A guide to buying locally made Montreal souvenirs!

Are you a sucker for little knick-knacks that seem like perfect items to remember your adventures by? Do you shell out impulsively for souvenirs that serve no purpose and end up at the bottom of a drawer. If so, there are ways to break this habit!

Personally, I’ve noticed that if I buy practical souvenirs created by local artists or cooked up by local artisans who I discovered during my adventures, I tend to appreciate them more and longer and remain genuinely proud of them.

So let’s go for a little tour of cool Montreal neighbourhoods with shops that offer well-made, truly creative souvenirs. When you buy from these places, you give a little boost to the local economy and the planet no harm!

Stationery and souvenir shops

Some people just love browsing the wide variety of handy stationery store items! Bringing back memories in the form of 100% locally made posters, postcards, fridge magnets or notebooks is not only a practical choice of useful souvenirs, but also a great way to support Montreal artists and designers.

Here are a few stationery stores that I recommend:

Bref, ART + DESIGN: you’ll find everything from calendars to cool stickers to hip postcards of iconic Montreal items like smoked meat sandwiches and bagels as endearing characters – MILE END – 261 rue Bernard Ouest

Paperole: at this colourful place, you’ll find super-original birthday cards, home-made wrapping paper, stickers of Montréal, iconic Montreal tourist posters and even a giant map you can colour – PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL – 3915 rue Saint-Denis

Artpop Montréal: from retro-looking posters to a magnet of a metro passing through a giant bagel, you’ll find Montreal posters and artwork featuring the ubiquitous orange traffic cones – PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL – 129, avenue du Mont-Royal Est

Arloca: for more classic souvenirs of Montreal, like cups, postcards, re-usable bags, plus a ton of one-of-a-kid ideas – PETITE-PATRIE – 6572, rue Saint-Hubert

Food and treats to bring home from your travels

Quebec is well known for its flavour creators and great chefs! So it should be no surprise that there’s a multitude of delicacies, ingredients and food items to bring home from your trip to Montreal.

Here are a few ideas of tasty products tyou can find in little fair-trade, organic or local-artisan shops, notably in the Mile-End and Old Montreal branches of Le Petit Dep – Café et épicerie fine:

• Bring home famous Quebec maple syrup from Domaine des 15 lots or Érable au Fil du Temps and several other producers from the Greater Montreal region
• For souvenir breakfasts, get decadent, chocolatey spreads from Allo Simonne and La Lichée, totally different nut butters from Logan Petit Lot or Tigidou jams for Montreal-style mornings
• Sweeten life at home with honey from Quebec producers like reputed Miels d’Anicet
• Avanaa, État de choc or Qantu make fair-trade chocolate products in Montreal directly of imported beans

Quebec literature and music

Quebecers are not only creative when it comes time to eat. Our literary and musical culture also abound. Why not pick up a book for the return trip or a record to spin over and over in the comfort of your home?

You can discover local talents at these locations:

If you need inspiration, consider the novels of celebrated author Kim Thuy (Ru, Vi, Em, À toi) and Kukum by Michel Jean, or the graphic novels La petite Russie by Francis Desharnais, Adieu triste amour by Mirion Malle, Rose à l’île by Michel Rabagliati or Leonard Cohen: Sur un fil by Philippe Girard.

These lists from Babelio also suggests a ton of other essential Quebec writers!

Local cosmetics

Thinking back on your trip to Montreal every time you do your beauty routine is also a super idea. Go for made-in-Quebec cosmetic and body care products from BKIND or Les mauvaises herbes fair-trade products for natural inspiration!

Gifts that live on and on

Shopping is one of the favourite activities of travellers, so you can do double the good, ecologically and economically, by digging up treasures in Montreal thrift stores. Plus, your souvenirs are guaranteed to be absolutely unique! A few recommendations:

Renaissance Québec: This chain has several locations around the city to find donated second-hand items

La Caravane Vintage: hand-picked retro clothing – PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL – 4116, boul. Saint-Laurent

Le Chaînon: a social solidarity shop whose profits go to women’s shelters – PLATEAU MONT-ROYAL – 4461, boul. Saint-Laurent

Marché Floh: clothing, accessories and various items – PLATEAU-MONT-ROYAL – 4301, rue Saint-Denis