Photo by dzgnboy from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

If you need a gift for the Toronto lover on your list, look no further than our handy list of Toronto-inspired gifts. We wouldn't be unhappy if any of these ended up under our virtual Christmas tree this year. Also, accept no imitators -- you know those north pole elves have never been to Toronto, right?

We give you these ten gifts. One for each shopping day until the big day. Shudder.

1) The Coach House Commitments
No, Alana Wilcox isn't going to join a band. But the hard printing team at Coach House is selling these packages of books. the uTOpia/State of the Arts Commitment gets you both books for $45 while the Toronto Commitment gets you both books, Howard Akler's the City Man and Darren O'Donnell's Your Secrets Sleep With Me, all for $70. Get 'em here.

2) The 2007 Spacing Holiday Gift Pack
Spacing's holiday gift pack includes a handsome calendar featuring photos from the photobloggers that make that magazine prettier than a sunset on the islands. But you also get three issues of Spacing magazine AND it all comes wrapped in a TTC route map (nice touch Matt). $20, available at Pages. Calendars are also available separately for $8 at Ballenford and Pages.

3) Photos by Torontoist Contributors
TOist shutterbugs David Topping and Carrie Musgrave would be thrilled if you bought some of their work this holiday season. Topping has prints of his 69 stations project and they're totally affordable from $8 for a 4" x 6" all the way up to $100 for a signed and numbered 12" x 18" print. Carrie Musgrave is part of ToPOST's series of postcards which you can order from their site, or even better, buy the real thing at Ballenford Books.



4) A Metropass
Couples separated by the geographic expanse of the city needing a gift look no further. The new transferable metropass is possibly the best gift we can think of. TOist co-editor David Topping points out that "nothing says "I love you" like a Metropass!" which we think should be a TTC holiday slogan. Councillor Giambrone, are you listening? Available in person at all subway stations for $99.75.

5) Sean Lerner's TTC Rider Family Pack
The family pack contains three rider's guides so you know exactly where to get on and off, a large print guide, and a copy of unorthodox tips for riding the TTC. We think it'll make a great gift for the transit aficionado. Buy it here for $15, includes postage.

6) The Scott Pilgrim graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Sure Toronto has tons of wonderful graphic novelists but Scott Pilgrim is one of the few set in this city. O'Malley's hapless hero hangs out in the Annex, goes to see movies at the Paramount, bargain hunts at Honest Ed's, and is in a complicated relationship. In short he's like one of us... but illustrated. Available at the Beguiling and online (vol.1 on sale for $5!).

7) A Helicopter Tour
Because going up the CN Tower is soooo passe, get on a whirlybird and see our city from the air. Tours start at $85. You can reserve seats here.

8) Cinematheque Membership/Tickets
No one, and we mean no one knows films like the people at Cinematheque Ontario. The programmers at the Cinematheque find rare prints of classic films, get amazing guests (Terry Gilliam, Isabella Rossellini) and more. Memberships get you huge discounts on film tickets as well as other benefits and will set you back $45. If you can't quite commit single tickets are just over $10. Both available on their site.

9) The CN Tower
Ok, we take back our previous comments. We love the tower. For about the same price as an elevator ride to the top you can buy the whole kit and caboodle, gilded and on a plastic base at various stores selling tourist knick knacks around town.

10) From Jamaica To Toronto: Soul, Funk, Reggae 1967-74
Right around the same time when Motown record was turning Detroit into one of the world's music meccas Toronto was undergoing a renaissance of its own fuelled by immigrants from Jamaica who brought their thriving and influential music scene to then sleepy Toronto. Sadly many of these musicians were lost to time until the dogged people at Light in the Attic Records decided to put together this anthology. The result is a 16 track CD that just might get you dancing on a cold winter's day. The CD is available direct from Light in the Attic or at fine record stores everywhere.