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The holidays have come to an end, most of us have likely over-indulged in delicious holiday fare, and now it's time for those good old New Year's resolutions. I stopped making those many years ago, because I thought it was a bit ridiculous to come up with new resolutions only once a year. Instead, I give myself small goals throughout the year; that way I feel like I've accomplished so much more, rather than making a resolution at the beginning of the year and likely forgetting about it halfway through.

One of the things I do keep telling myself every year is that I really should go outside and play more in the snow. Seeing as winter is by far my least favorite season, I figure that if I go out and do fun winter activities, I won't find the season so long and dreary. We are very fortunate here in Montreal, as we have a lot of things going on in the city in the winter and many fun activities to do that are mere steps away from home. And if you're making those fitness resolutions, it can make keeping them somewhat easier.

One of Montreal's major attractions is Mount-Royal, or as the locals here call it "The Mountain". You can strap on your warmest La Canadienne boots, made in Canada of course, and take a nice, leisurely winter stroll to Beaver Lake, where you can do some ice skating, sledding or "crazy carpeting". The mountain is a great getaway, because as soon as you start walking up, you completely forget that you're in the middle of the city and it feels like you're hiking in a forest up North!

La CANADIENNE Annabella boots

If you're more of a city slicker like myself, there are many other fun things to do outdoors in the city in the winter that will entertain you and almost make you forget that it's cold outside. For the last few years, we've had a music festival here called Igloofest which usually runs for about 2 weeks (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays) starting in mid January, at the Old Port of Montreal. It is basically a big music event with outdoor shows, DJ's, and dancing o' plenty. You'll really want to dress warmly for this one, sp take out all your best winter gear, fleece undergarments, your warmest Canada Goose coat and just dance the night away!

Women's Montebello Parka - Canada Goose

Another excellent way to have fun outdoors in the city is the Montreal High Lights Festival, which runs from February 21^st to March 3^rd this year, and has a ton of different activities to please everyone from the kids to the grandparents. It is one of the largest winter festivals in the world, combining both indoor and outdoor activities. It illuminates the city and is a pleasure for the eyes as well as the heart. When the sun goes down, brace yourself for a spectacular event filled with lights, fireworks, acrobats, digital projections and much more. The festival closes with a bang, with its ‘'All-Nighter'' celebrations where you can enjoy hundreds of free activities, shows both onscreen and onstage, all in the great outdoors.

So, as you can see, there is no shortage of fun to be had outside in Montreal in the winter; you just have to be prepared for the weather, which can be very unpredictable, and just go out there and enjoy everything winter has to offer.

What are YOU going to do outdoors this winter?

By Annie Curran

Stress!! I am certain every Canadian Mom has had their moments with this common foe. As moms, we run our homes, juggle work, school schedules, extra curricular activities and obligations. For me, stress usually builds up when my time is short; everything piles up and time for the more important, as well as wonderful things, becomes short at hand. I know we often don’t have enough time but one thing that I have learned is that running on empty is inefficient and usually means that I get less done. Here are five tips for the fabulous mom to slow down and de-stress.

1. Break a sweat. I made all sorts of excuses not to join a fitness class until I saw the results my friends were having. What I ended up gaining was a better attitude, a physical release for stress and tons of energy! The lost inches became secondary to how awesome I was feeling and I discovered I did have at least two hours a week to spare. You don’t have to join a fitness class. Buy Canadian First member Stott Pilates  has videos and equipment for your home gym.

2. Be grateful. Sometimes, being bogged down with what feels like the neverending to-do list, clouds your view of what’s around you. Buy Canadian First member Ecojot has these lovely mini 3x4 inch journals to jot a few things down that you are grateful for each day. Things like gigantic thanks for the morning hugs from your family or something small like a butterfly landing on your arm. You may even be thankful for your ritual morning coffee or tea. Whatever you are grateful for, write it down and you will feel the weight lift off of you.

