I received a call from my eye doctor’s office. Someone had broken into their office and had stolen some payment records. Now what I thought. I have a friend whose identity was stolen, her money stolen and her credit mangled. Although it all worked out in the end, she suffered from the experience. I had to protect myself.

First, call the credit card company and cancel the card. The card has been cancelled and a new one is on the way. If my card does not show up in the time, the company indicated I should be back on the phone again.

That out of the way, I decided to call the credit agencies and have them flag my credit report for any unusual activity. Each agency asked me if my eye doctor had my SIN number. I didn’t think so. Don’t use your SIN number as ID unless you really have to. They all took the information and stated that they will confirm that no activity has yet taken place and let me know.

My record will be flagged for six years. This means that if anyone tries to apply for credit, the institution will be told of the theft and they will call me at the number I have left with the credit agency for verification that it really is me applying for the credit. If I apply for credit, I should let the institution know of the flag and then allow them to do a more thorough identity check if they so request.

I will be requesting my credit history on a regular basis to monitor any activity.

Here are the agencies that you need to contact if you this happens to you. Plan to be on hold or use the automated system if available. Don’t call on your cell phone! Each of the agencies listed also has information on their website regarding how you can protect yourself from identity theft. It is worth reading and following that advice. You can’t control all situations, but you can educate yourself and reduce the likelihood that you will fall victim.

Equifax

Transunion

Experian

Just finished reading a book called: Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World. As I have been reading it, I have chosen bits here and there to read aloud to my children. My twelve year old daughter finally looked at me and said, “But how does this relate to us as consumers, mom?” Good question, kid. She was challenging me to relate what I was reading to her to my work.

The book is an easy read and was written by two bright young men from Ontario and delves into what happiness really means, and how changing our life philosophy from the me perspective to the we perspective we will be happier human beings and make the world a better place: a win-win situation. How does this relate to being a consumer?

The book starts out with Craig’s story. At the age of 12, he learned about another 12 year old boy, a former child labourer and activist who was murdered for travelling the world and telling his story. Craig took it upon himself to learn more about child labour and we are not talking about your local family business that involves the kids. We are talking about children who are literally chained to their work and face dangerous labour conditions, brutal beatings instead of hugs, malnutrition instead of a balanced diet, and no opportunity for an education and future.

His discoveries led him to start Free the Children, which at 23 years old, he still runs today. The children he is intent on freeing make carpets, shoes, and other products that you and I use everyday. As a citizen and ethical consumer, I can choose to buy carpets, shoes, t-shirts and other products that do not use child labour. I am only one consumer, what can I do? That line is nothing but an excuse. We don’t need everything that we buy and if we become more selective we may have less in quantity but we will have the quality life we want for everyone on the planet.

At another point in the book, they quote Mother Teresa in her observation that in visiting North America she had never seen such material wealth or “such a poverty of the spirit, of loneliness, and being unwanted.” She is right. When I first moved to Peru, I would wander around on a Friday night amazed. Doors were open, lights were on, music played, people danced, neighbours visited and shared their food. This was in sharp contrast to the poverty and fear that I saw at other times. A vast majority of people had very little and everyone I met had been touched by terrorism in one way or another: everyone has a story. There was such strong community.

Then, I started to make friends and before I knew it people came for showers, to cook a meal or just to spend time. My home was ‘grand central station’ and I was happy to share. People truly work together to survive and thrive: whoever has water and electricity, that is where we will gather today. I had travelled to Peru with little more than could fit in my suitcase and never acquired much while I was there. No one else had much either and I learned that I didn’t need material possessions. (OK I bought furniture, but never had a microwave.) I hardly ever shopped and when I did, it wasn’t at expensive malls and exclusive shops. I learned to shop in the market and bought straight from the women who made the goods. They were my brand and I wore them with pride.

When I was packing to return to Canada, I decided to put out some items of mine to make room for my new daughter’s items. Baby clothing and her few toys were more important than my clothing. I put a box of items just outside the door of my building and then walked back up the stairs. By the time I reached my living room and looked out the window, a man had set up shop across the street and was successfully selling off the items I had just discarded. Rethink, reduce, reuse, recycle.

I am back in Canada now and I find myself, after 10 years, growing out of the small home we have made as it fills up with our ‘needs.’ I wonder what would happen if once again I was off on an adventure that had me reduce my belongings to a suitcase or two. In that spirit I will rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle rather than find a larger home or buy more things I “need”.

Read and enjoy the book.

After reading an article about a recent U.S. study on the toxic chemicals in scented laundry detergent and room fresheners I was left wanting for more…information that is. I don’t live in one of those beautiful, large, ever clean houses in the commercials that advertise the many cleaning products we see in the stores. I don’t aspire to that level of clean.

If you read the same story and would like to read more complete coverage, then I suggest reading Toxic chemicals found in common scented laundry products, air fresheners published by University of Washington (U of W) news. Or if you would like every little detail and don’t mind slogging through the study, then read the original: Fragranced consumer products and undisclosed ingredients.

Either way the bottom line is that many of the products on the shelves contain toxic chemicals that should not enter our bodies or even be in our homes. As stated in the U of W news story,

“I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found,” Steinemann said. Chemicals included acetone, the active ingredient in paint thinner and nail-polish remover; limonene, a molecule with a citrus scent; as well as acetaldehyde, chloromethane and 1,4-dioxane.

“Nearly 100 volatile organic compounds were emitted from these six products, and none were listed on any product label. Plus, five of the six products emitted one or more carcinogenic ‘hazardous air pollutants,’ which are considered by the Environmental Protection Agency to have no safe exposure level,” Steinemann said.

Now this was an American study, but I would imagine that the same could be said of the products on our shelves as well. Do you need toxic chemicals to clean your clothes, your house, and keep it all smelling fresh?

At my house we buy some and we make some. For example, to clean the mirrors and windows good old newspaper and vinegar will do. Vinegar is also good for eliminating odors left by pets. Laundry soap I can find in my local farmer’s market or at other local businesses, as I don’t make my own. If you are not one to make cleaning products, safe cleaning supplies of all sorts exist and you can find some fabulous Canadian companies and products at http://www.ethicalconsumer.ca/Category/home_and_garden/cleaningsupplies/. If you are still using eye burning, nose hair eliminating, cough inducing products, I suggest you take a look.

The original article that I read can be found at Room fresheners, scented laundry products emit chemicals: study

With the recent article about the amazing recovery of over 2000 bikes, I started to wonder what more I could do to secure my bike. I have never had my bike stolen (knock on wood) but my daughter had her neon pink Barbie bike stolen when she was six. The one she spent hours raising money to buy by having a yard sale of her old toys. All she had left was the broken lock. She was devastated, heart broken.

Beyond the obvious, don’t lock it up in dark corners on short posts, what can I do? I found some good suggestions and thought I would share a few.

When budgeting for a bike, budget for security. Buy a bike that is less expensive and put the extra money into better quality locks. This won’t guarantee the bike won’t be stolen but you will be decreasing the likelihood.

Use more than one bike lock. At least one should be a u-lock and even better if you use more than one u-lock, see photo below from www.pinkbike.com. However, if you have at least two different types of locks, you will force the thief to use more than one type of tool and that makes it more time-consuming to steal.

If you are using a cable lock, don’t let it touch the ground as it can be hammered open easily. Don’t make it easy to pick the lock; keep the lock inside and facing away from the most accessible angle. Although this makes it harder on you to open the lock, thieves want easy targets and this creates work for them.

Record the make, model and serial number of your bike and keep it in a safe place along with the sales receipt or proof of purchase. Adding a photograph to the file would help as well. Engrave an identifying number or in some way mark all the parts of your bike, including handlebars, seats, wheels, and frame.

Register your bike. It may sound like a futile endeavour but if you do lose your bike it will make it easier to return to you if it is recovered.

Here are some links with many more ideas on keeping your bike secure…

http://www.bikingtoronto.com/bikethestrike/

http://www.fredericton.ca/en/publicsafety/biketheft.asp

http://www.cyclingsolutions.ca/cyclingskills/bike_security.htm

Some time ago, I was wandering through a market looking for a particular stall where I was to meet a friend. I asked the gentleman at the maple syrup stand for directions. He told me what I needed to know, and added that the price of maple syrup was about to double. I thanked him for the information and went on my way forgetting about his price prediction for maple syrup in an instant.

Then I went to buy some syrup the other day. The price has almost doubled! I really love maple syrup, partly because it tastes so delicious. Partly though I love it because as a child, growing up on a farm, I have tapped trees with my family and made maple syrup with my own hands. I was warned and I didn’t listen.

