Be Local

speciaL douBLe issue

10% Rulesaving the earth and supporting local businesses

Paying it forward

Be canadianon flip side

Friday, June 14, 2013 PREMIERE ISSUE

Back Cover

Our Customer Care 403.930.6363

As a locally owned and operated business, Community Natural Foods���������� ��� ���������� �� ��������� ������������� ����������through the products we carry in our markets.

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�� ���� ���� ������� ��� ���� ���� ����� ������ ��� ����� ��� �����purchasing decision youmake because small changes in shopping habitsreally can create BIG impact in our community.

Shop Locally.

www.communitynaturalfoods.com

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Community natural Foods, purveyor of organic and sustainable foods and products, has been serving Calgary for more than 30 years and has been serving the community for just as long. As it has grown it has increased its level of giving as well, working to support the community, people, and the planet.

“It’s a conscious choice we make to give back to the community, to be a good

neighbour, a good citizen, to treat our planet with respect, to support the base values of our industry,” says marketing manager Chandra Morice.

Community natural Foods sponsors annual fundraisers for the Calgary Humane Society and do-nates produce clippings to RASTA rescue to help feed stray, abandoned and abused animals. The store helps fos-ter a healthy community.

Last year, it donated about $24,000 to 36 organizations through its Change for The earth campaign, where it matched 100 per cent of the $12,000 customers donated through the five-cent bag credit donation program. It also donated close-to-date fresh and prepackaged gro-cery items to The Mustard Seed to help feed Calgarians.

Community natural Foods supports people in many ways, too, from gift

cards at Arusha Centre for lower-income Calgarians to providing raw ingredients for the Calgary Progres-sive Lifestyles Foundation’s Cookies on the Go program to sponsoring local triathlete jordan Bryden.

“We also donate to or-ganizations that our staff is passionate about,” she says, contributing $3,000 to 21 local and national organiza-tions and charities on their behalf last year.

Through various event sponsorships and donations, Community natural Foods promotes healthy living and respect for the earth we all

share. Over the past three years, it has given more than $1 million in sponsorships, product, and donations.

“We are a for-profit busi-ness but we try to take a

philanthropic approach to how we do business, and the decisions we make to give back to the community, its people and the planet,” says Morice.

coMMuNiTY NaTuRaL FoodsBuSIneSS PROFILe

Growing the spirit of giving, supporting the planet

The Calgary Humane Society receives a donation cheque from the Community Natural Foods Change For The Earth program.

4 The 10% shift All it takes is a 10% shift to local businesses to make a difference.

6 Getting to know your digs Neighbourhoods have hidden treasures, from food to clothes.

8 Supporting local producers Local producers offer fresh and local products.

10 Profile: Beans brew art Local coffee shop brews support for artistic community.

11 What’s in a label? Localize Project helps consumers determine which products are local.

12 Paying it forward Locally owned businesses have a history of contributing.

14 Supporting Calgary businesses How small changes can have a great economic impact.

16 User guide to markets New to the market scene? Find out how to navigate.

18 Profile: NeighbourLink Community association helps needy families get back on their feet.

20 Profile: Calgary’s Walk-in Closet Initiative gives women chance to dress the part for interviews, jobs.

22 Profile: Between Generations Mentoring program gives grandparent chance to help children interact.

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It’s the reason Cal-garians cringed when Spanish “starchitect”

Santiago Caltrava was se-lected to design the Peace Bridge (likewise when a Spanish firm was chosen to build it).

It’s why Inglewood residents balked when Tim Hortons wanted to set up shop in their neighbourhood.

Many people inherently prefer to sup-port local, and a growing body of evidence confirms buying local makes sense.

“Think global, act local” asks us to take action in our communities with the health of the planet in mind.

A New Zealand Honeycrisp apple may have a similar price tag as the same apple

grown in B.C. but that’s because hidden costs (economists call these external ef-fects) such as climate change impacts from greenhouse gases emitted during transpor-tation are not reflected in the price.

Essentially, it’s a market failure. Buying local products reduces external

effects.Meanwhile, buying locally increases

economic strength and resiliency. An American research firm, Civic Eco-

nomics, found when consumers choose a locally owned business $73 of every $100 spent stays in the community compared to $43 that stays in the community for every $100 spent at a non-locally owned business.

Locally owned businesses tend to sup-port other local businesses, create higher value jobs and support the tax base.

Because local business owners live in the

communities where they work, they have more of a vested interested in seeing their communities prosper.

The Calgary Co-op, a local grocery store with 24 locations across the city, donated more than $4 million (of $1.164 billion revenue) to mostly local recipients in 2012. Walmart’s Canadian operations, in comparison, with more than 300 loca-tions across the country donated a rela-tively small $10.3 million (of an estimated $20-billion revenue) in 2011.

Locally owned businesses and products increase economic diversity and help shape a community’s character.

Think of sipping mate from a traditional calabash gourd in Argentina, zashiki-style seating at a restaurant in Japan or enjoying a brew in a one-room German pub.

A Starbucks, McDonald’s or Hard Rock Café couldn’t duplicate those experiences.

Restaurant and retail chains reduce vari-ety, arguably hindering cultural expression and tourist appeal.

The New Economics Foundation, an independent “think-and-do tank” based in London, England, labels areas devoid of neighbourhood shops and services as “ghost towns” and areas where Main Street looks like every other Main Street are called “clone towns.”

It’s not a pretty picture.A marketplace of unique small busi-

nesses ensures competition, job creation, diversity, independence, innovation and long-term community viability – compel-ling reasons to buy local.

Adrienne Beattie is a Calgary writer who has covered urban environmen-tal issues for more than 10 years. L

Local businesses contribute, give unique serviceby adrienne beattie

Be LocalFriday, June 14, 2013 PREMIERE ISSUE

A publicAtion of the cAlgAry herAld SpeciAl projectS

depArtment in pArtnerShip with reAp cAlgAry

ocal file

EDITOR/ DESIGNER: Karen Petkau, 403-235-7513

kpetkau@ calgaryherald.com

ADVERTISING:Margo Moore, 403-235-7382

mmoore@ calgaryherald.com

INside This issue

CONTRIBUTORS: Wil AndruschakAdrienne BeattieBarbara BalfourRennay Craats

Meghan JessimanAngus MacdonellJessica Patterson

Paula Trotter Gavin YoungAlex Frazer-

Harrison

20

COVER: Lilian Jourieh and

three-year-old daughter Ayla shop

at the Calgary Farmers’ Market.

PhOTOGRaPhER:Gavin Young

Proudly supportingCanadian Growers

Country Fresh FarmsMedicine Hat, Alberta

Northern Lights OrchardNaramata, B.C.

Paradise Hill FarmNanton, Alberta

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One great reason to shop at lo-cally owned and

operated merchants is the positive economic benefit it creates for the city and its residents.

All it takes is a 10 per cent shift in your spending habits — or one shopping trip in 10 to a local retailer — to help boost the city’s ongoing prosperity and vitality.

How big is the impact? A 10 per cent shift in a person’s spend-

ing “can generate thousands of additional jobs in Calgary, tens of millions of dollars in new wages and hundreds of millions of dollars in incremental economic activity — each year,” according to REAP Calgary, a green business association representing more than 100 locally owned and operated companies, including Community Natural Foods, Enmax, First Calgary Financial, and Swizzlesticks Salon Spa.

Research has shown that the reverse is also true; a shift in spending away from

local business has an equal, but opposite, impact.

In British Columbia, CUPE-BC presi-dent Barry O’Neil initiated that province’s Ten Percent Shift initiative after seeing mills closing as companies moved work out of the country, factories closing for cheaper production elsewhere, stores boarded up and people having to leave home for work.

To date, BC’s Ten Percent Shift has spoken to Chambers of Commerce, City Councils, Rotary Clubs, Business Im-provement Associations and Community Organizations, taking its message to a growing audience throughout the province and spawning likewise movements across Canada.

Using $100 as a base to represent a the 10 per cent shift, the agency notes that right now, if consumers spent that $100 at a non-locally owned business, $57 automatically goes to corporate offices around the world rather than stay within a community. Shifting the spending of that $100 to a local business would mean $68 stays within the community.

Continued on 21

The 10% shift factorby angus macdonell

Since its humble begin-nings as a downtown grocery store in 1956, Calgary Co-op has grown into a business that in-cludes grocery, petroleum, wine, spirits and beer, travel and home-health care, with more than 440,000 members.

When it is the com-munity that has made it as successful as it is today, giving back to it comes naturally, says Co-op’s events marketing manager Sarah Boutron.

“We have always sup-ported the communities in which we live and work,” says Boutron.

“We contribute to causes that provide life’s essentials to people in need and orga-nizations that help support them.”

In 2012 alone, Calgary Co-op gave more than $4 million to community,

not-for-profit and charity organizations, including the Mustard Seed, the Kerby Centre, Meals on Wheels, Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids and the eMS Foundation. It also holds events throughout the year, including Stuff-a-Bus every november, where city transit buses at all locations are stuffed with items for the food bank.

A charity golf tourna-ment held each june raised more than $329,000 for charity last year, while a sponsored seniors’ day event at Heritage Park always sells out.

Watch for future events as the launch of the Co-op Community Foundation last February will enable them to become even more ac-tive in the community.

caLgaRY co-opBuSIneSS PROFILe

Providing life’s essentials

Calgary Co-op presented a cheque for $20,463.71 to the Kerby Centre last year.

Big Bank savings,Big Bank mortgages,Big Bank investing,no Big Bank.

With sophisticated investment advice, highly competitive mortgages,

free chequing accounts, and a range of other products, you can now

satisfy all your financial needs at a place whose head office is close

to home. Give us a call at 403-520-8133 or visit firstcalgary.com

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First Calgary Financial is a little different than other financial institutions — actu-ally, it’s a lot different.

The financial co-operative offers full banking services, including daily banking, on-line and mobile apps, mort-gages, investing and business banking. But, it also serves 70,000 members, including 500 employees who live and work in the greater Calgary area.

First Calgary Financial

doesn’t exist to feed profits to public stock holders. In-stead, it exists for its mem-bers’ financial health and the vitality of its communities.

Being locally owned means it has the unique opportu-nity to be closely involved in a range of projects that strengthen its communities.

