Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

I love gardening but am terrible at it. I have even written about my Manitoba gardens here before, even though most of them have been mediocre in their successes. Last year I moved into my apartment. It has its own outside entrance into a lovely back yard and patio. It was mid-July when I started a small garden last year. Sadly, the groundskeeper thought that my small plants were weeds and "took care of them".

It's a new season, though and according to my co-worker, I am already a slacker, as I should have started my tomato and pepper seeds three weeks ago! Maybe if I keep a gardener's journal like this  one from Buy Canadian first member Lee Valley, I would have better results.

 

I need a fresh batch of seeds to start. I am interested in buying heirloom organic seeds. These seeds are open-pollinated and genetically diverse, free of chemical treatments and not genetically modified. In fact, unlike your standard seed and plants, heirloom plants often have unique characteristics and colours. A few Canadian seed sellers on Etsy have just what I'm looking for. Hollis and Hunter,  as well as Cubits, offer a varied selection of fruit, vegetables and herbs for Canadians. Salt Spring Seeds has seeds, too and also offers legumes and grains including oats, flax, quinoa and buckwheat.

  

I do have two small gardens that I can use in the back this year,  but the rest of my gardening will have to be in containers. Container gardening seems, in theory, pretty simple.You can plant in almost any container, from old coffee cans to claw foot tubs and everything in-between. Buy Canadian First Member Garant  has colourful 40L Tubby containers that would make great planting containers.

 

Make sure that the container has drain holes and do not allow the plants to become too dry or too wet. Adding mulch to your containers will help to retain moisture. 

I will be starting radishes, carrots, tomatoes, swiss chard and cucumbers for sure this Spring. Do you container garden?

 

images: Buy Canadian First members Lee Valley and Garant and A. Ryder via Andrea Willowcat  

I have been telling everyone I know about this month's book, "The Way We Fall". Canadian author, Megan Crewe, did a fantastic job of creating characters and a story that you can sink into. You can read my review of this book in last week's Good Shopper Blog. I also have a book winner to announce at the end of this post!

Megan Crewe was born in Toronto, Canada around the end of 1980. A book lover, she finished her first attempt at a novel when she was 14 and started submitting short stories to magazines around the same time. Her first published book was "Give Up the Ghost", and her second is the one we've been enjoying, "The Way We Fall". Megan now resides in Toronto with her husband. Along with her writing, she tutors children and teens with special needs. I was lucky to have the opportunity to interview Megan about "The Way We Fall".

GSB: How did you first come up with the idea for this book? Is it based on some of the panic and problems we've dealt with in the past, like SARS?

MC: I decided I wanted to write about an epidemic after having a nightmare based on a zombie virus spread in a novel I'd just finished. I realized the only other time I've had a book-based bad dream, the book also involved a deadly virus. Clearly, viruses and epidemics scare me more than just about anything else! Because I think we tell better stories when we're writing about things that really affect us emotionally, I wanted to explore that fear in a story of my own. I did draw on observations of how people reacted during scares like SARS and the recent H1N1 outbreak as I was writing.

GSB: I appreciated that it was set in Canada, though the island was never named, was it? How important is it to you to include a Canadian location?

MC: The island isn't named because it doesn't actually exist and I wanted to leave it a little vague. It's supposed to be off the coast of Nova Scotia, but I didn't want to inflict my deadly virus on an actual town, so I made up my own. That also gave me more flexibility to adjust the setting to fit the story. But it was important to me to set the book in Canada because so few books are ... even Canadian authors often set their books in the US to make them more accessible to the larger American readership. I knew I had a story that could be set in Canada, so I wanted to take the opportunity to give this country a little fictional representation.

GSB: The series of symptoms that the virus has - from a fever, a scratchy throat, the happiness and saying everything you think to the scary screaming ...  did you come up with these or are they based on research of any other viruses?

MC: I did a lot of research on viruses before I started writing and many aspects of my virus are based on actual sicknesses. It's very common for the first symptoms of any disease to be flu-like, for example, because many of them (e.g., the fever, the congestion) are not directly provoked by the virus, but rather by the immune system trying to burn or flush out the unwanted invader. I was particularly creeped out and inspired by two specific infectious agents: a parasite that is carried by cats and when passed to mice makes them less scared of cats so it'll be easier for another cat to eat them and take in the parasitea and a fungus that takes control of the insects it infects, making them climb to great heights so the breeze can carry away the fungus spores that then explode out of them. The thought of being infected by something that could affect the way you think and behave is even more frightening than anything it can do to your body, especially if it's controlling you to make it easier for it to infect others.

GSB: Since your novel is based in Canada, do you think other First World countries would react differently to this same situation?

MC: It's hard to know, because we haven't faced a situation quite like what happens in the book yet. I don't know if the way I wrote it is even how the Canadian government would respond! I do think most countries would resort to quarantines and risk a few dying for the sake of the larger population, if it came to that.

GSB: I can't wait to read more about this world and find out who's on the boat and what is happening on the main land! Are you working on the next novel yet?

MC: Book 2, THE LIVES WE LOST, is already written and going through copy edits right now. All those questions will be answered! I'm actually working on the third book in the trilogy at the moment. Everything in publishing has to get done well ahead of time.

GSB: Did you have all three books planned out before writing or has your novel and characters evolved with writing?

MC: I had a general sense of what would happen in the sequels before I started writing THE WAY WE FALL, but working through the books has helped me figure out the details and certain ideas have evolved once I saw how they worked on the page. I find it's always that way with writing. You can plan all you want, but you never know exactly how the story will come out until you're putting down the words.

GSB: What advice can you give to young Canadian authors?

MC: Read everything you can get your hands on. You never know what you might learn from or be inspired by. Write lots, because practice is the most important factor in improving as a writer. Realize that writing is a skill you need to develop and have patience with yourself as you work on getting better at it. Be willing to seek out critical feedback and take it into consideration even if it's hard to hear. And finally, don't give up. It may not happen quickly, but you'll only be successful if you keep at it.

I thank Megan so much again for the opportunity to interview her! I cannot wait until Book Two, "The Lives We Lost", comes out!

Time to get ready for our next book, "Losing Faith", by Canadian author, Denise Jaden.

"When Brie’s sister, Faith, dies in a fall from a cliff, Brie’s world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood, Brie must also contend with increasingly distant parents, her boyfriend’s betrayal and her sudden outcast status at school. And once she’s over the initial shock of Faith’s death, Brie is encountering more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don’t line up. She soon uncovers Faith’s role in a dark and twisted religious cult…a cult that now wants Brie as a member."

Sounds very interesting! I can't wait to read it.

For now, congratulations to "The Way We Fall" winner, Maegan Morin! You will be receiving a copy of the novel "The Way We Fall" Let us know what you think! I would love to discuss it with you!

To win a copy of "Losing Faith", please answer the question at the end of our review, which will be published on Monday, March 19, 2012. The winner will be announced the following week. Good luck and thanks so much for participating!

 

Have you 'Liked ' us on Facebook yet? 

 

:: images courtesy of Chris Blanchenot and Chapters -Indigo

I live in a small, French-Canadian town  in Southern Manitoba. I was a little apprehensive when I moved here, but six years have passed and I can't come up with enough reasons to move back to the city. Back then, as pretty as this place is, my first glimpse left me unimpressed. I was missing my coffee haunts, the zoo, the book and art supply store as well as the anonymity of city living. I now see that this small section of Manitoba has all one needs; a grocery store, hardware/liquor store with a post office, restaurant and bar, K-12 school, bank, insurance company, arena, curling rink, campground and social hall. Recently a health centre and daycare opened. Life in this friendly town is very comfortable.

  

When I lived in the city, I often saw the Co-op gasoline stations, but thought nothing of it until I moved to the country. In my area, there are about six Co-op locations. All are a part of a small, regional group offering petrol, food, farm supplies, hardware and more. Throughout the Western provinces, there are about two hundred and fourty retail Co-op locations , all of which form the Co-operative Retailing System. Co-ops are owned and operated by members of the community that they service. Each member has a vote to elect members, who also live and work in the community, to the board of directors . Co-ops bolster the local economy, employ locally and support community projects or charitable organisations.