Sugar has been known to be one of the most labour intensive, backbreaking, unjust products that we use on a daily basis. At our house we do not use granulated sugar but with the price of maple syrup now, I decided to take stock of the sweeteners that we use in terms of distance they travel, energy to produce, fairness of labour practices and nutritional value.

Here is what we use at our home and how far each product travels

• Maple syrup from Quebec, which travels approx 5000km to my table
• Natural whole cane sugar from Columbia, which travels approximately 6500km to my table
• Honey, which never travels more than 100 miles to my table

We have no white sugar in our house, even though it is grown and processed here in Canada. Beet sugar is made in Alberta by Rogers Sugar but they also import, process and market cane sugar and I have not found a package of sugar labeled as beet sugar from Alberta so I wouldn’t know which bag to buy. I’d like to learn more about it though and will endeavour to do so.

Both maple syrup and white sugar take a great deal of energy to process. However, sugar cane has a by-product called bagasse – the extracted fibre from the sugar cane - that can be used to make electricity. Converting bagasse to electricity, which can then be used to power the refining process, can make the process less energy consuming and environmentally friendly. However, sugar cane is processed twice, once where it is produced and again in the country it is sold, so using bagasse as energy can only happen in the country in which the cane is harvested.

As for natural whole cane sugar, it requires less processing and is closer to its natural state so uses less energy. Maple syrup is only processed once and usually relatively close to where the trees are tapped. The work to produce honey on the other hand is mostly done by the bees, although honey is also processed through heat and filtering.

When buying maple syrup, honey and beet sugar (if I could figure that one out) we can buy Canadian brands that give us a certain level of confidence that the people behind the product have food on their tables, health insurance, education for their children and so on. Buying sugar from sugar cane, however, means we need to take great care in where it is coming from and the values of the company that imports it.

I buy sugar imported by Level Ground Trading, which works with the producers on the basis of direct fair trade. This means that they pay a price for their product that reflects the needs of each individual community that they work with rather than the international fair trade value placed on a product. In other words, they often pay more than the going fair trade value of a product.

As for nutritional value, none of the sweeteners I buy have copious amounts of any particular nutrient or mineral but honey and maple syrup are better for you than granulated sugar. According to the Canadian Nutrient File, maple syrup has the highest percentage of nutrients, serving size 100 grams, with 6-7% of our daily requirements for calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium and 13% of our daily requirement for riboflavin. However, honey also contains amino acids. Amino acids build cells, repair tissue, combat bacteria and viruses to name a few of their benefits.

So, what to buy? At my house, we will still buy all three. However, the price and availability of maple syrup will definitely have me rethinking my love affair with maple syrup. Pass the honey…

Ah yes, beautiful on the inside. What all women have gloriously aspired to be since we were little girls. In the meanwhile, we’re generally more concerned with how we look on the outside. During a conversation yesterday, the topic of the beauty industry’s perpetual marketing of supposed imperfection arose. Yes, my coffee companion and I agreed, we are always told there is something we need to change about ourselves in order to look our best…or someone else’s version of it. Being a good person will only get you so far in today’s world, after all. Being hot will get your farther. The human race’s innate proclivity toward aesthetic appeal and a web of historical and social contexts reinforce the embedded, corporatized beauty standards of the Western world, and elsewhere too. Ok, ok, I know you’ve read about this topic before, it’s almost a cliché the whole “How women are portrayed in the media is so unfair and unrealistic, it gives us poor role models and crushes self-esteem, blah blah blah…” We all know this already; it’s important, and we know it, but nothing has really changed. How the beauty industry embraces this collective insecurity, and in some cases obsession, to sell us products is the creepy sub-plot winding underneath it all. I didn’t forget about the guys either, they’re just another demographic/psychographic category.

Teeth need to be white - but not too white, that Hollywood white is just too obvious. Pale women should tan in order to achieve bronzed, beach-goddess status. Afro-Canadian hair ought to be straightened. “Natural” is in, but not too natural; hair is only acceptable in certain places, after all. Any follicular perpetrators must be shaved, tweezed, waxed or lasered, and if you’re brave and aren’t worried about the chemicals, maybe even some mysteriously strong smelling depilatory cream might do the trick. Aren’t happy with what nature gave you? There are numerous ways to make up for that - coloured contacts, hair dye, eyelash and hair extensions, hell, there are even man-made substances you can inject into different parts of your body to reclaim what you had in your youth or what has always nagged at you about your looks. Don’t mind the Health Canada warnings, the company insists these procedures are safe. A corporation wouldn’t lie about something that affects your health and safety to protect their profits, would they? You can always “go under the knife,” there are reality shows on TV that make this a seemingly acceptable option. Oh yeah, and perhaps most importantly - beauty only comes in sizes 0-8, and generally ages 14-30. Well, at least in the pages of major women’s magazines. Women in beauty product advertisements are permanently wrinkle-free and unquestionably living a moneyed, spa-fresh lifestyle. Shouldn’t we all be this happy?

