Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

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

Welcome Yummy Mummy Club members! We're so excited to have you with us because by being here, you're also telling us that buying Canadian is important to you too! That means a lot to us.

This month, the Yummy Mummy Club and Buy Canadian First are giving away a $1,000 shopping spree to one very lucky mummy. Read the full contest details here.

 

If you're here for a clue to complete your YummyMummyClub.ca contest registration, read on, there's tons to use! 

As consumers, we've become addicted to low-cost products made abroad and sometimes get hooked into accumulating quantity over quality but in the last couple of years we have seen an emerging lifestyle shift among hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are taking buying Canadian to heart. Their reasons for doing so can be as personal as seeing a relative lose their manufacturing job, to wanting to decrease their carbon footprints by buying locally-made and locally-grown products.

The question is, which is most important to you and how far will you go to support Canada? Here are the 6 most common reasons for buying Canadian.

1. The economy

When we buy Canadian, we directly impact our economy in positive ways. Every dollar we spend in Canada has a ripple effect that far exceeds that of simple profits made by the businesses who take our money in exchange for goods or services. Regardless what sectors and industries we work in, we are all part of this cycle. We are securing jobs, helping to create new ones and let's not forget, when Canadian businesses are successful, they are in a position to give back to the communities they serve by supporting local charities, cultural associations, etc. Successfully employed Canadians and successful businesses also mean larger tax revenues towards government programs.

2. Health & safety

When we buy Canadian, we know that the products have met this country’s health & safety standards. The manufacturing industry in Canada is highly regulated, from the factories’ environmental emissions, to the quality assurance practices, to the materials used and beyond. These safety measures sometimes mean an increase in the retail price, but all things considered, isn’t it a small price to pay for peace of mind?

 

3. The environment

When we buy Canadian, we are reducing our carbon footprint, as products made closer to home require much less transportation. For example, did you know that a piece of clothing designed, manufactured and sold in Montreal requires 25 times less transportation than a similar product made in the far East?  

4. Labour standards

When we buy Canadian, we know that the people who make and sell the products are treated fairly, work in safe & sanitary conditions and often under the watchful eye of unions. We’ve all heard horror stories of sweatshops in foreign countries using children and adults as disposable labour. Thankfully, stories like that don't happen in Canada. 

5. Community

When we buy Canadian, we are contributing to the enrichment of our communities. It systematically makes us a part of something greater than ourselves and our immediate (material) needs. That one purchase we just made may contribute to the survival of a struggling local family business. Furthermore, as the gap that once existed between the consumer, the manufacturer and the retailer continues to decrease (thanks in large part to direct lines of communication that the Internet afords us), never before have consumers been able to give feedback in real time and develop and never-seen-before dialogue with these companies.

6. Patriotism

Historically, Canadian's have always been quietly patriotic. If there's one thing the world noticed during the Vancouver Olympics is that we're a proud bunch and perhaps now (post-record-breaking-Olympics) we won't be so quiet anymore. Love of Country shouldn't stop at flying a flag or wearing red (or growing a beard ;) We have every reason to be proud of our country, including the wonderful products we make here. Some consumers buy Canadian over foreign-made as a matter of principle alone. We see a "Made in Canada" label as a badge of honour. One we're proud to contribute to and want others to know about.  

The idea is not to buy Canadian only (it's impossible to do so anyway), but to consider Canadian-made products, over foreign-made ones first and buy these as often as we can.

So, why do you buy Canadian-made products?

Leave your answer on the contest form for your chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree on BuyCanadianFirst.ca (you may leave a comment here, but it does not count towards your entry into the contest) Good luck!
   

Image source: Dom Sports, Warm Buddy, P'tit Coulou, Natural Beauty Canada

 

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

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

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."

It's that time of year again! What time? Why it's R-r-r-r-roll up the r-r-r-r-rim to win time!

I couldn't think of a better time to get a caffeine fix in order to get spring cleaning done, well maybe not, but go get your ‘extra large double double' and an apple fritter and enjoy a little Canadiana. But before I begin...

