A business lost, two storage containers kept by faith, a message from Ecclesiastes 9:11—and a new beginning built around serving the community.
MAPLE RIDGE, B.C. — For more than three and a half years, the physical remains of a dream sat quietly inside two storage containers.
Racks that once held clothing stood empty. Shelves that once displayed merchandise were packed away. Store fixtures that had once been part of a thriving local business disappeared from public view.
Month after month, Caroline Bleaney paid to keep them.
She did not have another Qualitown Thrift Store. She did not know when—or even if—she would ever have one again. But she could not let them go.
Today, those same fixtures are being given another life as Qualitown Thrift Store prepares for a new beginning at 22366 119th Avenue in Maple Ridge.
Qualitown began in Cumberland, British Columbia, in 2015.
For founder Caroline Bleaney, the store was never simply about selling second-hand goods. It was about creating something useful — a place where families could find affordable clothing and household items while giving good products a second life.
The store later moved to Campbell River, where the business continued to grow.
Over the years, Bleaney saved money through the business with the hope of eventually purchasing the building where Qualitown operated.
Then, in December 2022, everything changed.
The building was sold to someone else.
Qualitown lost its location.
What followed was one of the most difficult seasons of Bleaney’s life.
For the next three and a half years, Qualitown had no storefront. The racks, shelves and store fixtures were packed into two storage containers, while Bleaney continued paying month after month to keep them.
There was no guarantee that Qualitown would ever reopen.
There were moments when letting everything go seemed like the practical thing to do. Keeping two containers filled with the remains of a closed business cost money, and as the months turned into years, the uncertainty became harder to carry.
But Bleaney continued to hold on.
For her, those years became about more than waiting for another building. They became a season of faith, prayer and perseverance.
Even when there was no visible sign that Qualitown would return, she continued to believe that the story was not over.
By late 2024, after years of paying to keep Qualitown’s equipment in storage, Bleaney began to wonder whether it was finally time to let go.
Another thrift store had secured a Campbell River location she had previously inquired about. After years of waiting with no clear path forward for Qualitown, she made the difficult decision to sell the racks, shelves and equipment she had kept in storage.
That night, something happened that changed her decision completely.
Bleaney experienced what she describes as a powerful dream and spiritual message. The message was clear: do not sell the equipment.
Along with that message came words she did not immediately recognize:
“The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.”
The following day, she shared what had happened with a junior pastor. He recognized the words and directed her to Ecclesiastes 9:11.
For Bleaney, the meaning was unmistakable.
Wait.
Do not give up simply because others appear to be moving ahead faster.
She abandoned the plan to sell the equipment and continued waiting, praying and believing that God still had a purpose for Qualitown.
The racks and shelves remained in storage.
And so did the dream.
Bleaney waited.
There was still no certainty about when Qualitown would return, but one decision had been made: the equipment would stay.
Then, after years without a storefront, a new opportunity began to take shape in Maple Ridge.
This time, Qualitown was not returning quietly.
A new home had been found — a large space where the store could be rebuilt, the equipment that had waited for years could finally come out of storage, and a new chapter could begin.
The racks came out.
The shelves came out.
The fixtures that had remained inside two storage containers through years of uncertainty were finally being given another life.
For Bleaney, seeing those pieces return to a store floor represented far more than reopening a business.
They were reminders of what she had almost let go.
And reminders of why she did not.
Qualitown’s return is not simply about reopening a thrift store.
The years away changed the vision.
What began in 2015 as a place where people could find affordable clothing and household goods is returning with a deeper commitment to the community it serves.
At its new home in Maple Ridge, Qualitown aims to create a clean, welcoming and affordable shopping experience where donated goods are given a second life and families can stretch their dollars further.
But the vision reaches beyond the sales floor.
Qualitown believes that a thrift store can be part of something bigger — reducing waste, making everyday necessities more affordable and using business as a way to give back to the community.
For Bleaney, that purpose has become inseparable from the journey.
After losing the store, preserving its equipment through years of uncertainty, and nearly giving it all up, Qualitown’s return carries a meaning that it did not have before.
This is no longer simply about rebuilding what was lost.
It is about building something with purpose.
Today, that new chapter is taking shape in Maple Ridge, British Columbia.
Qualitown Thrift Store is preparing to welcome the community to its new location at 22366 119th Avenue.
Inside, the store is being rebuilt with the same racks, shelves and fixtures that Bleaney held onto during the years when Qualitown had no home.
But this will not simply be a recreation of the old Qualitown.
The vision is for a bright, clean and organized thrift store where customers can shop comfortably, discover affordable treasures and know that giving items a second life also helps reduce waste in the community.
For Bleaney, opening the doors in Maple Ridge will mark the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
Three and a half years ago, Qualitown lost its home.
The dream did not disappear with it.
Now, after years of waiting, praying and holding on, Qualitown is coming back.
And this time, it is coming back with an even greater purpose.
Qualitown Thrift Store is a Canadian thrift retailer focused on affordability, sustainability and community.
Founded in British Columbia in 2015, Qualitown gives quality pre-loved clothing, household goods and other donated items a second life while providing customers with an organized, welcoming and affordable place to shop.
Qualitown Thrift Store is preparing to open its new Maple Ridge location at:
22366 119th Avenue
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
For more information, visit Qualitown.ca.
MEDIA CONTACT
Caroline Bleaney
General Manager
Qualitown Thrift Store
Email: Caroline@qualitown.ca
Website: Qualitown.ca