Shopping local more urgent than ever
More important than ever to shop local this Christmas
If the pandemic has made anything clear this year, it's that family, friends and community are what's important.
As we hunkered down this spring under a mandatory lockdown, and we face more potential restrictions this winter, Calgarians learned to appreciate the little things in life: baking bread, weaving and crafting, home brewing. As word spread of the hardships faced by city restaurants and mom and pop shops, consumers began to order takeout and purchase goods within the neighbourhood.
This Christmas, many are asking how to continue the trend. Wellknown Calgary food and cookbook author Julie Van Rosendaal posed the question on Twitter of where to buy local this holiday season and the response was phenomenal. She had numerous replies of shops both in Calgary and in surrounding areas.
“It got a lot of traction. I think everyone is really tuned into how important it is to support people in our community right now. I think it's so important for those of us with any money to spend it in the right place. Pay attention to the distribution of wealth.”
Some shoppers may want to order from online giants like Amazon because it's easy and safe, but most local businesses do curbside pickup and delivery. So you don't have to choose between safety or shopping local. “I worry that it's going to be the nail in the coffin for so many small businesses who rely on the Christmas season to get through the rest of the year.”
Van Rosendaal noted another upside to shopping local is that you can find really unique gifts from stores you may not have ventured into before. “I think we have a huge opportunity to have a more meaningful Christmas than we have ever had. We're paying more attention to what's important this year.”
To help get you started, we've compiled a list and divided them into categories. By no means is the list complete and we encourage you to discover new favourites.
Happy shopping.
FOOD
Silk Road Spice Merchant: You can't pass this Inglewood gem without going inside. The heady smells of allspice, cardamom, chicory, lime peel and turmeric will have you dreaming of fanciful feasts of Thai, Vietnamese, Indian and other exotic cuisines. This is truly an A to Z shop of world spices.
Empire Provisions: This small, family-run enterprise offers handmade products for the table, from sauces and condiments, soups, snacks, cheeses and meats. They also do different sized custom gift boxes filled with items from local artisans and craft producers.
Cookbook Company Cooks: A longstanding culinary hub with a store that's packed with all the best implements and cookbooks. It's also a cooking school so consider gift certificates for the budding chef in your circle.
Phil & Sebastian, Calgary Heritage Roasting Company, Monogram Coffee, Rosso Coffee Roasters, Big Mountain Coffee Roasters: There are literally dozens of small scale coffee roasters brewing up batches of beans in Calgary. You'll find them in every quadrant of the city
and with a variety of flavours and strengths.
The Naked Leaf Tea: OK, some don't bow to the almighty bean but worship the leaf instead. With season blends like cinnamon plum, you can't go wrong with a gift of loose tea or customized tins.
BOOKS
Calgary is lucky to still have several independent book stores run by knowledgeable book lovers who provide great service and suggestions. If you're unsure what a 14-year-boy would be into, just ask. A 65-year-old retiree, no problem.
With pressures from online sales and big-box stores, these small shops are a treasure. Consider buying your books at a local outfit this year to ensure they'll be here next Christmas. Some of the favourites include Owl's Nest Books, Shelf Life Books, Pages Books, The Next Page, Monkeyshines children's books, The Library Store.
CRAFTS AND ART
Pudding Yarn: With chilly winter temperatures upon us, what could be better than gifting a fibre artist some fine yarn in the hopes of maybe getting a toque or scarf in
return? This shop also runs classes but those are on hold at the moment due to COVID-19. But you can shop for all manner of accessories and yarns, from merino wool to silk and cashmere.
Cinder and Sage: Their Mission shop is stocked with modern jewelry such as necklaces, earrings and bracelets. They also carry other gift items like candles and prints and even mismatched socks for the unorganized among us.
Luna Blue: This Inglewood shoe and clothing company has very unique items that will be treasured. If you're unsure about styles or sizes, they have gift cards as well as gift items for the home and body.
Laughing Sparrow: Designer Rachael Hatala handcrafts jewelry in her Calgary studio. She works with reclaimed sterling silver and gold and responsibly sourced semi-precious and precious stones using traditional goldsmithing techniques. A fun gift idea is a piece from her alphabet collection.
Bad Portraits: Calgary artist Mandy Stobo's paintings are one of a kind and have become collector's items. Some of her well-known works include celebrities and Canadian medical professionals battling COVID including Dr. Deena Hinshaw. But ordinary Joes can also be immortalized. Send a portrait photo to her and see what comes back. Just don't expect a true-to-life pretty picture. But it will be pretty great.
