PRIDDIS: A bit of NYC in small-town AB

UPDATE – September 2011: Debra emailed to let me know that she’s closing the store. I wish her and her dog, Kia, all the best!

Every small town has its gem. The jewel in Priddis, Alberta is Debra and her store Collatio.

Walk into this former feed store — tucked into the town’s main plaza next to the gas station — and you are whisked away to a little bit of New York City.

Diptyque perfumes and candles from Paris line one shelf. Dean and DeLuca spices in their distinctive silver tins fill another wall. Stunningly simple glassware are tucked in here and there.

A set of Arbalete G. David cutlery took my breath away. Oh, to be able to drop $1,300 on such exquisite utensils.

But not everything is out of reach of the average paycheque. There are lots of great gift ideas here, including a Japanese bean that grows out of a tin and blooms with messages on its leaves ($16).

Gwendolyn picked up a jar of vodka pasta sauce and Kelly bought a versatile, black wrap — at 50 per cent off, declared the owner!

The ladies who lunch and those of the expansive nearby acreages know this hidden luxury store well, with its exclusive line of Wolford clothing, hosiery and lingerie, but there is no pish posh here.

Unlike some sniffy Holt Renfrew clerks (OK all of them), owner Debra is a whirlwind of welcome and whimsy. She hand picks everything in her store and takes genuine joy in meeting new customers.

“Did you guys seen these new caramels? Oh heck, let’s open one up,” she says, less than 15 minutes after we had walked in.

“See these candles? Brad Pitt has the same set,” the consummate saleswoman randomly says later.

Raised in Saskatoon, Debra moved to New York City to study at the Parsons School of Design. About seven years ago, she moved to Priddis — population 1,594 — to take care of her mother. (There’s a beautiful framed photo of the two of them on a shelf.) Needing a creative outlet, she opened Collatio.

Go visit the store on a leisurely day — because you won’t be rushing off anywhere. Debra likes to chat, and she’s highly entertaining.

As Kelly sat flipping through a Wolford catalogue, we spied a scantily clad, well-muscled male model in its pages. Over the top of her glasses, Debra took a peek, looked up at us and deadpanned, “Hm. He’s got thick ankles — but I wouldn’t kick him out of bed for eating crackers.”

Debra runs the kind of store with the kind of service you wish existed everywhere. But that’s just a lot of wishing, so you’ll have to stop in Priddis to see for yourself.

(She also has a really good-looking dog that meanders around the store. I know you people like photos like this, so here.)

Collatio, Priddis Plaza #5, Priddis, Alberta, (403) 931-1002. Open Wednesday to Sunday 1-7 p.m.