3. Laugh often. Find the people who bring joy into your life and keep them close. Play and be goofy with your kids, as much as you can (as they grow up and then move away to go to university). Get your best friends together and enjoy each other even if it’s only a few times a year.

4. Do something you love. We each have our own hobbies and activities that we adore. For me and the kids, it is a trip to the zoo. We are looking forward to seeing the international polar bear conservation centre  on our next visit. We also love pulling out the craft supplies and creating to our hearts delight. I also adore listening to music and Buy Canadian first member Indigo Books and Music has a great selection of Canadian music. As you know, I have another favourite Canadian music site and that is CBC Radio 3 .

5. My very last tip, and maybe the most important stress removal tool is Sleep! No matter what, sleep will help you focus, lose or maintain weight and de-stress. Check out Buy Canadian First Members Essentia , Simmons and Dream Designs  for a wonderful selection of Canadian-made mattresses.  

What are your best stress reducing tips? 

image credit: Stott Pilates, Ecojot, Chapters Indigo 

This time last year, I was packing my bags and gearing up to leave the country on Canada Day  to visit a very special someone. This Canada Day, the reason that I left the country last year, will be sitting at my side in Southern Manitoba! It will be a brilliant day! Environment Canada  is forecasting a sunny and sultry thirty degrees for Sunday afternoon here. The problem is not the weather but what we could be doing, as there are so many Canada Day activities within thirty minutes of where we sit.

Emerson Manitoba  is having a weekend celebration starting with a pancake breakfast Saturday morning and a large firework show Sunday night. There are some great events including a belly dancing performance , a chain saw wood sculptor and pony rides!! Altona has a Sunday celebration ending in fireworks that includes free swimming at the Aquatic centre . Altona will also host a find-the-flag contest, Mennonite foods, a chalk drawing contest and cake at  five pm! In fact, many Manitoba towns have a lot to offer for Canada Day Celebrations and I am partial to the small town festivals. The crowds are tolerable and it doesn't take ages to leave once it's done.

There are some must-have, Canadian-made items that one needs for Canada Day! We need to keep snacks and beverages cool on the side of the road while enjoying the parade. Buy Canadian First member, Cascades, has their ThermaFresh^TM recycled cardboard picnic cooler . Made of seventy per cent recycled materials, it is also recyclable, unlike other temporary cooling units. Of course, Canada Day is often an outdoor event and being outside from pancake breakfast to fireworks leaves you vulnerable to the elements. Sun care is important and Buy Canadian First Member, Heiko, has a great selection of sunscreens including this SPF 40 for children. Once dusk arrives, make sure that you are wearing loose fitting clothing to help prevent mosquito bites but if you find that they are getting really nasty, Buy Canadian First member Muskol  to keep the insects away.

Whatever I may be doing on Canada Day, I will be doing it with loved ones and friends, as well as thirty million other fabulous Canadians. Cheers Canada, Happy 145th Birthday!! Don't forget to enter our fabulous Canada Day giveaway!

What are you doing this Canada Day? 

Photo credits: Buy Canadian First Members Cascades, Heiko and Muskol 

Constable Michael B. Potvin - July 13, 2010 (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)

Constable Sébastien Coghlan-Goyette - November 14, 2010 (Sûreté du Québec)

Sergeant Ryan J. Russell - January 12, 2011 (Toronto Police Service)

Constable Garrett Styles - June 28, 2011 (York Regional Police Service)

Their names are forever etched on the glass panels erected along the perimeter wall adjacent to the Memorial Pavilion which now totals 822 fallen officers. The Service is a lasting tribute to the sacrifice of those brave men and women.

"THEY ARE OUR HEROES, WE SHALL NOT FORGET THEM/ CE SONT NOS HÉROS. NOUS NE LES OUBLIERONS JAMAIS".

In 1998, the federal government officially proclaimed the last Sunday of each September as Police and Peace Officers' National Memorial Day. This Service gives Canadians an opportunity to express their appreciation for the ultimate dedication of these police and peace officers.

