Secret Santa to Canada; suggestions please

[EdgarAllansPo]

I'm sending a Secret Santa gift to a man in SW Canada who I don't know, have never met, will never meet and have about around £10 to spend. I know he likes the outdoors and is ex-army.

I am a bit stuck on ideas of what to send. I could make a blanket, but not sure if it would be wanted and I don't want to spend a whole lot of time making something if it won't be wanted.

Can anyone tell me what kinds of things Canadians like from England that are not easy to get in Canada?

Oh, and he seems to have a pretty good sense of humour, too.

Or does anyone have any suggestions of what I could send (not too heavy).

[Alligatorpie]

M&S biscuits, or Thornton's chocolates.

[madwomanintheattic]

Ha. Dd1 will only wear lulu lemon or Aeropostale hoodies. well, she'd like to think so anyway, but it hasn't stopped her wearing the others that she has acquired along the way. I love prana. I should probably be about 30 pounds lighter to wear it, but hey ho. I like that they sell it at MEC alongside the canoes and backpacks.

If it is dh, could you send him a squirrel trap please? One appeared in our living room whilst I was watching tv the other night, and I'm still mighty nervy about what's going on during the silent hours if they have enough brass neck to watch 'the voice' over my shoulder. I came downstairs in the dark last night and decided I couldn't sit in the living room in case anything joined me...

[Jacksmania]

Oh come on, squirrels are cute and cuddly nasty little fuckers :o

[Jacksmania]

BTW is there still a Canadian MNers thread?

[madwomanintheattic]

It resurrects periodically, but isn't vair busy. I occasionally veer by... Might try and dig it out later!

[MrsTerryPratchett]

We call them Lulu lemmings . So, when are we all meeting for coffee or Silk Road tea for Jacks?

[Jacksmania]

at lulu lemmings and Silk Road tea :o

No thanks, I'll have coffee just like a normal person. I might love yoga but I don't have to be all fucking woo about it.

Seriously, a meet-up would be fab. D'you think it could be done some time?

[SomewhereInCanada]

Ooh! Hello fellow Canayjuns!

nooka where are you? I haven't seen a Leaf here. It's all F150's and the like. I had a Fiat 500 back in the UK. I wouldn't dare drive one here. It would get squished!

[Jacksmania]

Ok, roll call.
I'm just outside Vancouver, it would be about a half-hour, 45 min drive east to my house.

I think nooka is in the Interior of BC?
And I don't know where MrsTerry lives.

Who else do we have?

[Jacksmania]

Madwoman? Where are you?

And I'd love a link to the Canadian thread. Or we could start a new one. Or even an FB group?

[SomewhereInCanada]

I'm in Fort McMurray

[SomewhereInCanada]

Have any of you tried the British Pantry? It stocks some M&S biscuits!

I miss English bacon and sausages too. I'd kill for a proper pork pie or scotch egg.

[Kahu]

Me. I'm in Vancouver.

I went for a job interview years ago with Lululemon. Big mistake - they're a bit bonkers different.

I found proper Ayrshire bacon at the store the other day. It set my smoke alarm off & sent DD running out the door shouting "fire! earthquake! fire! get under the table!" but it was so good.

[madwomanintheattic]

An hour outside of calgary in the touristy bit

Fort Mac? was it you I upset on the Canadian thread? Ah, no, it may have been Kamloops...

Will bump the cdn thread if I can find it...

Mm, bacon...

[Jacksmania]

Is that Okotoks, madwoman? One of my friends used to live there, I've been there a few times.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I'm in the hell on earth which is Vancouver island. Please tell me I have to come to civilisation Vancouver for a meet up. We had a Scottish butcher but they are closing

[nooka]

I'm the Kamloopsian, and you didn't upset me

Isn't Fort McMurray the wild west? We've friends in Fort St John, which is something of the BC equivalent but they tell me it's quite civilised there so perhaps Fort McMurray is too?

[MrsTerryPratchett]

Bump and link anyone who knows how.

[Jacksmania]

Link to what, Mrs Terry?

And here's how to do links on an iPhone, courtesy of yours truly.

[WestCoastWinnie]

Oooh! I am in Surrey - near White Rock. We have a British store for the essentials like Bisto, Walkers and Jaffa Cakes. Love mumsnet and tell all my Canadian mum friends to have a look

[Jacksmania]

I started a Western Csnadian MNer meet-up thread here.

I have just enough iPhone battery left to check in once or twice but after that I'll have to check later or tomorrow. DH and I are at the Lions game in Vancouver tonight, and my poor old iPhone battery is crapping out.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

iPhone Android here. Link to the original Canadian MN thread. I miss talking to people in the middle of the English night.

[WestCoastWinnie]

Mrs TP - it does get quiet on here of an evening, doesn't it?
My other half is in the UK this week for MIL's birthday - bring back list is just general chocolate and weekend Guardian. After 20-odd years am even used to the beans. We used to bring suitcases full of stuff back from vacations.

[MrsTerryPratchett]

The weekend papers. That is a good idea. We get proper beans, thank goodness. They cost a fortune!

[HappyTurquoise]

Thank you for all your ideas, everyone. I have wrapped and parcelled up the gift and will post it when I can get to a post office.

Please feel free to continue using this thread as a Canadian meet-up thread.

happy snow days!