Canadian Heritage Collection

The Canadian Heritage Collection

Welcome to the Canadian Heritage Collection, a retail guide to the Canadian specialty games market. Using our catalogue and Canadian Content stickering program, retailers can highlight Canadian designed and published games within their store and bring them to the attention of their customers.

Important Announcement

As of the August 2012, ownership and operation of the Canadian Heritage Collection has been transferred to an Ontario-based organization called GamesForAll that is working hard to grow and celebrate boardgame culture in Canada through a variety of initiatives ranging from retail to event support to publishing and more. We've agreed that their spirit and intent is closely aligned with that of the Canadian Heritage Collection and that they're well equipped to continue growing and improving upon the CHC in the years to come. For more information, please read our official announcement.

The Catalogue

The Canadian Heritage Collection annual catalogue is squarely targeted at Canadian retailers of board and card games, the vast majority of which are independently owned and operated by passionate entrepreneurs. While some of them focus almost entirely on games, many carry games as part of a broader mix of children's toys, books, educational supplies, video games, hobby crafts, comics, or collectibles, each reaching out to a different audience.

Every September, collection curator Rob Bartel compiles a catalogue of Canadian games in print. The catalog contains an extensive list of games from Canadian designers and publishers coupled with a series of "Did you know..." trivia callouts highlighting some of the interesting stories behind the games we play. RETAILERS are encouraged to keep a digital or physical copy of the catalogue on hand for their staff to read and reference throughout the year.

Every summer, Canadian PUBLISHERS and DESIGNERS are asked to provide updates regarding old titles that have fallen out of print and new products that are launching within the current calendar year. Also, a limited amount of full-color advertising space is available - for rates, specifications, and availability, please contact games@robbartel.com.

Our annual catalogue is available through MagCloud both as a PDF download and in a glossy magazine format. Current editions can be purchased for a small fee whereas digital versions from past years are available as a FREE DOWNLOAD.


The Labeling Program

At the heart of the Canadian Heritage Collection is our labeling program. Using the catalogue as their guide, retailers are encouraged to apply these eye-catching 1" stickers to the shrink wrap of applicable items in their store. The stickers are sized to fit where you need them most - on the front of the box, on the spines, or even on small-format card games.

Our labels are designed to get your customers to pick up the games, examine them in greater detail, and ask your staff for more information. Once they do, the catalog is there to help your staff speak intelligently and engagingly about the Canadian games industry, the various publishers and designers involved, and the games that line your shelves. You may also want to consider creating a special Canada Day display to help draw attention to these titles during the off-season.

Online retailers are also able to get involved. A digital equivalent of the Canadian Heritage Collection sticker can be licensed on an annual basis to identify Canadian games on your website. You can place an order for physical stickers or an annual digital license by clicking the image in our sidebar.

The Blog

Stay informed about the Canadian gaming scene throughout the year with our Canadian Gamer blog [RSS]. We go into greater depth about new and upcoming Canadian games, discuss issues of relevance to retailers, and provide insights into the latest news. Our curator, Rob Bartel, is a recognized industry expert and also an occasional guest blogger for Global Toy News.

The Newsletter

Those wanting to see the latest Canadian gaming news in their inbox are encouraged to subscribe to our Canadian Made, Canadian Played newsletter. The newsletter is more than just an outgoing broadcast, however. The Canadian Heritage Collection was inspired by discussions with Canadian retailers and we're always interested in speaking with others in the industry. Anyone wishing to contact us may do so by emailing Rob Bartel at games@robbartel.com. If you wish to be removed from the Canadian Heritage Collection mailing list, you can unsubscribe here.