Owner Sarah McNeill in her store, 7 Rivers Trading Company, located at 219 Sixth Ave. SE in Medicine Hat. The store features products made by Albertans and also carries locally made Edison Flat merchandise.--NEWS PHOTO SAMANTHA JOHNSON
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
The 7 Rivers Trading Company is becoming the place to go in Medicine Hat for products made in and by Albertans.
“We knew right after the concept for the store was born that it belonged downtown,” said owner Sarah McNeill. “7 Rivers is about celebrating the talent and ingenuity of small makers in our province. What better place to do that than downtown, where we’re surrounded by other entrepreneurs who work tirelessly to bring their unique skills and ideas to the people of Medicine Hat?”
The store was originally located in Arcade Plaza but moved to its new location on Sixth Ave., right beside King Bagel, last October.
The business’s top priority when choosing products and vendors is uniqueness and quality.
“I think we’ve curated a collection that meets those standards. I love that anyone could walk into the store and find something for themselves, so variety is also important.”
The store sells products from Edison Flat, which makes shirts, pins, stickers and magnets with a Medicine Hat theme. Many exchange students come into the store looking for something to take back home as a gift or to remember their time here.
McNeill originally started the store with a friend who later moved to Saskatoon, so now she operates it on her own. The idea was sparked when they were talking about locally made goods and how lots of great things are being made in Alberta but were hard to find in this corner of the province.
The pair decided to introduce the idea to Medicine Hat and started bringing in products from across the province.
As her husband works out of town and she has two small children, the official opening hours are only four days a week, but McNeill is always willing to open the store by appointment.
7 Rivers was voted third for Best in Medicine Hat 2023 in the retail and gift shop category. There are many who stumble upon the store by accident and tell McNeill they didn’t know it was there. She wants to get the word out that there is a place in the city where you can shop all of Alberta in one small space.
Official hours for the store are Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the store is located at 219 Sixth Ave. SE. If those hours don’t work for you, reach out to McNeill by email at info@7riverstradingco.ca or text her at 403-548-1135 to set up an appointment. The can be found on their website (7riverstradingco.ca) and Facebook and Instagram.
“One of our first and favourite vendors describes her products as cheeky and charming,” concluded McNeill. “We always loved that because we feel it also describes our store.”
