Get to know the 2023 Tales of Triumph Contest finalists

The holidays are a busy time of year for business owners and shoppers alike. If you’re looking for gifts, we’re here to highlight our 2023 Small Business Tales of Triumph Contest finalists. From Indigenous streetwear to specialty scissors, shop with them to find unique gifts for your friends and family this holiday season. When you support Canadian small businesses, you strengthen your community.

aaniin retail inc.

aaniin, which means hello in Anishinaabemowin, is a streetwear brand that upholds the Indigenous principles of community and mutual benefit. aaniin designs has a QR code that allows people to view and translate syllabics displayed on the clothing. You can shop aaniin in-store at their shop in downtown Toronto’s Stackt Market in addition to their online store!

Bold Helmets

Tina Singh, a mom and Occupational Therapist who specializes in head and brain injury, knows how important helmets are. Traditional bike helmets don’t protect Sikh kids with top knots, so Bold Helmets created the first safety-certified multisport helmet for Sikh kids aged 5+.

Cape de Coeur

Cape de Coeur is a sustainable luxury outerwear brand that focuses on high-fashion, water, snow and windproof capes. Their designs are where old-world heritage meets new-world innovation. They’ve rewritten the rules of high fashion and believe that both beauty and function are in constant balance. They recently opened a showroom in Paris, but you can also shop in their online store.

Ciselier Company

Ciselier is the first company to foster and promote appreciation for high-quality scissors and the heritage art of scissor making. They search the world for the best and most beautiful scissors, testing and evaluating each pair. Their catalogue offers scissors crafted from the finest steel. They’re assembled by hand and quality inspected a minimum of 3 times.

Mahikan Designs

Mahikan Designs produces Indigenous beadwork earrings that connect the wearer to Cree heritage. Founder Kaila’s goal is to share her culture and art with the world. She offers gift wrapping and handwritten personalized notes at no extra charge and allows for client personalization. You can shop from her business on Etsy!

Myni

Myni develops cleaning products that are good for you and the planet. It’s run by a small team of eco-enthusiasts who use science to develop better alternatives to commonly used products. They create concentrates, small tablets and fine powders that match the quality of the original product.

Algi

Algi food was made for weekend warriors and outdoor enthusiasts. Algi produces delicious, purpose-driven food products from clean, real-food ingredients. Founders Devon and Alessandra were inspired to start Algi Food because of their passion for food and sustainability. They were frustrated with the climate crisis and lack of healthy and delicious plant-based options available on the market, so they set out to fill a void and change the food industry.

Kapenzo Hair

Kapenzo Hair specializes in personalized hair piece solutions for individuals experiencing hair loss – specifically alopecia and cancer patients. They provide private consultations over the phone, in person and virtually for clients who live in Canada and the United States. Their appointments last for 1 to 2 hours and offer a safe and private space for customers to find calm and discover solutions. You can find them in Vaughn (GTA) or shop with them online.

joni

joni is a brand working towards a more equitable and sustainable future. They produce disposable menstrual care products. Through a unique social enterprise model, and a strong network of retailers, joni is creating an ecosystem of accessible, sustainable and inclusive period care.

Friendly Composting

Friendly Composting provides organic waste collection, compost soil distribution and education for residents and businesses. They’ve diverted over 1 million pounds of food waste from local landfills, creating 400,000 pounds of nutrient-rich soil. They supply bins and waste management stations at events, provide workshops on local agriculture and soil regeneration and donate their services to local non-profit organizations.

Small businesses like these are the backbone of Canadian communities. We hope you find the right gifts for everyone on your list this year and feel inspired to shop with local small businesses in your community.