For this instalment of SHOP TALK, we head to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to talk skateboarding with the Island’s only skate shop, Town City. Opening their doors in 2020, Town City is a true family business, owned and operated by a husband and wife team that have built a modern skate shop with a classic, core feel, giving local skaters a place to come together, build community and access the brands previously unavailable on the Island. We caught up with owner Ryan Greeley to talk about how Town City is holding it down for the rather impressive skate scene in this small east coast community. Here’s what they had to say:
CSB: Give us the inside scoop on the PEI skate scene - what does skate culture look
like on the Island?
Town City: At the moment, the skate scene is going through a bit of a transition, where we have skaters that are a lot younger, with a bit of a gap in late teen age group, and then it jumps to mid to late twenties and older. A family in our scene decided start youth skate lessons, under the name Wise Skateboarding Club, and that is pushing the skate scene forward with a younger crowd right now. It’s really cool to see those kids now starting to skate with the older crew and everyone pushing and supporting each other. The older crew has shown us so much support since day one especially since we were introducing ourselves into the scene and meeting the majority of everyone for the first time. We think the Island was craving a core shop and we just happened to be the ones who opened it.
With PEI being such a small province, the skate scene has always had its up and
downs with people moving for work or school etc, but there has always been a very
close knit and tight scene here and the level of skating that happens would surprise a lot
of people.
CSB: What led you to open a skate shop and why Charlottetown?
Town City: We were living in Toronto and thinking of ways to move back out east (Ryan being from Charlottetown & Jenna being from Halifax). When we would visit, we always thought
that the core shop was something that was missing in Charlottetown, so when we
began the process of moving, we figured this was our chance to bring a core shop back
to the area.
CSB: How has Town City been received since opening day in 2020? What has the small
business experience been like for you?
Town City: The shop was received so amazingly from day one. Our first day in business is still one of our best days (in sales) after four years and the amount of support that people showed
us on day one, and continue to show us, is unbelievable. The small business
experience definitely has been an up and down one – opening during covid, figuring out
inventory – have been some of the challenges but probably the biggest highlight is that
we’ve been able to connect with so many people, from customers to brands to skaters
to other shop owners – that have now turned into friends, that we probably never
would’ve connected with without the shop.
CSB: Why do you think skate shops are so integral to the culture & community building
in skateboarding?
Town City: Skate shops we think are still the centre point I guess you can say for a skate scene. They are typically the place that runs events, supports skaters, and can be the voice for the skate community when it comes to education, promotion and advocation of local
skateboarding.
CSB: What kind of talent is coming out of PEI and how can Canadian organizations &
publications support the scene out east?
Town City: I (Ryan) have always felt that the PEI skate scene is the forgotten one in Canada. I may be wrong but I don’t think there has been a published photo in a magazine that was of
an Islander Skater, skating a spot here in PEI. One of our goals with the shop was to
hopefully get eyes on the talent that comes out of here.
There are skaters originating from PEI that have moved away and received really good
coverage and have shown people what PEI has to offer; Ryan Wilkie, Jake and Cody
Cormier for example. Seeing those people and then hopefully us doing things like this,
sharing posts from our Island skaters on social media or being a contact point with
brands, will bring more awareness and support to them. Currently we have Jason
MacAulay who we think is an integral part of the scene. He’s an amazing skater as well
as the filmer, editor and the one who releases videos representing PEI skateboarding.
Huge shout out to him being the one filming a lot of the skaters here so they are able to
share their skills.
It’s evident you don’t need to live in a big city to find a vibrant skate community. Even in a small city floating on an Island in the Atlantic, you can find a rad skate shop that’s fostering a core culture. And the culture is really what it's all about. Skateboarding has always been about more than just tricks—it's about creativity, self-expression, resilience, and community. Small-town skate scenes embody these values in their purest form, often thriving against the odds with limited resources and minimal recognition. By acknowledging and uplifting these rural skate communities through publications, social media, sponsorships and overall support, we can ensure that talent and passion are not confined by geography. Amazing skaters can emerge from anywhere, and by shining a spotlight on these overlooked pockets of the skate world, we not only help individuals progress and connect with the industry but also strengthen skateboarding as a whole. We are grateful to skate shops like Town City who are doing the work to uplift the skaters in Charlottetown and foster the next generation. Thank you Town City!
Want to support Town City? You can shop online at www.towncityshop.com or follow them on IG at @towncityshop