Shopping in Ontario
Ontario has a key historical position in the establishment of Canada’s retail industry. In the 17th century, British entrepreneurs began setting up trading posts along the Hudson Bay. Algonquin First Nations traded furs with European explorers and as time went on, Canadian exports grew to include other specialties. Today, Canada exports and imports goods from around the world and humble trading posts have given way to stores of varying sizes throughout the province, concentrated in the major cities. Now Canadian shoppers and visitors can buy just about anything from home-grown delicacies to one-of-a-kind designer boutique items.
BIG-CITY SHOPPING IN TORONTO
The Toronto Eaton Centre is an enjoyable day out, especially during Toronto's cold winter days. Enjoy the unique architecture and art; vaulted atriums, glass ceilings and whimsical wildlife sculptures welcome shoppers to the multi-level shopping centre. There are over 300 stores, including the iconic Hudson’s Bay Company, the oldest commercial corporation in the world.
For a lavish designer experience, visit the Mile of Mink, a section of Bloor Street West from Yonge Street to Avenue Road that hosts posh boutiques. Here one can find high-end European designers, including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Prada, as well as boutiques featuring the work of talented local designers.
Another advantage of large metropolises is ethnic shopping districts. Toronto has Little India, a chaotic bazaar featuring colourful saris, glittering jewellery and fragrant spices, Chinatown, where one will find everything from delicate silk fabrics to cheap, tasty dumplings, and Little Italy, home to authentic Italian specialties like pastas, breads, meats and cannoli.
BARGAIN HUNTING IN TORONTO’S SURROUNDING AREA
Head out of Toronto to one of the many surrounding communities to pick up bargains at an outlet mall. West of Toronto, visit Southworks Outlet Mall in Cambridge, which includes antiques, bookstores and traditional retail stores or check out the larger Dixie Outlet Mall in Mississauga. North of the city shoppers will find the Factory Outlet Plaza in North York, Vaughan Mills in Vaughan and the Colossus Centre in Woodbridge. Check online for coupons, sales and events before heading south to the Cookstown Outlet Mall.
HISTORY & DIVERSITY AT OTTAWA’S BYWARD MARKET
Ottawa, like Toronto, has a number of shopping centres but its most unique and popular shopping experience is Canada's oldest and largest public market, Byward Market, an outdoor marketplace established by Lieutenant Colonel John By in 1826. The old-world charm of Byward Market is that there are no chain stores, only quaint cafes, colourful pubs, eclectic galleries, one-of-a-kind kiosks and a number of other specialty shops and boutiques. This destination is especially recommended to families; cheery buskers and street performers entertain children and adults alike, and parents will appreciate the child-friendly amenities. Byward Market is centrally located and easily accessible by car, public transit and on foot.
SOUVENIRS & SPECIALTIES IN NIAGARA FALLS
Niagara Falls is full of kitschy souvenir shops immediately surrounding the tourist district, the largest being Souvenir Palace. Specialty gift shops include the Mounted Police Trading Post, which sells authentic Mounted Police merchandise. Locals usually head to Pen Centre, Niagara’s largest shopping mall with popular stores, restaurants and a movie theatre.
Beyond the ordinary, Niagara Falls has a rich artistic and historical culture. Seek out antiques and collectibles in specialty stores, explore galleries run by the Niagara Art Collection and Niagara District Art Association, which feature painting and sculpture in a variety of styles, or visit more unusual galleries that focus on specialities by local artisans, like the Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe Native Arts Gallery. Take a ride outside of town to visit many of the local wineries and microbreweries that offer regional specialties, including ice wine.
TREASURE HUNTING IN SMALL TOWN MARKETS
Many of Ontario’s small towns have regular markets, auctions and fairs and some host specialty markets like the automobile flea markets in Buckhorn and Barrie. Locals and visitors enjoy haggling over a good price for a curio, trinket or antique from independent vendors at the Haggler's Market Place in Hamilton. The larger St. Jacobs Farmers' Market in Waterloo hosts 600 vendors in its outdoor and indoor areas. Here, foodies will appreciate the variety of cafes, kiosks and bakeries, many of which feature organic and locally grown ingredients, and chefs will revel in the variety of fresh meats, pungent cheeses and perfect produce available at grocery stands. This is an ideal destination for families; crafts, rides, animals and a picnic area keep children busy and happy all day.
DISCOVER THE TRADITIONAL CHARMS OF RURAL ONTARIO
Every one of Ontario’s towns and villages has a unique specialty and it is difficult to describe the diversity of the province’s rural areas. The primary production of rural areas is food, crafts and textiles.
Ontario’s famous maple sugar shacks were traditionally used to boil down tree sap to produce maple syrup but are now often used by farms to showcase their products. Modern sugar shacks are full-service restaurants that offer a variety of maple delicacies and sell products that are produced on the farm, including maple syrup, sugar, butter and cookies. Wheelers Maple Products Pancake House and Sugar Camp in Perth is open seven days a week all year round but has special hours and events during the spring harvest.
The Wolf Den in Parry Sound sells authentic First Nations crafts and textiles; of special interest are their leather, pottery, glassware and baskets. The Muskoka Trading Post in Gravenhurst also sells a variety of goods and boasts the largest selection of moccasins available anywhere. Enjoy a holistic experience at Native Renaissance in Deseronto where one will find the works of over 30 First Nations artists who experiment beyond traditional paintings and stone sculptures into a variety of natural mediums, including bark, feathers and leather. The studio also hosts and sells the works of musicians who blend the traditional flute and soft drums of First Nations music with the likes of jazz, blues and rock.
