11 Unique Canadian Souvenirs Worth Taking Home

Besides the endless stream of unique things to see and eat in Canada—like the Niagara Falls and the Poutine—there are tons of little treasures to take home with you to remind you of the True North Wild and Free.

Laura Secord

Laura Secord is kind of a big deal. The original gal was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812—One day in June 1813, American officers went to the Secord home and requested dinner. As she served them, she listened as they discussed plans to launch a surprise attack on the British outpost.

Laura, who had remained loyal to the British Crown and dedicated to the defence of the colony, knew that she had to warn them of the attack. As her husband was disabled due to his wounds and unable to walk, she took it upon herself to make the trek to DeCew House more here.

Then in 1913, Frank P. O'Connor opened a small candy store in Toronto, where he sold hand-made chocolates. He named his store after Laura Secord because of her bravery in the war, which I think is amazing.

Now, thankfully, we're able to commemorate Laura with chocolate, which is actually very good. You can find several stores in Canada where you can pick up all sorts of chocolates and other sweets to take back home along with a little piece of Canadian history.

Aboriginal Art

While this is an image from the Canadian Museum of History (which is a great place to visit if you find yourself in Ontario), where you can find tons of exhibits showcasing kayaks, clothing, totem poles, and other artifacts from early Canadian Aboriginals, there are other places to find more modern versions of what you see.

There are tons of places all over the country where you will find things like Aboriginal made art and jewelry that you can take home with you. The authentic artistry is fascinating and gives you a unique glimpse into the rich history of Canada and even moments of turmoil that the creators of the pieces have faced.

This is truly a keepsake that holds significance and meaning to the culture, and should be respected and appreciated if that's your thing.

Maple Syrup (Everything)

Not only is Canada known for its pure Maple Syrup (producing 70 percent of the world's population), but it also comes in many different forms. There's something for everyone whether it's candy, butter, liqueur, beer, tea, coffee, donuts, ice cream, taffy (made by pouring the hot syrup over snow & rolling it onto a popsicle stick), or even soap. You can never go wrong with some Sirop D'érable.

Tattoos

Although it may be an unconventional idea to most, a tattoo may be the most special and symbolic souvenir above all. Wherever you go, you'll have no trouble finding amazing and talented tattoo artists. You can especially find amazing work in big cities like Toronto & Montreal, from respected artists such as Curt Montgomery, Christina Fleming, and Tony Hu.

While the body art doesn't have to be Canadian themed, it will still serve as a reminder of the time you've spent here. Hopefully bringing you good memories for the rest of your life. That's what we'd like to assume at least.

Food

One of the best parts of Canada has to be food. Surprisingly, many people don't realize that Canada and the USA are actually quite different— especially in this category.

While many staples in Canadian cuisine aren't exactly practical as souvenirs (like the beloved Poutine, Beaver Tails, or Montreal-Style Bagels).

You will also find a large selection of snacks that are hard to find anywhere else. Popular Canadian chocolate and candy are definitely worth a try during your visit, and may not be available to you depending on where you live.

• Coffee Crisp
• Sweet Marie
• Wunderbar
• Smarties
• Nanaimo Bars
• Maple Syrup Cookies (biscuits à la crème au sirop d'érable Canadien)
• Cherry Blossoms (for the old timers)

You can also find other oddities like

• Ketchup Chips
• Butter Tarts
• Jos Louis
• Hickory Sticks
• Mackintosh Toffee
• Cream Soda (it is actually fluorescent pink in Canada)

Coffee and Tea

Naturally, Tim Hortons is Canada's most beloved coffee chain. Most Canadians will probably agree that it is favoured over any other place like Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts (especially since Dunkin has left us but no one really cares at this point).

Almost every Tims sells the packaged version of their coffee and different kinds of tea—as well as other memorabilia that may catch a touristy eye— but it can also be found in most grocery stores across the country. Be assured that it's not famous for nothing and may open up your world. But that's just my opinion. I'm a little bit biased.

Fun Fact: The original Tim Horton was a professional Canadian ice hockey player who opened the store in 1964.

Ice Wine

Canada is recognized as the world’s largest and highest quality producer of Icewine. It's quite popular for Canadians and tourists alike, and perfectly captures the essence of the country. Unbelievably cold yet you keep coming back for more. That was a stupid comparison actually. There's a lot more to it but yeah, you should just give it a try.

In short, Icewine in Canada is produced entirely from grapes, naturally frozen on the vine, picked while the air temperature is -8°C or lower, and immediately pressed after picking in a continuous process. Yeah yeah, all that good solid info for the few people that care.

Plus, another great thing about Canada, get whatever booze you want if you're 19+ (or 18 if you want to stop by Quebec instead).

Poppy Pins

Remembrance Day is a huge deal in Canada to remember the men and women who fought and died in the WWI. To commemorate them, everyone wears a poppy over their heart on and around November 11th— this is in tribute to a poem called "In Flanders Fields," which was written by a Canadian soldier talking about the poppies that grow around the WW1 cemetery and memorial for the fallen solders.

If you happen to pay a visit to Canada around the end of the year, it may be worth exchanging a couple coins for a poppy to wear and keep as a symbol of the country.

Money

Another cool thing to consider bringing home is a little Canadian cash. Even though it has little use outside of the country, foreign currency is just one of those interesting things to have as souvenirs, as well as good memories.

Canadian currency is very colorful and is often called "Monopoly Money" by our neighbors in the USA. Each bill is a different, fairly bright colour, with fairly important people on them, haha, just a little.

Some people also get a kick out of the coins we have as well. Instead of bills for individual dollars, we have one and two dollar coins, called loonies and toonies. Fun, right?

Side note, I've never been to a strip club in Canada, but I can imagine it would be a lot more expensive, unless you'd rather chuck coins at them instead of giving up a couple fives, minimal research, currently unknown.

Small Town Finds

There are plenty of small towns in Canada that are filled with hidden gems like bookstores, theatres, and coffee/tea shops that won't try to sell you generic touristy souvenirs. There you will find much more special and traditional Canadian knickknacks, books, food, etc. that will hold more value than any cheap snowglobe or fridge magnet.

This witchcraft book I found in a tiny bookstore in Stratford, Ontario, with barely any customers yet it was filled with lovely employees that were more welcoming than anyone I had ever met. I also bought some Scottish shortbread. (Since Canada is so multicultural, you'll have no problem finding things from all over the world as well as from Canada).

Photos

Obviously, right?

A photo is priceless when it comes to remembering your travels. No matter where you are, you will find all sorts of amazing places to capture scenes and backgrounds in Canada.

Well known places like the Niagara Falls (on the Canadian side), the Parliament Building in Ottawa and the CN Tower in Toronto are just a sample of beautiful scenes that you will encounter. Make sure to keep these memories with you in the easiest way!