In a world where the click of a button can get you products from a factory on the other side of the planet dropped off at your door, it can be strangely difficult to find something really unique for the gift-giving season. Many people never discover what’s right next door. This handy guide can help you support local businesses, cut down on air traffic, and find memorable holiday gifts that express the bold and beautiful personality of Northern Ontario. At the very least, these suggestions should give you an idea of all the variety to be found north of Manitoulin, just in time for the holidays. Happy shopping!
Maker: Reiner’s Originals
Made for: the Kid or Kid At Heart
These high-quality, conversation-starting ottomans are individually designed, hand-cut, sewn and assembled in Ontario. Bears, rhinos, pigs, hippos and more—you can view the full menagerie here. They’re perfect for decorating a nursery or playroom, or as a fun, unique piece in any room—plus they'll last a lifetime.
Maker: Wanda Kabel
Made in: Sioux Narrows–Nestor Falls, Ontario
Made for: the Nature Lover
Anishinaabe-Métis photographer Wanda Kabel’s captivating photography captures the natural beauty of the lakes, wilderness, and life that makes up the Lake of the Woods region, with a special focus on this year’s legendary Northern Lights shows. Bring this vision of the North into the homes of your friends and family with a wall calendar or print.
Maker: Dream Acres Alpacas
Made in: Black River-Matheson, Ontario
Made for: Campers, snowmobilers, or people whose feet freeze while at their desk
These soft and oh-so-cozy alpaca socks are a game-changer for winter days, and who doesn’t appreciate warm toes? They come in understated greys or cute, flashy stripes and are basically a hug for your feet.
Maker: Up Here Festival Shop
Made in: Sudbury, Ontario
Made for: the Sudburian or Ex-pat
Ever hear it said that it’s the flaws that make something special? Quietly poking fun at Sudbury’s foibles, these buttons let people own and wear them with pride (or irony), with cheeky phrases and inside jokes. Celebrate those reluctant parts of city life in Crater Sudbury, or for those of you who’ve never been, just enjoy these witty and mystifying badges of honour. Who knows, you might make friends with a secret Sudburian.
Maker: Joyful Home
Made in: Lively, Ontario
Made for: luxury-loving homebodies
Handcrafted in Lively, Joyful Home’s 100% soy wax candles are meticulously scented with premium fragrance oils and are sustainable, eco-friendly and toxin-free. Pamper people with enchanting scents like Cedar Sauna, Muskoka S'mores, or grab their Christmas Collection.
Maker: Vik Wilen
Made in: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Made for: lake surfers or those who want to be
Made of natural rubber, these yoga mats by artist Vik Wilen come in two designs and offer gift givers the chance to bestow a little zen on their loved ones this year. The artist also offers a gorgeous line of landscape-inspired surf, wakesurf and longboards designed especially for the lake surfer. If you love the art but are looking for something different, shop the original artwork, prints, buffs, surf, wakesurf, and longboards, as well as clothing. They also make custom pieces!
Maker: Niska Artisans
Made in: Timmins, Ontario
Made for: cold-footed folks
Put your best foot forward (or mitt, if you like) with the meticulous hide and beadwork of a Timmins artisan. Available through the Niska Artisans website, these affordable hide moccasins (handcrafted by Nicole) sport fluffy beaver fur ankles, ridiculously cozy fleece lining, and traditionally inspired bead designs. Scan through the rest of the Niska Artisans website to discover a range of beautiful hide apparel, including long mitts and thigh-high boots, jewelry, Christmas ornaments and wall hangings.
Maker: Kristy Dawn
Made in: Sudbury, Ontario
Made for: lovers of pretty things
Sudbury-based jeweller Kristy Dawn makes elegant pieces (worthy of a fairy) to fit all kinds of budgets. Crafted by Dawn handcrafted jewellery comes in silver, gold, and gemstone, with earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets and charms, made to order. Kristy enjoys bringing customer’s visions to life and is more than willing to design custom orders; check her website for details.
Maker: boy Roland
Made in: Thunder Bay
Made for: Tbay locals or Persian fans
The beloved, pink-iced roll that originated from Bennett’s Bakery in Thunder Bay has been immortalized as an utterly adorable pin and a happy little reminder of the city. Wear this bit of Tbay lore and ponder the mysterious source of its pinky flavour—is it raspberry? Is it strawberry? Not even the Persian knows for sure.
