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GARDEN GATE: Episode 270 – Dog Bite Steel – Turning garbage into ART! (July 7, 2023)

  We had a lot of fun recently going to Dog Bite Steel in Uxbridge to pick out some new pieces! The shelves are now overloaded with these unique pieces made with recycled oil and propane tanks. J.P Schoss designs, cuts, and welds everything by hand and his wife Brenda paints them! Come down to […]

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Just hangin’ outdoors…

We pride ourselves on supporting Canadian artists, including six – four from Ontario and two from B.C. – who make beautiful outdoor wall art made from high-quality metal. Some designs are intended to rust, while others are powder-coated steel so they won’t. Metallic Evolution Based out of Guelph, John and Heather have been designing and […]

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Artisan Pop-Ups – Saturdays May-August, 10am to 3pm

Once again The Avant-Garden Shop will be hosting artisans at their shop throughout the spring and summer. Starting May 6th and going until the end of August, artists can book a FREE space in front of the shop to show and sell their work. The work needs to be somewhat related to the theme of […]

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GARDEN GATE: Episode 265 – TheOccurrence Puzzles with Brigitte Gall (Apr 28, 2023)

Joining me today is Brigitte Gall of TheOccurrence Puzzles! These puzzles are a great new addition to the Avant-Garden Shop! TheOccurrence is a 100% owned, operated, and “unreasonably proudly” Canadian jigsaw puzzle manufacturing company located in the Haliburton Highlands in Ontario Canada. They design, print, cut, and box in Haliburton. All their Images are true […]

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Kitras Glass

Kitras Glass is located in Elora Ontario and creates inspirational, one-of-a-kind glass pieces. While they use colour recipes, no two pieces are ever exactly the same and you can be confident that each and every piece is truly original. A wide variety of pieces are available from glass hearts, to colour wave balls, Tree of […]

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GARDEN GATE: Episode 248-New wall art from Metallic Evolution (Aug 26, 2022)

We recently received some new wall art from Jon and Heather Zondervan of Guelph. Sometimes shiny metal is not the right fit for your space, or maybe you want something to accent an outdoor area. This collection of rustic art is perfect for both. Finished in a natural rust patina, these pieces have a varied […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 143 – Wear your hat! It’s hot out there! (July 6, 2018)

We carry a wide variety of hats. All made in Canada! UVA/UVB protection, fun, colourful and hey-you’ll look good! Mad Cap Hats, Tilley hats, Puffin gear, Lorainne Wake (BC), Sanibel (QC) and Flapjack hats for kids! Keep your head, ears and neck covered to protect from sunburn! Hat designs change regularly so we don’t normally […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 142 – Artist William Boyd Fraser

William boyd fraser (bill) is a sculptor from Bethany, Ontario. Bill has received Ontario arts council grants for his making and teaching. and has completed university education to the point of a master of arts in contemporary art history. We’ve had a few different items in the shop from Bill with these beautiful birds being […]

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Garden Gate: Episode 138 – Soap stone carving kits for children (April 27th, 2018)

How it all started!  Co-founder Oliver Harwood was asked to teach an elementary school class how to carve soapstone.  The first class was a hit and grew to 33 classes in the first year. In the last two years they have grown to teach more than 10,000 students in more than 300 schools.  They have […]

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