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Blog post written by: Kirsten Bartel

Even with the best intentions of preventing such an encounter, unexpected things can unfortunately happen — especially when you own a curious pooch — and your greatest fears may be realized:

You or your dog, or worse, both of you met a skunk!

Don’t panic. Just remember to be prepared and to know of a simple home remedy for that lovely aroma these creatures leave behind on our dogs and ourselves.

To recover, you will need the following:

• One skunked dog
• Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution: You may want to  have two bottles of Canadian-made Résérvé Hydrogen peroxide 10 Volume 450ml, manufactured by Groupe Pharmessor in Boucherville, Quebec, in the house as a topical antiseptic for minor wounds and skunk emergencies
• Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda): Try Canadian made Eco-Pioneer Pure Baking Soda by Verve Naturals

• Dishwashing Liquid: Buy Canadian First member Attitude has amazing environmentally-friendly, biodegradable and non toxic dishwashing liquids, available in Grapefruit & Bergamot or Ylang Ylang & Lime. Any citric dishwashing will do, just make sure there is no tea tree oil in the product you choose as tea tree oil can be toxic to pets.

Other useful items:

• Rubber gloves & rubber boots: Try these Waterproof Rainboots available from Buy Canadian First member Rallye Footwear Inc.
• Vinegar: President's Choice The Natural Vinegar (white vinegar) can be used if diluted with water, or Apple Cider Vinegar. You can learn more about the Vinegar Market in Canada by reading articles on the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada web site.
• Bio-degradable Plastic bags
• Paper towels: Buy Canadian First member, Cascades Inc. makes some wonderful products. Check out their Cascades Enviro 100% Recycled Paper Towels, which are made without new tree pulp
• Old Towels
• Toothpaste: Any brand will do, but you may want to check out Buy Canadian First member Green Beaver's natural toothpastes, such as the Green Beaver Green Apple Toothpaste

• Sponges: Try Buy Canadian First member Polyad Industries Ltd. various collections of sponges, such as the The O’Maré® Seahorse™ Sponge Collection - sponges which will pamper the skin and foam up with minimal soap, Equest® Sponge Collection - great for bathing horses or skunked dogs, or the SOAKER® Sponge Collection, all by SOAKER® Seahorse™
• Dog Shampoo: an oatmeal and aloe shampoo would be good to soothe the skin and help the coat
• Lavender, hops and herbs

The procedure
Step one - Preparation

First do not let the dog, or anyone who was sprayed, in the house or car. Then mix the following concoction together:

1 litre Hydrogen Peroxide 3% solution
50 ml (1/4 cup) sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
5 ml (1 tsp) dishwashing liquid

But wait! What about the tomato juice, you ask? The best thing to do with tomato juice when it comes to skunks, is to pour it in a glass and drink it, or even better, get some Canadian invented Clamato Juice and Canadian vodka, like Polar Ice and mix yourself a Bloody Caesar, and take a sip. It may help in bracing yourself for the next step ;)

It is best to wear old clothes, rubber boots and especially rubber gloves so that you do not get the smell on your hands. If you should already have some from catching your dog, you can either put some toothpaste on your hands and rinse or wash them in the solution you just mixed together, then dry them with some eco-friendly paper towels, roll up your sleeves and put on your gloves.

Ready? Okay, now remember this important concoction and stay tuned, as in the next segment I will give tips on how to survive the actual bath!

Image sources: Flickr Creative Commons, Oakley Originals, Attitude, labonneattitude.com, BuyCanadianFirst.ca, Flickr Creative Commons, Kristen Taylor

Blog post written by: Kirsten Bartel

One of the marvels of living in Canada, and occasionally its challenge, is how we live side by side with our wild neighbours. Our vast land from coast-to-coast-to-coast is the habitat for a wide diversity of flora and fauna. Summertime to early Autumn in Canada is often filled with many joyous and memorable adventures, however, probably its least appealing attribute is that it is also a great time to encounter a skunk.

Striped Skunks are found across the country and are well known by all Canadians, urban and rural alike, whether we live in the Maritimes to British Columbia or even Nunavut. There may be some of us who have never actually seen a live skunk, but it is doubtful anyone does not know the distinct scent that can travel up to a kilometre in the wind from its source.

In general, skunks are not aggressive creatures and would rather avoid people than confront them, something which can be used to our advantage.

Prevention is always the best method of avoiding the skunk's wonderful perfume. Lights and sounds can temporarily discourage them from moving in, however, they are rather persistent creatures and, thus, permanent measurements are required to keep them out. Always ensure you have no skunks in the areas you are sealing before you permanently close the opening.