The Canadian Police and Peace Officers Annual Memorial Service is organized by the Canadian Police Association (CPA), the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and the Canadian Peace Officers' Memorial Association (CPOMA). 

The 34th National Memorial Service has been scheduled as follows:

I will never forget listening, just this Summer, to the harrowing account of Constable Garret Styles , of the York Regional Police Service. He died in June 2011, after being dragged and pinned under a van. Constable Styles' father is a respected policeman himself and Constable Styles' wife is a civilian who works in Police Service. She had given birth about six weeks before the tragedy. They also have another child who was two years old at the time.

Constable Styles was truly committed to a life of service and hearing about his death was really heart-breaking. I have nothing but admiration and gratitude for these people, who put themselves in danger on a daily basis, in order to protect the rest of us.  

Will you be watching the ceremony on Sunday? 

:: images courtesy of the Canadian Police and Peace Officers Memorial Association

Here at Buy Canadian First, we are truly blessed to be surrounded by individuals and organizations who believe in the Made in Canada message we promote, and strive to support us in very special ways.

One such organization is /A\ Morning in Ottawa, with whom we are proud to have been associated with for the last 2 years. The entire team, from on-air hosts to behind-the-scene producers, have always welcomed us on the show with open arms and enabled us to promote products made in Canada and the great companies who make them.

                           The set of /A\ Morning Ottawa

Cast and crew are deeply involved in the local community. They really do care, and it shows. For the past month, they have been auctioning off a selection of products and services donated by local businesses and raised almost $ 15,000 for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation!

Last Friday, to kick-off Ottawa's  Weekend to End Women's Cancers, the /A\ Morning team became the Pink Army and hosted a Pancake Breakfast live outside their studios in the ByWard Market. I was invited to attend, so I got up at 4 AM for the 2-hour drive from Montreal! An early start to a beautiful day, and great fun was had by all!

I had to return home that afternoon, but Saturday is when the real work began: a 32 km walk around the city, the first part of the 60-km walk which would take place Saturday and Sunday. Almost 1,000 walkers joined in to raise funds for this all-important cause, some walking in memory of a lost one, others in celebration of their own success in beating the disease.

And along the way, some sweet support from another great Canadian company: Kisko, makers of the famous Freezies! When they heard that the Pink Army was looking for some cool treats for the walkers, they graciously donated over 1,000 Freezies to the cause! A family business making Canada's favourite frozen treats since 1977, Kisko is 100% committed to supporting community events such as these. Thanks Kisko, we're so proud to have you on board at Buy Canadian First!

Their efforts raised more than $1.8M! Congrats to all...together, we really can make a difference!

Images courtesy of Isabelle Remy and Ziyada Callender.

Here in Peterborough, once Spring arrives, we are lucky enough to have a Farmer’s Market twice a week on Saturday and Wednesday mornings. It's a great place to pick-up Canadian products of all kinds. No doubt there are Farmer’s Markets where you live, too. They are a wonderful way to get local fresh produce and to meet some of the people who grow our food!

  

In Manitoba, Peak of the Market is a grower-owned, “not for profit” vegetable supplier. This Buy Canadian First member has been growing and supplying over 120 different varieties of vegetables for the last 68 years. (Now I want to sit down and see if I can come up with the names of 120 vegetables!). Peak of the Market is so well-known for its quality produce, that even traditional vegetable growing locales such as California, Florida, Texas and Washington buy from Peak of the Market. So do produce buyers from  Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Apparently, Peak of the Market vegetables taste really, really great!

Peak of the Market combines technology with Mother Nature to preserve produce in one of the most technologically advanced storage programs anywhere in North America! Because of this, they can actually provide Canadian vegetables year round. Their controlled environment storage facilities make it possible for them to keep vegetables like beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, parsnips, potatoes and shallots in a state of peak deliciousness!

