Manitoba’s official gift shop is the size of a walk-in closet, but it’s stocked with hundreds of items targeted at tourists and others, be they politicians or members of the public, in search of a last-minute and locally made present.
The Golden Boy Gift Shop is located underneath its iconic statue-namesake, tucked in the corner of the lobby of the legislative building at 450 Broadway.
“It’s the people’s building — the people of Manitoba. This is their building and this is their government, so we should be showcasing Manitoba artisans’ work or Manitoba companies, over and above anybody else,” said acting manager Cheryl Gilfix-Bird.
Acting manager Cheryl Gilfix-Bird (left) and employee Daniela Sanchez Ramirez operate the Golden Boy Gift Shop located at the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Among the products that line the shelves and racks: condiments from Grand Marais-based Canadian Birch Company; wooden coasters and trinkets from Oakbank’s Zealousdecor; sashes from Métis-owned Étchiboy; pottery by Lorette artist Susan Gurman; and hand-painted keychains and earrings via Bloom Moon Designs of Selkirk.
Gilfix-Bird said her preference is to sell goods created by Manitoba creators and companies, which account for the majority of stock, but that is not always possible so the shop sources everything from Canadian-owned businesses.
Purchases are often accompanied by a card detailing their origins and, if applicable, such as in the case of the Manitoba tartan, their historical significance.
Ties, scrunchies and scarves made of red, green, gold and blue-patterned plaid — a design by Hugh Kirkwood Rankine that was added to the Scottish Register of Tartans in the ’60s and received royal assent to become an official emblem in Manitoba that decade — are for sale.
“The red squares of the pattern represent the Red River Settlements, near what is now Winnipeg,” per an information card about the provincial tartan.
It states that green is symbolic of local natural resources, gold is a reference to the agriculture industry, and blue represents the Earl of Selkirk, Thomas Douglas, whose Scottish family clan tartan has blue lines.
Every new shop employee participates in a tour of the legislature to orient themselves and learn about the history of Manitoba, Gilfix-Bird said, adding customers often have questions about items and the grounds on which they are sold.
“The best-(seller)? I think that it’s not a product. It’s everything that has a polar bear on it,” said Daniela Sanchez Ramirez, a retail employee at the gift shop.
Sanchez Ramirez, who is originally from Colombia, said foreigners are often keen to take home a souvenir displaying Manitoba’s ceremonial mammal, whether it’s in the form of a stuffed animal, pin, pair of earrings or on a mug.
The sales associate has been asked if polar bears can be spotted roaming city streets, she noted, followed by a chuckle.
The summer is typically the shop’s busiest season, given the sheer number of tourists who stop by for free tours that often start and end near the gift shop.
Daniela Sanchez Ramirez arranges products at the gift shop. Summer is typically the shop’s busiest season.
Busier periods correspond with the legislative session, the acting manager said.
At the same time, Gilfix-Bird noted it’s a fairly unknown shop that, in line with historic landlord protocols, does not have any flashy advertising; she and her colleagues often hear from first-time shoppers who are surprised to learn they exist and the range of products in stock.
The employee team began bolstering the shop’s social media presence this fall.
The shop, which operates five days a week, year-round and offers free gift-wrapping, will be open on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Its upcoming holiday closures are Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Prices range from $1 to $400, although the majority of products are under $50.
maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca
Maggie Macintosh
Education reporter
Maggie Macintosh reports on education for the Free Press. Originally from Hamilton, Ont., she joined the newsroom as a reporter in 2019. Read more about Maggie.
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