As with any wild animal prevention, it is always advisable to make your home and land less appealing to them:

( ) Limit "ready made" dens by blocking openings with wood and metal screens, burying the screens at least 15-20 cm into the ground to discourage digging
( ) Keep your yard uncluttered
( ) Opt for secure garbage and compost bin that have tight lids
( ) Make pet food, water dishes and food scraps unavailable at night

If an unwanted visitor has entered any part of your home or sheds, leave the doors as wide open as possible to allow them easy access to exits. Give them wide berth, and do not try to chase them out or startle them and keep your pets away as well as you may end up being sprayed.

To properly skunk-proof your living area, besides the raw materials of lumber and metal screens, you may also require the following items:

( ) A pair of good work gloves (Try these Canadian Deer Grain Work Gloves from Buy Canadian First member Sterling Gloves Company Ltd.)
( ) A measuring tape and metal cutters
( ) A saw (also available from Buy Canadian First member Trail Blazer Products)
( ) Nails or Screws
( ) Hammer or Screwdriver (perhaps a Canadian invented Robertson screwdriver?)

( ) A shovel or gardening tools (try Trail Blazer Garden Tools)
( ) A new garbage can with lid & bags
( ) A compost with secure lid (you can check out the Envirocycle Composter by Envirolet compost bin which is manufactured and assembled in Canada and has a latching lid)

Now you should be equipped to properly deter and prevent skunks from becoming tenants — Happy skunk proofing!

Source: Flickr Creative Commons Kevin Collins, BuyCanadianFirst.ca, Envirolet

Blog post written by: Kirsten Bartel

Ah! Fall has arrived at last! A season when dog owners, and all Canadians across the country, can still rush to get outdoors without multiple layers of clothes and coats, or fear of sinking belly deep in snow ... Just yet. The joys of hiking in the wilderness, exploring the countryside and enjoying nature at its best with your canine friend is sure to put smiles on every face. Dog lovers across the country will attest that there is nothing quite like it.

Preparing for an outing is important, even if you don't have far to go. Five kilometres from home is still a fair hike if you find yourself in need of something which is laying on your kitchen table.

Some basics for a pleasant trek in the country with your pup:

( ) A Hat. Personally I love my "Handcrafted in Canada with Care" Tilley hat for sun protection, however, you can find others. Perhaps a made in Canada Blurr Flora Cap or a MEC Rover Hat from Mountain Equipment Co-op is more to your liking?

( ) Bio bags. Try eco-friendly bags such as those from Sacsmunger, Epi-global or Natursac.

( ) Rubber boots. I use the traditional Canadian Marshland Red Sole Rubber Boots from Canadian Tire, but you can also try these Waterproof Rainboots available from Buy Canadian First member Rallye Footwear Inc.

( ) Quality sunglasses

( ) Water. If you haven't done so already, get a refillable aluminium water bottle, like Otterbottles. Otterbottles are not Made in Canada (nobody seems to make aluminium or steel bottles in Canada) but they are a great Canadian company - They even received a thumbs up from David Suzuki!

( ) Waist / Backpack

( ) Basic first-aid items

( ) Sun screen

( ) Lip balm. Try Buy Canadian First member's products like the Clear Lip Saver by Aroma Crystal Therapy, Tuscan Farm Gardens Organic Lavender Honey Lip Balm, or Pursea Lip Balm.

( ) Natural bug repellant. I make my own but try the Natural Insect Repellent by Glengarry Gardens for yourself and maybe the Tuscan Farm Gardens Lavender Body Spray for your dog.

( ) Natural doggy treats (not essential but always appreciated)

( ) Leather leash and collar. I really like this leather dog lead and leather dog collar from Buy Canadian First member Roots.

And don't forget your camera! Even during short walks just this past week, I was able to sight a red-winged blackbird flying over the crop fields, a deer feeding in the early morning sunlight and a rainbow arching across the sky. You just never know what is in store for you, even in your own backyard.

Explore, discover and enjoy!

A camera is also handy to capture any antics your dog may decide to throw your way. Dogs In Canada magazine often has a photo contest and, who knows, you may just get that winning image!

Being prepared makes all adventures more enjoyable and that includes learning about your area and what natural wonders you can find. Summer to early autumn, as even urban lovers know, is a time when wildlife is in abundance. An encounter we all dread is one with our friendly neighbourhood striped skunk. You can't get more natural than a skunk, however, there are some things in nature we may like to live without.

 Image sources: Flickr Creative Commons, Jesse Yardley (Fotographix.ca), BuyCanadianFirst.ca

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

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."

La semaine dernière, j'ai dîné avec ma mère au Jasmin Tea Room à Altona, au Manitoba. Pour dessert, je me suis laissée tenter par une belle pointe de tarte à la rhubarbe avec de la crème glacée à la vanille, préparée le matin-même par la propriétaire, Susie, à partir de rhubarbe récoltée localement. Cette combinaison, pour moi, c'est comme prendre une bouchée dans l'été!

