Ian Doig

Secret Santa gifts are most often meant to be cheap (or relatively so) and cheerful. Purchasing these Christmas tokens is an act of making the thought count. But sniffing out a suitable anonymous something for a friend or colleague can be tricky. Don’t let the assignment stump you, browse these gloriously gifty shops for the perfect present.

In the stores, Christmas sales, songs and decorative displays have likely reminded you it’s time to do your own Christmas ornamentation. Listed here are stores, big and small, in which to find the fixings you’ll need to do this decorative deed.

Discovering local businesses is fun and good for everyone. When you shop in your own community, your purchases strengthen the local economy while you also build lasting personal connections with your entrepreneurial neighbours. YP’s annual Shop The Neighbourhood event celebrates these connections with citywide bargains offered by participating businesses. Here is a small sampling of the deals you’ll find on November 28, 2015.

When it’s cold outside, cozy is the operative word on the home front. Winter weather magnifies cravings for fuzzy fabrics, down-filled duvets and hot drinks. Find all the warm and wonderful accouterments you need to complete your homemade winter retreat at the following shops.

The country’s top culinary contest, Gold Medal Plates pits the top chefs against each other in cooking combat. An event that takes place in 11 Canadian cities, local winners go on to compete in the Canadian Culinary Championships, raising millions in support of the country’s Olympic athletes along the way. The Calgary event takes place November 3 at the Telus Convention Centre, and features the following Calgary chefs.

As part of Restaurants for Change, many of the country’s top restaurants are raising money for programs tasked with improving Canada’s food systems and helping low-income earners eat delicious, nutritious meals. On October 21, when you eat at participating Calgary restaurants, these eateries will donate part of all the proceeds to Community Food Centres Canada and its Calgary outlet, which is now in development.

Not interested in turkey, ham and the usual fixin’s this Thanksgiving, but you and yours are still Jonesin’ for a fine feast? The following restaurants offer Turkey Day alternatives that are both gobbler-free and family friendly.

When you’re hungry for a fine and filling Thanksgiving meal but have neither the time nor the desire to cook and serve it yourself, well, you don’t have to. Just pick up the phone and make a reservation, round up your friends and relations, and head for one of these restaurants or hotels. Each one serves a special feast that’ll satisfy your Thanksgiving appetite while diminishing your workload.

The second biggest annual family-and-friends mega-meal occasion after Christmas, your Thanksgiving spread can be as involved and ornate as you care to make it. Whether you opt for a small, intimate gathering or a full-on banquet, look to the following shops for all the seasonal decorations and kitchen equipment you need to create the best ever Turkey Day dinner.

Fast food restaurant chains may be convenient, but bargain-priced restaurant meals need not be boring and bland. At the spots listed below, you’ll find chow time a cheap and decidedly delicious departure from the ordinary. Suggested meals clock in at or below the $12 mark.

This is a fish ‘n’ chips town that also loves its sushi. Though dedicated seafood restaurants are something of a rarity, good seafood is not hard to find. As the list below indicates, some of the city’s finest fish dinners share equal menu billing with steak.

Variety is the spice of Calgary’s contemporary restaurant scene, and the charcuterie plate is an edible ambassador of local tastes. Whether enjoyed as a starter or as a snack paired with drinks, charcuterie is a means to sample a restaurant’s pickling and meat-curing prowess as well as gain an appreciation of regional and specialty treats.