To get an idea of how it plays a role, one needs only to look at a few of First Calgary Financial’s favourite partnerships.

Together with The Calgary Foundation, First Calgary Fi-nancial co-created Stepping Stones — a grassroots grant program to help Calgarians bring their small project ideas to life, from neighbour-hood knitting circles and bike swaps to community info sessions on how to vote. Through a partnership with Green Calgary, First Calgary Financial hosts rain barrel and composter sales in its branch parking lots

in the spring and summer. Through this initiative, it helped sell more than 800 rain barrels and 143 com-posters last year.

As proud members and supporters of ReAP (Respect for the earth and All People) Business Associa-tion, First Calgary Financial celebrates and promotes Calgary businesses that are sustainably operated and locally owned.

The financial co-operative loves to play a role in greening the city’s festivals and streets — whether it is reducing waste at the Calgary Folk Music Festival,

promoting cycling at Sled Island or helping Calgarians re-imagine our public spaces with Open Streets Calgary.

This is just a small

sampling of First Calgary Financial’s involvement. To learn more, visit one of First Calgary Financial’s 16 branches or firstcalgary.com.

FiRsT caLgaRY FiNaNciaLBuSIneSS PROFILe

Financial co-operative invests in communities

The First Calgary Financial Celebration Team

There can be no bet-ter way to see the city than by walking

its extensive sidewalks and paths.

There are more than 700 kilometres of recreational pathways offering virtually unlimited opportunities to explore the city’s 10,000 hectares of parkland, while strolling city sidewalks reveal the diversity and charm of Calgary’s neigh-bourhoods.

One initiative that gives a grassroots feel for the city through the eyes of its residents is Jane’s Walk.

Jane’s Walks are about “knitting together our connections to this place. Calgary is a city many of us have moved to, so this is about setting down deeper roots,” says Calgary

co-ordinator Julie Black, adding it helps residents see more of their city, as well as help build a stronger sense of community.

Jane’s Walks were cre-ated in 2007 in memory of Jane Jacobs, a pioneering urban observer and activist who chronicled numerous popular books about ways to make cities more viable, livable communities.

The walk’s purpose is to get people out exploring their neighbourhoods and meeting their neighbours.

To that end, local residents organize the walks during the first weekend of May each year.

Jane’s Walks can be taken to parks, neighbourhood gardens, market areas, his-torical sites or any Calgary location that someone is willing to share their experi-ence and knowledge about.

Swizzlesticks, a locally-

owned and operated salon, sponsored a consumer-focused Jane’s Walk last year in the Kensington area.

Tim Neis of Swizzlesticks acted as guide, leading a group to visit popular area vendors.

“All of them had to be lo-cal, independent businesses, with a single location, and they had to have a sustain-ability policy in place,” he says.

Such a policy reveals a company is working to practise social and environ-mental responsibility, an attractive option for many consumers.

“Our walk started at Swizzlesticks, where we talked about our environ-mental initiatives, as well as what we give back to the community, and then we went to Higher Ground, where the merchant talked about what he does, how long the business has been around, and its commu-nity involvement,” explains Neis. “All the other various business owners met us at their stores, too, to give their talk on what they’re about. It was very cool.“

For more information or to organize a Jane’s Walk, visit janeswalk.net.

Annual Jane’s Walks are held in 75 cities worldwide, and is constantly growing.

“It’s about people want-ing to be active citizens, and making the city a better place to live,” says Black.

When spending $100 at a non-locally owned business, $57 goes to cor-porate offices around the world. When spending that $100 locally, $68 of it stays within your community. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Neighbourhood walksknit community tiesby angus macdonell

Audree Iffrig led a tour of Ingle-wood on one of 44 Jane’s Walks

around Calgary this past May. — Gavin Young photo

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20thCHARITY WINEAUCTION

NOV. 9SATURDAY

7:00 PM

Best dressed in‘Viva Las Vegas’ attire wins

For charity of choice$10,000

in support of the

WILLOW PARK WINES & SPIRITS

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From an orphanage in Hai-ti and water wells in Africa, to donations of wine baskets and affordable housing for seniors – Willow Park Wines & Spirits contributes half a million dollars to charity every year.

More than 300 charities benefit from the philan-thropic efforts made by this family-owned business, which also happens to be the largest private liquor retailer in Canada. But its

No. 1 cause — one it always felt was being ignored — is support for seniors in the community.

“Seniors are at risk with inflation and high cost of housing, and we wanted to bring focus to this area of concern while supporting a charity that was not as popular,” says Peggy Perry, vice-president of purchasing and marketing.

“We do feel strongly that seniors are not given the

recognition they deserve.”Their efforts came to

fruition in 2010 with the opening of Willow Park on the Bow, a 150-unit home for low-income seniors for which they helped fundraise. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.

“Once you start the train, it’s hard to slow it down,” says Perry. “We might be at a charity event because we’ve given away $20,000 of wine, and before you know it,

we’re giving to some other charity. It all started because we are in a hospitable indus-try, where you receive many wonderful product gifts, so we decided we can turn this around and share it.”

Staff are proud of what Willow Park does in the community; every year they donate their time to host the company’s signature event, the annual Charity Wine Auction, which is cel-ebrating its 20th anniversary this year. “More than 1,000 people come. We serve only the world’s best wines, great restaurants from all over Calgary and Banff come to

serve food, and amazing mu-sicians perform in-house,” says Perry. “The idea is to show our charitable and giv-

ing audience the best night of their lives.

“We raise about $250,000 from this night alone.”

WiLLoW paRk WiNes & spiRiTsBuSIneSS PROFILe

Seniors top fundraising efforts by family business

Willow Park Wines & Spirits staff.

Sal Howell, owner of The River Café, an-ticipates this time of

year. For eight short weeks, Edgar Farms of Innisfail delivers asparagus to her restaurant — farm to plate in one or two days. It’s the only time asparagus makes the menu.

“It tastes fabulous,” Howell says. She champions local, seasonal, naturally raised food from small producers.

When she took over an aging park concession on Calgary’s Prince’s Island in the summer of 1991, she had a vision to create a restaurant inspired by its surroundings and serve what swims in the rivers, grazes on the plains and grows in the fields.

Across the river, Patty Nowlin, owner of Sun-nyside Natural Market, also says: “supporting direct family farms is of the utmost importance.”

She, too, stocks food in season. You won’t find cherries in the produce

display at her small market in December, but Nowlin says her customers aren’t demanding this kind of product much anymore.

“The 100-Mile Diet was pivotal in getting people to think about local and seasonal eating,” she says.

The 2007 best-selling memoir written by the Vancouverites Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, documented the couple’s

yearlong experience only eating food grown within 100 miles of their home.

It received critical ac-claim and furthered discus-sion about food produc-tion.

It was concerns about food production that led Linda Loree to transform her family-run historic ranch, located in the Porcupine Hills west of Nanton, into a small grass-finished beef operation. She’s no longer a vegetarian because of the change.

“It used to tear me up to see calves sent off to auc-

tion and hear the cattle crying for them,”” Loree says. “We keep our calves for an extra year. They’re sentient social be-ings. We

treat our animals differently here.”

Loree encourages people to get to know her ranch and its cattle.

“It’s incredibly valuable to know where your food comes from,” she says. “Our cattle are clean and healthy, and we use a small

butcher who only works on one animal at a time.”

Loree worries that while many

people imagine farming as family-run with rolling green fields and a red barn, the reality is big agriculture is taking over a growing percentage of food produc-tion.

“If you value the produc-tion of local food, then you need to support local farmers or they will not continue to exist,” adds Tony Marshall of High-wood Crossing, a certified organic grain farmer.

Exist Marshall’s family farm has — for 120 years.

It’s an ever-evolving busi-ness.

In 1989, he switched to organic farming methods and in 1996, after a trip to Germany where he saw a company making cold presses, he created a new value-added product line — cold pressing canola and flax oils — for direct sale to restaurants and stores.

“We’re very pleased. Our

client base grows every year, as does our product line,” says Marshall.

Fresh, local and organic is the Marshall family’s niche.

“Chefs can call in their orders on Monday and we’ll press quantities based on what they need,” he says. “What’s in seed on Monday is delivered to

their door by Friday. It’s a fresh, wholesome product.”

Today’s customers are demanding such attention to freshness and quality, says Nicole Schon, owner of Bite Groceteria & Café in Inglewood.

With a dining room, open kitchen, sushi centre and bakery, Bite offers customers the opportunity

to learn to use raw ingre-dients to make or take home meals. “We connect farmers to customers in an extraordinarily beautiful way,” she says.

by adrienne beattie

Markets• Amaranth Whole Foods Market• Bite Groceteria & Café • Blush Lane Organic Market• Calgary Co-op• Community natural Foods• The Cookbook Company Cooks• Forage Farm to Fork Foods• janice Beaton Fine Cheese• Lina’s Italian Market• Market 17• Planet Organic• Second to none Meats• Spolumbo’s • Sunnyside natural Market• Walt’s Produce Sales

FarMers’ Markets• Calgary has both year-round and seasonal farmers’ markets. • Blackfoot Market• Calgary Farmers’ Market• Grassroots northland Market• Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers Market• Kingsland Farmers’ Market• Parkdale Community Association Farmers’ Market

• Rocky Ridge Ranch Farmers’ Market• South Fish Creek Recreation Association Farmers’ Market• Triwood-Mountain View Lions Farmers’ Market

CoMMunity supported agriCulture

These local farms sell “shares” of their harvest to customers that, in return, receive a weekly share of vegetables and sometimes fruits and other items either to be picked up

at a Calgary location or delivered.

• Billyco junction• Blue Mountain Biodynamic Farms • Buckler Farm • eagle Creek Farm• eat Food for Life Canada Farm • Green eggs and Ham• Heritage Market Gardens• Leaf and Lyre urban Farms• new Oxley Ranch • noble Gardens • Oxyoke Farms • Seeds to Greens• Spruceview Family Farms Co-operative

WHeRe TO Buy LOCAL FOOdL ocal file

Patty Nowlin, owner of Sunnyside Natural Market, is surrounded by

local produce and products. — Calgary Herald file

Producing results

You need to support local farmers or theY will not continue to exist.