We all like to look our best, there’s no question about it, but there’s something unsettling about a never-ending quest for total perfection. The beauty industry plays this card because it’s lucrative - if we’re not good enough as we are, we will keep buying in hopes of someday achieving some ultimate version of ourselves, a version that everyone will love and admire. It goes deeper than beauty, you see, beauty is only skin deep. How we are perceived transcends what we are on the outside; we have practically been trained to assume physical beauty must be equated with goodness, but this is an ugly assumption. When it comes to most of these products, do we even really need them? Do the claims on the bottle somehow strike some deep chord within us to “turn back the clock,” are we seeking murmurs from our friends wondering “Maybe she’s born with it…”? Do we choose to buy into it? 

It is our responsibility to decide how much we are willing to accept and I think it’s up to us, the people being marketed to, the people working in the industry, everyone, to figure out if this is the kind of society we want to live in, one that turns life into a twisted beauty pageant where no one can ever really win. Beauty is at its most beautiful when it’s not forced, and I don’t think in can be sold over the counter. 

I just finished reading an article in the CBC entitled, ‘89% of kids’ food products low on nutritional value: study‘. This story hit home. First off, I have kids. They eat the same food I eat; we don’t buy ‘kids’ food’ as opposed to people food. It’s not that I have never purchased ‘kids’ food’ but I tell them it falls into the junk food category and that it is a special treat.

The story reminded me of the changes that the B.C. Ministry of Education recently brought in. In an attempt to cut down on the amount of junk food that kids are eating they now have guidelines (PDF) for what can and cannot be sold at school fundraising events such as lunches and bake sales. I have no problem with my kids eating healthy food at school. However, at my daughter’s school, the principal decided that parents should no longer bring in home baked goods but instead the parents should purchase healthy prepackaged food.

On the annual Sports Day, I picked up some bars and other ‘kids’ food’ from the parent run concession and took them home to look at the nutritional value they offered. I compared them to the nutritional value of the cookies I often bake when called upon to support fundraising efforts. It turns out the cookies I bake are healthier than the prepackaged ‘kids’ food’ you can get at the supermarket. Surprised?

As the year came to an end, I wrote my thoughts about home-baked goods vs. the individually wrapped prepackaged goods that were sold at the Sports Day and passed them on to the principal. I stated that I thought we should support parents in bringing healthy home baked goods to school events rather than supporting large corporations that sell single-sized individually wrapped packaged foods. Here is a quote from that letter, “Life is busy. When parents are willing to take the time to bake, cook or otherwise prepare food from scratch rather than picking up packaged foods that lack nutritional value and contribute to our garbage issues, I believe that we as a society should be thankful and supportive.”

It may seem to some people reading today’s article that once again scientists have proven the obvious. However, from my perspective it seems we need the reminder. I hope that over the summer the principal will consider my position. Just in case, I’ll keep the link to this article handy.

I have an affinity for social business so when I came across the following social business, I had to share.

Christine Kavanagh, a social worker, who focuses on job skill development, in Toronto, Ontario and who has a passion for the environment; questioned how she could avoid throwing out her plastics, and then, how she could extend that goal to the plastics that others were discarding. What emerged was a creative social business that merged environmental stewardship, job training for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and part of the solution to Toronto’s bedbug dilemma within a stylish product the most particular designers would be proud to integrate into their design. Greenbean Studio home of the Eco Pillow was born.

Integrating her work as a social worker for marginalized members of our society, Christine uses Greenbean Studio to offer a job-training program for individuals with intellectual disabilities. People start out in the job-training program and come and go as they please at this stage. During the job training, someone from Eco Pillows picks the trainees up and drops them off as well as supplies food and drink. Although trainees do earn a small amount of money, the real payoff is the service provided by Greenbean Studio and the sense of belonging and contribution. People work at their own pace and on their own terms, depending on their needs. If someone really enjoys the work, once the training program is complete, they can be hired on at a level that suits their abilities.