Cette première dégustation d'aliments locaux me fait rêver aux fruits et légumes qui seront bientôt disponibles dans ma région, et me laisse espérer une excellente récolte dans mon propre jardin (croisons-nous les doigts!).

Comme nous voyageons à travers notre merveilleux pays à la découverte d'aliments locaux (voir nos billets précendent pour les aliments locaux de la Saskatchewan, la Colombie-Britannique & Yukon, les maritimes, le Manitoba - en anglais), notre aventure nous emmène maintenant aux plaisirs gastronomiques qu'offre le Québec, Terre-Neuve et le Labrador.

Québec
Le Québec a non seulement des fruits et légumes locaux, mais la province offre également d'autres produits du terroir tels que fromages, lait, œufs, farine, fruits de mer et charcuteries, disponibles tout au long de l'année. Le sol dans les environs de Montréal est parmi les plus riches en Amérique du Nord, et 90 % des cultivateurs Québécois sont situés dans un rayon de 60 km de la ville.

Le Marché du Vieux-Port de la ville de Québec est ouvert tous les jours de mai à Noël, et du jeudi au dimanche le reste de l'année. Vous y trouverez des fromages, du foie gras et des pâtés, des canneberges, des produits de l'érable, de la viande de lapin, des fruits et légumes, et tellement plus! Ce marché vous transporte à la campagne sans que vous n'ayez à quitter la ville.

L'événement Pomme en Fête se déroule de mars à décembre dans la région des Laurentides, à environ 45 minutes au nord de Montréal. Vous pouvez vous promener dans 40 fermes, vergers, vignobles et autres entreprises impliquées avec l'agrotourisme. Vous pouvez aussi y cueillir des fruits! De plus, il y a une très grande variété de pommes cultivées dans cette région. En voici leur période de récolte. 

Le Québec offre un choix impressionnant d'aliments biologiques; dont le boeuf, l'oie, le bison, la chèvre, le poulet, la dinde et même l'autruche, les oeufs, les grains, le lait, les fruits, les légumes, les produits de l'érable et les herbes médicinales. Pour trouver un producteur biologique dans votre région, consultez le moteur de recherche du site internet de Transformation Alimentaire Québec. 

Pour ce qui est des marchés à Montréal, il ne faut surtout pas manquer les incontournables comme le Marché Jean Talon et le Marché Atwater. Mais  il y a beaucoup plus de marchés dans la région, alors pourquoi ne pas en découvrir de nouveaux?

Finalement, n'oubliez pas de visiter le site Équiterre, qui s'est donné comme mission de "construire un mouvement social en encourageant des individus, des organisations et des gouvernements à faire des choix écologiques et équitables, dans un esprit de solidarité." Ce site regorge de ressources et d'idées intéressantes, non seulement au sujet des aliments locaux mais aussi en ce qui a trait aux styles de vie durables. 

Terre-neuve et Labrador
Je suis certaine que les habitants de Terre-Neuve sont fatigués de ce sujet de conversation, mais ils doivent avouer qu'ils ont des noms d'endroits vraiments intéressants... Le site Wordplay.com a compilé une liste de noms cocasses, et mes préférés sont; Ha Ha Bay, Bumble Bee Bight, Bad Bay, Bacon Cove, Traytown et Harbour Harbour. Cette habitude ne s'est pas arrêtée avec les noms d'endroits, mais s'applique aussi à certaines de leurs spécialités gastronomiques telles que: "Brewis" (le pain dur), le Dîner de Gigues (la viande traditionnelle et le plat de pomme de terre), "Lassy Mogs" et "Figgy Duff" (le pouding). Les poissons et fruits de mer, mais surtout la morue, sont très populaires dans cette région. D'autres spécialités locales incluent le "pease pouding" qui est fait de petits pois jaunes, les confitures de "bakeapple", la viande d'élan, etc. Plusieurs fruits et légumes récoltés localement sont aussi disponibles.

Le marché Lester's Farm est une tradition vieille de 150 ans, et a lieu sur la Ferme de Lester près de la ville de St. Johns. En plus du marché, il y a aussi une ferme pédagogique, un labyrinthe de maïs, un festival de citrouilles et un champ d'auto-cueillette de fraises. Ouvert tous les jours de 10 h à 18 h. (site web anglais seulement)

Après une première année couronnée de succès en 2008 le Marché de St. John's sera de retour pour 2009. De juin à novembre, ce marché est ouvert tous les samedis de 9 h  à 14 h.  (site web anglais seulement)

