Oxford Properties

Q. What kind of challenges have you faced along the way?

A. Running a volunteer-based organization is challenging. Everything from recruiting volunteers, to establishing systems that work can be tasking. Not only that, starting as a grassroots organization with no funding and learning how to navigate that on a zero-dollar budget poses its challenges. We are basically brand-new entrepreneurs supporting other entrepreneurs. There has been a lot of learning and re-evaluation done over the course of time, and we’re grateful for the support that we get from our community that enables us to do what we do.

Q. We’ve heard a lot about the BOM Sweetheart Box – what is it, and where can people get one?

A. The BOM Sweetheart Box is our annual curated gift box. This year’s box supports eight black-owned brands, and it comes with eight full-sized products and two samples as well.  It’s a great way to promote self-love during Valentine’s day, with the idea that you can give gifts to yourself, friends or family while supporting Black makers. It’s our second year doing the box, it’s a fun project and a great opportunity to introduce and support different black entrepreneurs and makers in our community.

The first 24 boxes sold contain bonus items from additional Black-owned brands. These products are randomly added to the box and contain products such as jerk seasoning, bath soaks, discounts, and coupons.

Q. What is BOM YEG doing this year for Black History Month?

A. For Black History Month we’ll be hosting the Black Futures Market at the Art Gallery of Alberta on February 5 & 6 to celebrate Black artisans in our community.

We’ll also be participating in a panel at MacEwan University as part of the Interdisciplinary Dialogue course. The theme of the panel is Black Futures: Creating While Black and it will feature our founder Rochelle Ignacio accompanied by Alain Intwali who is the Entertainment Manager for BOM YEG as well as a vocal artist and sound engineer. The panel will be moderated by Robert Tyndale who is a black creator here in Edmonton, and it will address the challenges of creating while being black and the resiliency we must have in trying to build up our communities and a little bit about each participant’s success stories.

And of course, we will be offering our Sweetheart box for BHM that has already launched!

Q. What’s the best way for people to stay in touch with what you’re doing?

A. For more of our activities during BHM stay tuned to our Instagram as we may be collaborating with other businesses throughout February and that’s the best way to support and amplify not only what BOM does but the work of other Black creatives, businesses and leaders in the city.

Rachel Spencer Wong, content creator

If you’re a fashion girlie with a love for thrifting and DIY projects, you probably know Rachel Spencer Wong (aka @rachspeed). The Toronto-based content creator (who created the genius and now-viral “333 outfit challenge”) has built a loyal following for her fun, aspirational and yet still approachable take on fashion and styling.

Rachel’s favourite memories of Lunar New Year include spending quality time with her family.

“Every year I celebrate Lunar New Year with my immediate family – as well as my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Now that we’re all grown up, my cousins have their own families and children that we’re also able to share these traditions with,” she says.

One tradition Rachel is looking forward to this year is giving out red envelopes, now that she is married.

“This [year] is my first LNY married, which means traditionally it’s now our turn to give hong bao (lucky red envelopes) to our younger relatives!”

Dylan Yang

Rachel’s Lunar New Year Picks:

1. Nudestix Nudies Glow Cream Highlighter Stick in Hey Honey (Available at Sephora): “My fave gold highlighter!”
2. ‘Dim Sum Palace’ by X. Fang (Available at IndigoSpirit): “I purchased this book for my cousin’s children during the holidays – in my childhood my cousins and I used to go to dim sum every week! Thought this would be a very special gift.”
3. Aesop Resurrection Duet (Available at Hudson’s Bay): “It’s tradition to clean house in anticipation of LNY – and I love any reason to stock up on my favourite luxury hand soap.”

Shop Nudestix | Shop books | Shop Aesop

Nudestix at Sephora

IndigoSpirit

Aesop at Hudson’s Bay

Mai Nguyen, author, ‘Sunshine Nails’

Mai Nguyen is the author of Sunshine Nails, a tender and humorous story about a Vietnamese Canadian family in Toronto who will do whatever it takes to protect their no-frills nail salon after a new high-end salon opens up closeby. The book’s complex characters showcase the diversity of immigrant experiences and community resilience.

Mai, who is also a National Magazine Award-nominated journalist and copywriter, was born in Winnipeg, raised in Halifax, and is now based in Toronto. She has fond memories from childhood of celebrating Lunar New Year (or tết) with her family.

