Canadian. Living abroad. Dad.

I'm Dino Celotti, a Canadian living abroad and a dad. Every trip back, I notice the same thing: excellent Canadian brands — jackets, blankets, kids' clothes, small workshop-made things — that almost nobody in Germany has heard of. Not obscure. Just not here.

So this started as notes for myself, then as a guide for anyone standing in Vancouver wondering which shops are actually worth the walk. That guide is the part that's useful today, and it stays free and unsponsored.

The second part is slower: seeing whether a small, carefully chosen selection of Canadian goods makes sense in Germany. Starting in Hamburg and online, focused enough to learn before scaling.

When I call something a Canadian Dad Pick, it means I'd buy it. It doesn't mean anyone paid for the mention.

Why Olive Beaver?

Canada is home, but I wasn't born there. The olive is the other half — Mediterranean roots that came along for the ride. The beaver is the half everyone can see.

It's a small nod to carrying more than one place with you. Olive Beaver is the site; Canadian Dad is the person doing the picking.