Forty Manitoba family farms grow for Peak of the Market, and the folks there are proud of the fact that they have earned a reputation for excellent quality and really outstanding customer service. As a matter of fact, their quality standards exceed the national standards and they were one of the first produce suppliers to have a toll-free consumer response line! Over 1,000 people are employed by Peak of the Market and their growers, and over 70 million dollars a year goes into the Canadian economy because of them. You can listen to their weekly radio show every Sunday if you live in Manitoba or you can check out their Recipe of the Day, no matter where you live!

Do you know any of the people who grow your vegetables?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First member Peak of the Market

Around my place, bikes are the #1 form of transportation and sparkly new handlebar streamers are one of the first signs of Spring! (This year's colours are dark blue and silver). My bike helps me to take off what I call my ‘Winter fat'. You know, the fat that layered sweaters, coats and scarves have been hiding from the world for the past few months! My bike also keeps a smile on my face and gets me where I want to go, pronto! I'm very dependent on my bike and would be lost without it.

Women's Equipe cycling jersey made in Canada by Louis Garneau

A recent Canadian Health Measures Statistics Canada Survey reported the lowest Canadian fitness levels in recorded history. There's no excuse for that! Bike riding is such a fun, easy and affordable way to get some exercise on your own or with your family. It's entertainment and exercise in one shiny package! Learning how to maintain your bike is also fun and easy and you can find local bike workshops to attend or pick up maintenance tips on the internet.

With gas prices as high as they are, and no signs of relief in site, riding your bike to work is starting to look better and better to more people! Many communities are getting involved in Bike to Work week and even stretching out related activities all month. On Monday May 30, 2011, various cities across Ontario are coordinating events to celebrate Bike to Work Day.  It also marks the beginning of Toronto's Bike Month events.  These events are community-driven and take place City-wide through June.

You can browse upcoming events, or register your event online.

 Flare Bike made in Canada by Rocky Mountain Bicycles

CAN-BIKE is a program which offers cycling courses to young cyclists and adults, from the basics for those who cannot ride a bike, to more advanced courses. Can-Bike also offers Kids Can-Bike Camps.

Do you ride a bike?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members Louis Garneau and Rocky Mountain Bicycles.

I spent last weekend in St-Thomas, Ontario. Why, you ask? Excellent question.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by my new friend Freddy from the CAW Local 2168 through Facebook (gotta love that!) He was asking me if I had information about what products are made in Canada, for a local trade show they were participating in. Their theme was Made in Canada Matters, which is a campaign really close to my heart! ‘'Better than that'', I answered. ‘'I will come down and spend the day at your booth and bring you some great products Made in Canada!''

I figured, ‘'How far can St-Thomas be from Montreal, right?'' FAR!  We drove for 8 hours down the 401 (yes, my hubby tagged along to keep me company...thanks sweetheart!) through Car Manufacturing Country. It was fascinating to see those gigantic assembly plants: Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Chevrolet, GM and Toyota. Also sad to see some abandoned buildings, evidence of the decline of manufacturing in this great country of ours. As a matter of fact, I learned that the Ford plant in St-Thomas is due to close in September, sending about 1,200 people to the unemployment line. The nearby Lear plant is also slated for closure, as it was supplying the seats for the Ford plant. I also learned that every 1 job in the car manufacturing industry sustains 6 related jobs. So all of a sudden, those 1,200 plus jobs look more like 7,200 plus jobs. Yikes!

At the trade show, I was privileged to meet many people from St-Thomas. Families, elderly people, business owners, etc. This community knows only too well the importance of buying Canadian and it's repercussions on the local economy. And not just cars. Their eyes lit up when they saw what we had brought:

On the table:

- Screwdrivers made by Picquic Tools in Ontario
- Royale Paper products made by Irving Tissue in New Brunswick
- Life jackets (PFD) made by Salus Marine in Ontario
- Pet food made by Oven-Baked Tradition in Quebec
- Goat's milk skincare products made by Canus in Quebec
- Card games made by Outset Media in British Columbia
- Baby sling made by Blue Celery in Ontario
- Boots made by Rallye Footwear in Quebec
- Belts made by Truth in Ontario
- Wall décor made by Felt Fantasia in British Columbia
- Baseball bats made by Sam Bat in Ontario
- Mr. Freeze made by Kisko in Ontario
- RimRoller made by Novel Solutions in Ontario (just in time for the 25th anniversary of Roll up the Rim to Win!)

