Urban Treasures digs into its new Pembina Highway home By: Aaron Epp Posted: 5:55 PM CDT Monday, Jun. 15, 2026

Searching for Urban Treasures? A&W marks the spot.

Staff at the six-year-old furniture, home goods and accessories business are preparing to celebrate the grand opening of their new store in the shopping centre at 1875 Pembina Hwy., which sits behind one of the fast food chain’s restaurants.

“I’m very excited, but I’m nervous,” owner Linda Cole said of opening Urban Treasures on Pembina Highway after moving the store from its first brick-and-mortar location on Clarence Avenue. “I’m trying to give Winnipeg something we don’t (already) have.”

Urban Treasures strives to cater to all décor styles, offering a mix of modern, mid-century modern, Scandinavian, contemporary and maximalist designs. The store’s inventory includes a combination of new, gently used and locally made products.

“The goal when you walk around is (that) everything feels new,” Cole said. “Most of this stuff is pre-loved and you probably wouldn’t know that, which is exciting.”

After customers make their way through the sizable showroom, they can continue shopping in the store’s warehouse. The warehouse includes space for public events, such as workshops with local makers and plant bingo nights.

Customers can take a break from shopping by playing a vintage arcade game. They can also purchase coffee at the small café at the back of the store or snack on pastries from Old Church Bakery in Steinbach.

“I’m trying to bring back that early 2000s bookstore vibe, where you go get a coffee and just walk around (or) sit in a comfy chair,” Cole said.

Urban Treasures also offers design and decorating services to customers, as well as staging for photoshoots for companies needing that type of service.

Born in Winnipeg and raised in Edmonton, Cole was drawn to interior design as a teenager. There was an Ikea on her route home from school, and while many of her peers were at the mall, she walked the aisles of the global Swedish furniture retailer.

“I would study the colours and I would study the catalogues and I’d cut and paste and create spaces,” she said. “I think that’s just kind of where it began.”

Cole studied interior design at Red River College Polytechnic before embarking on a career in retail that included 10 years managing an Urban Barn store. She left the industry in 2016 when she and her husband, Jeremy, purchased Tony’s Academy Auto Service at the corner of Academy Road and Queenston Street.

They ran the shop together for the next four years, but Cole yearned to get back to the business of making spaces beautiful. She started Urban Treasures in her Linden Woods neighbourhood basement during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m trying to bring back that early 2000s bookstore vibe, where you go get a coffee and just walk around (or) sit in a comfy chair.”

Two years later, Cole moved into a 1,600-square-foot space at 1420 Clarence Ave. She opened a second location, in Outlet Collection Winnipeg, in May 2025. When the mall didn’t renew her lease, she started looking for a new spot to move the entire operation.

Cole spent nearly $200,000 renovating the space, which covers just over 8,600 sq. ft. There’s a large parking lot for customers behind the store, as well as a patio the business owner is excited to make use of.

Formerly the home of Stone Angel Brewing Co., the space sat empty for about two years. It was a challenging spot to find a tenant for, said the leasing agent responsible for the shopping centre.

“This space had some challenges due to its size, but we were able to find a tenant that could utilize it and we’re excited to see them get open soon,” said Dino Alevizos, vice-president of commercial and business development at Shindico Realty Inc.

The shopping centre is now fully leased — a testament to the strength of retail in southwest Winnipeg, he added.

“It should be a nice (addition) to the centre,” Alevizos said of Urban Treasures. “We don’t have anything like that in the area really, or at the centre here, so we’re excited for it.”

Urban Treasures will hold a soft opening on Wednesday through Friday before celebrating its grand opening on Saturday and Sunday. With chain stores such as Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and Pier 1 no longer in the city, Cole hopes her business fills a gap.

“I feel like Winnipeg doesn’t have what most other major cities have for home décor,” she said. “We’re here. Whatever you need, you let us know. We’ll make it happen.”

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca