TORONTO
Toronto is crammed with antiques, collectibles, flea markets and second-hand shops. The best way for a newcomer to start is to visit the areas of the city with the best quality goods and the most knowledgeable dealers. They are generous with advice and will have plenty of ideas for you.
• Yonge Street between Bloor and St. Clair: The stores here are almost all high-end places selling fine British, Canadian and European furniture, porcelain, silver and decorative items. This strip has terrific detours branching off from it: Cumberland, Yorkville and Hazelton Avenues as well as Davenport Road. Favourites include Elisabeth Legge Fine Antique Prints at 41B Hazelton Ave., The Blue Pump at 178 Davenport Rd., The Paisley Shop Ltd. at 77 Yorkville Ave., Louis Wine Ltd. nearby at 150 Cumberland St.., and R.A. O'Neil Antiques Ltd. at 100 Avenue Road. It's a day's walk around the area but there are so many good places to stop for coffee or a sandwich you will enjoy every minute.
• Mt. Pleasant Road between Millwood and Eglinton: My favourite of all the Toronto antiques strips. Lorenz Antiques Ltd. at 701 Mt. Pleasant is one of the city's best dealers and has superb quality; Bernardi's Antiques at 699 Mt. Pleasant is a favourite, especially for china; Susan's Antiques at 585 Mt. Pleasant specializes in good quilts, wicker and transferware, while RomEla Antique Lighting Inc., which has since moved from its Mt. Pleasant location to 316 Yonge Street, has lamps and handmade shades.
• Toronto Antique Centre on King Street, near Roy Thomson Hall: My favourite store here, among the many that moved here from the now-defunct Queen's Quay market, is Cynthia Findlay Antiques at 284 King Street West, whose selection of silver, estate jewellery and porcelain is extraordinary. The King Street centre, at 239 King Street East, is also home to D&E Lake Ltd., selling antique maps, prints and books, (Don Lake has two other locations in Toronto) and Ritchies at 380 King Street East, does terrific auctions of high quality antiques, rugs and pictures, but also regular sales of everyday goods with great finds. They are affiliated with Sotheby's for major Canadian art sales.
• Queen Street – East and West: Running across the bottom of the city, this is a favourite haunt for people looking for collectibles and antiques. For years it suffered, deservedly, from the ‘funky' label, but now it is much better than that and it's well worth setting aside a day to stroll all the way along it. Just north of Queen West, at 111 Bathurst St., you'll find Waddington's, the other big Toronto auction house – in fact, the biggest in Canada. They have catalogue auctions for the best quality furniture, decorative arts objects, silver and rugs and are in partnership with Joyners for Canadian art. They also offer regular estate auctions – a great bargain bin of stuff.
NOVA SCOTIA
Picking one route in Nova Scotia is difficult, but the Lighthouse Route, which takes you along the south shore, is home to at least 32 shops, including: Blue Shutters Antiques, a good centre at 3167 Highway #3, East Chester; Brambles Antiques, 25 Cornwallis St., Lunenburg; Olde Blanket Box, 12795 Peggys Cove Road, Tantallon, with lots of antiques.
NEW BRUNSWICK
Many people recommend Boutique Recycl'Art & Antiques at 149 John St. in Moncton; others love Joan Carlisle-Irving's shop, Croix Crest Antiques at 49 Mary St., specializing in early New Brunswick furniture. Tim Isaac Antiques and Auction, in Saint John is another wonderful place. Cathy Constantine of Timber River Farm in Port Elgin, carries things like painted furniture and pantry boxes, hooked rugs and mats and crewel seat covers.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
Your best bet for antiques in P.E.I. is along what is called Charlotte's Shore - Borden, Cape Traverse, Tryon, Crapaud, Cornwall and Charlottetown. But some of the best shops on the island are a little west of these - Riverview Antiques at Travellers Rest on Route 2 in Summerside is one; Homestead Antiques at 286 Fitzroy St., is another.
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