Holiday Gift Guide to the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast

Introducing the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast Holiday Gift Guide! Whether you use this as a wish list for yourself, or as a shopping guide for the special people in your life, we’re sure there’s enough here to cover everyone you want to buy for – naughty or nice!

For the ones who love to open a locally made treasure to those who value experiences, food, wellness, or sports, we’ve created the perfect gift guide to ensure you can check off everyone on your list this year, no matter your budget. Now more than ever it’s important to shop local so that we can limit our environmental impact and keep money within our local communities.

So without further ado, here are some of our favourite local gifts for this holiday season:

For the Ones into Wellness

Over the past few years, wellness and self-care have become more than a trend and instead transitioned into a way of life. It can involve everything from luscious skincare products to aromatherapy, fitness, and even education. It’s all about taking care of yourself from the inside out and after the past few years we’ve all had, we’re here for it! Let’s explore some of the best wellness-related gifts you can find within the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast:

Bella Coola Candle Co. offers handcrafted candles, bath salts, lip balms, matches, and room and body mists, all made from natural ingredients and packaged with sustainable materials. Head on over to their Etsy store where they’re offering free shipping for Canadian residents on orders over $120 as well as free contactless pickup for Bella Coola locals.

Based out of 108 Mile Ranch, Sweet Lavations specializes in handmade, small-batch bath and body products, with an emphasis on eco-friendly packaging and all-natural ingredients. Browse their items at one of their local retailers or purchase a gift card and products directly from their website.

Nothing beats giving the gift of a book but rather than ordering from a certain website that shall not be named, why not support a family-owned and operated bookstore? The Open Book in Williams Lake offers an online store from which you can order puzzles, gift cards, and of course all the best books! 

For the Athletes

Knowing the right gear to buy athletes can be a challenge but rather than sift through hundreds of reviews, why not give the gift of a membership or pass so that they can do more of what they love this winter?! For our fitness friends who love to get outside, here are some gifts that are sure to fuel adventure and increase stoke levels:

Nestled in the heart of the South Cariboo, Mount Timothy is a family-friendly ski resort with amazing powder and non-existent lift lines. Whether you purchase for a friend or family member, a lift pass, gift certificate, or 10-day punch pass to Mount Timothy is their ticket to adventure at this local recreation resort.

For the cross-country lovers or the adventurous people that are wanting to try something new, a pass for a nordic skiing location is an awesome choice. 100 Mile Nordics offers club memberships, punch cards, season passes, and day passes right from their online store. The Williams Lake Cross-Country Ski Club also offers membership registrations online.

For the golf lovers in your life, 108 Golf Resort has a well-organized e-commerce site where you can purchase memberships, as well as pro shop gifts and even spa items.

If you do happen to know exactly the right gear to purchase for your loved one, Lone Butte Sporting Goods Ltd., located along BC’s famed Fishing Highway 24, offers a huge selection of equipment for almost every outdoor activity in BC!

For those who like experiences

For some, memories trump material goods and while this is sometimes challenging to buy for, this region is full of exceptional experiences to give as a gift. From future vacations to day trips and tours, forget the tangible items this holiday season and create memories with these sentimental offerings:

Maple Leaf Adventures is a pioneer of tourism in the Great Bear Rainforest, having designed luxurious ship charter tours here since 1991. Whether you want to spoil your loved one by booking a future trip, or you decide on a gift certificate, this is a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience that they’ll never forget.

For the history buff on your list, head to Barkerville Historic Town & Park’s website where you can purchase everything from unique gold rush gifts, charitable donations, gift cards and even accommodations so that they can book a future stay! Until December 24th, they’re even offering 10% off as well as free shipping for purchases over $100.

Give the gift of travel this holiday season and book your loved one a trip to somewhere in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast with Pacific Coastal Air. 

For the adventure lover on your list, Cariboo Mountain Adventures offers unique photo experiences to capture the moment so you can experience it for a lifetime. To book a photography session or to purchase a gift card towards one, contact Ember here.

Although gift cards can sometimes seem like a copout, no one will be complaining about money towards a future vacation! Here are a couple of resorts within the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast offering e-gift cards this holiday season:

• Woodlands Fishin Resort
• South Point Resort on Canim Lake (Gift Card Offer)

If there’s another resort you’re interested in booking a future stay with, please contact them directly! We also recommend checking out our Special Offers page for winter promotions.