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By shifting 10% of your spending to local, independent businesses rather than chain stores keeps the local economy vibrant and sustainable. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Since 1981, family-owned Amber’s Furniture has been

giving Calgary customers great selection and quality

furniture that is made to last. Building on their passion

for solid wood furniture, the company

began manufacturing tables and chairs

as a response to Alberta’s unique and

fluctuating climate.

“We’ve taken our experience manu-

facturing and applied it to all of the

product lines we bring in,” says Renee

Amber, Amber’s Furniture’s buyer and

manager. “We look for exciting new

designs with substance – both style

and quality have to be there for us to

feature a line.”

Not only does the furniture they bring

in have to be durable, stylish and well-

priced, but it also has to complement

Amber’s Furniture’s business philoso-

phy and practices.

“We showcase Canadian-made and local

products as much as possible,” she says, which includes

everything from large items like bedroom suites down to

small details like the stain used onAmber’s own tables. In fact,

most of their

suppliers are

Canadian.

Local suppliers have been a priority for Amber’s

Furniture since the beginning, cultivating relationships

with local upholsterers and lumber yards to support

Calgary’s economy. Amber’s is also drawn to other

Canadian companies that incorporate

great environmental policies and

sustainability into their

businesses.

It’s all about choices,

and Amber’s Furniture

takes their role on the

frontlines of consumer

choice very seriously.

After all, furniture is more than

meets the eye. It can be difficult

for consumers to discern what

products are well-made and

ethically sourced. Amber’s does

that legwork to ensure there’s

a wide selection of furniture on

display that represents

their dedication

to quality and value while

reflecting what customers are looking for.

What customers are looking for is great design, comfort

and affordable choices, and the second generation of the

Amber family is making sure they get it.

2878 32nd St. N.E. Calgary, Alberta

(403) 291-3858www.ambersfurniture.com

, Alberta2878 32nd St. N.E. Calgary

awn to other s is also drAmber’ .s economyCalgary’

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sustainability into their

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spihelations cultivating r,e since the beginningFurnitur

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n ahe te is mor furniturAfter all,

cult It can be diffi.meets the eye

Soft and StylishOur living room collection features fashion forward designs

without compromising quality.This top grain leather swivel

chair by Décor-rest adds a touch of spring to a room.Amber’s

Décor-rest gallery is home to designs by Steven & Chris and

Cobi Ladner. Customize yours with fabric & leather options.

e has beens FurniturAmber’ family-owned Since 1981, s Amber’s have been a priority for Local supplier

Classic EleganceAmber’s leather gallery is impressive.Stationary and motion collections featureluxurious top grain hides and enduringstyles. In stock and special order coloursavailable!

s e’e therthat legwork to ensur

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comfort eat design,e looking for is grs arhat customerW

ation of the and the second gener,dable choicesand affor ation of the and the second gener,dable choicesand affor

Living on the EdgeSolid wood Live Edge Tables combine old world charm

with contemporary style. Choice of stain, base and woodspecies - Cherry, Maple, Quarter Sawn Oak andWalnut.

Canadian Craftsmanship

most of their

es arsupplier

Canadian.

comfort eat design,e looking for is grs arhat customerW

ation of the and the second gener,dable choicesand affor

e they get it.Amber family is making sur

Rustic RevivalThis sturdy solid maple

bed is part of our Timbercollection. Crafted in theheart of Canada’s Amishcountry, and exclusive to

Amber’s! Many styles and stains avail-able. Amber’s has the largest solid wood

bedroom collection in Alberta.

We love a well-made chair!Solid wood dining is the heart of our business.That’s why we have over 1000 tables andchairs in stock. Visit our showroom for in-stock,floor model, and intro specials on kitchen anddining suites

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1613 9TH STREET SW(JUST OFF 17TH AVENUE)

goodcoffee,

IT’S AReLIgIoN

SUppORTiNg lOcAl ARTS & cUlTURE

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LCoffee with a conscience

usually refers to the use of fair trade beans in your

brew, but local artisan hub Caffe Beano takes a more Calgary-cen-tric approach to the concept.

Having always been an unof-ficial gathering place for the city’s arts community, owner Margie Gibb gradually became a fairy godmother of sorts to small, local cre-ative projects that struck her interest.

“We aren’t in a position to make huge monetary donations to the arts,” Gibb explains. “But we try to support where and how we can, be it with free latte cards or silent auction donations, we do what we can.”

Over the past few years, Caffe Beano has supported local initiatives from the Sled Island Music Festival to Alberta Theatre Projects and the Calgary Spoken Word community. Most recently,

Gibb has taken an interest in La Caravan Dance Theatre under the direction of Artistic Director, Maya Lewandowsky.

Interestingly, the pair met when Gibb began taking voice lessons from Lewandowsky and the relationship was strengthened when a member of La Caravan’s ensemble, Megan Gole, joined the staff at Beano.

“I kept hearing about the pro-duction they were doing at the time, Dubbyk, from Megan and Maya,” Gibb explains. “It was such an ambitious project that I just had to lend some support to it.

“I’m fully behind those in the arts that are so creative and will-ingly to step into new territory.”

According to Lewandowsky, support, both financial and oth-erwise, is invaluable in Calgary’s

arts community — especially in the underfunded dance world.

“The dance community is small in Calgary and we are striving to create dance works that are chal-lenging and innovative,” she says. “Local support is critical to the community’s success in putting dance on the map in this city.”

Lewandowsky is quick to note that there are also a few benefits

of localized support as opposed to national or in-ternational contributions.

When local organiza-tions and businesses take a supporting role with

Calgary’s arts groups they truly take a stake in a creative work and can see the results of their contributions first-hand. They are also contributing to the overall vibrancy and culture of their city.

“Having local companies sup-port our art connects them to the community and to the work that is emerging from it,” Lewan-dowsky says. “It creates partner-ships within the community and, therefore, we all contribute in

making Calgary a world-class city that features outstanding creative work.” Coffee with a community-minded and cultural-boosting conscience, indeed.

by meghan jessiman

Non-profits receive an average 350% more support from local businesses than they do from non-locally owned businesses. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Beans brew artistictalents, initiatives

La Caravan Dance artistic director Maya Lewandowsky, right, and Caffe Beano

owner Margie Gibb in front of the Beltline cafe. — Gavin Young photo

Having local companies support our art connects tHem to tHe community.

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Britannia Plaza in the city’s southwest is an as-sortment of unique shops and services offering everything from fashion and giftware to wine and hair care.

The 15 independent re-tailers that make it up may be diverse in nature but they are united in philoso-phy: support their custom-ers, their community, their city and their country.

“When we go buying, the majority of us are very interested in sourcing out if not locally-made products then Canadian-made ones for sure,” says Katie Pearl-man, spokesperson for Bri-tannia Plaza and owner of Pacey’s….real life clothes.

Whether it’s the optical outlet turning to Canadian-made eye glass frames or fashion retailers seeking out clothing lines from Canadian designers or

Britannia Ornamental Hardware and Gifts sourc-ing nova Scotian pewter, Britannia Plaza retailers are determined to deal with domestic suppliers and manufactures as much as possible.

“We believe in this very strongly. We live in the community, our staff lives in the community and we

want to contribute to the Calgary and the Canadian economies,” Pearlman says.

She also takes it a step further at Pacey’s; she seeks out Canadian- or American-made clothing but she also looks beyond by finding products that are free trade, fair wage, and organic to help support the planet and its citizens.

BRiTaNNia pLazaBuSIneSS PROFILe

Retailers turn to national sources for products

Britannia Plaza in southwest Calgary has 15 independent retailers.

by adrienne beattie

Labels help consumersmake informed choices

Meghan Dear was frustrated with her grocery

shopping experience. As someone who’s passionate about food, she wanted to buy local food but found it was hard to identify, so she created Localize.

Almost two years later, bright orange Localize labels simplify the pro-cess of finding local food and learning about who

produced it. The labels can be found on prod-ucts

in more than 30 grocery stores throughout Alberta, including the Calgary Co-op.

Localize is a good fit for the local retailer, says Cindy Drummond, Cal-gary Co-op communica-tions manager.

“This is a great oppor-tunity for us to be able to give customers and members the ability to choose local products,” she says. “We know that our customers are always looking for the freshest, best products and we’re excited to help them make informed eating choices — it’s good for them and it’s good for us.”

Dear has put a lot of thought into eating

choices. She’s an accredited professional biologist and is completing a post-graduate certificate in food security.

While she has seen other local campaigns, she doesn’t feel they tell the complete story of the product.

Localize doesn’t just label products as local, it also provides a weighted rating based on a number of fac-tors. “The score is made up of people’s perceptions of what local means to them,” Dear says.

Using a crowd-sourcing exercise, Dear found four components — ownership, production, ingredients and sustainability — were most important to consum-ers.

Continued on 19

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work to make the city a better place by sponsoring local charities, fundraising for local causes, or spear-heading local get-involved activities.

As part of Community Natural Foods’ dedication to giving back, it provides daily deliveries of short-dated foodstuffs to the

Mustard Seed, a Calgary charitable society that helps the impoverished.

“We have a relationship with them going back elev-en years, and our customers can contribute through our Scan-Away Homelessness program. Last year, it raised $24,000,” says CNF’s Chandra Morice.

CNF’s level of commu-nity involvement includes a yearly Stampede Breakfast, as well as programs that provide support to the Cal-gary Interfaith Food Bank, the Arusha Centre (which

provides resources and programming on social jus-tice issues), Green Calgary (teaching eco-conscious living), REAP (a local green business association), the Calgary Humane Society and many more.

“Part of our mandate is that while we are a for-profit business, we behave very much like a not-for-profit, in that the more we make the more we give away,” says Morice. “We figure that if we can be good neighbours — and good members of the com-

munities we do business in — it helps keep the communities healthy, and that keeps us healthy, hon-est and active.”

Cardel Homes, a local business for 40 years, also makes giving back to the community a priority.

“We try to touch as many people as we can through our community program-ming, like with our Kids’

Captures program through the Calgary Board of Edu-cation,” says Linda Marek-Koski, Cardel Homes’ marketing and community relations manager-Calgary sales and marketing man-ager.

“We send CTV’s Lisa Bowes into schools to teach the children of low-income families how to become news reporters.”

Cardel’s list of initiatives includes contributions to Breast Cancer campaigns, food drives and funding participation of underprivi-leged kids in sports.

