About
Established in 2009, Coal Miner’s Daughter has a primary focus on Canadian brands, accessible and inclusive fashion, and most of all feel good dressing.
At CMD our guiding principles are rooted in the slow fashion movement of quality over quantity, and supporting and promoting small businesses at every opportunity with our dollars and position in the market to do so. We are always striving to find a way to balance these sometimes different approaches: quality and accessibility, slow fashion and trends, small batch and accessibility again. We try new things as often as we can afford to, and some things take time to unfold. It is our absolute privilege to have been on this path for the last 14 years, and we look forward to what the next years will bring. This journey is ongoing, and we are so grateful to have you along for the ride at any part of the way.
Our ethos boils down to this, we love supporting independent Canadian fashion labels, both emerging and established, with a commitment to championing sustainable and ethical business practices.
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Our stores are located in several parts of the city, along some of the longest and oldest streets in what is now known as Toronto. With that in mind, we would like to acknowledge that the land on which we operate Coal Miner's Daughter is located on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat and Petun First Nations, the Seneca, and more recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River and Métis peoples. Acknowledging this territory is done with respect and to recognize the presence, both past and present, of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, this part of which is now known as Canada. As settlers and guests on this land, we are deeply honoured to have this privilege of existing with the nature we are surrounded by, and to care for this land as stewards in kind. As guests on this land, we also acknowledge the need to continually explore and expose the wrongs of settler colonialism, to demand transparency and reparations from our governments, and to hold space for representation. By taking the time to acknowledge the land we live and work on, we remind ourselves of the long history of silencing in this country and the need to speak the truth on a journey towards reconciliation.
We are committed to continually educating ourselves, holding space, using whatever platform we have to amplify marginalized voices in our industry and beyond, nurturing relationships built on mutual consent and trust, standing for equality and against racism and discrimination. We direct our fundraising efforts and a portion of our profits in support of Black and Indigenous communities in Canada, and other marginalized peoples in our community at large.
Please consider donating to a Canadian non profit organization if you have the ability to do so. There are many out there to choose from, and here is a summary of where we donate and have plans for future donations.
Rainbow Health Ontario
Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youthline
The 519
Native Women's Association of Canada
Indspire Canada
Indian Residential School Survivors Society
Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction
https://www.torontoindigenoushr.com/donate
Legacy of Hope Foundation
Black Legal Action Centre
https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/
Black Health Alliance
https://blackhealthalliance.ca/
Black Lives Matter Canada
https://www.blacklivesmatter.ca/
Parkdale Community Food Bank
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History
Established in 2009 in Toronto, Coal Miner's Daughter is made up of owners Janine Haller and Krysten Caddy, along with an amazing team of shop fam. Janine worked in wardrobe at Stratford, the Canadian Opera Company, and Young People's Theatre after studying Costume Design at Dalhousie. Interesting fact: Krysten's great grandmother Rosilla (Rose for short) was a real Coal Miner's Daughter and worked at the Dominion Dress Company in Brantford, ON in the 1930's.
Our Story
We started out in a 160 square foot shop in the front room of Gallery Gabor, a fixture in Mirvish Village since the 70s. We found the space on craigslist and it was $800 a month - we could find a way to split that and see what happens, right? We took it then built the shop and in July 2009 we opened our doors for the very first time. We had full time jobs and opened the shop late in the afternoons. Three months in along came Tobi, Janine's kid. We changed our hours and opened at 5pm - 9pm in order to catch the after work crowd. We improvised and figured out ways to make it work, and it wasn't long until Tobi became a fixture in the village, and many of our customers who have shopped with us from the beginning will have seen them grow up before their very eyes (and now they’re almost 14!). In 2012 we decided it was time to take the leap and opened our second location, at 744 Queen Street West. It was then Krysten quit her corporate day job and we were all in. In 2014 we opened up shop #3 at 87 Roncesvalles. on January 31st 2017 we had to finally close our doors in Mirvish Village along with all of our neighbours to make way for the development at the site of Honest Ed's and Ed's namesake, Mirvish Village. We then opened our doors at 3023 Dundas Street West in the Junction on Feb 3, 2017. In October 2018 we opened up a concept shop at 1586 Dundas St West in Brockton Village with our long time manager Rebekah, this shop is now known as Daughter and runs entirely independent of CMD. In May 2019, we finally made the jump to the east end and opened up shop in Leslieville, at 1360A Queen Street East.
There you have it, 10+ years summed up in one long paragraph with run on sentences. PHEW. Thank you so much to our endlessly supportive customers for the last decade +. We wouldn't be here without you, and that's just a fact. We know we aren't perfect and are learning every day how to run with this thing we've created. We can't wait to see what happens next, but for now we are going to try to keep up the best we can and keep bringing you the effortless and a joy to wear Canadian fashion you have come to know us for.
xoxo
Janine and Krysten
Our Vision
We specialize primarily in Canadian clothing, jewellery, and accessories designers and makers (many of them local), including Janine's clothing designs. Janine's line, Haller, focuses on small run production that she makes by hand, featuring easygoing shapes that feel great on. Keep an eye out for Haller at all of our shops. Among the jewellery collections we show you will also find designs in sterling silver and gemstone designed and made by Krysten.
Our goal is to have no less than 80% Canadian designers and brands in our stores. Canadian brands you'll find at Coal Miner's Daughter are Valerie Dumaine, Eve Gravel, Birds of North America, Pink Martini, Melissa Nepton, Jennifer Glasgow, and Sara Duke (just to name a few - there are so many more!). An example of non-Canadian brands you will find are Indi & Cold from Spain, See U Soon and Des Petites Hauts from Paris, and ELK from Australia.
If there is something specific you're looking for, feel free to contact us to see if we have it in one of the shops.
Want to come see us in person?
Saturday // 11 -6pm
Saturday // 11 -6pm
Saturday // 11 -6pm
Saturday // 11 -6pm