How does saving plastics from landfills relate to pillows? The plastic is used to fill the pillow, of course! First off the plastic must be clean, no baby carrot bags or any food residue. Secondly, only soft plastics will do, hard plastics just wouldn’t work in a pillow. The plastic is not processed in anyway, but there is a certain technique to preparing the plastic and stuffing the pillows, hence the job training mentioned above. So the stuffing of the pillows is 100% community plastic.

This leads to their popularity with hotels, as bedbugs cannot nest in them. In fact, as Christine says, “nothing can live on plastic.” Because bedbugs cannot burrow down into the plastic, they cannot lay their eggs and the bedbug cycle stops with these pillows. In the past, hotels have had to discard contaminated pillows. However, with Eco Pillows that isn’t necessary and that leads to less waste and saves money.

Eco Pillows are not only functional but they are also beautiful, stylish and fun. Take a look at the photos of some of the pillows. I think you will agree.

Sorry I’ve been scarce, I’ve been looking forward to updating my blog throughout June but due to this wonderful invention called University I’ve been on the go non-stop! My busy feet took me all the way to the Trout Lake Farmer’s Market here in Vancouver, a lovely weekly affair that hosts a rotating assortment of local farmers, artisans and other interesting vendors with whom you can chat one-on-one about the goods they are selling. Try doing that at the Clinique counter! I met a wonderful gentleman a few weeks back who is the creator of Cascadia Soaps, but don’t let the name fool you - he also has a phenomenal skincare line made with all-natural ingredients. As I stood there lingering in the scent of his incredible lavender essential oil, one of my must-haves, a woman bought up his entire skincare system claiming she was “convinced.” It didn’t take much; the products seem to speak for themselves. And…shhhhh! Perhaps the biggest industry secret of all time - we don’t actually need toner! And this from the man selling beauty products!

The Royal Jelly Eye Cream can be used anywhere wrinkles are creeping in and for us gals in our 20s it can’t hurt to do the once-over. Scope out the site at www.cascadiasoaps.com, you can buy online and also find the market schedule there too. For more info about a market in your end of town, visit www.eatlocal.org. You won’t regret it!

Just yesterday, Kathyrn Stolle, who is in charge of Media Relations & Special Projects at Leading Spas of Canada, commented on my recent post entitled, Wellness spas, new packaging or a transformation?. Although Kathyrn stated her name, her affiliation to Leading Spas in Canada is not clear to readers. Because Kathryn is more than just a consumer of spa services and her comments promote the industry association that she represents, I wanted to make the affiliation clear. Following you will find her comments in bold and my response to them.

My impression is that the writer has only limited knowledge of the Canadian Spa Industry and this is demonstrated most clearly by her (mis)understanding of Canadian spas that according to her “disguise our aging process, alter who we are through medical procedures and chemical processes”.

Here is a link from Health Canada regarding the use of Botox.
Health Canada reviewing issue of distant toxin spread potentially associated with Botox and Botox Cosmetic

Botox is a medical procedure that has found a cosmetic application, one that is now suspect. I believe that medical clinics that use this procedure should not market themselves as spas and use terms such as wellness in their marketing messages, but it happens. I believe the word spa should be reserved for places where professionals care for our bodies and our spirits in a manner that is noninvasive and natural. However, there is no legal definition of spa or wellness (that I know of), and hence both are used in a variety of contexts.

The reality is that the consumer is dictating a shift from places of pampering to places where people can seek balance and health (Wellness) in a safe and natural environment. And spas are responding in the ways that they provide services and treatments.

Charles B. Corbin of Arizona State University gives this definition of wellness: “Wellness is a multidimensional state of being describing the existence of positive health in an individual as exemplified by quality of life and a sense of well-being” and, according to DePaul University, it encompasses six dimensions:
* Social
* Occupational
* Spiritual
* Physical
* Intellectual
* Emotional

I think this is valuable information and food for thought. As a consumer my next step might be to translate this information into a tool that I can use to evaluate a spa to help me decide which spa is right for me. Some people will put more emphasis on spiritual and emotional wellness, while others may be more interested in the social and physical aspects of the spa service. If anyone is interested in more information, here is a link to dePaul’s definition of wellness that Kathyrn refers to.

