About Us

Our Epic Story

Looking to offer women and their families an outdoor lifestyle store that catered to their interests and needs, Diane Petryna founded Take A Hike in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1996.  The store provided them knowledgeable and friendly service, and a unique and beautiful collection of quality outdoor and casual clothing, footwear, gear, gifts, books, and toys. 

Three Beautiful Locations

The store was first located on Victoria Avenue, in a part of the city that was historically known as downtown Fort William. A number of years later, the Bay & Algoma neighbourhood emerged as the city’s most vibrant shopping area, so Diane moved her store to Bay Street, across from the world famous Hoito Restaurant. Again seeing new trends emerging, in 2018 Diane purchased a century old building on McKellar Street, next to the Fort William Gardens, and after extensive renovations, relocated the store once again.  The current location offers customers a complete boutique experience, beautiful surroundings and free, off street parking. 

From Take A Hike to Take 2 Boutique

Since Take A Hike first opened its doors in 1996, several Canadian outdoor brands have recognized the importance of the women’s market and began designing fashionable clothing with technical fabrics. They were so successful, that they began leading women’s fashion internationally.  So, to attract a broader range of women shoppers and focus more on women’s clothing and accessory offerings, in 2017, Diane rebranded Take A Hike to the Take 2 Boutique.  The iconic Take A Hike brand would continue to be used to promote men’s clothing, gear, and outdoor products.

COVID Encourages New Ways

Diane’s approach to business, since the start of the pandemic, clearly illustrates her commitment to keeping people safe and connected.  The doors of Take A Hike + Take 2 Boutique remain closed to walk-in traffic but since May 2020, she’s been hosting weekly Facebook LIVE shopping shows and the occasional outdoor market and visiting with customers at curbside.  To further generate sales, she’s welcoming  phone inquiries, special orders and launching the new  www.take2online.ca  e-commerce site.

Coming in 2021

A self-published book, called the COVID Collection, that captures the varied life experiences of our customers in 2020.

A revolutionary new way of shopping for clothes that fit. Stay tuned.

Always Stiving to Do Our Best

Over the years, Diane and the business have won numerous business and community awards, including the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Customer Service Award, Quality Management Award, Looking Good Award (twice), the Clean, Green and Beautiful Award, Small Business Excellence Award, and the  Medium Business Excellence Award.  Diane has also been inducted into the Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Hall of Fame for her contributions to the industry and in 2020 began writing a column called “The Passionate Retailer” for a national retail magazine.

Thank you for learning more about us.

We’re very proud of our history and look forward to serving you today.