Remembrance Day: Veteran-Founded Businesses

Remembrance Day falls November 11th — a Wednesday in 2026. We close the website portal for a moment of silence at 11:00 AM Mountain Time. This post isn't about selling tags. It's about why veteran-founded Canadian businesses still matter, and how to support them year-round.

Why Veteran-Owned Businesses Are Different

Veteran-owned businesses in Canada tend to share a few traits: a focus on getting things working over getting things flashy, comfort with logistics and chain-of-command, and a customer-first ethos that comes from years of service. Lochtags fits this mold deliberately. The founder, Kevin Girdler, served in the Canadian Armed Forces and brought that operational discipline directly into how the business runs.

Who Else Is Doing It

Across Canada there are veteran-founded businesses in coffee (Veterans Trail Coffee, BC), apparel (Veteran Apparel Co.), spirits (Trident Distilling, Halifax), agriculture (multiple veteran-owned hops farms in southern Ontario), and tech. Treble Victor Group keeps a directory of veteran-owned businesses; the Canadian Veteran Business Network does similar.

The Operational Tribute

Lochtags' product itself is an operational tribute. The system was designed so that someone who finds a lost item — a stranger, in a stranger's parking lot — has the fastest possible path to returning it. No app, no account, no delay. Just one tap and a contact form. That's the kind of friction-removal a logistics-trained mind builds.

November 11th, 2026: Our Plan

Wednesday November 11, 2026: lochtags.com closes commerce from 10:50 AM to 11:05 AM Mountain Time for the moment of silence. The site stays up; orders pause. We'll resume normally after 11:05. If you place an order during the pause, it'll process at 11:05.

A Note to Veterans

If you're a Canadian veteran starting a business, reach out to Treble Victor Group, Prince's Trust Canada Veterans Program, or your local veteran services office. There are resources, mentorship, and discounts available that are not widely known. The civilian transition is hard. The veteran-business ecosystem is supportive.

Supporting Year-Round

Buying from veteran-owned businesses one day a year is a gesture. Buying year-round, when you have a choice, is meaningful. Look for the 'Veteran Founded' badge on Canadian products — many of us include it in footer or about pages.

Lest We Forget

Remembrance Day exists to keep the cost of service in the public memory. We thank everyone who served, who serves, and who lost someone in service. Whether you light a candle, attend a ceremony, watch the Ottawa broadcast, or just take a moment at 11:00 AM, it matters. Lest we forget.