Shopping Canada merchants has changed over the past few years because of the advent of the personal computer, much as has that of shopping U.S.A. In fact, it has become harder to distinguish where items are shipped from until you actually see the parcel postmark or see the delivery van pull up to your door.



Most of the Canadian websites carry the extension .ca as opposed to .com but otherwise it's much the same for comparable items. Granted, most people expect to find almost every item they can think of to purchase online nowadays, but there is still something special about wandering through a neighborhood and finding those little shops or specialty stores tucked away on a side street.

Somehow it makes the item seem more special when you put some physical effort into finding and buying the item. These are the small places that don't always have web sites on the internet yet. They may be mom and pop operations that know their neighbors and which neighborhood children can be trusted alone in the shop and which must be watched.

For the bargain hunter, who is willing to walk a bit, check out the Exchange District in historical Winnipeg. This is a carefully preserved and nurtured National Historical Site filled with small shops and street entertainment. Music in the Market, historic walking tours show off the architectural beauty of the buildings, small shops containing everything from art supplies to florists and chocolates, and a Farmer's market.

Across the country of Canada is the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island, This heritage city is wonderful to wander the streets looking for the perfect item to pack up and carry home. Victoria features everything from trendy artists to collectible antique books and jewelry. The Bastion Square Festival of the Arts, operating during summer months is a great place to shop for local hand made arts and crafts. Market Square on the Island features a great selection of more than forty specialty shops for your shopping pleasure.

Vacations to Canada can be filled with all types of shopping experiences. There are many streets that are filled with shops that open earlier than others. Travelers can relax a while with some window shopping while waiting on their favorite stores of interest to open. Vacations are relaxing and people know they will find many places that will display the true beauty of Canada as they mill about the antiques and collectibles that are hidden in shops.