“Growing up, my Vietnamese parents would buy these massive trays of dried, candied fruits every year. Ginger, tamarind, wintermelon, you name it. My favourites were the colourful coconut ribbons called Mứt Dừa. I could eat a whole batch of those!” she says.

This year marks her first Lunar New Year with her daughter, and Mai is looking forward to passing on traditions to mark this special occasion.

“I’m looking forward to dressing her up in red and giving her her first red envelope. I also can’t wait to eat this sticky rice cake called Bánh chưng made with glutinous rice, mung beans and pork. It’s best when it’s pan-fried so that it’s nice and crispy on the edges,” she says.

Lucy Doan

Mai’s Lunar New Year Picks:

1. ‘Lunar Love’ by Lauren Kung Jessen (Available at IndigoSpirit)
2. Jellycat Bashful Dragon Plus Toy (Shop at IndigoSpirit)
3. Dr. Martens Adrian Year of the Dragon Hair-On Tassel Loafers

Shop books | Shop toys | Shop Dr. Martens

IndigoSpirit

IndigoSpirit

Dr. Martens at Browns Shoes

Deborah Lau-Yu, editor-in-chief of Fête Chinoise and creative director of Palettera Inc.

Deborah Lau-Yu is the queen of Lunar New Year celebrations. The editor-in-chief of Fête Chinoise magazine and creative director of Palettera Inc. is the woman behind the Fête Chinoise Signature Lunar New Year gala, an annual black-tie event held in Toronto (and also in Vancouver this year) that celebrates Chinese culture in the Canadian community.

As a designer and creative director, one of Deborah’s favourite Lunar New Year traditions is collecting lucky red envelopes.

“These ‘lucky money pockets’ as I used to call them growing up are fascinating to me…I was obsessed with the design on the red pockets I would receive as a child. I had an affinity toward the very traditional ones because I felt a connection with my grandmother who taught me almost everything I know about my heritage when I was growing up. From the imagery to the words on each pocket, I learned a lot through the symbolism which factors into my understanding and depth of appreciation of Chinese culture today,” she explains.

Another favourite tradition of Deborah’s is feasting. “The feast with the family came with the festivities every year and is something I miss since a lot of my family is no longer around. I tried to capture this sentiment and love for food and culture in our Fête Chinoise tea towel, titled, Feast,” she says.

Chris Chong for Fête Chinoise

Deborah’s Lunar New Year Picks

1. Red sweater: “[It’s] always a good reason to choose a red sweater to add to the closet that can be worn at LNY and other occasions, like Christmas. [I’ve] already got mine.” (Editor’s Pick: Lilysilk Ultrafine Merino Wool Crewneck at Hudson’s Bay)
2. Gold bracelet: “When you receive lucky red pockets from elders or give pockets to others, the attention is on the hand gesture of giving and receiving.” (Editor’s Pick: Paris Jewellers Cosmic Bracelet With Pearl In 10kt Yellow Gold)
3. Red Hunter Boots (Available at Hudson’s Bay): “Some lucky red Hunter boots to do all the travelling, celebrating, home visits, and event set up, all while being protected from the rain.”

Shop red sweaters | Shop gold bracelets | Shop Hunter boots

Lilysilk at Hudson’s Bay

Paris Jewellers

Hunter at Hudson’s Bay

Sasha Mei, content creator, writer and co-founder of Yu + Mei

You could say fashion runs through content creator Sasha Mei (@sasha.mei)’s veins. With a mother who worked in fashion marketing at GUESS in Malaysia, it’s clear that style runs in the family. Over the past few years, Sasha has solidified herself as a purveyor of style, providing endless inspiration of chic and effortless minimalism.

Community and conversation are also important to Sasha, which led her to co-found a supper club called Yu + Mei. Yu + Mei brings individuals together for stylish, intimate gatherings, where food and conversation take center stage.

When it comes to celebrating Lunar New Year, Sasha enjoys her special tradition of having Peking duck or dim sum with friends and, of course, dressing up for the occasion.