BIG-CITY SHOPPING IN TORONTO
The Toronto Eaton Centre is an enjoyable day out, especially during Toronto's cold winter days. Enjoy the unique architecture and art; vaulted atriums, glass ceilings and whimsical wildlife sculptures welcome shoppers to the multi-level shopping centre. There are over 300 stores, including the iconic Hudson’s Bay Company, the oldest commercial corporation in the world.
For a lavish designer experience, visit the Mile of Mink, a section of Bloor Street West from Yonge Street to Avenue Road that hosts posh boutiques. Here one can find high-end European designers, including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and Prada, as well as boutiques featuring the work of talented local designers.
Another advantage of large metropolises is ethnic shopping districts. Toronto has Little India, a chaotic bazaar featuring colourful saris, glittering jewellery and fragrant spices, Chinatown, where one will find everything from delicate silk fabrics to cheap, tasty dumplings, and Little Italy, home to authentic Italian specialties like pastas, breads, meats and cannoli.
BARGAIN HUNTING IN TORONTO’S SURROUNDING AREA
Head out of Toronto to one of the many surrounding communities to pick up bargains at an outlet mall. West of Toronto, visit Southworks Outlet Mall in Cambridge, which includes antiques, bookstores and traditional retail stores or check out the larger Dixie Outlet Mall in Mississauga. North of the city shoppers will find the Factory Outlet Plaza in North York, Vaughan Mills in Vaughan and the Colossus Centre in Woodbridge. Check online for coupons, sales and events before heading south to the Cookstown Outlet Mall.
HISTORY & DIVERSITY AT OTTAWA’S BYWARD MARKET
Ottawa, like Toronto, has a number of shopping centres but its most unique and popular shopping experience is Canada's oldest and largest public market, Byward Market, an outdoor marketplace established by Lieutenant Colonel John By in 1826. The old-world charm of Byward Market is that there are no chain stores, only quaint cafes, colourful pubs, eclectic galleries, one-of-a-kind kiosks and a number of other specialty shops and boutiques. This destination is especially recommended to families; cheery buskers and street performers entertain children and adults alike, and parents will appreciate the child-friendly amenities. Byward Market is centrally located and easily accessible by car, public transit and on foot.
SOUVENIRS & SPECIALTIES IN NIAGARA FALLS
Niagara Falls is full of kitschy souvenir shops immediately surrounding the tourist district, the largest being Souvenir Palace. Specialty gift shops include the Mounted Police Trading Post, which sells authentic Mounted Police merchandise. Locals usually head to Pen Centre, Niagara’s largest shopping mall with popular stores, restaurants and a movie theatre.
Beyond the ordinary, Niagara Falls has a rich artistic and historical culture. Seek out antiques and collectibles in specialty stores, explore galleries run by the Niagara Art Collection and Niagara District Art Association, which feature painting and sculpture in a variety of styles, or visit more unusual galleries that focus on specialities by local artisans, like the Neto Hatinakwe Onkwehowe Native Arts Gallery. Take a ride outside of town to visit many of the local wineries and microbreweries that offer regional specialties, including ice wine.
TREASURE HUNTING IN SMALL TOWN MARKETS
Many of Ontario’s small towns have regular markets, auctions and fairs and some host specialty markets like the automobile flea markets in Buckhorn and Barrie. Locals and visitors enjoy haggling over a good price for a curio, trinket or antique from independent vendors at the Haggler's Market Place in Hamilton. The larger St. Jacobs Farmers' Market in Waterloo hosts 600 vendors in its outdoor and indoor areas. Here, foodies will appreciate the variety of cafes, kiosks and bakeries, many of which feature organic and locally grown ingredients, and chefs will revel in the variety of fresh meats, pungent cheeses and perfect produce available at grocery stands. This is an ideal destination for families; crafts, rides, animals and a picnic area keep children busy and happy all day.
DISCOVER THE TRADITIONAL CHARMS OF RURAL ONTARIO
Every one of Ontario’s towns and villages has a unique specialty and it is difficult to describe the diversity of the province’s rural areas. The primary production of rural areas is food, crafts and textiles.
Ontario’s famous maple sugar shacks were traditionally used to boil down tree sap to produce maple syrup but are now often used by farms to showcase their products. Modern sugar shacks are full-service restaurants that offer a variety of maple delicacies and sell products that are produced on the farm, including maple syrup, sugar, butter and cookies. Wheelers Maple Products Pancake House and Sugar Camp in Perth is open seven days a week all year round but has special hours and events during the spring harvest.
The Wolf Den in Parry Sound sells authentic First Nations crafts and textiles; of special interest are their leather, pottery, glassware and baskets. The Muskoka Trading Post in Gravenhurst also sells a variety of goods and boasts the largest selection of moccasins available anywhere. Enjoy a holistic experience at Native Renaissance in Deseronto where one will find the works of over 30 First Nations artists who experiment beyond traditional paintings and stone sculptures into a variety of natural mediums, including bark, feathers and leather. The studio also hosts and sells the works of musicians who blend the traditional flute and soft drums of First Nations music with the likes of jazz, blues and rock.
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