Want to get our stories Straight to your inbox (see what we did there)? Sign up for our newsletter here.

So, the person you’re trying to buy a gift for this holiday season might not be all that into music or liquor, meaning that our other two gift guides probably aren’t going to help you out all that much. 

But have no fear, because we’ve also got our Lifestyle Gift Guide, which we’ve promptly transformed into a (somewhat stereotypical, if we’re being real here) Vancouver-specific gift guide, meaning you’ll be populating your Christmas tree’s undercarriage with presents, pronto. 

Local goods, made with love

Vancouver has plenty of great local maker markets you can check out to find all sorts of goodies for those on your list this year. Head over to the Canadian Christmas Festival on Granville Island, the Weirdos Holiday Market at the Russian Hall, the Holiday Pop-Up Market at North Van’s The Pipe Shop, and so many others that are happening around town this month that we could probably make it into its very own list. 

Vancouver’s iconic footwear

You can’t truly call yourself a Pacific Northwesterner without a trusty pair of well-worn Blundstones. It makes sense that the hardy, lace-less, waterproof boots have become such a mainstay in the city, seeing as we have to trudge through a few inches of puddle—or, as of late, icy sludge—on the daily. If the person you’re purchasing for is a bit more on the totally super hip and cool side, consider swapping the Blundies out for some Doc Martens, which will lend some serious cred the next time they’re at a show at the newly reopened Cobalt. 

Or, be a forward thinker and grab them a new pair of Birkenstocks. One can never have too many pairs of Birkenstocks.

A reprieve from the d a r k n e s s 

The winter solstice is upon us, and while the witches of the city may be rejoicing, that also means that it’s the darkest time of the year. Couple that with the fact that we live in a literal rainforest and we find ourselves with short, grey days that would have the Cullen family considering a move up north. 

Bring a little sunshine into your loved one’s life by purchasing them a sunlight lamp. Hell, throw in a bottle of vitamin D supplements for good measure, and suddenly Raincouver becomes Palm Springs.

…Just without all the warmth, and dryness, and tans, and general joy of ever stepping foot outdoors. 

*Googles flight prices to Palm Springs* Yeah, a sunlamp it is.

A fitness class 

Nothing says Vancouver quite like slinging a yoga mat over your shoulder and heading out to the hot yoga studio for some spiritual stretches. With athleisure being the de facto uniform of about half the city, we’re sure that someone on your list would appreciate a few fitness classes. 

Not to mention that there are about a billion to choose from, including (but in no way limited to) the newly opened spin studio DibFit Cycle, the punch-away-the-pain classes at Rumble Boxing, or the aforementioned hot yoga over at Modo Yoga. 
Just maybe make sure this present is given before we all stuff ourselves full at Christmas dinner, to avoid any unnecessary implications. Thanks in advance.

Snow-related fun

One of the main reasons we spend so much money on rent out here is our proximity to the mountains! Yet so many Vancouverites find themselves a little too preoccupied with the day-to-day hustle of paying said rent to ever take that trip north. 

So, why not head over to Sports Junkies and pick your person up some skis, or a snowboard, or some snowshoes, or even a toboggan to give them some incentive to get out into higher elevations. 

You cooooould also snag them some tickets to Seymour or a Grouse gondola pass, but we’ll leave that up to your financial discretion.

Some solid rain gear 

Give the gift of dryness (or, realistically, at least not being completely soaked for half the year) by splurging on some rain gear that will last. You don’t actually have to be a Super Intense backcountry hiker to shop at MEC and it’s usually got some decent discounts going on. But if you want to go all out—holiday budget be damned—you can grab something at Vancouver’s two Arc’teryx locations. 

Or, better yet, order a Summit Ice rain jacket and sleep easy over the holidays knowing that 100% of the profits will go towards the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre.