Must-see shopping in Canada

  • Carvings Nunavut

    Iqaluit

    Inside the Tumiit Plaza building, this place has Nunavut's most diverse selection of Inuit serpentine, black and white marble and whalebone sculpture for…

  • Northern Images

    Yellowknife

    Owned by aboriginal art-and-crafts cooperatives, this excellent place carries the famed Inuit prints and lithographs from Cape Dorset, Pangnirtung and…

  • Nunavut Gallery Inc

    Winnipeg

    Second to none when it comes to its selection of Inuit prints and carvings, this place is both for serious collectors and people simply looking to explore…

  • Old Strathcona Farmers Market

    Edmonton

    Since it began in 1983, the market's motto has been 'We Make it! We Bake it! We Grow it! We Sell it!' Inside the city's old bus garage, it offers…

  • Exterior of Regional Assembly of Text stationary store

    Regional Assembly of Text

    Vancouver

    This ironic antidote to the digital age lures ink-stained locals with its journals, handmade pencil boxes and T-shirts printed with typewriter motifs…

  • Red Cat Records exterior

    Red Cat Records

    Vancouver

    Arguably Vancouver's coolest record store and certainly the only one named after a much-missed cat… There's a brilliantly curated collection of new and…

  • Pacific Arts Market

    Fairview & South Granville

    Head upstairs to this large, under-the-radar gallery space and you'll find a kaleidoscopic array of stands showcasing the work of 40+ Vancouver and BC…

  • Mountain Equipment Co-Op

    Vancouver

    Grown hikers weep at the amazing selection of clothing (including lifestyle wear for urban hipsters), kayaks and clever camping gadgets at this cavernous…

  • Paper Hound

    Vancouver

    Proving the printed word is alive and kicking, this small but perfectly curated secondhand bookstore is a dog-eared favorite among locals. A perfect spot…

  • Broken Books

    St John's

    If you think an independent bookstore has to be cluttered, come to Broken Books. It's a bright, well-organized repository of all things literary,…

  • Massy Books

    Gastown & Chinatown

    A former pop-up favorite with a now-permanent Chinatown location, this delightful bookstore is lined with tall stacks of well-curated, mostly used titles…

  • Munro's Books

    Victoria

    The name is no coincidence. Victoria's cathedral to reading was established in 1963 by Nobel-prize-winning Canadian author Alice Munro and her husband Jim…

  • Old City Market

    Saint John

    Wedged between North and South Market Sts, this sense-stunning food hall has been home to wheeling and dealing since 1876. The impressive brick interior…

  • Northern Collectables

    Iqaluit

    Bryan's little treasure cave is overflowing with stone carvings (mostly from south Baffin, but also more abstract ones from a Toronto-based Inuit artist),…

  • Switching Gear

    Canmore

    As the name implies, this shop is all about people bringing in their used outdoor gear and selling it consignment-style at bargain prices. This being the…

  • Camellia Sinensis

    Montréal

    Right in front of the Cinéma Quartier Latin, this welcoming tea shop has more than 200 varieties of tea from China, Japan, India and elsewhere in Asia,…

  • Halifax Seaport Farmers Market

    Halifax

    Although it has operated in several locations since its inception in 1750, what's now known as the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market (in its present location…

  • East Coast Glow

    Eastern Newfoundland

    Locally made cosmetics are a cornerstone of the travel souvenir industry, and they're usually pretty forgettable. Not the stuff sold at East Coast Glow…

  • La Nougaterie Québec

    Québec

    One of our favorite économusées (workshops) to visit on the island, the nougatiers here take egg whites, honey and/or sugar, throw in locally sourced…

  • JA Moisan Épicier

    Québec City

    Established in 1871, this charming store bills itself as North America's oldest grocery. It's a browser's dream come true, packed with beautifully…

  • Originals

    Northwest Territories

    The best arts-and-crafts shop in town, stocking plenty of soapstone and whalebone carvings as well as jewelry made of NWT diamonds. The art section…

  • Inuvialuit Arts & Crafts

    Northwest Territories

    Sells a decent selection of beaded moccasins, home-smoked moose-hide mukluks and crow boots, musk-ox wool sweaters, beautiful musk-ox-horn carvings, a…

  • Courage My Love

    Kensington Market & Chinatown

    Vintage-clothing stores have been around Kensington Market for decades, but Courage My Love amazes fashion mavens with its secondhand slip dresses, retro…

  • Haunted Books

    Vancouver Island

    An agreeably Dickensian bookstore stuffed to the rafters with random busts, faded old maps, a grandfather clock and piles of dusty old tomes. Despite its…

  • Drawn & Quarterly

    Montréal

    The flagship store of this cult independent comic-book and graphic-novel publisher has become something of a local literary haven. Cool book launches take…

  • Sonic Boom

    Kensington Market & Chinatown

    The largest indie record store in Canada, Sonic Boom has rows upon rows of new and used vinyl, CDs and even cassettes. Longtime staffers are deeply…

  • Running the Goat

    Newfoundland & Labrador

    This active printing press is a bibliophile's dream. Owner Marnie Parsons gives tours of her presses, one from 1830s London. In addition to handmade…

  • Monod Sports

    Banff Town

    Banff’s oldest outdoor-equipment supplier is still the best. It has women’s and men’s clothing from big brands such as Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Icebreaker,…

  • CreeAtions & Artist Showcase

    Winnipeg

    Run by friendly Métis proprietress Bobbie Lee Proulx and her extended family, this is half-workshop, half-gallery. You can get made-to-measure mukluks and…

  • Robertson's Trading Post

    Saskatchewan

    Robertson's Trading Post is the place to go if you're in the market for a bear trap, wolf hide or case of baked beans. You can buy pretty much anything…

  • Books & Company

    Northern BC

    The best bookstore in northern BC, Books & Company is also home to Cafe Voltaire, a top spot to have lunch. The daily soup, sandwich and panini options…

  • House of Vintage

    Toronto

    Fulfill your one-of-a-kind dreams at this perfectly curated vintage boutique in Parkdale. Known as one of Toronto's hottest spots for men's and women's…

  • Barren Ground Coffee

    Yellowknife

    These guys run the only coffee roastery in NWT, specialising in small-batch roasts of single origin, mostly organic beans that you may spot in gift shops…

  • Arts Market

    East Toronto & Rosedale

    A collective of local artists displays and sells work at this eclectic shop. High quality and unique, there's everything from handcrafted cards and…

  • Yellowknife Book Cellar

    Yellowknife

    This bookstore stocks a great selection of titles on Northern and aboriginal subjects; it also sells maps and children's books.

  • Mac's Fireweed Books

    Whitehorse

    Mac's has an unrivaled selection of Yukon titles. It also stocks topographical maps, road maps and periodicals.

  • Exterior of the Licorice Parlour store

    Licorice Parlour

    Vancouver

    Just when you think you'll never find that combination licorice and hula-hoop store you've been searching for, here it is. This perky little spot with a…

  • Karameller Candy Shop

    Vancouver

    Grab a paper bag and some tongs then dive into the pick-your-own drawers of brightly colored treats at this slender, white-walled gem dedicated to Swedish…

  • Karen Cooper Gallery

    Vancouver

    You'll feel like you've entered a tranquil forest clearing when you open the door of this delightful nature-themed photography gallery. Cooper's striking…

  • Acho Dene Native Crafts

    Northwest Territories

    This excellent shop that doubles as the local information center sells traditional Dene crafts, such as birch-bark baskets and containers, ornately…

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