“We don’t have many family traditions surrounding LNY – the half of my family that celebrates is in Malaysia, and we didn’t have any relatives in Canada. My mother never really reinforced strict traditions, probably because LNY during her childhood involved endless rounds at relatives’ homes and she found it exhausting. [However], two things were guaranteed on LNY growing up: special red envelopes from our parents and grandparents, and some sort of delicious meal. When I went to university, I started bringing my friends for Peking duck or dim sum on LNY and it became a new tradition – they don’t have to celebrate it, but I always think that the best part of any holiday is sharing food with people.”

Sam Bolianatz

Sasha’s Lunar New Year Picks:

1. Pandora Two-tone Chinese Year of the Dragon Collier Necklace (Available at Pandora)
2. Chanel N°1 de Chanel Revitalizing Serum (Available at Hudson’s Bay)

Shop necklaces | Shop Chanel beauty

Pandora

Chanel at Hudson’s Bay

Hannah Sung, Canadian media veteran, award-winning journalist, co-founder Media Girlfriends

You may remember Hannah Sung gracing your television screen in the early 2000s as a MuchMusic VJ who hosted MuchNews and TheNewMusic. She was one of the few racialized women in media at the time, and for many, was one of the first examples of Asian representation in the Canadian media landscape. Her journalism career also includes roles at CBC Radio, TVO and Globe and Mail, where she produced Colour Code, a podcast about race in Canada.

These days, Hannah continues to create space for misrepresented voices in media through Media Girlfriends, an award-winning podcast production company led by journalists of colour which focuses on promoting greater inclusion of perspectives in Canadian media.

As a proud Korean Canadian, one special Lunar New Year tradition Hannah follows is getting dressed in a hanbok.

“It’s so much fun to do with my children because it’s the only day of the year that they get to put them on. They’re also growing so fast that their hanbok is always either too small or too loose, which is cute. We wear hanbok to bow to older generations. The kids watch my husband and I kneel down to the floor and bow to my parents and my kids bow to all of us,” she explains.

“My kids don’t speak much Korean but they’ve definitely perfected the Korean phrase for ‘Wishing you good luck in the New Year.’ They love this ritual of respect and they get money and well wishes in return. Then we eat ddeok guk (떡국), an absolute fave. It doesn’t feel like a new year until we have that meal.”

May Truong

Hannah’s Lunar New Year Picks:

1. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair (Available at Sephora): “My skin is crazy dry right now, so I’ll use anything that is healing.
2. “A few baked treats for the family.” (Editor’s Pick: Lunar New Year Gift Tin from Purdy’s Chocolates)

Shop Dr. Jart+ | Explore Kingsway dining options

Dr. Jart+ at Sephora

Purdy’s Chocolates

Trevor Lui, chef, restauranter, author and co-creator of Highbell Group and Quell

Chef Trevor Lui is a known pillar in the Asian Canadian community, particularly in Toronto, where he’s based. The chef, restauranter and entrepreneur has a knack for bringing people together through culinary experiences—whether that be through his restaurant Bao Bird, food concept Fat Bao, management agency Quell, or hospitality business, The Highbell Group.

It should come as no surprise, then, that one of Chef Trevor’s favourite Lunar New Year traditions is the celebration of food with friends, family and community.

“Having a family banquet to both close and open the year (‘tuin leen’ and ‘hoi leen’) is always a wonderful time to have the family get together and eat great food. We also love the custom of exchanging turnip and sugar cakes (‘bak tong go’ and ‘leen go’),” says Chef Trevor.

This year, Chef Trevor is most looking forward to the continued emergence of the Asian community, one, he says, has begun to finally garner a voice beyond our own borders.

“Modern day successes buoyed by prominent figures in our community and growing allies are helping to tell stories of our generations of history of struggle, racism and success (particularly in the role we played in building North America),” he explains.

Some of these successes include what Chef Trevor calls a “new renaissance” of Asian chefs in New York City. “[These chefs] were classically trained and have now gone back to cooking the food they grew up with ‘their way’ and are now being recognized for it. I’d love to see that in our communities here in Toronto. With that, we need to take this time to help shine a light on the talent we have and find ways to support and elevate their names and establishments.”

Chef Trevor’s Lunar New Year Picks:

“Support LNY-themed products that support community: where major retailers use LNY as a way to capitalize on culturally-important events, select those that do so authentically and intentionally to support our communities.”

