As a child, Jeremy Watt listened to his parents, Lt-Colonels Lynda and Neil Watt, preach about God and the lessons of Salvation Army co-Founder William Booth. 

“My dad is a big William Booth guy,” says Watt. “He read everything there was to read about him and would use him in sermons. I hung on to every word he said. But my biggest takeaway was that what William Booth did was build one of the greatest brands that ever existed.” 

In 2014, Watt and his wife, Julie Brown, launched Province of Canada, a small business venture and creative endeavour that, over the course of a decade, became a significant Canadian-owned lifestyle and apparel company. With a storefront in downtown Toronto and thriving online shop, Province of Canada has established itself as an authentic made-in-Canada brand based on the values of sustainability and giving back—values impressed upon Watt as an officers’ kid. 

“I don’t know a world without The Salvation Army,” says Watt. “It was actually one of the biggest influences on me without me even realizing it.” 

Leap of Faith 

The Salvation Army was deeply embedded in Watt’s life, and throughout his youth, his parents were stationed in various appointments across Ontario, as well as one year in London, England, the birthplace of the Army. According to Watt, having officer parents, especially back in the 1980s and 1990s when he was growing up, meant that he lived a humble lifestyle.

His parents were around the same age as Watt is today when they received God’s call to become Salvation Army officers. At that point in their lives, they were established in their careers and seemed to have life figured out. 

“They gave away everything in pursuit of what they were meant to do,” says Watt. “I watched them do that and excel at it. I watched them go through the highs and lows of it, and it showed me that your calling is worth taking the leap for. That helped me take a leap of faith in my own career.” 

After graduating from Seneca College, Watt’s first job out of school was with The Salvation Army, where he worked for nearly six years. First hired as an intern in the public relations department, Watt moved into a social media and content creation role that led to opportunities to travel throughout Canada, the United States, Sri Lanka and Haiti, to document the work of the Army through photography and social media content. 

“Because the Army was always part of my life, I never really thought about it like a job,” says Watt. “I just locked in on the idea of using my creativity to increase awareness and donations.” 

Watt and Brown both studied graphic design in college—Watt at Seneca College and Brown at Dawson College in Montreal. When they met after a Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs game in Montreal in 2005, they realized that they shared a common passion for design. They married four years later, and in 2014, decided to start Province of Canada. 

“We were happy in our respective careers,” says Watt. “But we always had this underlying desire to do our own thing. Julie has a passion for home goods, and I have a passion for apparel. So, it made sense for us to start a lifestyle brand, and it became a combination of our two personalities.” 

Now, Province of Canada is one of the few brands in the world that manufactures entirely in Canada. Every product is designed in-house by Watt and Brown and manufactured sustainably with Canadian partners. 

The Greatest Brand 

At a young age, Watt was inspired by William Booth’s use of branding as a tool for outreach and ministry, and it shaped his understanding of how a brand can be recognizable, impactful and meaningful. 

“Booth’s use of the word ‘others’ to describe the brand in one word; reclaiming what was then popular music and remixing it to make it relevant for the church; the idea of branding soap and matchbooks in order to meet people where they were—all of this represents the genius of what William Booth did,” says Watt. “He was innovating in this space before anyone thought to call a Christian an innovator.”

Growing up, Watt was inspired to dream up brands in his own mind, doodling logos without realizing what they were. He saw meaning and purpose behind many of the graphic elements of The Salvation Army, from the Red Shield to the crest and flag. “Everything tells a story,” says Watt. “A lot of people take that symbolism and storytelling for granted, but there’s so much great stuff to pull from.” 

When it came time to develop the ethos of Province of Canada, Watt knew what he wanted the brand to look like. “I think everyone’s creative journey is different. Sometimes that light bulb just goes off and you realize, I actually have something here,” he says. “As a creative, it’s the ultimate test of faith in yourself to be able to say that what I’m able to create, people are going to respond to.” 

Buy a Sock, Give a Sock 

“When we started Province of Canada, we knew we were going to make all our products in Canada and that was going to be our backbone,” says Watt. “But early on, we realized we are equally passionate about care projects.” 

From the outset, Watt and Brown were committed to making Province of Canada more than just a for-profit company. They wanted their brand to have a soul, one that was deeply connected to the community. They decided to implement a social responsibility initiative that would connect their passion for community with their made-in-Canada brand. 

In 2018, they launched the 1 For 1 sock program, which emerged from Watt’s realization that socks are one of the most needed but least donated items in Canada. For each pair of socks purchased, Province of Canada donates a pair to shelters across Canada, including The Salvation Army’s New Hope Leslieville in Toronto, the Wiseman Centre in St. John’s, N.L., and Belkin House in Vancouver. 

“This is a big need in our country, and that is important to us. The more socks that we sell, the more we donate,” Watt explains. “And we deliver the same kind of socks that we sell. Brand new, sustainable, made-in-Canada products. So, we feel really good about the the quality of the product they are receiving.” 

The 1 For 1 sock program has grown significantly and since 2018, more than 26,000 socks have been donated to various shelters, predominantly those operated by The Salvation Army. 

“Growing up in The Salvation Army, it was the obvious choice,” says Watt. 

Giving Back 

For Watt, the idea of doing something good for others is just part of his DNA. The 1 For 1 sock program is a full-circle initiative—a tribute to the organization that helped build the foundation of his life. 

“I never would have imagined that I would develop a brand that would be able to give back to the Army and many of the shelters that I used to visit as an employee, where I shared the story of the Army’s mission,” he says. “I wouldn’t change the experience of growing up in The Salvation Army at all. I think it set the tone for my future.”