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April 2008
Celebrating Earth Day in every possible way
Message to Members
Earth Day is April 22. This year's international theme is "Call for Climate," and the Quebec theme is "Eco-Municipalities." Our annual Earth Day party will take place Sunday April 20, 12-5 p.m. Drop by for some live music, short films, information kiosks for local eco organizations and biking groups, and our famous chocolate cake. There will also be a giant plant sale, and planting workshops for kids. More information to come!
Footprint Committee meetings: Are you interested in sustainability and lowering your ecological footprint? If you are receiving this newsletter the answer to that question is probably YES! Well here's a chance to learn more and get involved as we begin a process of evaluating what we can do to lessen the Co-op's ecological footprint. This work is being done in collaboration with Sustainability Solutions Group Workers Cooperative. We invite all members to participate in this exciting new project that will work towards a full sustainability assessment of the Co-op. We need our membership to join in this project to make it a reality. Meetings take place April 16 and 23. More information in our Events section.
And La Maison Verte is proud to be among the select recipients of the 2008 CDEC CDN-NDG award for being an outstanding social economy enterprise.
HIRING: We are currently looking for an energetic, bilingual and eco-savvy part-time store worker. Please bring us a CV and cover letter by April 15.
Don't forget you can now pre-order heirloom tomato, herb and vegetable plants for May delivery. Visit the store, or download order forms from our website.
Events 
Please phone or visit the store to sign up for these events!
APR 10
Thursday April 10, 7-8:30 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
Member Meet & Greet: Are you a new member interested in learning more about La Maison Verte and how we work? The Liaison Committee invites you to drop by for a free coffee and to learn more!
APR 16
Wednesday April 16, 7-9 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
Visioning and working towards reducing the ecological footprint of the Co-op's building, with the Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG).
What is your vision for a green Co-op building? Come and share your ideas! Come learn about different green building options and tell us what you think. All members welcome.
Please RSVP! Places limited.
APR 20
Sunday April 20, 12-5 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
EARTH DAY @ the CO-OP! Call for Climate: Live music, short eco films, info kiosks, planting workshop and more!
APR 22
Tuesday April 22, 7-9 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
Root Causes of Poverty, a workshop/discussion with members of Engineers Without Borders McGill. This session puts participants in the shoes of long-term EWB Overseas Volunteers, as well as the rural community members they work with, in order to understand the challenges they face, and to piece together the causes and effects of poverty in a particular community. (Free, workshop will be held in English).
www.ewb.ca
APR 23
Wednesday April 23, 7-9 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
Greening la Maison verte: Towards a sustainability assessment of the total operations of the Co-op, with the Sustainability Solutions Group (SSG). We invite all members who want to get their sleeves rolled up to participate in this exciting new project that will work towards improving the sustainability performance of the Co-op. Come make a difference and learn what we can do to improve our Co-op. All interested members welcome.
Please RSVP! Places limited.
New Products
- Wooden worm composters (Need worms? We suggest contacting your local Éco Quartier. The Co-op will also be hosting a worm-swap in May so stay tuned for details! )
- Eco-packs for potted plants: A smart, all-natural new way to give your plants the moisture and fertilizer they need, when they need it.
- Coconut fibre pellets for starting seeds (an ecological alternative to peat moss). 100% biodegradable and environmentally responsible.
- 600ml coloured stainless steel water bottles from www.newwaveenviro.com.
- Effective automatic dishwasher pastilles from BioVert
Member Specials
- 30% off selected OOM Ethikwear t-shirts and other selected clothing
- 10% off 8.5x11 paper (kraft & white).
- 10% off our all-natural incense sticks
Eco Logic
Celebrating Earth Day in every possible way:
Author and singer Chantal Drouin talks about her book and CD for children, Le mystérieux jardin d'en face
I turned 37 in 1990. I started discovering the ties that bind me, us, to Mother Nature. The more I saw of her, the more I liked her. In fact, she resonated within me and inspired me. Initially this merely resulted in a few songs, but then ... I was no stranger to writing as I was using it for my songs. But write something other than songs? Stories, tales... musical tales?
Many years have passed since the first edition of Le mystérieux jardin d'en face. In 1990, it was nothing but a tale; the music had not been composed yet. At the time, I was less aware of the disastrous consequences our choices as a society-failing to take the planet into consideration and rapidly bringing about its destruction-were having. I decided to do my share with my family, by practicing the three Rs in my daily life: reduce, reuse and recycle. I also decided to offer my words and my music to children.
I want my children-our children-to inherit a healthy planet, a planet that we take care of as we take care of everyone and everything else that we love. But love requires knowing the object of one's affections and thus getting to know it. Now I may be wrong, but I am under the impression that our children, who are growing up in an era of technology and lawless economic development, are no longer able to "touch" the Earth or be touched by it; that a screen, several screens that are taking up more and more space, exist between nature and today's children. So how can we rekindle our children's interest in being close to nature?
One way is my Récits de la Terre (tales from the Earth) collection, through which I am attempting to provide 8- to 12-year olds with an opportunity to develop the respect for the Earth that it deserves and to teach them to love it so that they will want to take care of it. Le mystérieux jardin d'en face, the first musical tale in this collection, tells the story of a 10-year-old girl, Caline, who is told the story of Madame Fatima and her garden by a likeable 70-year-old man. Through him, Madame Fatima, whom the villagers consider to be somewhat strange, is revealed as a lover of life and the planet. Intrigued?
Le mystérieux jardin d'en face, which will be officially launched as part of Earth Day celebrations on April 20, 2008, at the Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges, is already available at the Co-op La Maison Verte.
On April 22, let's celebrate Earth Day in every possible way! Let's get our children interested in discovering, loving and taking care of the Earth. That is the greatest legacy we can leave them.
Also in Eco Logic this month:
Author Claudine Desjardins brings us to Ouléssébougou, Mali, to learn how to make shea butter.
And more!
Eco Logic is a place for members to write or suggest articles about environment or community-related subjects of all kinds. Email your ideas to newsletter@cooplamaisonverte.com
5785, Sherbrooke street West, Metro Vendome + bus #105 - call us! 514-489-8000