Editor’s Picks:

1. Paris Jewellers Asian Heritage Lotus Disc Pendant (Available at Paris Jewellers)
2. Sulwhasoo Lunar New Year First Care Activating Serum VI (Available at Sephora)
3. Gua Sha Stone (Available at Skin High)

Paris Jewellers

Sulwhasoo at Sephora

Skin High

Inspiring Tablescapes

Transform your dining table by elevating your everyday items to show off your entertaining style. A table runner or tablecloth will help set the tone, while elegant tableware will add a sophisticated touch. Create a focal point for your tablescape with a unique vase or tapered candles as a statement centerpiece.

Hudson’s Bay

HomeSense

Embracing Autumn Décor

From the entrance to your dining room, create a warm and cozy atmosphere with fall décor accents. Choose a colour palette to carry throughout your home as a theme or go the minimalist route with shades of white to keep it crisp and clean. Lean into fall foliage with bold wreaths, and rich jewel toned accent items.

Walmart

QE Home

Delicious Eats Await

If you’re skipping the turkey in favour of a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal, check out our various food and dessert offerings instead. The options are endless for a delectable Thanksgiving feast here.

Pur & Simple

Moxies

Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving

The trick to a more eco-friendly and sustainable Thanksgiving is to plan your menu mindfully and repurpose where possible. Reduce single-use disposable items by opting for cloth napkins and quality food storage containers. Bring reusable totes to your local market which now come in various styles and prints.

Stokes

Shop Harrow

Female-Founded Fashion

Though fashion continues to be a male-dominated industry (a 2022 study by the Business of Fashion revealed that women design 40% of womenswear fashion brands and only make up about 14% of leadership positions in the industry), the impact women have had is immense.

Here in Canada, Sarah Reitman founded Reitmans in 1926 with her husband, Herman. Since its modest beginnings as one women’s clothing store on Boulevard St. Laurent in Montreal, it has since evolved into one of Canada’s largest women’s specialty retailers and operates Reitmans, Penningtons, and RW&Co.

A current female fashion brand founder who is making a statement is accessories designer Rebecca Minkoff, whose eponymous brand quickly gained a following for its edgy yet wearable designs.

RW&Co.

Rebecca Minkoff at The Bay

In honour of Black History Month, we’ve collaborated with our friends at BOM YEG to share the stories of Black creators in the UNITE space. Together, let’s support and lift up Black entrepreneurs!

Meet Rochelle Ignacio, BOM YEG.

Rochelle Ignacio is the co-founder of Black Owned Market Edmonton (BOM YEG). BOM YEG has been a part of UNITE by TMK since October 2021 when it first opened.

Currently there are six BOM YEG vendors at UNITE, including Rochelle’s line of candles (Enid Rose Collectives) and loose-leaf teas (Black Owned Makers). Getting started in UNITE has given vendors an opportunity to explore and learn methods of merchandising, retailing, inventory, and lifecycle management. This way, businesses are able to experiment with new products, merchandising, and marketing before they think about opening their own storefront or expanding into different retail environments. They’re able to find what that perfect fit and balance is for them.

Q: After Black History Month is over, how can people continue to support and recognize Black entrepreneurs?

ROCHELLE: It’s really important for people to support the Black community not only in Black History Month but all year round. We’re Black every day, 24/7, 365. I know that a lot of people want to feature Black businesses. They want to collaborate, work, order products, food, but really what we’re asking is that people continue to come to UNITE. It really helps to get the sales so that we can ensure we’re staying within the space.

Find Rochelle’s products at UNITE in BOM YEG.

Meet Dupe and Seun Adedeji, Travelling Dishes.

Travelling Dishes is a local Nigerian food business that started in 2019. They offer catering, cooking classes, retail, and food delivery. The concept of their business is to highlight Nigerian food and introduce people to it. The name was inspired by their love for travelling and food.

Three products can be found in UNITE: Chin Chin Poppers (deep fried cookie chips), Coconut Candy (caramelized coconut flakes), and Rodo Brittle (chili infused peanut brittles). Being in this space provides them that opportunity to reach new clients or customers that normally wouldn’t know about them. Since their business is based online, they aren’t able to have that everyday customer interaction. The space gives them more exposure on their business, and helps them bring Nigerian food to new communities. As a start-up business, it’s sometimes hard to get into big box stores so being in UNITE provides that chance to start small then grow from there.

