Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

Actually, I love everything about Ottawa. The people, the restaurants, the Byward Market, bilingualisme, etc... Love, love, love it!

I also love Angie Poirier from "A" Morning. What a pro! Watch my latest visit on the show here. We were featuring some of our favourite Canadian-made back-to-school items. Here they are below:

For kids:  

1) Basic workbooks, from Hilroy in Ontario

2) Recycled pencil case, from Eco-HandBags in Quebec

3) Lunch bag, from Eco-HandBags in Quebec

4) Family organizer/calendar, from More Time Moms in Quebec

5) Multi-vitamins for kids, from BodyBreak in B.C.

6) Plastic lunch containers, from Era Group in Quebec

7) Rain boots, from Rallye Footwear in Quebec

8) Eco-friendly journals and workbooks, from Ecojot in Ontario  

And for Moms who got the kids back-to-school in time!  

1) Yoga wear, from Terrafrog in Alberta

2) A Day at the Spa, from LUSH in B.C.

When I visit Ottawa, I usually drive from Montreal the day before and spend a little quality time in the Byward Market area. This time around, I walked by Zak's Diner and came across this little jewel (notice the "Buy Canadian" mention under Take-Out Menu):

 

Nice going Zak's!

This is the third and last installment of my conversation with Jeff Rubin, author of the Canadian best-seller "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller: oil and the end of globalization".  

 

Congratulations to Randy Berg who has won the second of three autographed copies of Jeff's book. Read Part 2 of this series and his comment here. Dont forget to read Part 1 if you haven't. You too win a copy! All you have to do to be eligible is leave a comment on this post, sharing your thoughts about this issue: If you are concerned or encouraged, agree or disagree, etc. We will then randomly select a winner and send the copy. The deadline for Part 3 (this post) is next Sunday, August 30th). Hurry up though: This is the last one we are giving away!

Isabelle: It's a pretty amazing concept and it's something I hope our politicians have the guts to handle.

Jeff: Don't worry about the politicians. When oil is $ 7.00 a gallon at the pump, people will know exactly what to do. They will send the right message to the politicians. For example, I don't know why we're spending billions of dollars to pro-up the auto-industry that's due to obsolescence by triple-digit oil prices. We should be investing billions in public transit instead of putting more cars on roads.

Isabelle: If Europe can do it, we can do it, right?

Jeff: Exactly. But here's the difference. In Europe, they've already been paying those prices for the last 10 years. When we start paying those prices, we'll become European. It's all about price. When gas is $ 7.00 a gallon, people won't have to buy my book. They'll know exactly what to do.

Isabelle: Can you tell me more about the concept of Carbon tariff on imports?

Jeff: I'm just saying this: if we're going to close coal plants and pay 3 times as much for our electricity...Now I know in Montreal you're blessed with hydro-electric power but that's not the way it is for most people in North-America outside of Quebec and Manitoba who have hydro-electric. It's coal plant or gas. California doesn't allow coal plants, so their power prices are 3 times as much as Texas. But if we are going to, all of a sudden, shut coal plants around North-America and pay 3 times as much for our electricity and then find out that China is building 800 coal plants, that does not make a whole lot of sense. So what I'm saying is we can't stop China from building coal plants, but what we can do is say : "if your steel factory gets its power from coal, from dirty power, we're going to charge you a tariff so that you pay the same price for your carbon emissions as our steel producers pay for their carbon emissions. In other words, you don't gain any economic advantage by using dirty power.

Isabelle: And what are the chances that someone will stand up to China and say that?

Jeff: The chances are excellent once we start paying 3 times more for our own power to close a coal plant. Because there's no point us making economic sacrifices for the environment if they're just going to be building coal plants like mad. Again, we can't tell them what to do, but what we can do is make sure they gain no economic advantage when they trade with us by using dirty power.

Isabelle: That would certainly fix 2 problems at once: the environmental one and the unfair trade that's going on.

Jeff: Exactly. And I think that's coming. There are some big changes and some big challenges but you know, it's not all doom and gloom. At as I say at the end of the book, in many respects, the new small world around the corner may be a whole lot more livable than the big one we're about to leave behind.

Isabelle: As a parent, I must tell you that I hope you are right. And in the meantime, I'm getting myself a ZENN Car!

Jeff: Now that makes sense! That's why I say: the key is not about the Bank of Canada, the Minister of Finance, the Prime Minister of Canada or the Premier of Quebec. It's not about those guys. It's about you and me and the decisions we make everyday in our lives.

Isabelle: And I think that's the most uplifting message of your entire book. Thank you very much for writing it, and thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it

Jeff: Thank you and best of luck with your website!