 

 

I have to admit that I do shop at the Real Canadian Superstore, about every six weeks, as some things are unavailable at my Co-op food store, like cilantro and Buy Canadian First member So Good and their yummy chocolate beverage.  The best thing about my local Co-op is the Manitoba-produced products available on its shelves that include eggs, carrots, honey, cheese and pork. It doesn't stop there! My Co-op also has Canadian products that includes beef, salmon, milk, apples, tomato paste, soup, potatoes, locally baked items, prepared pizzas and fresh-made perogies. How awesome is that?  I wouldn't trade in for the world, being able to buy local Canadian-made products in rural Manitoba at a reasonable price, from people who greet me with a huge smile and by name. Now ,if only they would sell me the winning lotto 6-49 Quick Pick...

 

 

So Canada, I encourage you to support your local businesses, seek out homegrown enterprise and continue to shop for local and Canadian made product.

Do you have a favourite local business?

 

image credit: Andrea Willowcat and Buy Canadian First member So Good 

Welcome to month seven of the Buy Canadian First Book Club! I'm so happy with all of the great authors we've met so far! Don't forget to "Like" the Buy Canadian First Book Club on Facebook, where we discuss the books and authors and choose what we will read next. You can also find out who won today's giveaway, next Monday, when we share our interview with this week's author, Megan Crewe!

Megan was born in Toronto, Canada and she still resides there with her husband and two cats. She has written many short stories and her first novel was the paranormal Young Adult "Give Up the Ghost". This month we're reading her second novel, "The Way We Fall", a contemporary, dystopian Young Adult novel and the first book in a trilogy. I just have to mention that I absolutely love book series, as they give me time to learn so much about the characters and their world. It's also very exciting to wait for the next book in the series to come out!  I am, also, a huge Young Adult fiction fan and love many of the dystopian books out there in that genre. ("Dystopian" books are basically stories where the conditions and quality of life for the characters are unpleasant or often a bit more than unpleasant.)

I absolutely sped through this book; my Kobo didn't turn the pages fast enough for me! I love to read about how people reaction in situations like the one's in this book. It brings up thought provoking discussions about how we think we would react in a similar situation, how we think the government would react and how the people in the book SHOULD have reacted, I loved it!

I was very impressed with Megan's writing style, as well. The entire world and the virus felt natural; nothing crazy or so outrageous that it would make you roll your eyes when reading. The journal entries made for great reading and really added a depth to the novel. There was a reason Kaelyn skipped a few days in her journal and we are able to read about Kaelyn's feelings about various situations. IT alsogives you a great time-line as the events unfold. I really enjoyed it!

Contest Giveaway:

Here's a chance to win your own copy of Megan Crewe's book, "The Way We Fall", and read along with us! The winner will be announced here when we share my interview with Megan Crewe, next Monday. Just answer the following question in the comment section below to qualify. Comments are moderated, so don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away! Good luck!

Have you, or someone you know, ever been quarantined?

 

:: images courtesy of Chapters-Indigo.

Results from a recent national study on consumer behaviour towards Canadian-made food products are clear: Canadians care where they food comes from and they prefer to buy Canadian.

Conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the study notes that substantial sales increases were recorded for food products clearly identified as being from Canada. Canadian consumers have spoken: they want to "Eat Canadian"!

 

But the question is: "what food products are made here, and where can we find them?"

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Karen Hope from The Marketing Edge as our new Food Marketing Specialist, in charge of developing our online Canadian Food & Drinks directory to help consumers find food products made in Canada.

                                             Karen Hope 

.

Isabelle Remy, Founder & Managing Director of Buy Canadian First explains: "Karen brings years of experience in marketing, business development and brand building in the food industry. Based in Calgary, Karen will be responsible for reaching out to food processors across the country to invite them to list their products on its website to reach these highly-motivated consumers who are specifically looking for products made in Canada. She can be reached at The Marketing Edge".

 

Welcome to the family, Karen!

Images courtesy of Karen Hope & The Marketing Edge.

I am "pfffting" the scene outside my window right now. The night has left southeastern Manitoba  with some lovely dusting of Canadian snow. I really shouldn't complain. We have had a mild winter with little precipitation, but I will belly-ache none the less. If only there was enough of Buy Canadian First member Premier Tech Home and Garden's  Alaskan Premier Ice Melter to rid my back walkway and yard of ice and snow. Well, ok, just the slippery walkway. I am eager for warm weather and sunshine; I want to start my garden.

 

 

I am very interested in composting but am not keen on the fruit flies that come with collecting the organic material in buckets or canisters. Buy Canadian First member Mr.ECO and their Pro-compost trash can  seems to be what I have been looking for; a made-in-Canada product from recycled materials that is not fruit fly friendly. This will make composting easy. If I am going to grow a mountain of cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and radishes, I'll need a rich black soil. Sadly this bounty of veggies will include picking out weeds, too, so I am looking forward to trying member Lee Valley's Hard-Shell Knee Pads.

 

I have one project I would like to create this spring: a potato box. This is a box that is supposed to yield kilo upon kilo of potatoes by planting the tater plants up high in the box and then removing the new potatoes from the bottom of the box. This allows the plant to keep producing spuds. I think I will get lots of help in the construction of the box from my daughters, especially if they each have a bright pink Multique Screwdriver  from Buy Canadian First member Picquic. Ahh ... Spring is almost upon us and I can't wait for May flowers!

 

 

Have you started planning your garden yet?

 

 

 Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Premier Tech Home and Garden, Mr.ECO and Picquic

Happy Valentine's Day, Canada!! I hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love, hugs, kisses and friendship. A sweet treat or two wouldn't be so bad either. We're celebrating the Canadian made way for Valentine's Day, so check out some of these featured Buy Canadian First members; they have you covered for the big day. Brookside Foods makes delicious chocolate covered treats, like Dark Chocolate Pomegranate. Impress your loved one with this decadent treat that is made with the highest standard in Canada.

Give a gift that will last forever with SIMS Jewelry. I love this Juliette Necklace, that comes in Silver Shade, Jet Black and Golden Shadow - something for everyone and a gift to be treasured.

 

Another lasting gift would be a beautiful piece of art to enjoy in the years to come. The Limited Edition silkscreen prints from Dozay's Native Art & Graphics are gorgeous, unique and the native artwork is a wonderful heritage piece.

 

Planning on celebrating the occasion at home? Check out this instant wine refresher by Ravi. It’s not the bottle that is cooled, but the wine itself - how awesome is that? It's based on a revolutionary concept that will cool your wine to the ideal temperature instantly and will keep working for more than an hour after you take it out of the freezer. Surprise your mate with this innovative tool and a bottle of wine or two.

 

Are you heading out to eat? Planning a night at home? Getting gifts for everyone? How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?

 

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Ravi,  Dozay's Native Art & Graphics, SIMS Jewelry and Brookside Foods.

It's February 6th and, depending on where you live, your groundhog may have predicted an early Spring for you, but, for us, it's still awhile to go until our Canadian Spring.  We got a lovely taste of early Spring weather this weekend with some sunny skys, warmish weather and a little spark in the air.  It got me thinking about the best ways to beat the February blues. Check out what I've come up with and make your own suggestions in the comment section below. (Don't forget that comments are moderated and don't show up right away!).

My first suggestion is one that I've heard from many people. It's one that I do myself. I take iquid vitamin D from Buy Canadian First member Ddrops. Known as a building block involved in repair and maintenance of the body, it seems to give you an extra boost and the health benefits can't be beat.

Another great idea is something we did today - BBQ!  Just because it's Winter doesn't mean you can't pull the BBQ up close to the door if the wind isn't blowing too bad.  With the Winter much of Canada has been having, we don't even have any snow on the ground.  You know a BBQ'd hot dog or steak can do wonders for the mind.

 

Treat yourself to a spa day either out with a friend or by creating your own spa at home with products like Dead Sea Salt Spa from Buy Canadian First member Earth to Body. Earth To Body’s product line is full of natural products that will treat your body right and put a smile on your face.

 

A great way to get through this time of year is to get outside and embrace nature. Take the dog for a walk, take the kids to the hill, or, why not try hiking through the snow with snow shoes! A great way to get fit, do some bird-watching in the woods and enjoy the day, GV Snowshoes has you covered with their natural Huron Snowshoes.

