An independent Manitoba-based, Indigenous-owned brand of potato chips will soon be on shelves across Canada. Tomahawk Chips is the brainchild of Alfred Lea, who began the Native Canadian Chip Corporation in 2015. Based in Riverton, Man., the chips have until now been sold in Manitoba, Northern Ontario, California, and on Amazon. Most recently, Lea signed on with Calgary’s Star Wholesale Ltd., to have his chips shipped to stores across Canada. He calls the development “overwhelming.”
“You can’t quit, you’re the groundbreaker for a lot of the young people and youth, (and) that’s a responsibility I take seriously,” said Lea quoted by globalnews.ca. “We look forward to a bright future with Native Canadian Chip Corporation,” added Bruce Marlow, National Sales Manager with Star Wholesale Ltd., in a press release.
Notably, the distinctive packaging for his chips is designed by Indigenous artists, whose work Lea promotes through chip sales. The entrepreneur also intends to begin selling jerky, candy, popcorn and corn chips in the near future.