For a truly unique and adventurous gift, Norm Hann Expeditions offers multi-day standup paddleboarding trips and custom wildlife and Spirit Bear viewing trips in the Great Bear Rainforest and Gitga’at Territory. Directly from his online store, you can purchase gift certificates for a future trip as well as paddleboards and accessories.

For the Foodies

Shopping for your favourite foodie can be tough, especially if you aren’t one yourself! Fear not however because we’ve curated some of this region’s best tasty treats and experiences that are sure to satisfy even the pickiest taste buds:

A little piece of Quebec in the heart of BC’s Cariboo region, the Sugar Shack is an authentic poutine, breakfast, and maple syrup restaurant and store. Although people drive from hours away to visit, you’ll be happy to know that their online store offers a large collection of signature maple products directly from Quebec.

For the wine lover in your life or the coworker you just don’t know what to buy for, Lilloeet’s very own Fort Berens Estate Winery has some incredible holiday gifts this year. Along with bottles and cases, their website offers gifts like cookbooks, glassware, art, jewellery, gift cards, tailored gift sets, and even a one-year Discovery Club membership. 

If you or someone you love is looking for a festive meal option that is both local and sustainable, check out Pasture to Plate. With in-store pick-up 7 days a week, home delivery (including in the Lower Mainland) and mail order, Pasture to Plate allows you to enjoy delicious and responsibly sourced meats this holiday season.

Located in the South Cariboo region, Lolly’s Baking is a local favourite when it comes to delicious treats. Along with being sold at many retailers, you can purchase their bars, brownies, holiday-specific gift packs, and famous ‘marshmallows,’ directly online!

If you know someone who can’t wait to check out the next new craft brewery, a gift card, t-shirt, hoodie, hat, or growler to Williams Lake’s Fox Mountain Brewing will make them extra hoppy this holiday season! They will also be having an extra delicious Christmas lunch/dinner on December 15th so make sure to reserve your table for that.

For the Artists

The holiday season is the perfect time to show love for our local artists and artisans. After all, few other gifts are as special as something handmade and the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is full of exceptionally talented individuals:

Bella Coola’s Copper Sun Gallery has an online store where you can purchase authentic Indigenous art, gifts, and merchandise from the Nuxalk community.

If you know someone who loves this region and would love to have a piece of it up on their wall, give the gift of nature this holiday season with a print from local photographer Jesaja Class Photography. His work has been featured in places like National Geographic, British Columbia Magazine, Destination BC and now it can be in you or your loved ones’ living rooms! Best of all, 10% of all proceeds are donated to the Nature United Conservancy and until December 18th, he’s offering 30% off all prints!

Another great photography option is a “Cariboo Captures” calendar from local photographer, Nicole Goodwin, owner of Fraser & Pine. Local photographer Natasha Grapes (@heygrapes) also has her own wildlife calendar for sale, as well as spectacular prints and even pet portraits.

For the folk music lover in your life, how about a vinyl or CD from Juno award-winning duo Pharis & Jason Romero.

If you or someone you love is a sucker for cute animals, check out MyPaintedLifeStudio’s Etsy store. Handmade in Bella Coola, you can purchase watercolour prints and greeting cards featuring some undeniably cute animals.

For those who “Don’t Want Anything”

We all know someone who swears they never want any gifts during the holiday season but while this is admirable, you also don’t want to show up empty-handed to their party! Here are some perfectly random gifts you can find for that difficult person:

The Rusty Bucket in Williams Lake is a one-stop-shop for all things home decor, bath and body, clothing, kitchen and even baby. From their online store, you can browse tons of beautiful items where you’ll be sure to find something for everyone on your list.

We all know clothing is a great option for when you don’t know what to buy someone but rather than settle on some boring socks, make sure to check out Still North Design Co.’s dreamy Pacific Northwest designs made with cozy, high-quality fabrics.

100 Mile House’s Fraser & Pine is another great spot for local gifts like apparel and bath & beauty products. They even offer custom drinkware, decals, apparel, cards, and photo printing. For those shopping online rather than in person, they offer free shipping on orders over $100.

Last but not least, Williams Lake’s own Poppy Home offers tons of awesome kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and home decor gifts. They offer free shipping within Canada on all orders over $200, plus free local pick-up or delivery right to your doorstep.