If we can afford it, I'm sure we'd all love to get away for a few days or a week or two in February. That doesn't mean you have to leave Canada though! Head to Ottawa for Winterlude or Quebec for Carnaval de Québec. Vancouver has over 25 awesome events planned for this month. Toronto will play host to Icefest - these are all just to name a few spots around the country. A winter escape is perfect for getting rid of those Fenruary blues.

Right now, I'm going to grab a cup of coffee, another one of my treats to cheer up the day! How do you chase away the February Blues?

 

Images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Ddrops, Earth to Body, GV Snowshoes and a personal picture from Stacey Kazmir.

I am the proud owner of two small, itty-bitty, made-in-Canada businesses. Being little is huge! Allow me to explain. I’m Donna, an artsy, single parent of an awesome twelve year old son, residing in Very Small Town, BC. 

  

One of my businesses is a sign and graphics shop, called Graphic Impact, where I specialize in designing and manufacturing vehicle graphics. Design and decal fabrication are done at home, then I run out and install at my customer’s location while my son is in school. My passionate side fired-up Funky Junk Interiors, a decorating studio where I flip junky relics into unique decorating elements for the home. Thrifted treasures are found and revamped, then my home is used for staging photo shoots. From there, I submit the write-ups to magazines and blogs for features. I'm also a freelance writer and photographer and am so very glad that Buy Canadian First is part of my lineup! FUN!

  

But what really makes this story profound is the fact that businesses choose to buy Canadian first, by choosing me, this little Canadian small town girl, over much larger international corporations. They don’t have to choose me. There are plenty of others they could use to either make their trucks look pretty or their magazine spreads or blogs shine. But the fact that they did choose me says something about them. They are supporters of ensuring that my son gets a new pair of shoes every so often and that there's fuel in our vehicle. They know where their money is being spent which also means that they care about us.

  

In return, I attempt to offer something extra-special so that they call again. How about the very best work I can muster, topped with a sprinkling of true blue passion? When you care about what you do, you tend to conduct business a little differently, wouldn’t you agree? I see it when I visit my hairdresser in her beautifully decorated, cozy basement, for that invaluable one-on-one service or at the unique diner down the road that dishes up homemade fare like no one else. The small town folks, and what they offer, are special, and that's what keeps me coming back to buying Canadian first. I love knowing where my hard-earned Canadian dollars are going and I’m just very glad that my customers appear to feel the same way about me!

 

What keeps you going back to your favourite, small businesses?

 

Written by, and images courtesy of, Donna at Funky Junk Interiors.

It has been just over one month since we brought home our latest addition. A few days before Christmas we added a third dog to our family. We live in the country, so having big dogs is not an issue. All of our dogs are large breed dogs. They are extremely friendly and I love them.  I am happy to share with you my dogs as I write about dog items made-in-Canada.  

 

When we first brought our black Lab puppy home, my husband instantly bonded with him. I thought for sure that Earl (our dog is named Earl) was his dog. Well, over the last month, I think that he has become mine. We all love him and our youngest thinks he is a toy. We often need to tell her to be gentle. But when Earl gets a chance, he will jump up on my lap or in my bed. These are two habits I want to break him of as he gets bigger.  Our older dogs have large, thick blankets that they lay on. I am thinking about finding Earl a dog bed similar to the Essentia Natural Memory Foam. Then he can be comfy, feel like he is on the bed, yet still not in my bed.  I do not mind spoiling my dogs, but my bed is MY BED. 

 

I would rather spoil them with treats like  Oven Baked Tradition Pet Food . We actually have a friend who makes dog treats. they look like Timbits and my dogs love them. The kids thought they were for them and tried to eat one.  Quality food is important to maintain good health in our pets. We also give them lots of exercise.  Having a good quality, strong leash is important. My oldest Lab likes to wiggle his way out of his collar often, but when he sees his leash he comes running back. I guess the excitement of going for a walk is better than running off on his own :) Have you seen the Roots leashes ? They are really nice looking. I think they would be the perfect size for my pup. 

 I am also a Macaw owner :) This is our bird, Blu. We rescued him a few months back. He is a very curious little guy.

 

 

Are you a pet owner? Are you a cat person or dog person?

 

Written by Gingermommy

:: images courtesy of Gingermommy