Tell us what you think about Jeff's theory by next Sunday, August 30th. We will then randomly select a FINAL winner who will receive an autographed copy of  "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller."

Image source: China Digital Times

The summer is coming to an end and all those days filled with free time spent at camp, summer jobs, or just lolly gagging in the sunshine are soon over, kiddo! The count down has begun just about 3 weeks left! As a kid, I spent the better part of my summers either at the lake with my grandparents or the farm with my aunt and uncle, so going back to school was always exciting. Going shopping for new clothes, sporting a cool new bag and seeing all my friends were the highlights of a new school year. I think that still applies today, so here is your back to school shopping guide, the made-in-Canada way. Before you read on make sure you check out our founder, Isabelle Remy, and her back to school spot on Canada AM.

Elementary school children need oodles of things for school, in fact the list can be daunting in both cost and patience, especially when teachers request a certain brand and colour of an item. Childhood is an adventure of fun and learning. Small responsibilities in a world of imagination, playtime and laughter.

• Send a homemade tasty lunch in this gorgeous Cotton Lunch Bag from Buy Canadian First member Eco-Handbags
  
• The Sharpest Pencil Earrings by the Tiny Fig of Vancouver
  
• Reuseable Sandwich Bags by Nana Brown of Red Deer
• New storytime books that are more age appropriate like these ones, written by famed children's book authors, available through Indigo's website.
  

 

The high schooler is an independent beast that is neither child nor adult but a little of both. Image is key as they invent and re-invent themselves. Looking great at school is just as important as getting the grades (even though you may not agree with their style) so finding the right mix between the current styles and individual preference sounds tough but if you know the kid, it's as easy as slamming a door.

• Owl Messenger Bag in Blue by Mehran of Vancouver  
  
• Super cute and eco-friendly Workbooks from Buy Canadian First member EcoJot
  
• Keep teen acne at bay with Green Beaver's Blemish Mousse, available from our member Well.ca
  
• Dixon Pink Pearl Erasers at Wallack's of Ottawa
• Book by Ann Douglas and her daughter Julie on body image and self-confidence entitled Body Talk: The Straight Facts (a must for any young girl)
  

 

The college student is forging forward with their aspirations and dreams, spending more time studying, working and partying, than sleeping. Besides a mattress filled with cold hard cash, our college student could use some great essentials as well as some wonderful functional luxuries. 

• Long Twilight Mittens in Charcoal Grey by Arly of Montreal
  
• Keep organized and connected with a Blackberry Smart phone by Buy Canadian First member Research in Motion
  
• A great bag is a must! Check out the NY Messenger in Jasper Leather from out member Roots Canada
  
• Keep thoughts and more in this gorgeous Zebra Rebound Journal by Prairie Peasant of Winnipeg
  

 

Happy shopping everyone and remember to Buy Canadian First when shopping for your back to school supplies.

This is the second installment of my conversation with Jeff Rubin, author of the Canadian best-seller "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller: oil and the end of globalization". 

 

Congratulations to Kristy Smith who has won the first of three autographed copies of Jeff's book. Read Part 1 of this series and her comment here. You can win a copy too! All you have to do to be eligible is leave a comment on this post, sharing your thoughts about this issue: If you are concerned or encouraged, agree or disagree, etc. We will then randomly select a winner and send the copy. The deadline for Part 2 (this post) is next Sunday, August 23rd).

  

Isabelle: Do you think that such a rapid change will cause civil unrest?

Jeff: Whether is causes civil unrest or doesn't, we will have to change nevertheless. I'm quite confident that people will change. I believe that people will respond to prices. We're going to have to change our diets. We're not going to be able to eat avocadoes in February in Toronto because the cost of flying them in from Southern California or Mexico is going to make that avocado too expensive. But we'll end up eating more local produce and that means that we'll have to restore land back to farm land.

Isabelle: It also means that in Canada we're going to be eating a lot of potatoes!

Jeff: We'll eat potatoes, we'll eat corn. I'll tell you something, when I was a kid growing up in the sixties in Toronto, there were no fresh blueberries and raspberries in January, there were no avocadoes and I survived. I'm sure others will too. People will change their minds because at the end of the day, people will have no choice.

There are people who believe that we should go back to local because it cuts down on the carbon trail, and there are people who believe that we should go back to local because it will put us more in touch with our environment, and that's all fine. But I'm saying, even if you don't believe that, you're still going back to local because the whole model of a global economy doesn't work on triple-digit oil prices.

Isabelle: This is the best news I've heard in many, many months. Because what we do here at Buy Canadian First is help Canadians find goods made in Canada.