Beyond the snacks at UNITE, you can find a menu of Nigerian dishes with a little bit of “Canadian-ess”, meaning it’s a different spin on traditional Nigerian food. Two of their bestselling items are meat pies, called buka pies, and the very popular egusi soup.

Q: Is there anything that you’re looking forward to within the community during Black History Month?

DUPE: Definitely Feed the Soul. Knowing about all the different restaurants that I didn’t know about before, getting to try some of the food during that week, and even beyond that. Getting to see different black talents within the city or even in Canada, in general. I feel like there’s always something new to explore in terms of Black culture, Black excellence, and Black experience. I just love the celebration of how far we’ve come. From us coming from Nigeria to Canada, it feels so nice to be celebrated on someone else’s turf. I just feel really honored and privileged that there’s something like that here.

SEUN: For me, I would say educate myself on what’s going on in the community. There’s so much going on, that if we don’t celebrate, eat, or bring it out ourselves, we don’t know. If you want to be intention of universal support, you first need to know where to turn out and support. Being part of some of the events and celebrations for this month is a step towards being intentional.

Find Dupe and Seun’s products at UNITE in BOM YEG or their online website. 

Meet Tarissa Wollaston, LAYERED by Rissa.

LAYERED by Rissa is a custom cake business in Edmonton. Tarissa specializes in cakes for weddings, celebrations; whatever you’re celebrating, she can provide that for you. A diverse menu is offered with 9 standard flavours and 11 seasonal flavours, as well as gluten-free, vegan, and dairy-free options.

arissa launched her brand in June 2020. At the time, she was working on her BA degree and a life situation occurred where she yearned for something to bring back that joy in life. Her brand is based on the fact that life has so many different layers and they all pile up sometimes, but the layers add to create something fruitful, exactly like a cake.

Coming from Carribean descent, Tarissa grew up in a household of cooking. She recalls memories of foods class in high school where she was given the opportunity to create something out of random ingredients and how it brings her joy to this day. Tarissa has been working on the recipes and working on them for years to come. From that, she has established a brand of cakes that are not too sweet, and something that her clients come back for.

Q: Black History Month is super busy for Black entrepreneurs. What is the lead up into the month and what are your energy levels feeling like?

TARISSA: The month is a lot. You’re expected to show up for your business or if you’re in the corporate world, for your job in that space. But as an entrepreneur, you’re supposed to show up as an entrepreneur and also for the other entrepreneur events that are happening. Balancing that can be quite tricky. I think for me personally, I mentally prepared myself by taking January a little bit slower and putting new systems in place that would help alleviate my time. We’re launching our new website that will be e-commerce based so that way I don’t have to do too much work on the admin side and answering so many emails. So just putting in different systems in place has helped me really prepare for this month. I think just knowing that I can still show up for the other events, it’s going to be really refreshing.

Join Tarissa for her pop-up at UNITE on February 14 from 12:30 to 6:30 pm for Valentine’s Day treats and Feed the Soul features.

Meet Africart.

Africart is a new jewelry vendor in BOM YEG that has been in Edmonton for over 10 years. When an opportunity for a new jewelry vendor at BOM YEG came up, Rochelle reached out to the owner of Africart because she thinks that their jewelry is beautiful and speaks to the black community.

Shop Africart at UNITE in BOM YEG. 

Local Gifting

Shop local this Valentine’s Day for unique items that support businesses in our community. From custom terrariums, to fashion accessories, to sustainability-minded decor, find the perfect gift to show your appreciation to your loved ones.

Gold Plated Heart Hoop Earring Glitter & Co.

Aloe Vera Glass Earth

Opal Spectacles Glitter & Co.

Lake Louise Tumblr MTNPK Glassware The Makers Keep

Hoya Heart Glass Earth

For The Little Valentines

Add a touch of charm to kids’ outfits with playful, heartwarming accessories. Whether it’s a love-themed hair clip or some cozy socks, these fun accessories let kids show off their excitement and joy for the season of love.

