Are there any REI stores in Vancouver Canada?

[Noonyiez]

Hi, all --

A friend recently moved to Vancouver, BC (Canada) and I thought of getting him an REI membership as a house-warming gift.  Yet -- I'm not seeing any REI locations in Canada!  Is this right?  If so, what is the REI equivalent in Vancouver?

Thanks!

[REI-JenK]

@Noonyiez you are seeing it correctly - at this time, we do not have any REI locations outside of the United States. Although you probably won't find a retailer that operates in the same way that we do (consumer-owned co-ops are pretty unique!), you might look at MEC for an outdoor retailer in Canada.

With that said, you might still consider an REI membership for your friend - we do ship to Canada (with a few brand restrictions), membership is lifetime for only $20, and we definitely have Canadian members who will visit our Bellingham REI store for in-store shopping, pick-ups, and returns!

[Wanderer]

@Noonyiez @REI-JenK 

Re MEC, it originated as a co-op in the early 1970s after college students in Vancouver who had been going down to REI in Seattle to get outdoors gear got the idea of starting a similar co-op in Canada. While MEC recently ceased being a co-op, membership is still required. But now it's free: Membership | MEC.

[REI-JenK]

@Wanderer thanks for the additional context!