11 Surprising Lakeland Keepsakes

A Piece of Art 

At Dragonfly Treasures, Heidi Gantz handcrafts unique home decor and jewelry that captures the magic of the outdoors. Inspired by Cold Lake’s lakes, beaches and forests, she uses preserved flowers and botanicals to create one of a kind resin art and jewelry. Her stunning little treasures—such as wee resin pumpkins with orange botanicals or bright red berry resin birds—are meant to bring a lasting connection to nature, adding warmth and tranquility to any space.

A Bigger Piece of Art 

Need a personalized metal sign or stunning metal plant to place in a garden? Plamondon’s Melanie Braund creates incredible metal and steel pieces. Besides metal, she also works with mixed media such as acrylics, oils, pastels, water colour, charcoal and pencil. Communities have commissioned her to make large metal or steel pieces to grace municipal parks, cemeteries and more. 

An Olive Branch  

Non holiday themed wreaths are timeless and can stay on your door for a very long time.  At Westcove Treasures, wreaths are created with such things as Bali dried Eucalyptus and grass or dried gold willow or sunflowers. Potpourri selections include stunning combinations such as lemon zest and thyme or forbidden flowers. Other creations include wreathed hats, floral arrangements, or an olive branch, in case you need a visual peace offering. From her studio in St. Paul, Alberta, creator Debbie Smyl ships across Canada.

A Bag of Morels  

We all need morels. This keepsake may not keep forever, partly because morel mushrooms are one of the most desired wild mushrooms in the world. With their earthy, nutty flavour and meaty texture, even people who don't like mushrooms tend to love morels. Order a big bag of dried morels—or many other types of foraged product—from Alberta’s own Untamed Feast.   

A Lure  

Some things of beauty are also functional. An Alberta made Iceberg Blue Pinwheel Lure looks like the exact profile of a common bait fish. The custom designed curves mean that when trolling at any speed, the lure simulates the ‘death roll’ of an injured bait fish. Happy customers in Cold Lake say they’ve caught plenty of lake trout with the five-inch blue Pinwheel Lure. The Death Roll Series, available in seven colours, and two sizes, is hand made, sustainable, safe and durable. At roughly $15, you may want to go wild and order more than one. 

A Glass Trout 

Excite the anglers in your life even more with a stunning glass fish. Glassblower Darren Petersen is inspired by Alberta’s nature and loves fishing, which may be why he can blow this gorgeous fish of glass and silver by special order, the perfect gift for the angler who has everything. 

Petersen is a professional glass artist living in Alberta. He operates a full time hot glass studio and teaches at the major glass programs in Western Canda. His unique body of work is inspired by his favourite activities, such as sport fishing Alberta’s rivers. More of his pieces, including shore birds and apples can be purchased through Rowles and Company Ltd. 

A Balaclava  

We live in the Lakeland. Your car needs winter tires, and you need a balaclava. Bears BMX in St. Paul has some of the coolest around. Order online or get a gift card. Opt for thermal fleece. The hinge Polar has treetops all over it. Half balaclavas, or airtubes with airholes, come in softshell or the Ergo Drytech Bear makes the wearer look like a roaring bear. Perfect for that special someone. 

A Book  

If you have readers on your list, take note. For history lovers, order Frances Jean’s More Than Oil, for its fascinating collection of stories and anecdotes about the people and history of Northern Alberta. If your reader loves to forage, try Wild Edible Mushrooms of Alberta: A Field Guide. For road trippers, find Top 150 Unusual Things to See in Alberta by Debbie Olsen. Alberta author Thomas Trofimuk was awarded the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction for The Elephant on Karluv Bridge. Or, to accompany gifts under A Thing of Beauty below, Mother Earth Plants for Health & Beauty by Carrie Armstrong.  

A Thing of Beauty  

With names such as cranberry rose, blueberry balsam, sweetgrass and raspberry sage, the creams and oils of Mother Earth Essentials are as beautiful as they sound. Mother Earth Essentials combines the nature-inspired teachings rooted in the plants of the Medicine Wheel. Other products include Birch & Black Spruce Mineral Bath, Tobacco Patchouli Soap, and Alberta Wildrose & Cranberry Fragrance Oil. The company was founded by Carrie Armstrong who comes from a long line of Cree Medicine Women, including elder Francis Whiskeyjack from Saddle Lake First Nation.  

A Knife  

For the hunter or butcher or home chef in your life, order a custom knife from Storch Knives. Choose from gorgeous kitchen or fillet knives or intricate silver or yellow brass Damascus hunting knives handcrafted and meticulously sharpened by Mannville resident Ed Storch. Contact Ed Storch via Instagram or online for custom orders or to see what’s available currently. Don’t forget to tape a penny to the gift box so the giftee can “pay” you for the gift and keep the relationship intact.

A Night Sky  

You can’t gift the night sky, but you can gift a night under a night sky in a Sky Watching Dome! A gift of an experience pleases many and the memory keeps forever. Metis Crossing offers an immersive experience where guests can sleep under the stars and connect with nature. The luxury domes provide a window in the night sky, allowing guests to explore how the Métis people used the stars and skies to navigate, keep time and plan their work on the land.