If you want to see more of these products, check our our current Gift Guide.

To this community, buying Canadian is self-evident. But they had NO IDEA such products were made in this country. Again, information & awareness is the name of the game. And we sure LOVE to play that game!

So again, thanks to everyone in St-Thomas who came out to meet us! I will definitely be back in that part of the country in the next few months, and hopefully will be able to visit one of those assembly plants! Can't wait!

Images courtesy of Isabelle Remy

Winter time is the ideal time to start a book club, especially if, like me, you got a Chapters.Indigo gift card for Christmas! A book club is a perfect cure for the Winter Blahs and will give you something to look forward to while you are waiting for the Sun to come back for Spring. To me, reading a book is like taking a vacation. Right about now, I feel like going somewhere hot and steamy ... somewhere like Dexter's Miami, for example!

You can start or join a virtual book club online or start or join a book club in your neighbourhood. There are book clubs for every genre and interest, age and personality. You can choose to go with one author and discuss each new publication or try different authors on one topic. You can  read cook books, craft books or childrens's books, too, if you want. Don't limit yourself to just adult fiction.

1. Find other people. Ask at local bookstores to see if there are already clubs in place. Maybe they have a bulletin board that you can advertise on for a new or existing club. Do you have a couple of friends who would like to participate? Each one can bring a friend and before you know it, you will have a club. Find people at work, school or church. Maybe friends from the gym would be interested. An ideal size for a group depends, I think, on where you are meeting. Anywhere from 4 - 1o people sounds good to me. If you have too many, discussion might be limited to only a few people.
2. Set a meeting time - Once a month is usually best for busy people to meet to talk about books. If you are starting the club, set the time that is best for you. Too much compromising can mean no book club if you aren't careful!
3. Advertise. Put up a notice at local bookstores, coffee shops or grocery stores. Try leaving a flyer in the laundry room of your apartment building. Get members to bring a friend. Try using Kijiji.  Just be careful! 
4. Set some rules. Will there be refreshments? Who will provide them? Will you lead the group or have different leaders each month? How will the books be chosen? How much participation will be expected of each member?
   
5. Play it by ear. Start your group and see how it goes. Dont be afraid to be flexible but don't feel that you have to incorporate every, single suggestion!
6. Have fun! If it's not fun, why bother! Make sure that reading your book club book doesn't become a chore!  Decide how many books a year you will read as a group, and how long you will have to read each one. You may want to read and discuss a book a month or one book every three months. It is helpful to have a list for the year right from the beginning so that people can take advantage of sales as they come across them ... or maybe even borrow a copy of the book from a friend who has already read it.

 

Writing these Member Spotlights is really opening my eyes to the many unique companies we have here in Canada, and in the Buy Canadian First catalogue! Chariot Carriers Inc. is one of them, and I was pleased to see that they are sold at a local sporting goods store, here in Peterborough, as well as all across Canada.

I see Chariot Carriers all the time, because many Peterborough parents are keen on making the most of the outdoors in our fabulous city in the beautiful Kawarthas! Bike trails crisscross the city, with some found right beside the Otonabee River, making for spectacular bike rides. Lots of people here are students and walk or ride to Trent Universty or Fleming College. The Ministry of Natural Resources, in the heart of downtown, has many employees who like to travel green with their kids. We have many joggers, bicyclists, hikers and walkers in this town!

Chariot Carriers are especially good for all four seasons here in Canada and won't be beat by snow, slush or rain! As a privately-held, family-run business, whose members love outdoor, family activities and being fit and healthy, they bring this awareness to the design and manufacturing of all their products!

You can tell just by looking at the carriers that they are well-made and durable and really, really cool! What a great way to get around with your kids, keep fit and not have to hire a baby sitter!