Meyari Jewelry: Well-known for its interesting macrame earrings and necklaces, all handmade by Selene in Calgary. She draws on her Mexican heritage and its colourful culture when creating these oneof-a-kind pieces.
Starfishlyclay.com: Artist Linh Ly handcrafts beautiful, whimsical pottery that she mostly sells on Instagram. Her signature look includes playful bubbles blown onto speckled off-white clay products.
Adrian Martinus Custom Woodworking is a Calgary company that turns old skateboards into furniture, bowls, crib boards, knife blocks, rolling pins and more. The Pool brothers, who grew up on an acreage outside Red Deer, turn rescued and reclaimed wood — such as old gym floors or barn boards — into unique, useful and visually creative objects. adrianmartinus. com
Villekulla Handmade: A local source for the craft among us. Pick up gifts for those who knit, sew and crochet.
Madame Premier: For the political junkies on your list, this shop lets you make a statement with T-shirts, hoodies, stickers, pencils and travel mugs.
C H O C O L AT E
cochu chocolatier: Artisanal chocolates and bonbons found at some city retailers.
Kin + Pod: Ethical chocolate from bean to bar. Products are made in small batches with cacao from Guatemala and Colombia.
The Chocolate Lab: More than 40 flavours of bonbons, bars, malts and cacao as well as custom gift boxes. Order online.
LIQUOR
Calgary has seen an incredible boom in local breweries and distilleries. There's no need to drink big brand beer or spirits, unless you really want to. You can sip on locally crafted vodka, rum, gin, and whisky or enjoy a pint of lager, ale, porter and cider. Many of these places also have lounges or tasting rooms and shops where you can pick up your favourite bevvie.
Just a sampling of the Calgary and area names out there includes some big players and some new kids on the block: Alberta Distillers Ltd., Burwood Distillery, Confluence Distilling, Eau Claire Distillery, Highwood Distillers, Last Best Brewing and Distilling, Park Distillery, Raw Distillery, Romero Distilling Co., Summer Love Vodka, Tippa, Wild Life Distillery.
HOUSEWARES
Knifewear: From hard to find and rare chef's knives to budget bundles, if you need a knife, this is your place. They also have picks of gifts for foodies, professionals, home cooks and knife nerds.
Plant: From a home-based terrarium biz to a bricks-and-mortar shop in Inglewood, this store has everything for the green thumb and the wannabe gardener.
Land of Daughters: Handmade vegan candles that are 100 per cent soy wax. Purchase online.
Milk Jar Candle Co.: A clean-burning coconut soy candle company launched in 2016. Holly Singer makes hers with plant-based essential oils or phthalate-free fragrance oils.
Steeling Home: Created in 1993 as an artist-run co-op, it has evolved to include all manner of one-off objects and housewares.
Liz & Lottie: Two friends opened this store in 2011. It carries unique greeting cards, books, jewelry, hair clips and more. The shop is closed at the moment but is open for online shopping.
PERSONAL
Sweet as Candy Bath Co.: Great made-from-scratch gifts for the kids' bath time, or the kid in you. Order online.
Aleppo Savon: Handmade soaps made by multi- generational soapmakers who came to Calgary from Syria. Centuries-old, traditional soap-making uses no chemicals or additives in the process. But this shop is more than just soap. It makes body lotions, hand and face creams, sugar scrubs and scents.
OTHER
Royal Canadian Legions: Unique Canadiana gifts, many sporting the iconic poppy, with sales benefiting veterans.
Castle Toys: Originally Teach R Toys, this locally owned store has been in business for more than 30 years. It carries a wide range of educational toys, models and science kits, doll houses, and crafts. You can shop in the bricks and mortar store or order online and it offers free shipping.
Discovery Hut: Another local staple for the kiddos, this toy store has been around since 2001. It carries a wide selection of toys from electronics to LEGO, collectibles and games for the whole family to play on Christmas Day.
Model Land: This store may be more for dad than junior. It's a hobby shop packed with radio-controlled models, die-cast models, rockets, slot cars. puzzles and tools. Any kind of tinkerer will be thrilled to visit here. It also offers an online catalogue.
NEARBY
Hollyberry Soaps: Natural, handmade soaps and bath products. Kids will love the Christmas-inspired bath bombs while adults can relax with face masks and body butters. Also, check out their gemstones and stationery. Retail shops in Cochrane and Carstairs and an online store.
A great thing about small towns is unique shops you won't find anywhere else. Take a drive to find treasures at: The Bluerock Gallery in Black Diamond; Pixie Hollow in High River; An Honest Room home interiors shop in Okotoks; and, Painted Moose Artist Collective in Bragg Creek.