Maker: My Ol’ Blues
Made in: Gore Bay, Ontario
Made for: Everyone
Comfy flannelette sleep pants in special edition prints, perfect for curling up in on a winter evening! Unique by batch, every print shown is available in child, youth, men’s and women’s sizes, but once they are gone they don't repeat.
Maker: Gnomewood Handcrafted Toys
Made in: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Made for: The Imaginative Kiddo
These wooden heritage toys, lovingly crafted by expert toymaker Armand Grandinetti, are designed to last a child's play life and to be passed on to their own children. You’ll find beautiful handcrafted dollhouses, castles, cars, games, play kitchenettes, magic wands, toy swords, “gnome houses”, puppet theatres, and more—all to ignite kids’ imaginations and help them to create their own little world to explore. Take a look at more Gnomewood toys here.
Maker: Lakeside Acres
Made in: Bonfield, Ontario
Made for: the Beauty Buff (or someone who needs some TLC)
Lakeside Acres sugar scrubs are luxuriously crafted with goat’s milk soap, sugar and coconut oil to gently exfoliate and clean skin while leaving it smooth. Great as a body, face or hand scrub, they are conveniently portioned into small cubes making them easy to grab. Packaged in a 250ml mason jar, each jar contains 11-12 scrubs.
Maker: Finnia Chocolate
Made in: Manitoulin, Ontario
Made for: the Cocoa Lover
Do you know someone who loves great chocolate? We’re talking ultra-rich, single-origin bean-to-bar craft dark, milk or white chocolate in flavours like Peanut Butter or Buttermilk Truffle, Canadian Maple and their award-winning Ucayali 85%. They also carry gourmet hot chocolate, coffee and tea, just the thing for warming up the holiday.
Maker: Maxwell Pottery
Made in: Mattawa, Ontario
Made for: the Host or Hostess (or Avid Paddler)
Maxwell Pottery’s well-known canoe dip set is handcrafted and ideal for entertaining. A quiet shout-out to Ontario’s paddling heritage, it also happens to be very functional. It comes with two paddles (spreaders), is available in 6 colours and provides a stylish vessel for serving festive snacks. Beautiful bowls, platters, mugs, and one-of-a-kind pieces are also available.
Maker: Judy Morill
Made in: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Made for: Kids and pets
A passion for making soft toys for her twin grandsons led Judy Morrill to develop JudyMade products—handcrafted custom-designed children's soft toys and pet products for that special someone. You can contact her via phone or email to ask about stock, or have her make something especially for the animal-loving snuggler on your list. Check out her website or Facebook to view her work.
Maker: Knits by Nat
Made in: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Made for: Everyone
Luxurious, stylish toques, headbands, scarves and baby booties knitted by hand in Thunder Bay. These pretty, cozy accessories are the perfect thing to keep anyone toasty, whether they’re big or small.
Maker: Egli’s Sheep Farm
Made in: Dryden, Ontario
Made for: Winter Lovers and Winter Haters
No matter how they feel about the season, these mitts are sure to make winter happier for anyone on your list. Made from genuine shearling sheepskin with suede outside and soft wool inside, these mitts offer the ultimate in comfort and warmth for men, women and kids. The cuffs can be folded up or down. Great for blocking the wind on winter hikes, skating or snowshoeing.
Maker: Evelyn Turner
Made in: North Bay, Ontario
Made for: the Accessorizer
Delicate handmade, one-of-a-kind beaded jewellery using materials like glass or gold beads, leather and gemstone. North Bay's Evelyn Turner makes a variety of designs and styles that will be as unique as the wearer. View more of her work on her website or Facebook.
Maker: Emily Kewageshig
Made in: Saugeen First Nation
Made for: the New Addition
Emily Kewageshig is an artist who brings modern inspirations to traditional Anishnaabe styles, producing an impressive portfolio of vivid nature portraits. Her paintings are available through her website, but for those who might feel a desire to wrap themselves in her art, she’s teamed up with the pan-Canadian collective MINI TIPI to turn the hummingbird-themed piece ‘Connections’ into a snuggly blanket. Made from thick wool and fluffy Sherpa fleece, it comes in both adult and baby sizes.