Continued on 13

by angus macdonell

Neighbourly approach keeps communities healthy

More local businesses mean a stronger tax base, and that pays for better public services for your family. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Five-year-old Josh Rowe works on his table tennis skills at Cardel Place, which received a $1.25 mil-lion donation from Cardel Homes.

— Calgary Herald file

Built for real life.CARDELHOMES.COM

After 40 years our familykeeps on growing.Check out Cardel and see how we do it all under one roof.

Since 1973.

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When school teachers del and Caryl Ockey set out to build a new home 40 years ago, what began was the seeds of a major home-building company that operates in four cities and has donated more than $15 million to charities.

“(del) had a friend of his who at about three-quar-ters of the way through this home building process said: ‘Gee, I really like what you’re doing — would you build one for me, too?,’” says Ryan Ockey, son of Caryl and del and CeO of Cardel Group of Compa-nies.

In the 1990s, Cardel expanded into three new cities: Ottawa, Tampa, Fla., and denver, Colo.

And in 2000, it opened its multi-family division, Cardel Lifestyles.

Thanks to its success,

the company has earned the resources to give back, donating 10 per cent of its annual profits through major donations to a number of causes, including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary, the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind and dreams Take Flight.

Other Cardel-sponsored charitable events include Hang with the Hitmen, the

Cardel Special Olympics Golf Classic and Run with the Roughnecks.

“We do it because we think it’s the right thing to do,” says Ockey.

The company also com-mitted $1.25 million for naming rights to the inde-pendently owned Cardel Place recreation facility in 2004. For more information on Cardel Homes visit cardelhomes.com.

caRdeL hoMesBuSIneSS PROFILe

Forty years of giving back to the community

Cardel Homes’ first home takes root in 1973.

Marek-Koski estimates Cardel has donated more than $15 million in the last four years, and adds that, “The Ockey family (found-ers of Cardel Homes) believes it’s their social responsibility as a successful builder in the city to give back.”

First Calgary Financial is another local business that makes community involve-ment and giving part of their mission.

“Everything is about the community,” says First Calgary Financial’s Dani DeBoice. “It’s ingrained in our values as a co-operative to truly be a part of our communities, both at the branch level and as a corpo-ration.

That includes partnering with local entities Thrive and Momentum to sup-port community economic development and financial education; sponsoring the

Eco-Initiatives program to encourage events such as Folk Fest or Sled Island to practice environmental stewardship; supporting civic engagement through Civic Camp and Mayor Nenshi’s Three Things for Calgary initiative; organiz-ing rain barrel sales for Green Calgary; and pro-moting volunteerism.

DeBoice aptly captures the spirit of giving that helps First Calgary Fi-nancial and other local businesses attract and keep

clients: “We’re focused on outcomes, and are all about people helping people. Our members drive our community engagement process, and the feedback is highly positive.”

Supporting local busi-nesses helps them give back to their community, and at the same time builds better communities.

First Calgary Financial sponsors events such as Sled Island, which attracted renowned singer/song-

writer Leslie Feist last year. — Calgary Herald file

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We’re used to hitting the malls or big box stores to satisfy our shopping needs, and while that has its place

there are good reasons to patronize locally-owned and operated merchants, too.

“Buying local includes food, finance, fun, and many different areas, and is key to building a sustainable, local economy,” says Courtney Hare of Thrive, a Calgary-based

organization that supports community

economic development. “Local business own-ers are our friends, neighbours, colleagues, community members, and they’re here to see the environmental, social, and economic impact of their business decisions.

“Local businesses also buy more locally themselves, keeping more money in the local economy.”

Using a restaurant as an example of a local business cycle, Hare says the eatery may buy foodstuffs from an urban spin farm or rural farm.

“They may use a local accountant to look af-ter their financial books or hire a local market-ing firm to create and maintain its website,” she adds. “Those individuals also shop or hire locally, so there’s a chain of positive economic benefits — unlike when we shop at a chain store where most of the money directly exits the city.”

The economic impact of buying local is huge, says Hare, “and it also creates a stronger, more sustainable city to live in.”

”People have a tendency of looking at it as, if ‘I don’t shop locally all the time then I’m a

bad person.’ Or, they feel they’ll be judged for shopping at a big box store,” says Stephanie Jackman, founder and president of REAP Cal-gary (Respect for the Earth and All People), a green business association boasting more than 100 local business members.

“The reality is that we’re all consuming, all the time, so we have multiple opportunities every day to make that choice, and when we do, it positively impacts the local economy.”

All it takes is a 10 per cent shift in our spending habits, she says.

“Or one shopping trip in 10 to a local merchant — that looks like $160 million dol-lars staying in the local economy each year,” explains Jackman, adding that shift would also equate to “1,600 new jobs created yearly, a lower environmental impact and greater money going to community organizations that are creating social change, as well as solving environmental problems.

“There really are lots of great outcomes from shifting just 10 per cent of our spending.”

Supporting local businesses also contributes to Calgary’s growth as a city, she says, as well

as fosters a stronger sense of community.“We really want people to think about the

10 per cent shift,” she says. “Lots of research across North America has demonstrated the positive benefits if everyone did it. A coffee every other Friday from a local vendor, or a trip to the farmers’ market every two months, is all it really takes to make a difference. If everyone was doing that, the economic and social benefits to the city would be immense.”

by angus macdonell

Caring about communities

Local businesses can make better use of community space and empty spaces, such as heritage buildings, to conduct business, adding to the esthetics of a city. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

AT LEFT: Susan Copley, owner of Galleria Inglewood, which has been supporting local- and Canadian-made

products for the past 30 years. The arts and crafts store represents more than 450 Canadian artisans, the major-ity of whom are from Alberta, with the youngest being

13 and oldest artisans into their 80s. CENTRE: Jean Whitehead, has make-up applied by Krystal Mowat during an Oprah Day at Aveda Institute Calgary earlier this year.

Mowat, who works at Swizzlesticks Salon Spa, volunteered her services for the free event, which gave back to the less

fortunate women in the city through such organizations as YWCA, Inn from the Cold and the Calgary Women’s

Emergency Shelter. INSET: Stephanie Jackman, founder and president of REAP Calgary.

— Calgary Herald files

we have multiple opportunities every day to make that choice and when we do, it positively impacts the local economy.

As Calgarians, many of us buy local, shop local and eat locally-produced food. But, what does “local” really mean?

“If you are a consum-er, local is close to where you live as possible. If you’re a producer or store owner, you’re thinking more regional,” says Mike Fothering-ham, research manager at Calgary Economic Development.

Shopping and sup-porting locally owned businesses is good for the local economy and the community, he says.

“Revenue that’s generated through that business is likely to stay in the local economy, to a greater degree than a non-locally owned en-terprise,” Fotheringham says. “What you get is called a multiplier effect.

“Essentially, every dol-lar that is spent at locally owned store will stay in the economy, some studies say, three to four times that of a dollar that is spent at a non-locally owned store.”

Buying local is good for communities, when everyone benefits as a result.

Locally owned busi-nesses also give back to the communities they’re in, participating and getting involved in the community.

Continued on 17

by jessica patterson

What is ‘local?’

Draped around Sandy Angle’s wrist is a well-decorated

heart charm bracelet.The charms are slightly

different in size and jingle like a wind chime when the local jeweler takes a gentle swipe at them, sharing the story of what inspired her to make her first heart charm bracelet — she wanted to give something meaningful to a friend who had lost her young son.

Angle has continued to make heart charm bracelets since then, but none are an exact replica of the original, nor have any two been exactly the same.

Unique pieces and the stories behind them seem be the main reasons for why people purchase their art, glassware, jewelry and

much more from artists at a variety of markets and festivals in the city.

“I have many pieces that have a lot of meaning behind them and why I designed them the way I did,” says Angle, owner of Silverwater Designs, who has sold her sterling silver and semi-precious stone jewelry at popular festivals such as Lilac Festival, Sun and Salsa, Sunfest and the Spruce Meadows Interna-tional Christmas Market for 20 years before setting up shop at the Calgary Farmers’ Market in Decem-ber 2012. “So I’m able to tell that story, whereas in a retail location, there’s not that personal touch.”

Her customers are con-scious shoppers who want to know where and how things are made, so hearing these stories matters to them.

Amanda Bonner agrees.

“I recently bought a photo-graph from our resident photographer Ursula Krol, and she told me that the photo took her 10 years to capture it at just the right moment,” says Bonner, director of marketing for the Calgary Farmers Market.

“That little fact has made this photograph one of my favourites because I know how special it is. These are not connections and infor-mation you can get from a big box store.”

Calgarian Taylor Poitras, 24, is an avid antiquer and market shopper, and find-ing one-of-a-kind treasures with good back stories is just as alluring to her.

“As soon as I started shopping at the local markets, the gifts that I give have so much more meaning and are so much more interesting,” she says. “When you give it to some-one, you have the whole story behind it because you spoke with the artist.”

But the community at-mosphere is also appealing for many patrons.

“It’s more of social event,

not just a market for selling and buying,” Poitras says, speaking specifically of Market Collective.

Co-founders Angela Dione and Angel Guerra started Market Collective in 2008, fueled by their passion to bring people together through the arts.

“It’s a valuable experi-ence even if you don’t buy anything,” Guerra says of wandering through markets

and talking with artists.Guerra and her team are

working to secure a new permanent location in time to celebrate Market Collec-tive’s fifth anniversary this summer.

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by paula trotter

Locally business owners are your friends and neighbours, and they work and invest in their communities — just like you. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Born and raised in Calgary, Sandy Angle is a jewelry designer who, through her company Stillwater

Designs, sells her wares at the Calgary Farmer’s Market.

— Michelle Hofer photos

Local artisans create unique pieces

A heart pendant made by Sandy

Angle

“By and large, locally-owned stores are more embedded in their com-munities in terms of giving back to local sport teams or supporting local initiatives,” Fotheringham says.

Local doesn’t mean just within walking distance, or within Calgary city limits, or within 100-miles of the city.

“We don’t take a hard and fast geographic perspective, when it comes to local,” says Carolyn Davis, com-munity relations associate director at Momentum.

“At Momentum, we re-ally care about ownership. We care about who owns the business, because it’s the owner makes the decisions. And if they live in the com-munity, they’re more likely to invest locally.”

