The Holiday Gift Auction You Don’t Want to Miss
Vancouver BIA’s are partnering with the Mayor’s office to give back to the community through the #StockJoy charity gift auction.
Fourteen neighbourhoods have curated incredible stockings full of unique gifts featuring the distinct flavours, goods, and services from local businesses in their district.
The stockings are being auctioned off until December 20 in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It’s a special way to bring joy to a loved one (or yourself!), support local businesses, and give back to a worthy cause this holiday season.
Head to the Vancouver BIA Partnership auction website to view the stockings. When you’re ready to place your bid, you’ll be asked to register. If you are the winning bidder you’ll be contacted on December 21st and provided with your #StockJoy holiday stocking.
Here’s what you’ll find in the Strathcona Dreamers and Makers stocking.
Strathcona is where makers come to fulfill their dreams. Our diverse community is home to makers of all kinds working hard to share their wonderful gifts with the world. From craft breweries to jewelry makers you’ll find that there’s something for everyone. Enjoy our #StockJoy holiday stocking with the following items, totaling over $250 in value:
– Strathcona Beer T-shirt
– Dosanko Koji Salt
– Container Brewing Mug
– Pallet Coffee Roasters Benchmark Coffee Beans
– 3 Living Lotus Chocolate bean-to-bar Chocolate Bars
– Dream Catcher by Swallow from Enterprising Women Making Art
– Necklace by Grace Machine from Enterprising Women Making Art
– Tea Towels from Flax Home
– $50 gift card to Liquids & Solids
– $30 gift card to Rise Up Marketplace
From all the participating small business communities, thank you for supporting local.
Gift Big Shop Small
Gift Big Shop Small promotion runs Dec. 1 to 20
We want to help you help our small businesses.
Spend $25 or more at 3 locations and get $25 to support shopping small this holiday season.
Despite everything, the holiday season is on our doorstep. While we may not be able to hug all our friends and family members like a normal year, there are still ways to let them know we care. Gift the people you love things that will bring them joy. It’s never been more important to shop local and shop small for gifts this year, and we want to help you do that!
We hope you’ll have fun discovering Strathcona’s unique offerings for the holidays. All participating businesses continue to implement extensive measures to keep you safe, including social distancing protocols, limiting the number of people in shops, requiring face masks and hand sanitizing. We ask that you follow all the safety protocols in place, and if you’re not feeling well, stay home. The promotion also applies to online purchases, so you can still take part from the comfort of home.
How it works
- Spend $25 or more at 3 participating locations listed below
- In-person, online, and gift card purchases all count
- Take photos or screenshots of receipts
- Purchases must be made between December 1-20
- Donations over $25 to local service providers also count as a purchase. Learn about local organizations to donate to below.
When you’re ready with your proof of purchases/donations:
- Submit receipts/screenshots, along with your name and mailing address to info@strathconabia.com
- Make sure the amount spent, business name, and date of purchase is clear in the receipts
- Receipts must be from three different locations or local service providers
- Deadline to submit is Dec. 20 at midnight
The prize is a $25 visa card to support shopping local which will be sent to you in the mail.
We have twenty $25 visa cards available, with a limit of one per person. They will be redeemed on a first-come first-serve basis. Supplies are limited, so don’t delay. We cannot guarantee that everyone will receive a gift card. Please note that it may take a business day or two for us to get back to you.
Participating locations in Strathcona’s Gift Big Shop Small promotion:
Christine Lingerie
821 Powell St │ Mon-Fri 10am – 5pm
Luxury silk lingerie & loungeware designed by Christine Morton, proudly made in Canada. Designs that make you look and feel beautiful.
Enterprising Women Making Art
800 E Hastings St │ Mon-Fri 10am – 5pm
Women’s art studio and social enterprise. Works from over 30 artists are featured, from jewelry, ceramics, and other beatiful household wares.
Hastings Reflexology & Sauna
766 E Hastings St │ Mon, Wed-Sun 11am – 11pm │ Closed Tues
Body massage, reflexology, acupressure and their newly renovated sauna with private rooms available. Original wellness spa in Vancouver since 1926.
