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February 2008
Time to start thinking about CSA!
On January 1, 2008, I joined a delegation of Quebecers to participate in the 3rd Citizens' Education Meeting of the RÉCIT (Réseau des écoles de citoyens) Message to Members
February is usually a quiet month for us, so we are lucky to be hosting a bunch of amazing events for you all month long! And if you're still longing for the holiday season, visit our SALE table filled with gifty leftovers (10 to 30% off).
It's time to start thinking about the 2008 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) season and signing up for organic vegetables! Check our Events section for information sessions with both of the farms that deliver to La Maison Verte.
Thanks to: Joanne Deshaies, Anne-Andrée Richard (translation) Johanne Bouthillier (revision)
Events 
FEB 1
Friday, February 1, 7-9pm (Coop La Maison Verte)
Essential Oils for the Skin: A safe cosmetic alternative II*
Discover which essential oils, vegetable oils and butters are the best for your body, what are their properties, and how to find them in Quebec.
*Did you miss that workshop last month? Well we're pleased to be presenting it again! Part of a series of workshops based on the book of the same name from the author Hélène Berton. (FREE. The workshop will be in French.)
FEB 4
Monday February 4, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
Nutrition workshop with Jae Steele, registered holistic nutritionist (RHN).
Topic: Kick a Cold: holistic approaches for boosting immunity ($8-10 at door).
www.domesticaffair.ca
FEB 7
Thursday, February 7, 7 - 9 p.m. (Co-op La Maison Verte)
CSA information session with Ferme du Zephyr. Come meet farmer Stephen Homer; find out more about Community Supported Agriculture, and sign up for an organic veggie basket.
FEB 11
Monday, February 11, 7-9pm (Coop La Maison Verte)
Concealing Ecocide: India in Transition. A discussion on the impact of agriculture, industrialisation, and technological advances in India, with Alexandre Miltsov. (Discussion in English, $5-15 suggested donation. *Please sign up by Saturday, Feb. 9.)
Alexandre Miltsov is a researcher and free-lance journalist currently working in Montreal. www.miltsov.org.
FEB 15
Friday, February 15, 4-6:30pm (Coop La Maison Verte)
Activity for kids: Recycling mask-making workshop with Ljuba Miltsova.
Please bring: recycled cardboard or paper, old clothes, lace, buttons, and other ornaments for decoration. (Sign up before Wednesday, Feb. 13. $5-10 suggested donation.)
Ljouba Miltsova is eight-and-a-half years old. She has travelled extensively and worked with artists in Eastern and Western Europe, Canada and the U.S. Like all uninhibited children, she is interested in learning and in sharing what she learns, with her parents' support.
http://www.ljuba.miltsov.org/
FEB 18
Monday, February 18, 7-9pm (Coop La Maison Verte)
Cancer and Personal Care Product Seminar Learn more about carcinogenic ingredients in conventional personal care products. Seminar is hosted by Alain Ménard, microbiologist and founder of The Green Beaver Company. Those in attendance will receive free samples of Green Beaver products. (FREE. Workshop will be in English*.)
*(Le 25 février le même atelier sera présenté en français.)
FEB 19
Tuesday, February 19, 7-9pm (Coop La Maison Verte)
CSA information session with Ferme Mange Tout. It's time to start thinking about the 2008 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) season and signing up for organic vegetables! Meet Dave Merson of Ferme Mange Tout, one of the farms that deliver to La Maison Verte. fermemangetout.ca.
FEB 29
Friday, February 29, 7-9pm (Coop La Maison Verte)
University of the Streets Café: Public conversation series - Politicize This! What do you mean you don't have a car? (FREE) www.univcafe.org
Member Specials
15% off of the famous Diva Cup - an ecological and convenient alternative to disposable menstrual pads and tampons!
10% off of all Cocoa Camino chocolate bars and hot chocolates
Members' Corner (continued from above)
Lucille, my new Parisian buddy, was nice enough to lend me her Vélib membership card for a couple of days. For 29 euros this pass is good for a year of unlimited use. One can also buy a day pass for 1 euro or a week pass for 5 euros - a better option for visitors. You simply swipe the card on a reader beside your bike of choice and it is released from the docking station. Then you have one half-hour of riding for free. If you go over that time, it costs 1 euro for the second half-hour, 2 euros for the third, etc. This is to ensure that the bikes remain in circulation and aren't taken for too long. You can basically get almost anywhere you want to go within a half hour anyway, and if you need more time you can simply switch bikes at the next stand you come across and keep going.
Parisian mayor Bertrand Delanoë wasn't kidding around when he introduced this service in 2007. There are 20,600 bikes in total, and a bike station can be found every 300 meters within Paris proper. I found these bicycles extremely comfortable to ride. They are equipped with baskets, front and rear lights (powered by pedaling), a bell and three gears. They even have a locking system if you have to nip into a store or café. You can take the bikes out 24/7, so they are a great to get home late at night, or early in the morning! Needless to say Parisians have welcomed them with open arms. These funny looking vehicles are seen in use everywhere. There's no doubt the project is an amazing success.
There was talk of starting similar projects in Toronto and Montreal, and I believe if done right they would definitely be a hit. This system is beneficial to those who don't already have bicycles, and encourages those who commute shorter distances to work or school by car to give cycling a try, easing congestion on the roads and improving physical health. The only challenge I could see here is what our winters and salty roads would do to the bikes, but a Canadian solution can certainly be found!
Members' Corner 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