Jeff: Well, this is right up your alley because you're going to find more and more made in Canada. Of course, this is every bit as true in China as it is in Canada. Distance costs money for everybody. But in the Canadian economy that I see in the future, more and more things we consume will be made in this country.

Isabelle: That is certainly welcome news for a lot of our manufacturing members here who are struggling!

 Jeff: I think the big surprise will be that triple-digit oil prices are going to breathe new life into our rust belt. And it's going to lead to more farms, as well.

Isabelle: That's an interesting subject, because suburbia is replacing farmland almost overnight in many parts of the country. That's certainly the case here in Montreal.

Jeff: Those houses will be abandoned. And what we'll see is farm land re-claim those sub-divisions. And not in 20 years. In 4 to 5 years. In 4 to 5 years, you're going to see land starting to be reconverted back to agricultural use. And that will be as a result of soaring food prices and plunging suburban real-estate prices.

Stay tuned for more good news for Canadian manufacturers in Part 3!

In the meantime, tell us what you think about Jeff's theory by next Sunday, August 23rd. We will then randomly select a winner who will receive an autographed copy of  "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller."

Image source: Flickr Creative Commons: Dan Zen

I just left CTV's studios in Toronto after a live appearance on Canada AM. You wouldn't believe how many things are going on all at once on the set! Congrats to a great crew that makes it all look so seamless on screen! In case you missed it, here's the segment

The theme was back-to-school with Canadian-made items. The products and companies featured were:

For kids:  

1) Basic workbooks, from Hilroy in Ontario

2) Recycled pencil case, from Eco-HandBags in Quebec

3) Lunch bag, from Eco-HandBags in Quebec

4) Ice-packs for lunch bags, from Cryopak in Quebec

5) Family organizer/calendar, from More Time Moms in Quebec

6) Multi-vitamins for kids, from BodyBreak in B.C.

7) Plastic lunch containers, from Era Group in Quebec

8) Rain boots, from Rallye Footwear in Quebec

9) Eco-friendly journals and workbooks, from Ecojot in Ontario  

And for Moms who got the kids back-to-school in time!  

1) Yoga wear, from Terrafrog in Alberta

2) A Day at the Spa, from LUSH in B.C.

 

Happy Back-to-School everyone!  

 

P.S. Yes, the dress I'm wearing is made in Canada. It's from Tristan's Summer 2009 collection. 

Did you get a chance to read Jeff Rubin's book: "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller: oil and the end of globalization"? If not, you should run out and get it today. It's a great read. His book has been on Maclean's Best Seller non-fiction list for 11 weeks now!

Jeff was the Chief Economist at CIBC World Markets for almost 20 years. He was one of the first economists to accurately predict soaring oil prices back in 2000 and is now one of the world's most sought-after energy experts. He's a true Canadian with amazing vision!

I had the pleasure of spending some time on the phone with Jeff a little while back to discuss his book. I will share our conversation in a series of 3 blog posts, starting with this one.

We are also giving away 3 autographed books, one for each part of the series. All you have to do to be eligible is leave a comment, sharing your thoughts about this issue: If you are concerned or encouraged, agree or disagree, etc. We will randomly select a winner and send you your copy. The deadline for part 1 (this post) is next Sunday, August 16th). 

 

Isabelle: Your book is about how rising oil prices are about to transform our way of life, into something completely different. Something closer to what our grandparents probably lived...

Jeff: That's pretty accurate. We are going to see even higher oil prices, and at the end of the day there's not a whole lot we can do to prevent that. However, there is a lot we can do to make sure that when we see these higher oil prices, they don't have the same kind of devastating impact that they've had on our economy and our lives in the past. And that's about making changes in the way we live, and changes in the way we organize our economy so that we end up using less energy and in particular less oil.

And the single most important thing that we're going to do is go back to the idea of a local economy as opposed to a global economy. A global economy is where we produce something at one end of the world and sell it at another end of the world. But no matter what mode of transport we use (air, boat, train, truck) we're all burning oil. And as oil gets more expensive, distance starts to cost money. It doesn't matter if the wage rate is a lot cheaper in China, because in everything from steel to food the cost of moving things is going to be more important than the difference in the wage rate.

So a lot of things we thought were gone forever, like farms and steel mills, are soon going to be coming back because it's not going to be economic to buy our food or buy our steel from China. At the same time, everything that we now will make for ourselves will cost us a lot more money than we're used to. So we'll get back a lot of high-paying manufacturing jobs, but we'll be able to buy less with our wages because things will cost more.