For kicks, Buy Canadian First is hosting its own contest!!

We have 4 - $10 Tim Hortons gift cards to give away!  Leave us your email and comments  about why you buy Canadian and Friday morning (March 13th) we will pick 4 winners using a random numbers generator. Good Luck!

Now, for a bit of history and facts...

Tim Horton was born in Cochrane Ontario in 1930 and was signed to the Maple Leafs in 1949. He played 17 full seasons and 3 partial seasons with the Leafs, he also played briefly for the New York Rangers before he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. His final years in hockey were with the Buffalo Sabres. His whole 22-year career with the NHL was played as a steadfast defenseman on the blue line. Famous for his strength, Gordie Howe called Horton "hockey's strongest man" but despite his legendary strength, Horton was not a supporter for violence on the ice.

Horton knew that his hockey career wouldn't last forever so he sought out a way to supplement his hockey income. In 1964, Horton decided to try out the coffee and doughnut business and opened a location in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1967 he became partners with retired police offer and franchisee of the Tim Hortons store # 1, Ron Joyce. The rest, as they say, is history.

Horton never saw the chain's iconic success. While returning to Buffalo from a game at Maple Leaf Gardens, Horton was killed in a tragic car accident on February 21, 1974. At the time there were only 40 Tim Hortons locations. The Buffalo Sabres retired his jersey as a tribute to his memory.

Today, Tim Hortons has 2,942 stores in Canada and employs well over 10,000 Canadians comprised of many talented individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives, styles and characteristics.

Tim Hortons offers a vast array of employment positions that include some or all of these ‘perks'; Flexible schedules, Convenient locations, competitive wages, comprehensive training, free uniforms, advancement opportunities, incentive programs and benefits.

The true wonders of this company are the community involvement and care of its staff. Every year Tim Hortons give out 20 $1,000 scholarships in Canada to their staff, their children and grandchildren, who also believe in giving back to their community through volunteer work.

It is great to know that the place where you work is concerned about your education and is willing to help out. I am very grateful to Tim Hortons for their support.
- 2005 Tim Hortons Scholarship Recipient

Certainly the goodwill and programs doesn't stop there, in fact this company with its rich Canadian roots does so much more. The Children's Foundation was founded in 1974 to the memory of Tim Horton who loved kids. The foundation sends kids to camp from economically disadvantaged homes. Local programs like free spring break skate and swim times, Tim Bits minor sports program, Earn a bike and more. Tim Hortons support local organizations and charities with donations or sponsorship as well as national sport sponsorships including curling, CFL, NHL, fishing and the Canadian Cycling Association. Sustainable coffee program supporting farmers in their communities and an environmental campaign with several different projects, Tim Hortons is a leader in community involvement.

The Toyota segway...

Now, going back to the Roll-up-the-rim-to-win contest...There are over 31,026,135 prizes to be won ranging from a beverage to to a brand new Toyota Venza. While the Venza is not Canadian made, Toyota does make the Corolla, Rav4 and Matrix right here in Canada! Here is their  current promotional campaign about it! All three models are top of their class for fuel efficiency combined with Toyota's quality and affordability.

Our own Melissa, Partner and Director of Marketing is a very proud owner of a 2009 AWD Toyota Matrix, which she bought because (one) she loved the new model and (two) because it was made in Canada (we don't just talk a good talk here at Buy Canadian First, we really do walk it too ;-)

 

Necessity is the mother of invention...

So we have our contest cup and we are using our teeth and hurting our fingers trying to roll up the rim to see if we won... But now, there is a better way. Buy Canadian First member, Paul Kind of Novel Solutions has invented a gadget known as the Rimroller that was featured in CBC's Dragon's Dene in October of 2008. The Rimroller is easy to use:  just push down and pull up. You can buy them at Lee Valley or any Zellers location for less than $3.

Iona, of Novel Solutions, wanted me to point out that the Rimroller allows you to see if you've won and if you did, you need to remove the whole message (French and English) otherwise you may be denied your prize! You have until May 24th, 2009 to claim your Roll-up prizes. Our contest ends this Friday, with the winners being announced Friday as well.