Maker: JR Paquette
Made in: Sudbury, Ontario
Made for: the Angler
If you or a loved one ever wanted to be the Batman of anglers, Bait2Go has something to add to the old utility belt (literally): the Bait2Go bait bucket. Designed to either clip to your belt, boat, or just sit beside you, this hardy bait bucket has a sieve-like construction that keeps your bait fresh and wriggling while still readily at hand, for quick and easy re-baiting. For the Batman angler with a Robin in tow, the makers made sure that the design is easy for kids to handle, too. Works with all kinds of crawly fish-snacks, be it live worms, minnows, spawn bags, or however you like to hunt your quarry. Great for kayak fishing, too.
Maker: Heartbeat Hot Sauce
Made in: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Made for: the Spice Lover
Deliciously unique, Heartbeat Hot Sauce is made with traditionally fermented peppers and simple, high-quality ingredients. No added water, thickening agents or chemical preservatives mean that this sauce is as natural as it gets. They come in a wide range of unique and tantalizing flavours to add tasty fire to any dish. Buy them individually or as a set; you can even stay warm inside and out this winter by picking your 4 favourite sauces and getting a limited edition scarf.
Maker: Fromagerie Kapuskoise
Made in: Kapuskasing, Ontario
Made for: the Cheese Connoisseur
You are what you eat, so there’s no better way to get close to Northern Ontario than by sampling their cheese, produced from the milk of the region’s livestock and cultured by local artisans. Each of their fine aged cheeses are then honoured with the names of the lakes and rivers of the Kapuskasing region, so you get a geography lesson on top of a delicious snack. You’ll never forget the Opasatika once you’ve tried the Opasatika.
Maker: Sister Bear Designs
Made in: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Made for: the Sketcher, the Journaller, or the Lister
Jot, scribble, sketch and crumple with a clean conscience, using Sister Bear-designed notepads. These elegant and eye-catching notepads (now with pens!) are inspired by nature, both in their design and the fact that they’re made from 100% recycled paper (and the eco-friendly pens are recycled plastic, too). Now you won’t feel so bad when you realize that you’ve just recycled a bright idea: no trees were harmed in the making of it. The notepads are also customizable, for a true personal style.
Maker: Sudbury Writers’ Guild
Made in: Sudbury, Ontario
Made for: the History-Lover
Sudbury Superstack: A Changing Skyline is an artfully arranged collection of prose, poetry, interviews, collages, and photos commemorating the Sudbury icon in all its bittersweet glory. This bold anthology explores the complexity of the Superstack as both a source of income and a reminder of home for Sudburians, representing both communal and personal experience in a fascinating and touching way. Books are available to purchase from the Sudbury Writer’s Guild via this online form, as well as from various locations around the city including Science North and Books and Beans.
We get it—some people are just impossible to buy for. Maybe they “have everything” or “don’t want anything”, which has you stuck. For them, here are some unique (and giftable) Northern Ontario experiences to try.
Treat your loved one to one of the best ATV riding experiences out there. Elk Lake Wilderness Resort provides ATVers with riverfront accommodations, 3 fresh home-cooked meals a day, access to hundreds of kilometres of crown land to explore, and a $50 voucher towards a guided ride if you’d like one. No ATV? No problem! You can rent one from their partner Northern Sports & Rentals and have it delivered right to the resort.
Gift a voucher for a workshop or round of lessons so your crafty giftee can have fun honing their skills. Shabby Motley hosts a variety of classes and workshops for all levels. Check out their website or Facebook or phone (705-575-YARN) for a lineup of what’s going on in your month of choice, and to register.
Give someone an unforgettable, up-close experience with the Sleeping With the Wolves package at Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa. Guests will enjoy two nights in a luxuriously furnished, glass-walled cabin that allows them to observe the resort’s resident wolf pack in a way that few others get to! The package also includes Wilderness Tour passes, dining vouchers and passes to the spa’s Nordic Baths, making it an unbeatable combination of excitement and relaxation in a natural setting.
Are you a Northern Ontario maker? Have you got an item you'd like to let us know about? Drop us a line at jenn@thenewbusiness.ca. We'd love to hear from you.
