The Avant-Garden Shop: Your Garden & Bird Store

Artists

GARDEN GATE: Episode 307 – No Tax on Puzzles!! (December 6, 2024)

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Puzzling is a great past time for cold winter days.

We have the most beautiful puzzles that are sometimes hard to keep in stock! We carry a few different lines. Pomegranate, Galison, The Occurrence and Michael Storrings.

When we’re looking for puzzles (and just about any product) for the shop we try first to get Canadian made, then we aim for high quality. These puzzles fit the bill.

The Occurrence line is made in Canada and all the artists who design the art are also Canadian. Even the boxes are Made in Canada!

Pomegranate puzzles are beautiful works of art. The pieces fit together very well and the colours are stunning. With images from artists like VanGogh, The group of seven, William Morris and more, people often glue and frame the work. Or if you like something a bit more vintage or groovy, check out the Rex Ray puzzle.

We get supply regularly so drop in often for your next project puzzle. From Dec. 14th, 2024 to February 15th, 2025 all puzzles are tax free thanks to the Federal government initiative.

 

Canada’s Got Talent

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As a downtown business owner, it’s easy to see the benefits of shopping local. Whenever we sell ?original art and gift items created by local?, Canadian artists and companies, we see that money going into their pockets; real pockets of real people who are eager ?to re-invest in their own communities by supporting local health, arts, and sports initiatives.   … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 306 – Canadian Made! (November 22, 2024)

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Over the past 22 years The Avant-Garden Shop has been building up a wide collection of Canadian Made items. As much as possible, we will support local and Canadian artists because this supports our local economy and community. When you shop locally and purchase Canadian made items, we are then able to donate to the … Read more

Fair trade + fair wages = good choices

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artFrom coffee and clothing to fabrics and original arts and craft works, you may be noticing more and more products on store shelves (ours, anyway) that are marked as “fair trade” items. So, what does fair trade mean? Fair Trade Explained The best way to define fair trade is as a movement seeking social, economic … Read more

How your Shopping Dollars Work: The Case of the Broken Bird Feeder

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~ In our October 2024 newsletter, we introduced a new series featuring Canadian-made items and local artists to highlight what we offer that big-box multi-national stores and online distributors do not. What follows is one example of how giving your money to local businesses goes a long way in keeping our community prosperous. ~   … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 299 – Canadian Made Wall Art! (Aug 16, 2024)

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You won’t find any empty wall space at Avant-Garden shop! These walls are packed with beautiful Canadian made wall art. These are all quality made pieces, most of which are powder coated and won’t rust if you want to hang them outdoors. New pieces arrived recently but they don’t last long so come have a … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 298 – Messy Moose Socks! (Aug 2, 2024)

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  Messy Moose socks! These socks are super fun for kids of ages 6 months to 4 years! The bottoms have rubber anti-slip treads so your little runners don’t slide all over the floors. Lots of new designs just came in! We also have lots of great toys and tools to get your kids outside … Read more

GARDEN GATE: Episode 297 – New handmade glass art! (July 19, 2024)

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In this week’s episode Brenda is highlighting some new products that recently arrived at the shop! The first is by an artist named Kathy from Cookstown Ontario. Kathy fuses glass together by cutting, layering and melting it at high temperatures. These sweet little birds on wood bases make a great gift or addition to your … Read more

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

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  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 … Read more

Just hangin’ outdoors…

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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 … Read more

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