Himalayan Collection

The owner of Himalayan Collection is also a tour guide of sorts. “Many people say, ‘I can’t afford to go to Nepal or India, but at least I can get a taste of it here,'” says Sherab Dolma, who opened her gift, fashion and home-decor boutique on Roncesvalles Avenue in 2007. "Many people ask what Nepal is like because they want to go there. 'What should I see, what would I enjoy?' So I tell them all about it. I love sharing with them."

The boutique's Himalayan taste is certainly authentic. Ornate wooden masks cover one wall, with colourful cotton coats, silk scarves and wool hats lining another. Glittering crystals spill across a table next to the till, while jewellery sparkles nearby. And you won't find a "made in China" label on anything.

"My parents send me stock from the Himalayas — India, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan — and my husband travels there to source items," Dolma explains. "It’s affordable, it’s different, but most importantly, it's all handmade at the source."