This conscious shift on the part of the consumer towards spas offering spiritual, mental, and physical health and well-being has found a real and tangible resonance in spas across Canada. It led to the definition of the Canadian Spa Experience as embodied in the Vision Statement of Leading Spas of Canada - Canada’s national spa association: “To be recognized as providing the purest, most natural spa experience in the world, reflecting our clean, unspoiled Canadian geography”.

According to the website, the association’s vision is
“A National Member Organization working together to support and lead Canada’s spa and wellness Industry and to promote Canada as a premier spa and wellness destination.”

Or if you look here, it is slightly different again. I am not sure why.

Leading Spas of Canada has taken the Wellness concept one step further and is presently developing Quality Assurance programs for spas and schools that will give the consumer the confidence that member spas meet the highest standards of safety, hygiene and service available. The program will be rolled out in 2009 at 30 member spas and implemented across the board to all member spas in 2010.

Excellent news! Will the spas phase out the use of products that contain parabens, pthalates and other toxic chemicals? It would be fabulous to see a member organization such as Leading Spas of Canada encouraging their members to use the precautionary principle when selecting products. Could this be part of its Quality Assurance programs? Will the organization educate product manufacturers regarding harmful ingredients and what the safer alternatives are? To go even further, it would be great to see spas select locally manufactured products wherever possible, partnering with local business that hold the same values as the spas themselves.

Is Leading Spas of Canada accepting input from consumers and if so how can we participate? As Kathy stated above, there is “a conscious shift on the part of the consumer.” I believe that part of this will be consumers’ demand for industry to listen to and respond to their concerns with an ongoing dialogue. This is the type of media relations that I welcome at Ethical Consumer.

If anyone would like to contact the association regarding these issues, they can do so using one of the methods outlined on the contact page.

Leading Spas of Canada is committed to environmental sustainability and provides a forum for its member spas to share best practices and encourages spas to examine their operations for ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprints, while endeavouring to keep its own carbon footprint to a minimum by conducting as much of its business as possible electronically (including industry and consumer newsletters).

I would like to invite the writer to visit Leading Spas of Canada’s member spas. The wellness experience she is seeking can be had at most of them across the country.

Yours in Wellness.

I appreciated the invitation and I did just that. I have been a client of more than one member spa and like some more than others. There is one that I have recommended to others for its access to an ozonated pool and the large social room where clients gather between treatments.

I went even further though, and looked at the Leading Spas of Canada as Canada’s National Spa Association. I believe, as the mandate states that Leading Spas of Canada is about …

• Building a National Organization that supports its members from all regions of Canada and spa industry sectors through membership services.
• Setting mandatory member guidelines for education, standards and practices.
• Supporting professional development by providing educational opportunities for its members.
• Increasing the awareness of the enjoyment and benefits of the Canadian Spa and Wellness Experience, in Canada and worldwide through its marketing programs.
• Advocating for the Spa Industry within public and private sectors.

Nowhere in their vision or mandate do they speak of their desire to advocate for consumers, educate consumers, support consumers or protect consumers. In fact, on the ‘about’ page consumers are not mentioned at all. Besides supporting member spas in their efforts to increase market share and sales, how am I, the consumer, part of the equation for Leading Spas of Canada? Don’t get me wrong, I noticed the reference to the consumer newsletter and the invitation to the members’ directory in Kathyrn’s comments. I just don’t see where they have integrated consumers into their mandate other than to market to us.

I believe that spas that join this Leading Spas of Canada are truly passionate and committed to their values and that they have come together as professionals so that they can learn from each other and improve their industry. I see no reason to believe otherwise and my intention is not to diminish their contribution to the spa industry in Canada. Every industry should have a group of committed professionals willing to constantly improve and develop the industry and that is the place of an industry association.

However, I believe that we all have valuable contributions to make, not just those who work in the industry. When Kathyrn starts her comments by stating that as a conscious consumer, I have “only limited knowledge of the Canadian Spa industry” then goes on to say that I demonstrate my “(mis)understanding of Canadian spas” I would ask her to, in the future, engage me in a manner that does not disparage my remarks or attempt to diminish my contribution. As a spa client who cares greatly about the entire spa experience, and a consumer who takes the time to educate myself, I think I have sufficient knowledge of the Canadian spa industry to state my opinion.

I would like to thank Kathyrn for reading and reacting to my piece about spas. I am pleased that I have garnered a reaction and I welcome the dialogue, although I would prefer that she go about it differently in the future.