Heart Shoulder Bag H&M

Heart Hair Clips H&M

Brannan Bear Toy Gap

Sparkle Bow-Back Dress Hudson’s Bay

Heart Terry Socks H&M

Galentine’s Gifts

Make this Galentine’s Day extra special by picking out the perfect surprise that’ll bring joy to your favourite gals. From trendy accessories to self-care products, there’s something for every friend at Kingsway.

Summer Fridays Sephora

Dual Wristlet Heart Pouch Lululemon

Poems for Love Indigo

Miss Dior Eau de Parfum Sephora

Gold Chain Bracelet Pandora

Happy Pride month! As you probably know, the rainbow flag is synonymous with this celebratory time that honours and uplifts the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. You’ll often spot it in the windows of people’s homes, on bumper stickers, pins, blowing in the wind on flag poles in addition to apparel like t-shirts and backpacks. This flag symbolizes unity, acceptance, and the fight for equal rights and when it’s displayed, it’s a way of showing support for the Queer community.

Gilbert Baker Pride Flag

Traditional Pride Flag

Bisexual Pride Flag

Created by bisexuality activist Michael Page in 1998, this flag has three horizontal stripes—pink, purple and blue—and represents bisexuality. The pink stripe is for attraction to the same gender, blue for the attraction to a different gender, and the purple represents attraction to two or more genders.

Lesbian Pride Flag

This Pride Flag was created in 1999 by graphic designer Emily Gwen. Her goal was to create a symbol for the lesbian community. This flag has seven horizontal stripes: three stripes of gradient red and orange, one stripe of white and three stripes of gradient pink. The shades of orange represent gender non-conformity and community, the white stripe represents unique relationships to womanhood, while the shades of pink are for serenity, peace and femininity.

Transgender Pride Flag

Transgender activist and US Navy Veteran Monica Helms created this Transgender Flag in 1999. She created the flag—consisting of five horizontal stripes of blue, pink, white, pink, blue—as a symbol to celebrate and empower transgender people, including the diversity within the community and the rights that transgender folks are still fighting for. The light pink and light blue stripes represent traditional colours for male and female and the white stripe is for those transitioning, are intersex or are non-binary.

Pansexual Pride Flag

Graphic artist Jasper Vardey created the Pansexual Pride Flag in 2010 as he wanted to create a standalone symbol for the pansexuality community. You can spot this flag by its three horizontal stripes in pink, yellow and blue. Just like the Polysexual Pride Flag with pink and blue representing attraction to those who identify as female and male, the yellow stripe is for attraction regardless of gender.

Asexual Pride Flag

First introduced in 2010 by a group of asexual activists, this Pride Flag was created to empower the asexual community. Consisting of four horizontal stripes in black, grey, white, and purple, black represents asexuality, gray is for the grey area between asexuality and sexuality, white for sexuality and lastly, the purple stripe represents community.

Demisexual Pride Flag

While it is not known when the Demisexual Pride Flag was created, it is suspected that its design was inspired by the Asexual Pride Flag which was created in 2010 (see above) as it uses the same colours but in different shapes. Demisexual identity is where a person forms sexual attraction to someone else only after they have established a deep emotional connection to that person. At the top of the flag is a white stripe, which represents sexual attraction, and below it sits a small purple stripe, which represents community, then a large grey stripe at the bottom for demisexuality. Lastly, there’s a black triangle at the left-hand side of the flag which represents asexuality.

Genderqueer Pride Flag

First introduced in 2011 by genderqueer activist Marilyn Roxie, the Genderqueer Pride Flag was created to represent those who identify as a combination of genders or who have a gender that is outside the traditional male and female binary. The flag consists of three horizontal stripes: purple, white and green with purple representing androgyny and other queer identities, white for agender identities or having no gender and green for those who are non-binary.

Genderfluid Pride Flag

In 2012, genderfluid activist JJ Poole first introduced the Genderfluid Pride Flag. It was created to celebrate people who have a gender identity that is not fixed and can fluctuate in different circumstances and/or over time. This flag has five stripes in colours of pink, white, purple, black and blue and each one represents a different part of the genderfluid community. Pink is for femininity, white for neutrality, purple for a combination of male and female genders, black for the absence of gender and blue for masculinity.