We will tend to live more in the cities then in the suburbs because we won't be able to afford to commute 40 miles back and forth to work. And as people leave the suburbs, and food prices continue to rise, then ultimately many of those sub-divisions will be returned to the farm lands that they were 30 or 40 years ago.

Isabelle: What is the timeline on that?

Jeff: I think we will see triple digit oil prices again within 12 months. And when we do, I think we're going to start seeing some of these things happen very, very quickly. Because these things are not going to happen because people necessarily chose to live their lives this way, these things are going to happen because the economic reality of triple-digit oil prices are going to leave people with no choice but to change their way of living.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

In the meantime, tell us what you think about Jeff's theory by next Sunday, August 16th. We will then randomly select a winner who will receive an autographed copy of  "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller."

Just think about everything you put on your skin daily: deodorant, soap, cream, sunscreen, bug spray and hand sanitizer are but a few. The average woman will absorb nearly 2.3 Kg (5 lbs.) of cosmetics and other beauty products each year by using nearly 20 different products. The risks associated can be minor skin irritations to a more serious illness like cancer. It is said all these products are safe but it is argued that is only individually are these chemicals safe, when they are combined, their properties change and they could become harmful. The best plan of action is to become an informed consumer.

The most common active ingredient in insect repellent is DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) and is very effective to prevent mosquito and tick bites. DEET comes in various concentrations from 100% to 10% and the concentration tend to govern how long the chemical will work (100% = 12 hours) and must be washed off your skin after use. In studies DEET has shown to be effective and safe when used as directed but there are several cases of people experiencing harmful and deadly outcomes from DEET use. DEET has been proven to cause skin irritations and in severe cases seizures, brain damage and even death. Clearly, one has to weigh the risks of toxicity and the risk of diseases like the West Nile Virus or Lyme disease, right? Well maybe not.

Mosquito bites are a nuisance but also potentially deadly as all around the world they spread illnesses such as Malaria, Yellow Fever, Dengue Fever, and Encephalitis. In Canada, West Nile Fever whose symptoms are fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and rash. Severe symptoms can include neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, vision loss and paralysis. These systems can last weeks or a life time. Those who are bitten by an infected mosquito, only 20% will show the symptoms after 14 days. Infants, the elderly and individuals with auto-immune illnesses are especially at risk. Here are some steps to help reduce your risk of mosquito and other bug bites.

 

• Remove all standing water from your yard. It is likely that your back yard is breeding these pests, things like flower pots, old tires, pet water dishes, bird baths, patio chairs and any other place where water can pool is a possible nest for mosquito larvae. 
• Bt israelensis (Bt-i)  (Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis) is a biological pesticide designed to only kill mosquito, black fly and fungus gnat larvae. Can be used nearly anywhere there is standing water. This can be safely placed in birdbaths, rain barrels, rain gutters and anywhere you have accumulated water.
• Wear loose light coloured clothing.
• Invite bats to live in your yard as they will eat thousands of mosquitoes every night buy a bat house or create another opportunity to turn off the TV and build a bat house with your family.
• Keep pots of basil and rosemary growing near your doors to discourage mosquitoes from hanging around.
• Stay indoors during prime feeding times.
• Investigate the natural wonders of Neem Oil, a wonderplant that has healing properties and also acts as a natural insecticide read more at Woodland Natural Remedies.

Make your own natural mosquito repellents

Making your own repellent is easy and requires just a few ingredients: Some essential oils and a carrier oil or alcohol.

• Essential Oils: 10-25 drops total.

Any of these essential oils are effective mosquito repellents. You can choose one or create a mixture of three: Basil, eucalyptus, cloves, geranium, peppermint, rosemary, lemon balm (citronella), feverfew, cinnamon, lavender, castor, pine, fir, spruce, cedar and cypress.

• Carrier oil or alcohol: 29.5 ml (2 TBSP)

Choose one of these are effective carriers: Olive oil, sunflower oil, cooking oil, witch hazel, water, vodka

Apply the solution avoiding your eyes and other sensitive areas, reapply after an hour, swimming or exercise. When not in use, store away from direct light in a dark coloured bottle.

Natural Insect Repellent by Buy Canadian First Member Glengarry Gardens, a natural blend of essential oils in soybean oil, great for the whole family.

 

Druide's Citronella line are all natural products free of colourants, nuts or nut oils and petroleum by-products. The entire line is available through our member Well's website. 

 

All Things Jill's Bug Joose is another effective natural repellent that contains no chemicals, making it safe for the environment. Get some though our member Organically Hatched.

 

How do you combat the onslaught of these pesky critters? Share your tips and tricks with us and have a itch-free remainder of summer.