Great Savings on Guelph Gifts!

Hilltop Shop logo overlaid on a black and white faded photo of the Hilltop Shop store.

It’s time to ring in the holiday season with our last Hilltop Shop Sale of the year! Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18, members receive 25% off and non-members receive 15% off storewide! *Select exclusions apply, see in-store for details.

For those last minute gift-getters (yes, we’re looking at you), we’ve rounded up a few our favourite local goodies. Whether you’re looking for a Secret Santa present for a coworker, or a gift for a loved one to wrap under the tree, these items are sure to spread some holiday joy and celebrate the great city we call home.

As always, there’s much more to see in-store, so come by to peruse our selection. This weekend the Hilltop Shop is open Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Without further ado, here’s our Top 10 Gifts for Guelphites (we hope you’ll love them as much as we do!):

1. Lost Aviator McCrae 150 Coffee

Once you try our McCrae 150 coffee blend, the rest is history! Guelph Museums teamed up with Lost Aviator Coffee Co to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Lt. Col. John McCrae’s birthday. Our McCrae 150 blend is a medium roast with a nice kick, perfect for getting out of bed in the morning or a midday pick-me-up.  

Lost Aviator Coffee Co is a premier coffee bar and roastery located in the heart of Guelph’s St. Patricks’ Ward neighbourhood. Lost Aviator was founded by two former airline pilots, who after seeing the world from a new perspective, wanted to create a coffee business rooted in sustainability and ethical sourcing. 

Encounter book. A stack of books is shown face-up on a shelf. The book cover has the title Encounter and a woman is looking off into the distance.

2. Encounter by Brittany Luby and Michaela Goade 

Tell a meaningful story this holiday season. Encounter is a luminous telling from two Indigenous creators that celebrates our ability to acknowledge difference and find common ground. Based on an actual journal entry by French explorer Jacques Cartier from his first expedition to North America in July 1534, this story imagines the first encounter between a European sailor and a Stadaconan fisher. 

Encounter is the debut book by University of Guelph history professor Brittany Luby. Brittany is Anishinaabe-kwe, atik totem and is the many-greats granddaughter of Chief Kawitaskung, an Anishinaabe leader who signed the North-West Angle Treaty of 1873. Because of her many-greats grandfather, Brittany believes that ink is a powerful tool. The words we write lay the foundation for our future. 

Pointillism artworks hanging on a wall. The paintings depict birds, cardinals, and poppies.

3. Dots to Mindfulness by Roxana Bahrami 

Deck the walls with original art by Roxana Bahrami! Roxana’s work explores the simplicity of pointillism, and how this method can foster mindfulness. Her original paintings use colour, design, and medium to bring tranquility and detail into any space. 

Roxana Bahrami is a self-taught artist based in Guelph, Ontario. She is a member of Guelph Arts Council, Guelph Studio Tour and a University of Guelph alumni. She is an advocate of using art as a form of mindfulness activity, and hosts various dot-painting workshops for people and businesses.

Keychains hanging from silver hooks in the Hilltop Shop. The front keychain is a design of the Basilica of Our Lady, and behind it hangs a design of the Petrie Building.

4. Ellen Doodles

Keychains, postcards, and prints, oh my! Ellen Doodles’ locally themed pieces make perfect stocking stuffers, souvenirs, and holiday gifts. From the Basilica of Our Lady to the Petrie Building, Ellen’s work captures the landmarks that dot our beautiful city. 
 
Ellen Doodles is the project of Ellen Piazza, a professionally trained graphic designer and illustrator who spent several years working in a corporate environment. After moving to Guelph, Ellen found infinite inspiration from her surroundings and dove into an entrepreneurial career.

Guelph Mercury Rising Book Cover. White cover with red and black writing. The cover shows three different illustrations of printing presses.

5. Guelph Mercury Rising edited by Phil Andrews 

To say the Guelph Mercury made its mark on Guelph history is an understatement. In households across the city, the Guelph Mercury was the primary source of community news for 149 years – a paper as old as Canada herself!

