Shelfie Photography From Across Canada
Updated: May 20, 2020
For our "shelfie" challenge, we asked you to share a picture of a shelf at home and tell us about the most precious item on display, whether it be a treasured souvenir or a framed photo. Here are a few of our favourite "shelfies"!
Canadian content
“I call this my Canadian shelf,” writes Cathy Sands Unruh or Parksville, B.C. “It’s special because I love to read novels by Canadians.” How many of these classics have you checked off your reading list?
Family treasures
Robbie Gorr of Petawawa, Ontario, submitted this shelfie of forget-me-nots among some old family photos and memorabilia. Thanks for sharing, Robbie—the elegant arrangement reminds us of the opening credits of Downton Abbey.
Digger’s den
It’s not every shelf that gets its own label! Dave Bowman of Edmonton shared this shelfie, which is a veritable treasure trove of artifacts. “Numerous little antiques my dad collected over his lifetime, which I have now inherited,” Dave explains.
Check out another impressive collection of antiques!
Dolphin friendly
“I love dolphins,” writes Liz Shaw-Pickard of Ottawa. “My children have been buying me little dolphin trinkets for birthdays and Mother’s Days over the years. I have a corner 5-tier display shelf now filled with dolphins and this is my favourite shelf featuring two glass dolphin sculptures.”
Find out why dolphins are among the smartest creatures on the planet.
A shell-filled shelfie
Rosa Cross of Tancook Island, Nova Scotia, shared this beautiful beach-themed shelfie from her bathroom. The pretty vignette includes a stone hand-painted by her mother, a seldom-seen “mermaid’s purse,” island beach glass, sand dollars, a sea urchin and a whale fin bone. You can almost hear the waves hitting the shore!
Take a look at the best beaches across Canada.
Mantel peace
“Our fireplace shelf is filled with family photos centred around a sand painting artwork that we purchased in Colorado Springs,” shares Paula Brown of Ottawa. “The Navajo people created sand paintings as a way of chasing away evil spirits. We love the intricacy of it!” Don’t miss Paula’s impressive watch collection.
Room to grow
“I needed somewhere to place my favourite succulent plants, so my husband put a shelf in my kitchen window,” shares Debbie Wright of Niagara Falls, Ontario. “This turned out to be the best shelf ever!”
These are the best air-cleaning plants for your home.
Forward, march!
Alan Cheng of Scarborough, Ontario, captured this fun shelfie at the Royal Ontario Museum! Row upon row of toy soldiers can be found marching across this shelf in the museum’s gift shop.
Can’t remember the last time you’ve been to the ROM? It’s just one of 50 reasons to fall in love with Toronto all over again.
Cute composition
The most treasured item on Edith Beerda’s shelf is the round tray that serves as a backdrop to the darling items on display. “It was a gift I had made for my mother-in-law,” Edith explains. “After she went into semi-assisted care, it was returned to me. She loved it, as I did.”
You can see more of Edith’s photography in this gallery celebrating the beauty of the Canadian winter.
Pot of gold
“As a child, spending time in my grandmother’s attic was so thrilling,” writes Kim MacDonald Cameron of Bow Island, Alberta. “Boxes, bags and trunks of treasures were to be found. This box of chocolates came from there, filled with old dominoes, glasses and bits of ribbon. I love this memories this box brings.”
Explore more vintage treasures in this showcase of Canadian history on camera.
Auto aficionado
This shelfie reflects a 13-year-old boy’s passion—collecting toy cars! Kerry McCue of Toronto shared this impressive shot, noting “these are only a few” and that the collection continues to grow. We love the colour-coordinated shelves!
Don’t miss this gallery of great Canadian car photography.
Nancy’s on the case
Robbie Gorr’s shelfie will look familiar to anyone who fancied themselves an amateur sleuth in their childhood! The distinctive yellow spines of the Nancy Drew series represent the very beginning of Robbie’s large book collection, and a lifelong love of mystery stories.
Read up on the world’s strangest unsolved mysteries.
A meaningful mix
“From Tetley Tea figurines that I collected 30 years ago to a hummingbird/snakeskin/robin nest I made, my shelves hold a variety of objects,” writes Cathy Gauthier of Magnetawan, Ontario. “Water-smoothed rocks and bricks from Humber Bay in Toronto… Every object has a special meaning for me.”
Check out this incredible model train collection.
Winged wonders
“Fairies watching over me,” writes Toronto’s Glenda Fordham of her absolutely enchanting shelfie.
These magical photos of frozen bubbles will take your breath away.
Rocks rock!
Melanie Nickel of Calgary sent in this shot of a cabinet that’s positively packed with geological treasures. From geodes to gems, this collection simply sparkles!
Find out what it’s like finding fossils in the Burgess Shale.
Touching tribute
Norma Keith of Baltimore, Ontario, has devoted this shelf to the memory of her beloved boys, Skye and Monty. It’s a touching tribute, Norma—thanks for sharing.
Here’s what dogs can teach us about love, friendship and family.
Worth keeping
Weeding out the books on your shelves is never easy, but it’s very necessary if you’re an avid reader. These are a few of the books that made the cut when Joanna Johnson of Nisku, Alberta, recently reorganized her collection. We’re proud to see a Reader’s Digest classic—the New Fix-It-Yourself Manual—among the keepers! (Here are a few of our favourite vintage home hacks.)
Sew sweet
“I learned to sew from my mother and am a passionate sewer to this day,” writes Ottawa’s Paula Brown. “These tiny shelves house mom thimble collection! I will always treasure them.”
Check out 10 more quirky collections from across the country.
Happy memories
Deb Saundau of Red Deer, Alberta, shared this beautiful composition on her corner shelf. The portrait at centre is Deb’s grandmother, Lavina Wellburn Hayman, and the sugar spoon in the foreground is from her set. Does the tower look familiar? Hint: it made our list of the must-see attractions in Calgary!
Feline fine
There are dog people, and there are cat people. Guess which camp Gloria Young of Botwood, Newfoundland, belongs to? Thanks for sharing, Gloria!
Dog people and cat people alike will love this gallery of adorable pets from across Canada.