Polysexual Pride Flag

In 2012, Tumblr user Samlin created the Polysexual Flag, and it was introduced to differentiate polysexuality from bisexuality and pansexuality. This flag has three horizontal stripes in pink, green and blue. Pink represents attraction to female-identifying people, the blue for attraction to those who identify as male, and the green stripe is for attraction to people who identify as non-binary or other genders.

Intersex Pride Flag

This Intersex Pride Flag was designed by intersex activist and organization founder Morgan Carpenter in 2013. This flag was created to empower the intersex community which consists of people who are born with reproductive traits or sexual anatomy that are outside of the male-female binary. There have been changes made to the Intersex Flag over the years, but this version is yellow with the outline of a purple circle on it—two colours that are seen as gender neutral.

Nonbinary Pride Flag

The Nonbinary Flag was created in 2014 by nonbinary activist Kye Rowan to represent people who don’t identify with either binary gender or those who don’t identify within the binary in general. With stripes of yellow, white, purple and black, each colour has a different meaning: yellow for gender outside the binary, white for those who have multiple or all genders, purple for those who are both female and male identifying while the black stripe represents those with no gender.

Agender Pride Flag

Salem X created the Agender Pride Flag in 2014 and it represents people who don’t identify with any gender, are gender neutral or have no gender. The flag has seven horizontal stripes, two black stripes at the top and bottom of the flag, two grey stripes above and below the black, two white stripes next to grey and a green stripe in the middle. The black and white stripes represent the absence of gender, the grey stripes are for those who are semi-genderless, and the green stripe represents non-binary folks.

Bigender Pride Flag

Currently, there are multiple variations of the Bigender Pride Flag. This flag, created in 2014 by Tumblr user ‘no-bucks-for-this-doe,’ is one of the more commonly used versions. It represents those who identify with two genders, whether that’s male and female or outside of the gender binary. This flag has seven horizontal stripes in two shades of pink, two stripes in one shade of purple, one of white and two shades of blue. While there’s currently no written explanation to explain what each colour means, it is widely thought that the pink and blue stripes represent the feelings of identity, the top purple stripe is for good relationships, the white stripe is for unique bigender experiences, and the bottom purple stripe is for pride.

Androgyne Pride Flag

There’s more than one Androgyne Pride Flag, but this one was believed to be introduced in 2014 by a Tumblr user by the name of ‘saveferris.’ The Androgyne Pride Flag represents individuals who display a combination of masculine and feminine characteristics or someone who’s gender identity is androgynous. Androgyny may be referring to gender identity or expression or biological sex. The flag consists of three vertical stripes in pink, purple and blue with the meaning of the pink stripe being femininity, the blue stripe being masculinity and the purple stripe in the middle representing a blend of both genders.

The Two-Spirit Pride Flag

This flag represents Indigenous American that identity as two-spirit individuals meaning they fall outside of the M-F binary. Tumbler user ‘2Sanon’ developed the most seen two-spirit flag and was submitted to ask-pride-colour-schemes on December 17, 2016. The feathers represent masculine and feminine identities. The circle signifies the unification of both identities into a separate gender while the rainbow represents modern queer identities.

Trans-Inclusive Gay Men’s Pride Flag

This version of the Gay Men’s Pride Flag is the second iteration, and its time of creation is unknown. It has seven horizontal stripes in different shades of green and blue, along with a white stripe in the middle. The flag now includes representation for non-cisgender gay men.

Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag

This flag has had a few iterations. In 2018, Portland-based artist Daniel Quasar designed the Progress Pride Flag, which was the rainbow stripes of the Pride flag, plus triangle stripes of white, pink and blue for the transgender community, along with black and brown triangle stripes to represent marginalized people of colour. In 2021, it received an update by Valentino Vecchietti to include a yellow triangle and purple circle to call back to the original 2013 Intersex Pride Flag.

Something Sparkly

Adorn your loved one with a piece of jewelry that will stand the test of time. A delicate necklace, a sparkling bracelet or a pair of elegant earrings can add a touch of sophistication to any outfit and serve as a constant reminder of your affection.

Paris Jewellers

Michael Hill

Something Sweet

They say the way to the heart is through the stomach, so why not treat your Valentine to a delectable assortment of gourmet goodies? Local sweets from The Makers Keep or a box of chocolate from Purdy’s can add a dash of sweetness to your celebration.