Recognizing the need to celebrate the paper’s legacy, Phil Andrews, the former Managing Editor at the Guelph Mercury, gathered short fiction from nineteen journalists who worked in the Mercury newsroom over the years. Former readers of the newspaper and fans of vivid, original fiction should delight in this volume of stories from the journalists who served the Guelph community over the Mercury’s long history. 

A painting of a figure paddling in a canoe on a lake. A tree and mountain scape is silhouetted behind him. Within the shape of the figure and the sky are topographical maps of Guelph.

6. Alan Dhingra

Alan Dhingra’s magnets, notecards and matted prints feature Guelph maps portrayed in striking landscapes. Inspired by Alan’s original paintings on topographic maps, these pieces are a great way to remember your favourite family cottage, home, or camping experience. 
 
Alan Dhingra was born in India, grew up in Toronto and Mississauga, and has called St. Marys, Ontario home since 1992. He graduated with honours from the Ontario Cottage of Art, Canada’s largest and oldest institution for art and design, and maintains a private studio in St. Marys. 

Custom tote bag by Barbara Salsberg Mathews. The tote bags have black leather handles and are hanging from a hook. Printed on them is a painting of a forest and lake landscape.

7. Barbara Salsberg Mathews

Barbara’s artwork captures the story and mood of local landscapes. Her custom linen-cotton tote bags are excellent for running errands or brining with you on a day-trip adventure. Not to mention, they stylishly contribute to a plastic-free city! 

Barbara Salsberg Mathews has been creating art since she was a child. While in her teens, she wrote and illustrated two children’s books published by Annick Press. She also studied mime in Paris, France. Barbara graduated with honours from the Ontario College of Art, completed a B.A in Fine Arts at the University of Guelph and a B.Ed. at the University of Toronto. She earned her M.Ed. from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and taught arts in high schools for over 25 years.  
 

Gone Guelph grey t-shirt. An illustration of the Guelph Mercury building is screenshotted in black and white.

8. Gone Guelph

Guelph artist Jenny Mitchell’s Gone Guelph t-shirts are an ode to Guelph streets, neighbourhoods, and collective memory. Featuring beloved Guelph businesses of the past, these soft cotton t-shirts keep the memory of our favourite places alive. Whether you miss the smell of Macondo Books or dining at Vienna Restaurant, Gone Guelph is sure to satisfy your nostalgia. 

Jenny Mitchell is a Guelph-based multi-disciplinary artist specializing in drawing, silkscreening and storytelling. She was the City of Guelph’s Artist in Residence in 2020, and operates The Golden Bus, a mobile, collaborative arts space. Jenny is currently the Volunteer and Mobile Studio Coordinator for CFRU, and has released 11 albums of original music, giving her skills in audio recording and music production.


 

McCrae House loose leaf tea. Brown bags of tea are stacked with their labels facing outwards.

9. McCrae House Loose Leaf Tea

A gift for the tea connoisseur! Blended exclusively for us in Canada by Creative Tea, our herbal and caffeinated tea blends have been a bestseller in the Hilltop Shop for over ten years! Our Private Blend features a mouth-watering medley of orange peels, orange blossoms, blue mallow flowers, and calendula. 


 

Poppy polymer clay pin. A hand is holding a small red flower with black center.

10. Subtle Details Polymer Clay Jewelry

Give the gift of handmade this holiday season with Karen Pasieka’s polymer clay jewelry and pins. Specially commissioned for the Hilltop Shop, her brilliant-red poppy pins are the perfect token of remembrance all year long.  
 
Karen Pasieka is a self-taught polymer clay artist from Richmond Hill, ON. Her dual interest in design and math led her to complete her Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Toronto, followed by 5 plus years of industry experience. She then left that field in search of work that would give her more creative control and fulfillment, utilizing those skills learned through her education and work experience to launch her business, Subtle Details, in 2007. 

Have a question about the sale or our offerings? Call us at 519-836-1221, or email [email protected].

Posted by Dawn Owen on December 15, 2022

Tags: , ,