Landyachtz Factory Store
1146 Union St │ Mon-Sun 10am – 6pm
Bike shop and service centre, accessories and custom frames. Bike service can be booked by phone or email bikeshop@lanyachtz.com. Online store offers free delivery of ready to ride new bikes.
Les Amis Du FROMAGE
566 Powell St │ Mon-Sun 10am – 6pm
Vancouver’s best specialty cheese shop. Plentiful selection of cheese, charcuteries and pantry staples like pasta and tomato products. Wonderful gift baskets and holiday specialties available.
MakerLabs
780 E Cordova St │ Mon-Sun 12pm – 9pm
Maker space that provides the tools, space, and skills to make almost anything. Memberships, custom projects, workshops and classes available. Discover unique items created by makers and artists who work out of MakerLabs.
Mikado Martial Arts Supplies
701 E Hastings St │ Mon-Sat 10am – 4pm
Go-to store for the best in martial arts supplies. MMA, Boxing, Kickboxing, Karate, Judo, Jui Jitsu, Taekwondo, and more. A family run business, now extending to the third generation.
Picnics and Poetry
881 E Hastings St │ Tues-Sat 12pm – 6pm
A slow living and sustainable fashion boutique supporting artists and independent designers. The shop offers a carefully considered selection of art, lifestyle goods, and fashion.
The Garden Strathcona
868 E Hastings St │ Mon-Sun 9am – 4pm
A space to be inspired, feel relaxed, learn something new, eat and drink something delicious, meet an old or new friend. Their curated shop has beautiful, ethically sourced personal care and home items.
Giving Back
There are many fabulous community-serving organizations in our neighbourhood. That means there are many opportunities to make a difference with your dollars in the community, especially at this time of year. Here are some ideas for local organizations to donate to who are doing great work to serve those in need in our community.
- note that this is not an exhaustive list and if you find another organization in our community that you hope to donate to, please check with us in advance and we’d be happy to look at qualifying it for the promotion.
Atira Women's Resource Society
Atira Women’s Resource Society is dedicated to supporting women and children affected by violence by offering safe and supportive housing and by delivering education and advocacy aimed at ending all forms of gendered violence. Donate here.
Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House
Mission: To provide opportunities for residents to meaningfully engage with and contribute to their community in an equitable atmosphere of sharing and learning. To provide a dignified welcoming space that creates and supports an improved quality of life for the DTES community. Donate here.
Embers Eastside Works
Our mission is to create economic and employment opportunities for people living on low incomes. Over the past 18 years, EMBERS has helped thousands of people facing barriers to work lead productive, fulfilling lives. Donate here.
Lookout Health and Housing Society
Lookout Health and Housing Society provides housing and a range of support services to adults with low or no income who have few, if any, housing or support options. Because the people we serve have challenges meeting basic needs and goals, we place minimal barriers between them and our services. Donate here.
Mission Possible
Mission Possible supports individuals who are challenged with poverty to navigate their journey to a sustainable livelihood. We do this through supporting individuals with employment training and individual coaching in our Employment Readiness Program, and through offering supportive, transitional work opportunities in our social enterprises. Donate here.
United Gospel Mission
UGM is determined to restore the God-given dignity of people by sharing and demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ, providing without discrimination:
- Meals, shelter, outreach and chaplaincy services that relieve suffering and renew hope
- Life recovery programs that offer freedom from addictive lifestyles
- Education and job preparation that equip for successful living
- Affordable housing that fosters community and personal contribution
- Preventative programs that build healthy families
WISH Drop-In Centre Society
Mission: To improve the health, safety and well-being of women who are involved in Vancouver’s street-based sex trade. Critical services and resources WISH provides, include its 24-hour drop-in centre where they serve over 9000 meals a month, its emergency shelter, its Mobile Access Project Van, as well as capacity-building programs. Donate here.
