CANADA COOL

With a bevy of quirky thrift stores and boutiques, Montreal has no shortage of vintage finds, local designs, and culinary souvenirs to bring home with you

- CHARLIE HOBBS

Clockwise from this image: Morceau's dishware; clothing and prints at Clark Street Mercantile; sommelier Vanya Filipovic and chef Marc-Olivier Frappier of Vin Mon Lapin; books inside Paperole; Marché Floh shoppers; accessories on display at Holt Renfrew

IN THE GOURMAND'S metropolis of Montreal, one of the best ways to fill the time between meals is to go shopping. While Quebec's largest city was first founded as a missionary center rather than a fur-trading post, as was the case with several other Canadian cities, the proceeding centuries have seen Montreal more than make up for its nonmaterialist origins. In addition to a robust and diverse array of vintage-clothes sellers and interesting bookstores, there are local craftspeople and formidable luxury retailers that together embody the city's unique blend of cosmopolitanism, utilitarian waste-not attitude, and indie, intellectual spirit—all in close proximity. It's unlikely that you'll leave empty-handed.

SECOND TIME'S THE CHARM

Bustling Boulevard Saint-Laurent has an embarrassment of vintage stores—stroll its length at leisure. Our hit list includes the serene Seconde, which sells a well-curated edit of luxury womenswear, and