Momentum works with individuals in Calgary who live on low incomes to start their own small businesses,

Davis says. “That is a

way, for us, to create a pathway out of poverty,” she explains. “They get to make their own business decisions; they get to become their own bosses; and they add valu-able service to the commu-nity.”

Local businesses are impacted by the decisions consum-ers make, “whether that’s environmentally, socially or economically,” says Courtney Hare, commu-nity economic development co-ordinator with Thrive, Calgary’s community economic development network.

“It’s really cool when someone makes the com-

mitment to small changes that have a really big impact,” she says.

“So, maybe once a week, they buy from a local coffee shop instead of the chain coffee stores.”

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For more than three decades, Sureway Window Fashions has offered quality blinds, shades, draperies and shutters to residential and commercial clients across Calgary.

The experienced staff at this family-owned busi-ness is knowledgeable and committed to quality customer service through free in-home consultations and an impressive on-site showroom.

“We have samples of everything — functioning large samples — so people can see what the window coverings are going to look like,” says owner Ricia Al-lard, whose company also supports local businesses, with about 85 per cent of the manufacturers and suppliers she features being proudly Canadian.

Sureway’s design consul-

tants go above and beyond for clients, and Allard does the same for the industry.

She is actively involved in education and safety in the industry; she is on the technical committee for the Canadian Standards Association on Window Coverings and the Inte-rior decorating Advisory Committee for Bow Valley College.

Allard is also an instruc-tor for Bow Valley’s con-

tinuing education window coverings course, as well as mentoring practicum students on the industry.

“I’m able to give back to the community, helping the young and upcoming students by giving them practical experience and knowledge,” she says.

Through both design excellence and industry involvement, Sureway Window Fashions is a true leader in the industry.

suReWaY WiNdoW FashioNsBuSIneSS PROFILe

Family-owned business helps shape industry

Sureway Window Fashions owner Ricia Allard looks over samples.

Mary Ellen Grueneberg, the owner of Greens eggs & Ham, a kiosk at the Crossroads Market.

Her stall specializes in selling veg-etables, eggs, and meat produced

at her own farm. — Calgary Herald file

From 15

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tough, Neigh-bourlink gets

going. “The people we help are

some of the most vulner-able in Calgary: single

mothers, seniors, recent immigrants, individuals liv-ing with physical or mental illness and the working poor,” explains director of development Melissa Nelson.  “During times of economic prosperity, low-income families are often those most affected by lack of affordable housing and the rising cost of food and transportation.

“More and more of their take-home pay goes to-

wards keeping a roof over their heads causing families to struggle just to cover the cost of their family’s basic needs. This

is where we come in.”

NeighbourLink works to connect the members of Calgary’s com-munity who are in need of

a hand with agencies they may not know exist.

By collecting, storing and re-distributing simple items like formula, diapers, cribs and beds, they are able to make a hugely positive impact on the wellbeing of people in a state of crisis.

Operating since 1993, this year marks Neighbour-Link’s 20th year of service in the community.

While the organization does receive some funding from the provincial govern-ment, The United Way and The Burns Foundation, it is largely due to annual fundraising efforts and the generosity of local business-es like Kacz’ Kids that allow this organization to help as many people as they do — more than 26,000 calls were answered last year alone, with over 36,000 items being delivered.

“Kacz’ Kids has been an incredible supporter and

partner to NeighbourLink for a number of years now,“ Nelson says. “Through this relationship, we been able to provide cribs, car seats and strollers to families in need. Kacz’ Kids generos-ity helps us to stretch our dollars, and with waitlists that sometimes exceed 50 families waiting for a crib, this relationship has proven invaluable.”

With the help of services like NeighbourLink, des-perate times don’t need to lead to desperate measures.

When fleeing  an abusive domestic situation with

her five children, one NeighbourLink recipient was overwhelmed by the prospect of starting life

over from scratch. “I’ve tried to leave be-

fore,  but it was so difficult to think of the next steps and how to take them,” she says. “Being able to get my own place, a home for my children, that was one thing,  but with the help of NeighbourLink be we were able to really make it

a home. It has given us the confidence and hope we need to start again.”

NeighbourLink provided her and her kids with the peace of mind they needed to start again — without any friends

or family to fall back on —in a new city.

“I feel relieved. No stress, no worries, just gratitude for the help we received.”

by meghan jessiman

Study after study shows that local small business is the greatest source of job creation.. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

NeighbourLink helpsstruggling families

Miattia Samboia got help from NeighbourLink after being

displaced by a fire. — Calgary Herald file

through this relationship, we have been able to provide cribs, car seats and strollers to families in need.

Building great homes startsing great communities.

yman, we know homes are only as good as the communities they’re

built in. We strive to strengthen our local communities by supporting

tives that prevent homelessness, assist those with disabilities and

omote healthy families. It’s part of our promise to our homeowners and

our uncompromising commitment to building the best communities.

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To jayman, a culture of philanthropy means that a key way it gauges its success as a company is by how it consistently gives back to the community and other people.

“Business and community are intertwined,” explains director, marketing Careen Chrusch. “The health of one ultimately affects the health of the other. It is in this spirit of community giving that we bring these initiatives alive at jayman.”

The homebuilder is in a unique position to give back, as shelter is one of the most fundamental of human needs.

Over the years, it has contributed millions of dollars to initiatives that prevent homelessness among vulnerable Calgar-ians, including those with disabilities and medical challenges, addictions and in

abusive situations.jayman has committed

$250,000 towards the Mustard Seed Affordable Housing Initiative and countless volunteer hours from its employees toward finishing the community building project.

jayman also contributed $1 million to the Resolve campaign, which saw Cal-gary homebuilders pledge to construct $11.2 million

worth of housing, equiva-lent to about 200 units.

In addition, jayman also supports Camp Kindle for children with cancer, is a provincial sponsor of the Forzani Foundation Moth-ers day Run and Walk, and gives to countless commu-nity organizations, rang-ing from Big Brothers Big Sisters and Theatre Calgary to the Calgary Women’s Shelter.

JaYMaNBuSIneSS PROFILe

Homebuilder helps fight homelessness in city

Jayman employees volunteer at the Mustard Seed as part of the com-pany’s efforts to support the fight against homelessness in the city.

Dear collects information from produc-ers to determine a score for each product, which is then put on that product’s label and her website.

“Gathering and vetting information from producers is the bulk of our work,” Dear says.

Despite the volume of work involved, Dear doesn’t charge producers for partici-pation. Her goal is to tell the story of as many local producers as possible.

A QR code on each label also allows cus-tomers to scan the label with a smartphone and pull up a story about where the prod-uct came from on the Localize website.

“We now have the ability to share the stories of local producers and farmers in an innovative way when customers scan the Localize QR codes,” says Drummond. “It’s a unique way to tell a story.”

More than 400 products have been profiled since Localize launched in Janu-ary of this year. Dear, who now works on the Localize project full-time, is looking to expand throughout Alberta and into Saskatchewan.

From 11

The Localize label helps consumers make informed choices on grocery store options. — Thinkstock photo

The Localize label provides a weighted score out of 10 based on four compo-nents: • Location of food production/ processing, up to 45 per cent of score.• Location of business ownership, up to 35 per cent of score.• Location/source of ingredients, up to 25 per cent of score. • Sustainability, up to 1.8 bonus points that can be added to the

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your home country

measures up in

Canada’s corporate culture, and you have some idea what Svetlana Vernigora was feeling when she ar-rived in Calgary in the fall of 2012.

Relocating from the Eastern European nation of Moldova with the hope of creating a better life for herself and her child, Vernigora was overjoyed to learn about Calgary’s Walk-In Closet program which, with the help of donations from citizens and local boutiques such as Blu’s, make dressing for success a little easier for female im-migrants.

Fortunate to learn about the Walk-In closet from the Calgary Immigrant Women’s Society very soon after arriving in Calgary, Vernigora says the program was a great relief during her whirlwind integration into Canadian society.

“Where I came from,

professional clothing was not emphasized and I almost always wore jeans,” she says. “ It was very pleas-ant to find out that there is an organization that would help me with the newcom-er’s problem of dressing professionally and beyond that, it was a great support system provided by women to women.”

Created by the Making Changes Society, the Walk-In Closet Program provides 90-minute individual con-sultations on professional business attire to women facing financial barriers who want to join the local workforce, return to school or engage in volunteer op-portunities.

In addition to informa-tion on business culture and appropriate dress, participants are offered gently used clothing and accessories, at no cost, to help them look and feel

their best. Once or twice a year, Blu’s hosts a cloth-ing trade-in where it asks its customers to bring in donations of new or gently used professional cloth-ing in exchange for a store voucher to use towards their next purchase.

It’s an initiative that has proven extremely successful and in turn has boosted the confidence of innumerable women in need — more than 1,600 in 2012 alone.  

Vernigora believes the Walk-In Closet played a substantial role in helping her ultimately land her dream job as a sales and service representative for Canadian Western Bank.

“Their educational process and the clothes and extras they gave me, of course, made me feel special and confident in my interview,” she explains. “You wouldn’t necessarily think this is the kind of

thing immigrants need to prioritize, but looking and feeling good when seeking employment is vital. I will forever be thankful for the help I received.”

by meghan jessiman

Buying your daily hot drinks from a locally owned coffee shop can inject more than $1,000 per person a year back into the economy. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Walk-in Closet opens doors

Svetlana Vernigora immigrated to from Moldova last fall and

utilized the services of the Calgary Walk-In Closet to have a profes-

sional wardrobe, which helped her obtain employment. — Gavin

Young photo

“And if more people shift their spend-ing, you start to see the same original $100 bouncing all around your communi-ty being spent in different ways,” says BC’s Ten Percent Shift’s website. “So suddenly, your $100 is becoming worth a lot more to the community.”

Other benefits from spending locally in-clude the ongoing prosperity of Calgary’s business revitalization zones in neigh-bourhoods like Bowness, Montgomery, Victoria Park or Inglewood.

Without the support of vendors in those areas, who in many cases voluntarily pay extra taxes to promote their respec-tive BRZs, there would be no annual events such as Lilac Fest or Marda Gras, nor would these places be as fun to visit or hang out in — they would struggle to attract people to them, to thrive and to contribute back to the city.

