Local Gift Guide 2023: Gift Ideas From the Experts

Ask the Experts

We grilled Vancouver’s savviest tastemakers about our biggest gift-giving challenges—and they delivered the perfect shopping list. Thank you to the coolest Santas we know.

The Experts

Tanya McLean, owner of The Coast Goods and Mango Design Co.

“Holaday hammocks. The Vagabond nylon hammocks from Holaday are perfect: they’re super lightweight and pack up small for backpacking, hiking and kayaking.” $115, holaday.com

“A candle from Vancouver’s Mala the Brand. Hand-poured, clean-burning soy wax with an FSC-certified wood wick. My favourite warm and cozy scent is Fireside, which has notes of amber, lavender and musk.” From $24, malathebrand.com

“A recycled cotton Everyday Beanie from Merge Tofino. Who doesn’t love a good toque? These are perfect year-round and great for folks who are averse to wool. I personally love the concrete colour, but artichoke and orchid are new this season.” $46, shopmerge.ca

“A puzzle from Vancouver Island’s Villager Puzzles. These are brand new, feature art from Canadian women artists and are made of premium recycled paperboard. They’re flying off our shelves.” $32, thecoastgoods.ca

 

Rebecca Bree Rawlinson, founder and CEO of Rebecca Bree Boutique

“Maater Cosmetics Beta radiating body oil. It’s perfect for a little shimmer during the holidays and the scent is heavenly.” $60, maatercosmetics.com

“Aralea Sun Kiss vitamin D vegan lip balm. My favourite lip balm. It’s not only vegan and organic, it’s also enhanced with vitamin D3, which we could all use more of in Vancouver!” $24, araleabeauty.com

“A robe from One Wednesday. It’s so cozy and has the most luxurious waffle fabric. A classic, you can’t go wrong. Everyone needs a white robe!” $120, onewednesdayshop.com

“Sangre De Fruta neroli hand and body lotion. The scent is divine and the packaging is super chic—it goes with any decor. I love supporting a local brand and especially a clean, organic one!” $120, sangredefruta.com

 

Dylan Riches, bar manager of Published on Main

“Shelter Point’s single malt whisky. Despite winning some major awards and being in production for 11 years, Shelter Point is surprisingly still a bit of a hidden gem. Made on Vancouver Island, I think it’s really setting the bar on what Canadian whisky can be.” $79, shelterpoint.ca

“Cocktail Codex. This book focuses less on recipes for people to try and more on the DNA of cocktails and why some work better than others. It’s a great gift for anyone who likes to experiment with their own recipes, and it helped change my perception of cocktails in general.” $54, indigo.ca

 

Jessica MacDonald and Kate Snyder, principals of Studio Roslyn interior design and creative consulting

“Sunja Link skincare. Because everyone needs to indulge in some self-care during the holidays. This is also a great spot to have a facial before or after you shop.” Prices vary, sunjalink.com

“Vases by Stooludio. One of the owners, Megan, works for our studio as well. She makes these vases individually out of bioplastics at her home studio in Strathcona.” From $95, stooludio.ca

 

Stephen Hui, author of Destination Hikes in and Around Southwestern British Columbia

“LifeStraw filters. These handy-dandy filters allow hikers and anyone else to safely slurp fresh water from rivers, lakes and even puddles. Their newest straw filter, the Peak Series Solo, weighs only 1.7 ounces and can treat up to 2,000 litres.” From $30, lifestraw.com

“Kits from Survive Outdoors Longer. Safety first, right? A survival kit is the perfect gift for the nature lover in your life. SOL offers a selection of kits suitable for hikers, canoeists, kayakers and more.” From $32, surviveoutdoorslonger.com

 

Fred Lee, Man About Town!

“Throws and blankets. We love gifting blankets to our friends. You can find hand-knitted throws and blankets at the Circle Craft Christmas Market, but one of our go-to gifts is the iconic HBC Multistripe Point blanket. It’s a classic, and never goes out of style.” From $325, thebay.com

“Bubbles. My husband Joshua and I love bringing bubbles to holiday parties. Some of our faves include Evolve Cellars Effervescence, Unsworth Vineyards Cuvée, Fitzpatrick Family Vineyards Fitz Brut, Blue Mountain Winery Brut Gold Label and Haywire’s The Bub.” Various prices and locations.

This story was originally published in the November/December 2023 issue of Vancouver Magazine.