Image source: Tim Hortons, Toyota Canada, BuyCanadianFirst.ca

I've gotten into the habit of asking the people in my life if because they know what I do for a living (and that I can't shut up about it) has impacted the way they themselves shop. The resounding answer I got was “Yes, damn you!” Evidently, like for everyone who works at Buy Canadian First, it seems that all our friends and family can no longer pick-up a product while shopping and not look at the country-of-origin label. They care about what the label says.

When I'm at the grocery store, I try to only buy produce that is grown in Canada. Regardless of season. Obviously this is difficult right now, but I am still amazed at what produce does grow in Canada - even in February. And what lacks in fresh, I can find frozen, which to me, is just as good. In some cases I have not had any choice but to buy food from other countries, but I consciously try to limit my radius to the US. I'm that stubborn about it now. It's a lifestyle choice I've made and I can't say I'm bored or hungry at all. Since the start of winter I have consistently gone home from the supermarket satisfied with my bags full of fresh Canadian-grown produce and other products of Canada and felt that my choices have contributed to the growth of our food manufacturing businesses.

As far as consumer goods are concerned, I won't lie and tell you it's easy to only buy Canadian. Some products are really hard to find. It would help if retailers would train their staff to know which of their products or brands are made in Canada because most times they just shrug and say they don't know. This is especially true when you walk into large retailers. How do I go about it? I do research online first: I find the manufacturers and their websites and then check out the “store finder” pages. Then, if the products I'm looking for aren't sold in Montreal or the GMA, I'll consider buying them online. After a while though, you develop a feel for it. It becomes a habit. Even before I joined Buy Canadian First, I already knew of a couple dozen brands that were made here. Now obviously I know of hundreds more, but I have my favourites I stick to.

Of course there is what I buy when I shop and what my boyfriend buys. He tries really hard to buy Canadian most of the time but he's not as obsessed about it as me and that's perfectly OK. Last fall, he went out of his way to find a made-in-Canada snow-brush, scraper and shovel for me, as this was going to be my first winter driving my very first car (I am the proud owner of a Canadian-made 2009 Toyota Matrix). He was pleasantly surprised to discover that the type of brush and scraper he would purchase for himself was made by a Canadian manufacturer (Mallory Industries). So he was supporting Canadian-made without even realizing it, simply because he never paid attention to labels before...Not until he met me ;-)

I'm sure if you scour your home for everyday items you will be happy to see how many Canadian-made products you already endorse, without knowing it. That's how I first discovered that Le Chateau manufactures in Canada; that Tristan has a Canadian-made collection; that Roots still manufactures some apparel in Canada; my super comfy pillow was made by Montrealers at LBC ; that my favourite bath products by Canus and Lush were made in Canada and not to mention all the "Products of Canada" that were already in my pantry. 

Believe me, once you start seeking out to buy Canadian intentionally, you will not be able shop like you used to ever again...and I don't think that's a bad thing. Suddenly the country of origin becomes a big deal. You will proudly add “AND it's made in Canada” to your answer when people ask you “oh where did you get that?” But you will also get frustrated in your quest to find your canadian-made equivalent of a readily available foreign-made product and at times you will postpone your search or even give up. Some days you will also acquiesce to the foreign-made item. But the best thing you could do is walk into a store, find the manager and specifically ask the question “do you sell an xyz that is made in Canada?”

We the consumers have so much power. If we all started to put more pressure on our merchants to carry more canadian-made goods or suffer the loss of business, what do you think would happen? ESPECIALLY now, in these tough economic times. By buying Made in Canada, you are supporting manufacturers, helping them to stay in Canada or to simply stay in business. You are being socially and environmentally responsible but more importantly, what's on everyone's minds these days is that you are ensuring the livelihoods of hundred of thousands of Canadian workers. Statistics Canada has estimated that over 300,000 Canadians are at risk of losing their job this year. This past January, we already saw 129,000 jobs disappear. This drop in employment exceeds any monthly decline during the previous economic downturns of the 1980s and 1990s.