Some BRZs, such as Victoria Park for example, which is located between down-town and the Stampede grounds, have only begun to come into their own, and the transformation is astounding.

It’s only with local support from the business community and residents alike, however, that the change has been pos-sible. Without that support, ‘Vic Park’

might have continued to languish indefi-nitely, never becoming the destination experience it is today — celebrated for its historical heritage, walking opportunities, and unique shops.

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From 4

Thousands flock to the 4th Street Lilac Festival each year, many of whom check out the locally made

merchandise — Calgary Herald file photo

Angus Macdonell is a Calgary-based freelance writer who sits on the board of directors

of REAP Calgary, writes for its website and participates in many city initiatives.L ocal file

Blush Lane Organic Market may be a small company but over the past decade it has grown to include a location in edmonton, the store in Aspen Woods, and farmers’ market stands. It has also grown profitable, which allows the organization to give back.

“Being involved in organ-ics, we look at everything as being connected so to be able to be involved with charity is something that is really exciting,” says Blush Lane president Rob Horricks.

For the past few years, Blush Lane and its cus-tomers have supported the Community Kitchen Program in Calgary and youth empowerment and Support Services in edmonton.

Customers are invited to donate to these causes and

the store proudly matches each donation.

“It’s great to bring everybody – customers, employees, and manage-ment — toward a goal,” he says.

In May, Blush Lane donated nearly $3,000 to the Community Kitchen, whose initiatives help feed Calgary’s hungry.

The store also regu-larly donates food to the

yWCA and actively op-poses GMOs.

Giving back is important at Blush Lane. Horricks himself supports the Canadian youth Business Foundation, the organiza-tion that gave him his first loan to start a business.

He now mentors other young entrepreneurs, pay-ing the assistance he en-joyed forward to the next generation.

BLush LaNe oRgaNic MaRkeTBuSIneSS PROFILe

Holistic approach basis behind helpful hands

L-R Jerome Koebel, Blush Lane Organic Market store manager Judy Stevens and Willy Zumbado.

What can you ac-complish in an hour? As part of

the Big Brothers, Big Sis-ters Between Generations mentoring program, a lot.

One hour, once a week can change a local Calgar-ian child’s life, something 68-year-old volunteer Mary Anne Gates can attest to.

A mentor with the pro-gram since January 2007, this retired psychiatric nurse originally learned about Between Generations through her own grand-daughter and saw it as an opportunity to get involved as a “grandparent” to children in local schools who may be lacking that type of relationship in their own family. Supported by First Calgary Financial, the program mandate is for mentors to spend quality

one-on-one time with their mentee doing activities like crafts, art projects, playing games and baking — typi-cal grandparent territory.

Mary Anne goes above and beyond the standard commitment, opting to be matched with four chil-dren, one of which she has been mentoring for the past four years.

Each Tuesday spent with “her kids” reinforces her belief this is exactly what she is meant to be doing and the jokes and stories her mentees share remind her it’s also what the chil-dren want to be doing.

“When we say goodbye each time, my hope is that I have taught them some-thing, helped them realize how important they are to me and to others and that we have shared a laugh or two,” says Gates. “A genu-ine friendship with a child builds resiliency and this

stays with them always.” Between Generations

program has been a great way for her to build friend-ships with others her own age, as well, since the men-tors connect socially before the program and during recess at their schools.

The benefits of this program for the children involved are obvious: they feel cherished and impor-tant, worthy of an adults time and attention. Gates insists the rewards she reaps each week as a mentor are just as sweet, however.

“Every week there is something that someone says or does that warms my heart and makes me feel how worthwhile the time that I spend with the children is,” Gates says with sincerity. “For instance, the children were asked recently: ‘If you had one magical power what would you want it to be?’

One child answered, ‘I would make people able to fly so Mary Anne would not have to walk with a cane.’ I cried, of course.”

Central Memorial Park

in the Beltline340 13th Ave. SW

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by meghan jessiman

When local stores are kept in business, it not only keeps jobs in town, but the money spent in your town in a local small business usually stays in town. — tenpercentshift.caLocal file

Between Generation mentorhelps ‘her kids’ feel important

Mary Anne Gates has been involved in the Between Gen-

erations mentor program since January 2007, and has been a

“grandparent” to students lacking that tight-knit connec-

tion within their own families.

— Submitted photo

every week there is something that some-one says or does that warms my heart

Get to know your independently

owned Calgary businesses with

our Be Local directory!

RiVeR caFeeMpLoYees: 85YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 22LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Academic collaboration/spon-sorship include: SAIT Culinary Internship Program, Slow Food Calgary, Montessori and CBE elementary school classes, gar-den apprenticeships, donations.

ocaL FiLeL

BuNdLes oF eNeRgYeMpLoYees: 3YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 3LocaTioNs: 1 plus onlinecoMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Online programs across North America; workshops through-out Alberta. Give whole-food nutrition workshops/speeches to schools, athletic teams, busi-nesses, associations.

ocaL FiLeL

caLgaRY co-opeMpLoYees: 3,500YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 57LocaTioNs: 24 food centres, 28 gas bars, 23 liquor stores, 2 health care centrescoMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Donated more than $4 M in 2012; Localize participant; supports include The Mustard Seed, food bank and Meals on Wheels.

ocaL FiLeL

BoXWoodeMpLoYees: 30YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 3LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Charitable donations, sponsor-ships, educational programs/memberships, including: Slow Food Calgary, The Poppy Fund, Alberta Theatre Projects, Vine Arts, as well as fund raise.

ocaL FiLeL

BLack sheep MaTTResscoMpaNYeMpLoYees: 2YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 3LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Green Calgary member and sponsor, BullFrog Powered and Uend Poverty sponsor.

ocaL FiLeL

caRdeL hoMeseMpLoYees: 220YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 40LocaTioNs: 56coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Has donated more than $15 M to charities. Supports 50+ agen-cies each year, including: Cardel KidsKasters, classroom lacrosse, Special Olympics Calgary, MADD, Dreams Take Flight Calgary.

ocaL FiLeL

iNTeRNaTioNaL aVeNue BRzLocaTioN: Business district from 26 and 61 streets on 17th Avenue S.E.coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Food tours of the area, local shops and manufacturers in the community of Greater Forest Lawn, one-time events.

ocaL FiLeL

aMBeR’s FiNe FuRNiTuRe eMpLoYees: 20YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 32LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: The Mustard Seed, Mennonite Central Committee, Loose Moose Theatre Co., Alberta Theatre Projects (Bob Edwards Event), Blue Mountain Bio Dynamic Farm (hail damage fundraiser).

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coMMuNiTY NaTuRaL FoodseMpLoYees: 346YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 36LocaTioNs: 3 coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Donated more than $1 M in last five years. Support includes lo-cal athletes, The Mustard Seed, food bank, local events and Change for the Earth campaign.

ocaL FiLeL

echo-YaRdseMpLoYees: 9YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 7LocaTioNs: At client sites around the city (no store front)coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Participate in local and cor-porate eco-fairs, supported the campaign to phase out pesticides in Calgary.

ocaL FiLeL

BLush LaNeeMpLoYees: 50-70YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 9LocaTioNs: 6 (4 in Calgary)coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Include: Community Kitchen Program, Youth Empowerment an Support Services (Edmon-ton), Canadian Youth Business Foundation, various events/fundraisers and mentorships.

ocaL FiLeL

diRTT eNViRoNMeNTaLsoLuTioNseMpLoYees: 350YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 8LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Supports include: Calgary Folk Music Festival, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Adopt-a-Family.

ocaL FiLeL

heaLTh cheFeMpLoYees: 5YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 2LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgage-MeNT: Supports local farmers, ranchers and sustainable food production practices. Dona-tions include: Veteran’s Food Program, Calgary food bank, Alberta Theatre Projects.

ocaL FiLeL

BRiTaNNia pLazaeMpLoYees: 200+ReTaiLeRs: 22 (stores and services)YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 58LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Include: Britannia Community Association, women’s health issues, abused women preven-tion and art groups.

ocaL FiLeL

FiRsT caLgaRY FiNaNciaLeMpLoYees: 460YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 76LocaTioNs: 16 retail branchescoMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Supports include: financial literacy, environmental advocacy, child mentoring, promoting volunteerism, investing in com-munity (in 2012, $722,000; 1,200 employee volunteer hours).

ocaL FiLeL

ReWoRks upcYcLe shopeMpLoYees: 2YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 1LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Specializing in one-of-a-kind items made from recycled or upcycled material, locally made decor, accessories and gifts. Supports local businesses, cul-ture, food, art and bicycling.

ocaL FiLeL

caFFe BeaNoeMpLoYees: 20YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 23LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Include: supporting local arts and culture, with focus on great coffee, local food, good conversation and creating community.

ocaL FiLeL

gaLLeRia iNgLeWoodeMpLoYees: 10YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 30+LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Represents more than 450 Canadian artisans, potters and artists, many of whom are local.

ocaL FiLeL

Be Local REAP members

RespecT FoR The eaRTh aNd aLL peopLePromoting a Positive change in the way we live by suPPorting “be local” initiatives. www.reapcalgary.com

gReeNgaTe gaRdeNceNTReseMpLoYees: 30-150LocaTioNs: 2coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes Calgary Horticulture Society, Calgary Drop-In Centre, Calgary Home-less Foundation.

ocaL FiLeL

WickeR LaNd paTioeMpLoYees: 9YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 30LocaTioNs: 3 (2 in Calgary)coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: Hot Heels Fashion Show and Silent Auc-tion, Made by Mamma, AARC and Habitat for Humanity.

ocaL FiLeL

heaRTh & hoMeeMpLoYees: 22YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 28LocaTioNs: 2coMMuNiTY eNgage-MeNT: Support includes: Calgary Children’s Foundation ($50,000+), Back the Blu, Arc, local communities, firefighters, EMS services, Jaycees, Kingsmen Cancer Camp, Ride for Cancer.

ocaL FiLeL

WiLLoW paRk WiNes& spiRiTseMpLoYees: 100+LocaTioNs: 2coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: Charity Wine Auction, Vintage Fund (endowment fund focusing on education, health care and seniors’ needs in the city). To date, raised $2.5 M+ for local charity.

