Shopping local. The gift that keeps on giving.

The holidays are here, and this year more than ever consumers have been encouraged to “Order Now!!” to ensure their gifts arrive on time with current supply chain backlogs.  What if we told you a secret to ensuring your gifts are in your hands with plenty of wrapping time to spare?  Well, here is it – Shop Local.

Now this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to leave your house (who wants to do that these days!?) but instead of queuing up that Amazon browser – this season, pay a digital visit to your local shops, and here are some reasons why.

1. More of your money stays within your local economy [as opposed to funding another trip to space for Mr. Bezos]
2. You embrace and support what makes your community unique;
3. You create local jobs and invest in local entrepreneurship;
4. You help the environment by reducing carbon emissions; and
5. You make your community a destination! [When everyone asks you “WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE COOL CANDLES?!” You can humbly brag about your city’s talented creators].

Now if that still isn’t enough to convince you, here’s a look at some of our favourite local spots to grab gifts that are sure to please anyone on your list.

SILT Studio

GIFT: The People’s Cup

Located on the top floor of 2275 Albert St, SILT Studio offers professional and aspiring makers room to create, hold space, and learn. Their beautiful sunlit studio offers a range of experiences, from introductory workshops to master classes, all led by talented, skilled local artists.

 

Our gift guide top gift – “The People’s Cup” is hand thrown by owner Jay Kimball and treated with a layer of black slip. Your gift recipient’s task will be to decorate the cup using “sgraffito”, the  technique of scratching through the slip-covered surface to reveal the clay body beneath. You can use anything as a tool to scratch with! The black slip will remain black and the cup itself (complete with the masterpiece you create through the slip) will transform into a delicate white upon firing.
Check out The People’s Cup and all of SILT Studio’s other amazing gift ideas HERE.

Viisiionss

GIFT: 12” Ripple Candles

Owner, Manny Johnston’s goal when she and her partner created Viisiionss during the winter of 2020 was to provide beautiful aesthetic products that warms hearts, lifts spirits, and function as sculptural art-pieces. Their fun and funky candles add a special touch of contemporary playfulness to interiors far-and-wide. Locally made to order here in Regina – Viisiionss has grown to include stockists all over the globe from Seattle and New York to London, Venezuela, Switzerland and France! They offer a wide range of fun pop colours and eclectic styles to ensure that their candles look striking in any home.

 

Local stockists include T&A Vintage + Norwood, but you can also check out their instagram and dm for custom inquiries here.

Colonialism Skateboards

Gift: Christi Belcourt Collab – Fish Skateboard Deck

Colonialism Skateboards based out of Regina, Saskatchewan in Treaty 4 territory is a skateboard company whose primary objective is to educate the public on the history and culture of Indigenous peoples in Canada.  Owner, Micheal Langan is an Indigenous artist from Cote First Nation, Treaty 4 Territory, who is committed to educating others through creative renderings of our shared colonial past. After moving to Regina almost 20 years ago, Micheal immersed himself in the local skateboard community, of which he has remained a prominent member ever since.

 

In this new series, Colonialism Skateboards has collaborated with artist and author, Christi Belcourt to release three new boards under the theme “Sky, Land & Water”. Christi donates the proceeds from her collaborations and awards to Nimkii Aazhibikong, the year-round Indigenous language and traditional arts camp that she, along with a small group of others, started in 2017. In her work she urges viewers to connect with the earth and radically imagine a post-colonial world wherein Mother Earth is respected and understood as a living being.

 

You can find Colonialism Skateboards at local stockist Tiki Room, located on 11th Ave. next to Norwood. You can also visit their site here.

AKWAABA SPICE

Gift: Shito Chilli Sauce

Owner, Vinolia Apakoh started Akwaaba Foods as a way to serve her community and display her love and compassion for others through food.  Coming from a long lineage of talented chefs, she began catering nearly 15 years ago for close friends and family, and before she knew it she had a full side business with a huge demand for her signature Shito sauce.

 

Shito is a traditional Ghanaian chilli sauce made with the freshest ingredients including hot chillies, smoked fish, and shrimps. Used as a condiment or dipping sauce, it’s considered an absolute staple in most West African homes – and should be in yours too!

 

Check out Akwaaba Spice on Instagram and visit their online shop here.

Buckthorne General Store

Gift: Lucky’s Speed Sauce Caesar Seasoning

Mother daughter duo, Sydney and Lana opened Buckthorne General Store to highlight and showcase a rotating selection of eclectic small-batch stock. If you love something, they’ll bring it back and keep it stocked! Located at 2179 7th Avenue in Regina’s Warehouse District, Buckthorne General Store has brought in a wide variety of Canadian made products not yet available anywhere else in Regina.

 

One of our favourite stocked products is the Medicine Hat made Lucky’s Speed Sauce.  Perfect to keep on hand for the at-home bartender who is tired of always pulling out all the fixings everytime they crave a little spicy cocktail.

 

Visit Sydney and Lana in-store, check them out online and follow them on Instagram