Explore more dining options

The Makers Keep

Purdy’s

Something Stylish

Surprise your beloved with a timeless staple they can style for years to come. Consider a fun accessory like a colourful scarf, a pair of statement sunglasses, a classic handbag, or a sleek watch that complements their personal style.

Bailey Nelson

Fossil

Something Fragrant

Spritz some love in the air with a fragrance that they can enjoy year-round. Whether it’s a gift set in their signature scent, a sample set of minis, or even some home fragrance goodies like candles and room sprays, these gifts will have your loved one feeling scent-sational.

Sephora

HomeSense

Something Tasty

Make this Valentine’s Day extra special with a meal that will make their tastebuds swoon. Whether you’re dining in or taking out, Kingsway has plenty of delicious dining options, including Moxies, Pür & Simple, and Boston Pizza.

Explore more dining options

Pur & Simple

Boston Pizza

Sustainable Fashion Brands

When it comes to eco-friendly clothing, consider shopping for brands that use sustainable materials such as organic cotton, recycled polyester and natural fibres like linen and bamboo. These materials are better for the environment and often have a lower carbon footprint than sustainable materials (plus, they feel like a cloud on your skin!). Additionally, look for brands that use as few natural resources as possible throughout their products’ life cycle, as well as companies that support ethical labour practices.

Canadian brand Matt and Nat (available at Hudson’s Bay) produces high-quality, timeless products made from different recycled materials such as nylons, cardboard, rubber, cork and windshield resins. Additionally, their linings are made solely of 100% recycled plastic bottles. Sustainable activewear brand Girlfriend Collective (available at Hudson’s Bay) is another pick you can feel good about, thanks to its ethically-made activewear with recycled materials in sizes XXS-6XL. Finally, American Eagle’s Real Good collection not only uses sustainably produced and sourced materials, but also has reduced the amount of water used per pair of jeans by 14%.

Hudson’s Bay

American Eagle

Clean Beauty

If you’re wanting to incorporate sustainability practices into your beauty routine, there are a few things to look out for. You’ll want to find brands that use sustainable beauty ingredients (that is, those formulated without harmful ingredients) and sustainable packaging that has as little waste as possible (think: reusable glass jars and compostable cardboard). And just like we mentioned, look for companies that take steps to lower their impact throughout their entire supply chain and that create products with the well-being of animals, people and the planet in mind.

A great place to start is by checking out Sephora’s “Clean at Sephora” program which features products that are free from over 50 harmful ingredients, including sulfates, parabens and phthalates. Our top picks include Biossance, Tata Harper and Rose Inc.

Other sustainable beauty brands we love include L’Occitane en Provence (available at Hudson’s Bay), The Body Shop and Lush.

Sephora

The Body Shop

Recycle and Repurpose

Another way to incorporate more sustainability practices into your everyday life is to recycle and repurpose items you already own.

Sephora, The Body Shop and MAC Cosmetics and have beauty recycling programs which allow you to recycle beauty items such as compacts, lipsticks and concealer, foundation and mascara tubes. From there, the items are sorted, separated and used to create new products. Additionally, H&M has a Garment Collecting program that collects any brand’s unwanted clothes or textiles in any condition (bonus: you receive a thank-you voucher to use towards your next purchase).

MAC Cosmetics

H&M

Our Commitment to Sustainability

Kingsway is committed to being environmentally responsible. We’ve implemented various energy and emissions reduction programs, including motion sensor lights, energy-efficient HVAC equipment and maintenance trucks, LED lighting, and recycling initiatives. Through this, we’ve received the BOMA BEST Gold Certification in 2023 as we continue to strive for excellence in sustainability.

In addition, the Kingsway Rooftop Garden will be returning this summer, in support of Edmonton’s Food Bank to help combat food insecurity in the Edmonton community.

To learn more about sustainability at Kingsway, click here.

Tableware

Set the table for Lunar New Year with vibrant dinnerware featuring elegant prints, gold accents, and striking decor as you gather with loved ones to celebrate the Spring Festival.

Beverage Glasses H&M

Glow Buffet Plate Hudson’s Bay

Porcelain Plate H&M

Gold Candle Sticks The Maker’s Keep