ocaL FiLeL

JaYMaNeMpLoYees: 320 (Calgary and Edmonton)YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 30coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: MS research, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Mustard Seed’s Affordable Housing Complex, The GRIT So-ciety, Kids Cancer Care, Mother’s Day Run, Women’s Shelter.

ocaL FiLeL

suNNYside NaTuRaL MaRkeT & sideWaLk ciTi-zeN BakeRYeMpLoYees: Market: 20; bakery: 20LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: community initiatives and charities, Mustard Seed Roof Top Garden, Organic Alberta, schools, Jane’s Walk.

ocaL FiLeL

RiVas a cLeaN ecosToReeMpLoYees: 7YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 5LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: Inglewood BRZ, the Area and Pith Gallery and Studios, plus organizations in line with mission and values.

ocaL FiLeLsuReWaY WiNdoW FashioNseMpLoYees: 6YeaRs iN caLgaRY: 32LocaTioNs: 1coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: Canadian Standards Association, Bow Valley College (advisory committee member; instructor), Canadian Federation of Independent Busi-nesses (member).

ocaL FiLeLsWizzLesTicks saLoN spaeMpLoYees: 55-60LocaTioNs: 56coMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: Appoint-ments for the Earth, grassroots organizations, gifting an aver-age $80,000-$100,000 annually, Alberta Ballet, Green Carpet Gala, Pink Ribbon Fundraising Campaign (Aveda partner).

ocaL FiLeL

Founded in 2006, ReAP Business Association’s vision is to create a vibrant and sustainable local economy where citizens understand and value the impact of shopping locally. — reapcalgary.comL ocal file

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economic equationsupport equals a healthy national economy

Be canadian

on flip sideBe Local

speciaL douBLe issue

Friday, June 14, 2013 PREMIERE ISSUE

OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPOR

ALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCO

AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGAR

CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARN-

ING VILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE • YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS

& GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNING VILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE • YMCA • KID SPORT

• BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND

FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE

COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS •

TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG

SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNING VILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES •

DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER • THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE •

CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER

•THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA • KID SPORT • BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF CALGARY

AND AREA • BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS • TALISMAN CENTER •THE CALGARY LEARNINGVILLAGE COLLABORATIVE • CITY OF CALGARY • HULL CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES • DISCOVERY HOUSE •YMCA

SPOR BIG O BIG OF CALGAR BO & GIRLS CLUBS CENTER CALGAR LEARNING GE COLLABORA CITY OF CALGAR HULL•YALGARCOFCITY•TIVECOLLABORAGEVILLALEARNINGYALGARCTHE•CENTERALISMANT•CLUBSGIRLS&YSBO•AREAANDYALGARCOFSISTERSBIGTHEROBRBIG•TSPORKID•

LEARN-YALGARCTHE•CENTERALISMANT•CLUBSGIRLS&YSBO•AREAANDYALGARCOFSISTERSBIGTHEROBRBIG•TSPORKID•AYMC•HOUSEYVERDISCO•VICESSERYAMILFANDCHILD

&YSBO•AREAANDYALGARCOFSISTERSBIGTHEROBRBIG•TSPORKID•AYMC•HOUSEYVERDISCO•VICESSERYAMILFANDCHILDHULL•YALGARCOFCITY•TIVECOLLABORAGEVILLAING

BIG•TSPORKID•AYMC•HOUSEYVERDISCO•VICESSERYAMILFANDCHILDHULL•YALGARCOFCITY•TIVECOLLABORAGEVILLALEARNINGYALGARCTHE•CENTERALISMANT•CLUBSGIRLS

TIVE •GE COLLABORAVILLAY LEARNINGALGARTHE CALISMAN CENTER •TYS & GIRLS CLUBS •Y AND AREA • BOALGARTHER BIG SISTERS OF COBR

CanadianTirehasastrongtrack recordofacting inasocially responsible

mannerasweworkinpartnershipwithouremployees,communities,customers

&suppliers. Inaddition toourdonationsandsponsorshipprograms,wegive

our time&financial resources toavarietyof social&communitycauses,with

the largest singlebeneficiarybeingCanadianTireJumpstart.

MACLEOD TRAIL (403) 278-4040MCKENZIE TOWNE (403) 257-4729PACIFIC PLACE (403) 248-6400

DEERFOOT (403) 295-2800DALHOUSIE (403) 288-1100SHAWNESSY (403) 201-2002

SARCEE. (403) 246-1461COUNTRYHILLSN.E. (403) 226-9550BEACON HILL (403) 456-6428

3,884Last Year 15,788Since inception in 2005“Our growingnational network of 332 local chapters play a key role inmaking theCanadianTire Jumpstart programsuccessful. Each chapter is volunteer-based and includes representatives fromCanadianTire stores, CanadianTire dealers andpetroleumagents, a variety of non-profit organizations and charities, and community leaders. Collectively, theyworkwith over 2,500organizations acrossCanada (includingBigBrothersBig Sisters, CanadianParks and

RecreationAssociation andYMCA-YWCA) todiscreetly identify financially disadvantagedchildren thatmight benefit from theprogram. Thismodel helps us ensure that the funds aredirected to thosewhoneed itmost.”

Calgary CanadianTire StoresLocally Owned & Operated

Supporting Local Community Initiatives

YALGARCOFSISTERSBIGTHEROBRBIG•TSPORKID•AYMC•HOUSEYVERDISCO•VICESSERYAMILFANDCHILDHULL•YALGARCOFCITY•TIVECOLLABORAGEVILLALEARNINGYALGARCTHE•

AYMC•HOUSEYVERDISCO•VICESSERYAMILFANDCHILDHULL•YALGARCOFCITY•TIVECOLLABORAGEVILLALEARNINGYALGARCTHE•CENTERALISMANT•CLUBSGIRLS&YSBO•AREAAND

HULL•YALGARCOFCITY•TIVECOLLABORAGEVILLALEARNINGYALGARCTHE•CENTERALISMANT•CLUBSGIRLS&YSBO•AREAANDYALGARCOFSISTERSBIGTHEROBRBIG•TSPORKID•

LEARN-YALGARCTHE•CENTERALISMANT•CLUBSGIRLS&YSBO•AREAANDYALGARCOFSISTERSBIGTHEROBRBIG•TSPORKID•AYMC•HOUSEYVERDISCO•VICESSERYAMILFANDCHILD

What kid doesn’t love to swim, dance or play soccer, baseball or hockey?

not only are those activities fun, but research shows physical activity and access to sports for children leads to increased self-esteem, strong leadership skills and improved school performance in children.

The reality is that one in three Canadian families can’t afford to enrol their sons and daughters in sports and

recreational programs. That’s where Canadian

Tire jumpstart comes in.By covering the cost of

registration, equipment and/or transportation, the national charitable program has helped 580,000 (and counting) kids ages four to 18 participate in the sports of their choice.

“Our vision is more than getting children involved in sports and recreation — it’s to have a country where

all kids have a chance to fulfill their dreams,” says johnny Misley, president of jumpstart Charities.

jumpstart has 332 local chapters across Canada, all built on the support of volunteers. These chapters work closely with more than 2,600 community partners to identify families with financial needs whose children would benefit from the programs.

Locally, jumpstart

supported 3,882 kids from the Calgary area alone last year, and has helped 15,788 kids since 2005. This is possible thanks to the generous support from the Canadian Tire Corp. and all Canadians who support the program.

The next fundraising event in Alberta is jumpstart’s Pedal for Kids, a five-day, 500-kilometre bike ride from Hinton to Calgary. Set for july 13-17, cyclists include Canadian Tire dealers, corporate employees from across the Canadian Tire Family of Companies and friends

from beyond the enterprise who will pedal their hearts out to raise more than $200,000.

To celebrate the ride, and all the jumpstart work, july 18 will be the second annual jumpstart Games in Carstairs Memorial Park, hosted by FGL Sports. The jumpstart Games provide a fun day for more than 500 children where they can acquire teamwork skills, interact with other children their age and enjoy

a barbecue lunch. Help kids from your community today by visiting your local Canadian Tire, Sport Chek, Atmosphere, Mark’s and Canadian Tire Gas+ stores. Learn more at jumpstart.canadiantire.ca or call 1-877-616-6600.

caNadiaN TiReBuSIneSS PROFILe

Jumpstart helps kids realize sporting dreams

Jumpstart has helped 3,882 Calgary kids last year alone.

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4 Getting the ‘Jump’ on hunger Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank gets help from local businesses.

4 affects of Canadian philanthropy Much of our nation’s economy, charity and sponsorship has leafy roots.

5 Giving the gift of camp Canadian coffee giant gives kids a summer to remember.

Vancouverite Darren Bare-foot embarked

on a year of what he called “thoughtful consumption” to buy only Canadian.

His quest raises some intriguing questions about where we buy our goods and services from.

Buying Canadian isn’t as straight-forward as one might think.

Many iconic Canadian com-panies have been sold to foreign investors.

Founded in 1670, the Hudson’s Bay Company, was acquired by American Jerry Zucker in 2006.

Established in 1847 Canada’s largest brewer, Labatt Brewing Company, was purchased in 1995 by Belgian brewer, Interbrew.

Historic hotel properties, such as the Banff Springs Hotel and the Chateau Lake Louise, once owned by Canadian Pacific Hotels, were taken over by the foreign-owned Fairmont Hotels and Resorts in 1999.

Foreign-owned companies may fly the maple leaf and affix Canada to their name but that doesn’t mean they’re Canadian either.

Walmart Canada, Target Can-ada, General Motors Canada, Shell Canada and Parmalat Canada are again, just a small sampling of companies some

might think are Canadian, but aren’t.

Thoughtful consumption, therefore, becomes more challeng-ing. Buying Canadian means doing a little research to identify where businesses are run from.

Barefoot’s journey included food, clothing, entertainment, invest-ments, household items — every purchase he’d make for the year, purchases many don’t think about.

Barefoot says finding Canadian-made clothing was one of the most challenging aspects of his year. He says, “very, very few clothes are manufactured in Canada.”

He says he couldn’t find hik-ing shoes or running shoes made in Canada, and only two styles of men’s dress shoes from Roots.

