Ottawa Warehouse

Regarding the closure of our Ottawa warehouse

Hi everyone, Marshall here, current owner of Venus Envy. I am writing to share the difficult news that VE will be closing its Ottawa warehouse in March 2026, after 25 years of serving this incredible community.

I recognize that this closure is a great loss to Ottawa, and that is weighing heavily on me. The closure of our warehouse isn't a decision that was made lightly, or quickly. For the past two years we have been really struggling, like many other small businesses. The downturn of the economy and changes in customer spending have impacted us deeply, both our shop in Halifax and our website that operates from our Ottawa warehouse. Despite our best efforts, the financial reality is that we cannot maintain the warehouse as a separate entity. It has become unavoidably clear that the only chance to save the business as a whole is to consolidate operations in Halifax and ship online orders from there. It's our best chance of keeping Venus Envy alive, even though that is not at all certain.

What this means:

Our website will remain unchanged, serving our customers across Canada

Online orders will be fulfilled from Ottawa until the end of February

Fulfillment will shift to Halifax in early March

Our Ottawa warehouse will close in mid-March 2026, exact date to be determined

I have been part of Venus Envy since our founder, Shelley Taylor, hired me in the Halifax shop in 1999. I helped her open the first location of VE Ottawa in the Byward Market, and later took on the role of manager in Halifax while Shelley ran the Ottawa location. When Shelley offered to sell the Halifax shop in 2008, I jumped at the chance, and I remain thankful to this day. Since my gender transition, I haven't been very public in our social media, but Venus Envy has been my life's work for over 25 years.

Following the fire that closed the Venus Envy Ottawa store, owner Sam Whittle made the difficult decision to sell the VE website. I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to bring Venus Envy together as one business again, operating the two branches: our bricks and mortar shop in Halifax, and shipping from our Ottawa warehouse. I had hopes of reopening an Ottawa storefront, but that has not been possible in this economic climate, and now the costs of running a separate warehouse have become unsustainable.

Bringing Venus Envy back together felt like coming full circle, I really hoped to maintain both the Ottawa and Halifax locations that have been the heart of VE. While consolidating in Halifax is not the outcome I hoped for in reuniting the business, it is the only path forward that gives Venus Envy a chance to survive.

This closure affects our small but mighty Ottawa team directly, and that is the hardest part of this decision. Our current staff have been the heart and soul of Venus Envy in Ottawa since the fire, keeping our online sales running smoothly, bringing knowledge, compassion, and genuine care to every customer interaction. They have created a welcoming space where people can explore, ask questions, and find what they need without judgment. I am deeply grateful for their commitment and dedication during this incredibly difficult time.

I also want to acknowledge the many amazing people who have worked at Venus Envy Ottawa over the past 25 years. From the early days in the Byward Market and both Centretown locations, our staff have made Venus Envy what it is: education-forward, community building, and making Ottawa a more sex-positive place. Their legacy lives on in every person they helped and every conversation they facilitated. To our current and former staff, thank you for everything you have brought to this work.

Thank you to you, our loyal customers in Ottawa who have supported Venus Envy over these 25 years. Thank you for trusting us with your questions, your curiosity, and your journey toward pleasure and self-discovery. Thank you for believing in our mission of inclusive, shame-free sex education and body-positive products. You have made this work meaningful, and this community has been at the heart of everything we do.

While our physical presence in Ottawa is ending, this is not a goodbye. I am committed to doing everything possible to keep Venus Envy alive and continuing to serve Ottawa online with workshops, books, and pleasure products. Your continued support through our website will be crucial in making that happen, I hope you will always consider us a part of the Ottawa community.

With gratitude and heartfelt thanks,
Marshall Haywood

(he/they)
Owner, Venus Envy

Audio version

Hours

Monday - Thursday: Pickups only 10am - 5pm

Friday - Saturday: In-person shopping and pickups 11am - 6pm

Please note that masks are required, and we have free masks at the door. 

Venus Envy is an education-oriented sex shop and bookstore. We carry high-quality, body-safe products and offer our customers well-informed information and education. 

Knowledge is key to enjoying a satisfying, healthy, and erotic sex life, so we offer workshops on sex and relationships where people can ask questions and share their experiences in a safe, non-judgemental environment. We also run a Pay-It-Forward Fund for binders and gaffs.

In March 2022, there was a fire in the Bank Street building that housed our retail storefront and we sadly had to close our doors. We don't expect to reopen a storefront in the foreseeable future, however we do open up the warehouse every Friday and Saturday for in-person shopping, and we'd love to see you!