2019 Strathcona Holiday Guide
There are plenty of delightful and uniquely Strathcona events happening in our neck of the woods this time of year. We’re excited to share some our must-do Strathcona holiday activities with you.
@TheGardenStrathcona Instagram
First up, fulfill all your plant dreams at The Garden, Strathcona Plant Sale and Holiday Pop-Up shop this weekend. Plus discover amazing local vendors making ceramics, jewelry, cards and more. Happening Dec.14th and 15th, 11am til 4pm at 868 E Hastings.
@peacepeopleproject on Instagram
Experience the Zero-Waste Vegan Holiday market happening Sunday, Dec.15th at The Pace, 520 Alexander from 11am-5pm. Brought to you by Peace People Project, this event has your #zerowaste holiday shopping covered with gift ideas like fabric bulk shopping bags, bath and beauty products, and zwv meal prep memberships.
Ever wanted to learn how to DIY your own oat milk or your own toothpaste? There will be free workshops all day to learn how to DIY zero waste products. Bring your own containers, cups, cutlery (BYOCs) and enjoy amazing vegan hot foods and bevvies. Find all the details at the event facebook page.
@luppolo_brewing on Instagram
Still on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree? Aunt Leah’s Tree Lot is back at Luppolo Brewing Company this year. Open today from 1-8pm and this Sat-Sun 10am-8pm at 1123 Venables Street. Proceeds help fund programs that prevent homelessness for youth in foster care and moms in need. Come for a beer, leave with a tree, and support important community work.
@cheese_ladf on Instagram
A visit to les amis du FROMAGE at 843 E Hastings is a Strathcona Holiday must-do. Their shelves are stocked with Christmas specialities like Port-soaked Stilton and Scottish shortbread, plus the best selection of local and imported cheeses and charcuterie. Find everything you need to make the perfect holiday spread. If you hurry you may still get your hands on their famous house made Tourtiere (Quebec meat pie), made only at this time of year.
An extra special selection of sweet treats will be available Dec.20th when Scrape Baking is popping up at the shop from 1pm-6pm (or until sold out). Tis the season to eat cookies. And cheese.
An important must-do for the holiday season is to connect and gather with friends and family. We have some fabulous new food and beverage establishments in Strathcona that might just be the perfect new gathering places for you and your loved ones – places to delight beer lovers, wine lovers and coffee lovers alike!
Container Brewing, Yeast Van’s latest brewery lounge, is officially open at 1216 Franklin St. Co-founders Terry Brown and Dan Webster have literally been building this space with their own barehands over the last few months and their efforts have paid off. Come for the tasty beer and stay for the warm and inviting space. Plus with dishes like the mushroom barley bowl and palenta bowl, their food menu can seriously fill you up. Open Mon-Wed 3pm-10pm, Th-Sat 11am-12am and Sun 11am-10pm.
@vv.tapaslounge on Instagram
VV Tapas Lounge is a brand new gathering space at 957 E Hastings where you’ll find artfully prepared small plates, locally and internationally sourced wines, craft beers and ciders. Prepare to be enamoured with the beautiful design of their space, open Tues-Sat 4pm-11pm. Their happy hour menu have us eyeing their extensive $4 Apertivo selection. Happy hour runs each day they are open 4pm-6pm, and 9pm-close.
@prototype.coffee on Instagram
Prototype Coffee is a new microroastery in Strathcona, tucked away at 883 East Hastings. They source unique, beautiful, and traceable coffees. All of their roasting for brewing, retail, and wholesale happens in three small Aillio Bullet R1 roasters located right behind the counter in their tasting room. Plus they offer over 14 different coffees at any given time. The experience here is not to be missed by coffee enthusiasts out there. Open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm and Sat 9am-5pm.
Our final must-do activity on our list is to give back to one of the many fabulous community-serving organizations in our neighbourhood. There are so many opportunities to make a difference in this community, especially at this time of year.
This is by no means an exahustive list, but here are some organizations doing great work to serve those in need in our community:
Lookout Housing and Health Society
Atira Women’s Resource Society
Wishing a wonderful holiday season to all!
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