Our newsletter is also available on our website in English and French
December 2010
A Colourfully Green Holiday Season!
Message to Members
Another Buy Nothing Day has passed at the Co-op. A big thank you to the co-op team and all of you who came out to help us celebrate 10 years of the co-op. A good time was had by all. Here’s to 10 more years!! Special thanks to Jen, Jason, Steph and Lou for helping to make and decorate the delicious (and enormous) cake. It wouldn’t be Buy Nothing Day without it.
New opening hours at the coop
In order to serve you better, we have decided to adjust the coop's opening hours. We're owning up to our grocery store identity and making sure you get the supplies you need for those last minute dinner plans or tomorrow's breakfast... Starting December 1st, you can stroll in from 10 am until 7 pm, 7 days of the week!
New Products
Crudessence kombucha - new format 1L!
Island Organix - Fruit Cake
les Viandes Charlevoix - Dried organic porc sausage with wild mushrooms
Maison Orphée - Red wine vinegar and white wine vinegar 500ml
Soleil d’Or - Organic coconut oil 454g
FruitEthik jams - Mango, Mango-pineapple and Papaya-pineapple
Cocoa Camino - Shredded unsweetened coconut 454g
Cocoa Camino 100g Chocolate bars - milk chocoalte & sea salt, rasberry and panama extra dark
Oneka Shampoo & conditioner - Lavander, Citrus and unscented
December Member Specials
15% off Nature Clean personal disinfectants - Citrus or unscented
20% off Artisan Traditions bagged grains, beans & lentils
More specials in store
Eco Logic
A Colourfully Green Holiday Season!!
This month we turn to our friends at Equiterre to help us understand what we can do to have a green holiday season. The following is an extract of an article that appears on the Equiterre website. For the full article please click here (full article only available in french) .
Preparations for the holiday season are often associated with over-consumption, but these preparations do not have to run contrary to ecological principles. By resisting the temptation to buy a mountain of gifts and, instead, drawing on the holiday themes of sharing and community you can turn the holidays into the perfect opportunity to make responsible choices.
Small symbolic gestures and creative ideas for Christmas are always appreciated and show real concern for loved ones, and if you think about it, are worth all the gifts that you can buy at the mall.
As for greeting cards, of course, there are virtual cards but receiving a card by mail is so much more heartwarming! Why not let the artist in you loose and make your own greeting cards! You can use a photo of good times shared with friends and family. There are many ways to personalize a card. You can also choose cards which:
* Are made by and purchased at a craft fair in your area
* Come from a social enterprise
* Are printed on 100% postconsumer recycled
* Are sold to benefit a social cause
For many, it is difficult to imagine a holiday season without a present to unwrap, especially when there are children around. Although it is a cultural tradition for many, we can choose gifts with low environmental impact or social value added. It's good to ask these questions before making the big purchase:
* Is this a useful gift?
* Is it produced in Quebec?
* Is it created by a craftsman?
* Can you create or make your own?
* Does it support the social economy??
* Is it second hand or recycled version?
* Is it certified organic or fair trade?
* Is it sustainable and environmentally friendly?
Other green gift ideas:
* Donate to Équiterre on behalf of a loved one:
* A cultural outing: show, concert, play, subscription to the museum;
* A gift certificate to lend a hand: caretaking, stripping furniture, renovation, shoveling, etc.;.
* A trip outdoors: skiing, snowshoeing, skating, subscription to a park in Quebec;
* Products manufactured in Quebec (furniture, games, jewelry), or at a social enterprise, a local craft show, or a public market;
* An inspiring read: Cookbook of foods, Quebec novels, a repertoire of bike paths, or a guide to wildlife or plants in Quebec;
* Gifts made by hand: knitted scarf, jewelry, jam, pickles, cookies or candy (with recipes). For chocolate delicacies cook with fair trade cocoa.
* An eco-friendly clothing made from organic or fair fibers, recycled or created by a designer Quebec:
* An assortment of fair trade products: tea, coffee, spices, handicrafts.
* A feast to share: an opportunity to meet with each prepared in a small dish with tasty, for example, organic products, fair or local.
Eco Logic is a place for members to write or suggest articles about environment or community-related subjects. Email your ideas to newsletter@cooplamaisonverte.com
5785, Sherbrooke street West, Metro Vendome + bus 105 - call us! 514-489-8000