Industry Canada notes the Canadian apparel industry has experienced “significant declines in shipments, gross domestic product

and employment.” It identifies “the liber-

alized trade envi-

ronment and increased global com-petition” as major issues affecting the declines.

Indeed, the majority of clothing imports now come from China. From 2004 to 2008, Canadian clothing manufacturers and textile product mills saw almost half of their jobs disappear. Market share of clothing imports from China over the same period grew by more than 50 per cent.

It’s a simple equation, really. Buying Canadian-made clothing supports Canadian jobs. And buy-ing Canadian-made clothing is as simple as checking the label.

Likewise, Barefoot realized of 61 films he’d seen one year, none of them were Canadian.

“I used to go almost once a week,” he says. “The reality is there are very few Canadian movies in theatres.”

Barefoot started watching Ca-nadian television shows, attending Canadian art exhibits, going to Canadian live music and reading Canadian authors.

The yearlong Canadian diet included food as well, of course. Without being much of a cook or foodie, Barefoot broadened the food category to include locally owned restaurants.

Eating a seasonal diet from Canadian producers helps sustain Canadian farmers, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions from foods flown around the world to

arrive on your plate.Barefoot’s challenge

introduced one category each month — household goods in January, clothes in

February and his challenge was cumulative — by the end of

the year he was buying exclusively Canadian. Changes like these that can influence the economy, one

Canadian at a time.Adrienne Beattie is a Calgary writer who has covered urban environmental issues for more than 10 years.

The Great Canadian ‘made in Canada’ questby adrienne beattie

A publicAtion of the cAlgAry herAld SpeciAl projectS

depArtment in pArtnerShip with reAp cAlgAry

aNadiaN FiLe

EDITOR/ DESIGNER: Karen Petkau, 403-235-7513

kpetkau@ calgaryherald.com

ADVERTISING:Margo Moore, 403-235-7382

mmoore@ calgaryherald.com

INside This issue

CONTRIBUTORS: Adrienne BeattieBarbara Balfour

Alex Frazer-Harrison

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COVER: Community Natural Foods

marketing co-ordinator Nicole Boisvert, left, Amber’s Fine

Furniture’s Renee Amber with and Noble Ridge Vineyard and Winery owner Leslie D’Andrea with some of their Canadian

made products. PhOTOGRaPhER:

Gavin Young

C— Thinkstock photo

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Keeping kids active and healthy requires good nutrition as

well as sports and activities.That’s why the Calgary

Inter-Faith Food Bank and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities have been a good fit since Jumpstart started supporting initiatives such as Theatre Calgary’s Toonies for Turkeys fund-raisers in support of the food bank.

“The Calgary food bank receives no government funding — we depend 100 per cent on everyday Cal-garians, businesses and cor-porations to come through and help with feeding people who need that little bit of support,” says D.D. (Dolores) Coutts, manager of communications and development.

Toonies for Turkeys was organized as a

way to raise funds for the Food Bank

during

Theatre Calgary’s holiday-season performances of A Christmas Carol. “A Christmas Carol is all about feeding other people — spiritually, or with food,” says Coutts. “So they thought it would be a great collaboration between Theatre Calgary and the Calgary food bank.”

Coutts says Jumpstart was brought on board as a supporter and to date, its share of funds raised through Toonies for Turkeys is about $384,000, though she expects it to top $400,000 once the final tally for 2012 is in.

“The money went directly to

hampers that were

given out at Christmas when we include those little extras like turkeys,” says Coutts. “It’s a time of year when everyone sees all the abundance and if you can’t share in that, it’s pretty hard.”

She says the food bank sends out more than 5,200 hampers each year.

The funds were also used for buying milk for teens and children.

“We can’t wait for donated milk — it has to be fresh milk and fresh (baby) formula,” she says.

Now in its 30th year, and recently relocated to a new facility, the food bank’s

mission aligns well with Jump-start’s mandate of giving kids a chance to take part in healthy activities, says Coutts.

“Out of 136,000 people who come to

us every year, 43 per cent of them are kids,” she says.

“If you think of under-

nourished children trying to play sports — it’s so much more challenging. Good, solid nutrition is valuable to growth and be-ing able to participate fully.

“Organizations (like Jumpstart) are the lifeblood of a food bank.”

When we buy Canadian, we know that the products have met this country’s health and 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. — buycanadianfirst.caCaNadiaN FiLe

by alex frazer-harrison

D.D. (Dolores) Coutts, manager of communications and development

for the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank, says without local support

the bank wouldn’t be able to help families in need.— Don Molyneaux

photo

aNadiaN FiLeCcaNadiaN TiReeMpLoYees: 68,000YeaRs iN caNada: 91LocaTioNs: 488 storescoMMuNiTY eNgageMeNT: Support includes: Jumpstart (national charitable campaign helped 58,000 kids), Pedal for Kids, fosters employee engage-ment and environmental practices.

Getting the ‘Jump’ on hunger

If you thInk of undernour-Ished chIldren tryIng to play sports — It’s so much more challengIng.

Even during the eco-nomic uncertainty of the last five years, Ca-nadian companies have not cut back on the amount of investment they keep pouring into their communities.

This is just one of many notable findings from the Conference Board of Canada’s first national survey of corporate community investment activity, released in April. The Canadian Community Investment Bench-marking Report covered 180 companies that represent a third of all corporate phi-lanthropy in Canada — estimated at $2.5 billion dollars.

In 2011, these com-panies alone contrib-uted $710 million to their communities.

“This overview looked at how compa-nies give — where the investments go and some of the motiva-tions behind it,” says Mike Meadows, director of corporate engagement and mem-bership at Imagine Canada.

“Canadian compa-nies are an integral ele-ment of communities across the country and contribute signifi-cantly in many ways to the sustainability of our standard of living and quality of life.”

He says over the last five years, 85 per cent of companies either held the line in com-munity investment budgets or increased them.

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by barbara balfour

Canuck power

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“It’s the litmus test,” says Meadows. “If a company says (community investment) is a part of its corporate values and traditions, it doesn’t toss that overboard in bad times.”

The survey also reveals that em-ployees are becoming a key driver of that activity.

Companies are deliberately engaging their employees and sharing the responsibility through a variety of tools like donation committees and matching gift programs.

In the past, community invest-ment was mostly a management decision, says Meadows.

While the number one way companies give is through cash donations, this is followed by sponsorship and marketing contributions, in-kind services, goods or resources and employee volunteerism.

Civic and community organi-zations receive the most, followed by health care, higher education, and culture and the arts.

Today, employee volunteerism is the fourth most common com-munity investment activity.

“Companies supporting em-ployees who volunteer on their own time with certain organiza-tions might, for instance, make a donation in their name to the program of their choice. It’s an

example of how a company can invest in what I believe in as an individual,” says Meadows.

“It also helps opens the eyes of their employees to many of the needs in an organization that they were not aware of. This can extend a charity’s reach in ways they hadn’t imagined.”

The definition of corporate philanthropy is changing as we know it, and it’s important to ensure it covers a range of things

— not simply giving donations to charities and non-profits, says Susan Phillips, director of Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administra-tion.

 “Corporate knowledge and expertise are also extremely im-portant – in-kind contributions of talent would cost organizations a lot more if they had to buy these services,” says Phillips.

This summer, Carleton Uni-

versity is launching Canada’s first Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership degree and graduate diploma program. They received double the number of applications expected.

“Everyone told us this is the right time to do this,” says Phil-lips.

“I think corporate philan-thropy is changing enormously. I think we don’t yet fully under-stand the strategies, motives, and ways in which effectiveness can be enhanced. We can be even more creative if we really put some effort into understanding that broad spectrum of activity we loosely call corporate philan-thropy.”

Whenever Chantal Chenard needs a burst of confidence before

walking into a patient’s room for the first time, she draws upon her experiences attending summer camp with the Tim Horton Chil-dren’s Foundation.

Now a nurse in the general sur-gery unit at the Foothills Medical Centre, Chenard attended the 10-day summer programs for youth from financially disadvan-taged backgrounds between the ages of 12 to 17.

Part of the experience included six-night canoe trips where they strategically packed and carried their own gear from one lake to another – sometimes crossing three lakes in one day.

“It’s physically challenging and mentally exhausting, and not everyone can do it. Being with the same people in the middle of

nowhere for six days really pushed us to our limits,” says Chenard, now 22 and transferring those skills into her nurs-ing career.

“Organizing patient work-load, completing tasks on time, working towards a goal, conflict resolution — my experiences at work are mirrored by my camp experiences. Taking that moment to be afraid, think rationally step by step, and go with your gut – I’m able to do all that as a result of going to camp.”

More than 180,000 children have attended these camps since the Foundation was established in 1974.

Each Tim Hortons’ restaurant sponsors two children every year to attend the camps, which in-clude two separate programs for nine- to 12-year-olds and 13- to

18-year-olds.They also support a group-ori-

ented program targeting schools and service groups in low-income communities.

“What we have built is based on comprehensive research on what it means to be growing up in an economically disadvantaged home,” says Heather Bates, senior manager of program development for the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation.

“If we can support them in becoming responsible, caring and motivated, they will be more apt to see economic success, go on to post-secondary education and

be positive contributors in their community.

“We work on things like build-ing relationships, understanding the consequences of their actions, gaining hope and optimism, and understanding what persistence looks like.

“Many of our campers go on to live a different reality as adults than anyone in their family prior to them had realized.”

Today, Chenard is a graduate of the University of Calgary’s nurs-ing program, thanks to a $3,000 annual bursary which all gradu-ates of the Tim Horton leader-ship program receive toward

their post-secondary education. She is engaged to be married and excited about the future.

“I’ve always known my future goals — to start a family, be in-dependent and have a career,” she says. “I didn’t always know if this was achievable but I’m so grateful this is turning out so well for me. 

“Look at where I have gotten in such a short time.”

CaNadiaN FiLe

by barbara balfour

Camps change kids’ lives

When Canadian businesses are successful, they give back to the communities they serve by supporting local chari-ties, cultural associations, etc. — buycanadianfirst.ca

From 4 if a company says (community in-vestment) is a part of its corporate values and traditions, it doesn’t toss that overboard in bad times.

Tim Horton Children’s Foundation has sent more than 180,000 children to camp since it was established. — Courtesy, Tim

Horton Children’s Foundation