improvement.

2025: Milestones That Reflect a Movement

Approaching its tenth anniversary, truLOCAL reached several historic milestones that underscored how far the company had come. Subscriber growth surged to its highest level since the pandemic period, demonstrating sustained demand for convenient access to local food and great quality proteins. The publication of the company’s 300th blog post highlighted an ongoing commitment to education, recipes, and helpful resources for customers, while later achievements included surpassing 500,000 boxes shipped across Canada and expanding the catalogue to more than 400 products across all delivery zones. What began as a modest offering had evolved into one of the most extensive selections of locally sourced meat available online in the country.

A Decade Built by Community

Behind every statistic lies something far more meaningful than numbers alone: people. Farmers who take pride in raising animals responsibly, team members who keep our dream alive, partners who believed in the mission early on, and customers who chose to support a new way of buying food. Over the past decade, truLOCAL has become part of everyday life for many Canadian households, contributing to weeknight dinners, holiday gatherings, backyard barbecues, and celebrations both large and small. The impact extends beyond convenience, helping families save time, eat well, and support local producers in a tangible way.

Looking Ahead

Anniversaries offer a moment to reflect on what has been accomplished, but they also reinforce the purpose that drives future progress. The mission that guided truLOCAL in 2016 remains unchanged today: support Canadian farms, deliver exceptional quality, and make local food accessible to more households. New ideas, partnerships, and improvements are already underway, all grounded in the same belief that local food should be both high quality and easy to obtain.

Thank You

Whether you have been with truLOCAL since the very first box or joined recently, you are part of this story. Ten years ago, the goal was to change how Canadians access local meat; today, the company celebrates something even more meaningful — a nationwide community united by a shared commitment to supporting local. From everyone at truLOCAL, thank you for making the past decade possible and for helping shape what comes next.

Article by: Steven Tippin

Posted on February 19th, 2026