Out motto here at Buy Canadian First has always been that it's not about buying Canadian always...it's about considering Canadian-made first. We built this website to help consumers find those Canadian-made products and to make it easier for manufacturers to find their end-users. My wish is that one day I will receive hoards of emails and comments stating just one thing, and I will know what it means: "Damn you! ;-)"

Are you up for the challenge?

Image source: Flickr Creative Commons - christopher.woo, ralphbijker

Author: Melissa Thibodeau

We had quite the exciting day at the office yesterday! Jessica Brown from CBC News Montreal at Six, dropped-by for an on-screen interview. 

Late November is traditionally known as a huge shopping period, especially South of the border (Black Friday phenomenon), but in this time of economic uncertainty, we would love to see more shoppers stay closer to home and support the local economy! Doesn't that make more sense? That's what I told the CBC. Watch the segment here!

I can't tell you how delighted I am to see the media paying attention to the buy-Canadian movement. It confirms and bolsters the trend while raising awareness of the importance of supporting Canadian manufacturers large and small.

What do you think of Black Friday? Are you going to seek out made-in-Canada holiday gifts? Let us know!

Yes, I'm talking to you! I know you're actively looking for Canadian-made products. How do I know? The trend is clear, every one agrees, and that's great! So what have you done about it? Have you asked your local retailers to stock more goods Made-in-Canada on their shelves? Do you know how much power you have as a consumer to influence what products end up in retail stores?

This is a true grassroots movement and therefore must make it's way UP the supply chain. The good news is that consumers like you and I have the most power in this game, so let's use it! Have you ever tried to request a favourite brand at your local grocer and been surprised to find it there next time you visit? Don't be surprised: that's how it works!

So let's all get out there and take the time to ask store managers for the kind of products we want to see on their shelves. And if they tell you they don't know where to find those products, feel free to direct them to BuyCanadianFirst.ca: we've got some great manufacturers and artisans to introduce them to!

As the economy slows down and we get more discerning about what we spend our hard-earned money on, let's make sure we support our own economy so we can keep our jobs and keep buying those Canadian products. It's up to all of us to make our voices heard. Make sure you come back and let us know how your own personal campaign is going!

Image source: Creative Commons, Flickr

 Blog post written by: Joseph Wilburn

 

I'll be honest from the get-go here, I don't normally deal with diamonds. No, I normally let Jeeves do that for me because leaving the manz is just a lot of work.

Nevertheless, I've done some digging on some interesting diamond information that I'd like to share with you all.

Canada's diamond industry is growing by leaps and bounds. This is great, because that just helps to add to the already long list of commodities that Canada produces and exports. It helps our northern commmunities begin a path towards economic growth and development. First Nations, Inuit and Métis benefit from the royalties and the new jobs created in the north. There are 4 major diamond mines in Canada: Ekati (NWT), Diavik (NWT), Snap Lake (NWT), Victor (ON). Of note, the Snap Lake and Victor mines were just opened last month by Debeers (of South African fame). There are also other projects waiting to come online between 2012 and 2015: Gascho Kué (NWT), Foxtrot (QC), and Fort-à-la-Corne (SK).

 

From a technical background, Canadian diamonds aren't just stunning to look at, they are actually some of the best in the world. Now, I know that we cannot control that aspect, it's just a nice perk that they happened to form under the ground that is under our country.

Now that you know all this good information about Canadian diamonds, don't go thinking that you can just fly up north and pick up one off the ground to take home. That's illegal. No matter, why go through all the trouble of cutting, polishing and setting that stone when there are jewelers and fine retailers you can go where all that has been done for you. When it's all said and done isn't it great to just be able to go and pick out a beautiful rock for that special someone in your life?

The Shopping Channel now sells Canadian diamonds and they tell me they have been overwhelmed at the response they've gotten from their consumers. You can have a look at their stunning collection here. With the Holidays approaching, don't you think they would make an awesome gift for that special someone in your life? 

 

Photo credit: CNW Group; Photo Location: Snap Lake Mine, NWT, The Shopping Channel