Le Marché de Cormack, situé dans la région de Deer Lake (Terre-Neuve occidentale), possède tous les atouts d'un marché luxuriant, incluant de la crème fraîche et du beurre. Ouvert tous les jours de juin à août, entre 9 h et 20 h. (site web anglais seulement)

Riverbrook Farms Country Market, dans la région de Corner Brook, est l'une des plus grandes fermes maraîchères sur la côte ouest de Terre-Neuve et Labrador. Heures d'ouverture (de juin à décembre): de 10 h à 20 h du lundi au samedi; et de 13 h à 18 h le dimanche. (site web anglais seulement)

Le Canada est définitivement un pays délicieux! N'oubliez pas de nous laisser un commentaire à propos de vos aliments locaux préférés, des marchés dans votre quartier ou encore de vos délicieuse recettes! Nous aimerions recevoir des vos nouvelles!

Photos: Flickr TyeGuyII, Max Shepp, Transformation alimentaire Quebec, La marché fermiers de St. Johns

 Blog post written by: Joseph Wilburn

Si vous êtes un entrepreneur canadien, fabricant ou vendeur de produits faits au Canada, c’est à vous que je m’adresse.

Saviez-vous que vos concitoyens canadiens désirent vraiment faire affaire avec vous? Ils ont seulement besoin d’un petit coup de pouce pour trouver vos produits. C’est là qu’intervient Achetons canadien d'abord. Nous sommes un site Internet dont l’objectif principal est de bâtir une communauté qui lie les consommateurs canadiens aux fournisseurs canadiens (je parle de vous bien sûr!) afin de créer un petit paradis de magasinage «Fait au Canada»!

Nous pouvons présenter votre marchandise sur notre site Web et en discuter sur notre blogue The Good Shopper. Nos entreprises ont toutes besoin de se faire connaître un peu plus et de recevoir des commentaires de leurs clients n’est-ce pas? L’objectif de mettre un site en ligne tel qu’Achetonscanadiendabord.ca est d’augmenter la visibilité de produits de qualité faits au Canada dans un marché inondé par la publicité.

Venez donc jeter un coup d’œil à notre site! Si vous désirez obtenir un devis estimatif ou si vous avez des questions, n’hésitez pas à laisser un commentaire ici ou envoyez un courriel à Isabelle Remy, fondatrice {courriel: isabelleremy (arobas) buycanadianfirst (point) ca}.

Devenez un fournisseurs d’Achetons canadien d'abord et obtenez votre part du gâteau!

Photo: orange42, Flickr.com (creative commons)

Blog post written by: Joseph Wilburn

Avec tout ce bombardement constant de mauvaises nouvelles de la part des médias concernant les fabricants canadiens, j’ai eu envie de répandre une nouvelle positive concernant un phénomène qui se produit actuellement dans notre secteur manufacturier: le Canada est un chef de file au sein du mouvement de technologie écologique (verte).

Cela signifie que nous fabriquons plusieurs ordinateurs et composantes ici même au Canada. Lorsque vous choisissez d’acheter des produits locaux, vous aidez à soutenir un fabricant d’ordinateur bien de chez nous tout en participant à la protection de l’environnement.

J’ai parfois l’impression que les commerçants des petites municipalités sont les seuls à avoir trouvé le moyen d'offrir des produits de qualité (tels qu’Intel) fabriqués au Canada. Dans le passé, plusieurs fabricants régionaux d’ordinateurs avaient de la difficulté à faire concurrence aux géants de l’informatique dont les budgets marketing étaient nettement supérieurs. Aujourd’hui, même si l’aspect marketing continue à jouer un rôle important au niveau des ventes, l’émergence du consommateur soucieux a permis de réduire la prédominance marketing des gros joueurs.

Au Canada, nous avons tout de même quatre fabricants: MDG (siège social à Oakville en Ontario), Northern Micro (situé à Ottawa en Ontario), et Ciara Tech (dont les bureaux sont à Montréal), qui fabriquent des systèmes respectant les normes EPEAT. Cette norme a été mise sur pied afin d’aider les clients soucieux de l’environnement à choisir des appareils électroniques qui répondent à leurs besoins. Vient s’ajouter à cela d’autres normes soutenues par l’industrie telles qu’Energy Star et le Recyclage des produits électroniques Canada (RPEC) conçues pour desservir la même communauté de consommateurs de la création de produits à la gestion des déchets électroniques.

Le fait d’acheter des fabricants canadiens d’électronique en sachant qu’ils aident à contribuer à la solution de réduction de l’énergie et des déchets électroniques est une situation gagnante autant pour le fabricant que pour le consommateur. Je vous encourage donc à jeter un coup d’œil à ces fabricants et autres sites Web de l’industrie afin de faire un choix éclairé quant aux produits que vous désirez vous procurer et qui répondront à vos besoins.

Photos: Aiming for you, flickr, creative commons