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OPINION: Stay in our snow globe to shop this holiday, Squamish

This year, like for many of you reading this I am sure, money is tighter than usual for our family — thanks to that ‘P’ word that shall not be named in this column. (It has gotten plenty of press already.
snow globe

This year, like for many of you reading this I am sure, money is tighter than usual for our family — thanks to that ‘P’ word that shall not be named in this column.

(It has gotten plenty of press already.)

But, of course, we want to give our four sons and their partners each something special to open for Christmas.

I would like to say I have hand made every item, but that would be laughable since I have the craft skills of a horse.

That said, despite the rough year, this was the most fun I have had buying gifts for my family because we did much of it through local crafters and The Chief’s Holiday Guide. Deciding what to get, ordering from locals and going to pick up the items was a blast. We got to visit neighbourhoods we hadn’t been to and to meet some of the talented folks who share this community with us.

I cannot wait to see the boys’ faces when they see the quality pieces chosen with just them in mind. I can’t list what exactly we bought (that is between me and Santa until Christmas) but we purchased gifts from Squamish’s Sauce Strap, Michael J Boyce, Little Stawamus Crafts and from Faith the Bath Caddy lady and a guy who makes things I can’t name because it would give the gift away.

All work out of their homes and provided great service and personalized products we literally couldn’t get anywhere else.

There are many other amazing crafters, too.

For everything else this winter and holiday season, we will be buying local, as always.

As the Squamish Chamber of Commerce promotes: for every $100 spent in a local business, $63 is reinvested back into the community.

But that isn’t why we do it, truthfully.

I mean, who wants to drive to the city to shop, anyway?

Some locals think parking is rough in Squamish, but it is nothing compared with in The Big Smoke. 

We also shop here exclusively because the coolest stuff is here. There are some fun promotions and contests this month that make it even more worthwhile.

This year, the chamber, Tourism Squamish and the Downtown Squamish BIA are putting on the Light Up Squamish shop local program, Downtown Squamish’s 21 Days of Christmas, and the Squamish Gift Cards program.

Squamish is full of amazing businesses run by friends and neighbours. Many have value-added characteristics we love too, with reduced packaging, organic goods and a desire to support their town by hiring folks here and supporting what makes Squamish better — such as the advertisers in our paper who support community news.

In many ways, we live in a snow globe in Squamish — a self-contained beautiful, snow-capped world — and we really don’t need to leave it. By staying within it this holiday season, especially, we make it even more beautiful for all and ensure that no matter how much we are shaken this year, we won’t break

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