Over 150 million fresh cut flowers will be sold in Canada for Valentine’s Day. That’s 4.5 flowers for each person living in Canada! As you set out to buy flowers this year, consider where they are coming from and how they are grown.

The majority of fresh cut flowers you see in our stores have been shipped in and/or trucked in for thousands of kilometres. Then, on top of that they are full of pesticides and other nasty chemicals, which the flower workers breathe day in and day out. Sometimes the workers are surrounded by these nasty chemicals for endless hours since they often work long hard hours for very little money.

I am not going to suggest that you don’t buy flowers or even that you don’t buy flowers that have been shipped in. I don’t want my words to fall on deaf ears and in the end there is nothing wrong with beautiful fair flowers.

So what I am asking? Or better yet what should you be asking?

Ask your florist if they sell fair-trade flowers and where the flowers are coming from. Ask what types of pesticides are used. If they don’t know, let them know that you are interested or ask if they can find out for you. If they are in the know, make sure you buy toxic free fair flowers for your love. Let them know that you are interested in supporting florists who support fair-trade and local producers.

Supporting your local florist - who is educated on the issues and who does their best to support a fresh cut flower industry - is good for everyone.

You can find a fair-trade florist in your area in our directory under Gifts->Flowers.

The city of Toronto paid tribute to bicycle friendly business in Toronto with their 1st annual Bicycle Friendly Business Awards.  Each business received a ‘golden spoke’ award. Here are some of the winners…

Bicycle Skill Development Award

Charlie’s Freewheels trains at-risk youth in bicycle mechanics and safety by combining hands-on practice, cooperative work, discussion and mentoring. Young people learn a marketable skill while also honing their problem solving abilities and building self-esteem. This is a fabulous program that we should all support.

Best Bike Parking Award

MEC has ample parking for bikes. Forgot your lock? Get a loner lock from the store while you shop. The parking includes a covered area and is monitored. It’s no fun to come out of a shop and find your bike is gone so MEC is doing everything they can to keep your bike safe while you shop. If you work at MEC, you get an indoor bike parking room, which includes lockers and tools.

Bicycle-Friendliest Suburban Business Award

Smart Commute NTV provides workplace-based support such as carpool-matching and workplace incentives to work, cycle and take transit. They won for their incredible projects supporting the York University cycling community, co-hosting event with Sunnybrook Hospital and promoting cycling to children and the community.

Bicycle Commuter Award

The Ontario College of Art & Design has a bicycle friendly campus with plans to add another 200 bicycle parking spots. Along with their bicycle -friendly infrastructure, they also manage social programs such as Bike to School Day to encourage cycling in the community.

Check out all the winners at 2009 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards

Health Canada has now issued an advisory for Canadian consumers regarding cadmium in jewellery. They state, “Health Canada … has concerns that cadmium, which is a carcinogen, may be increasingly substituted for lead in inexpensive jewellery.

Although there are clear guidelines on lead levels in jewellery intended for children under 15 years of age, there are no regulatory requirements for cadmium levels in children’s jewellery.

Health Canada advises that to keep children safe, parents

• discard any jewellery they suspect may contain lead or cadmium.
• do not give any adult jewellery to young children.
• do not allow children to put jewellery in their mouths.
• should ask your doctor to test your child’s blood for lead or cadmium if you believe they may be at risk due to contact with said jewellery.
• contact emergency if a child injests something you suspect of containing lead or cadmium.

For further information or to see a list of specifically recalled items, visit Health Canada Advises Consumers of Lead and Cadmium Hazard in Children’s Jewellery.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2010/2010_07-eng.php

It seems that in the name of making a fast buck and keeping our little girls in cheap pretty jewelry, some manufacturers have replaced lead with cadmium. Lead is known to cause impaired intellect, memory loss, kidney and renal problems to name a few. Cadmium, on the other hand is known to cause kidney and renal problems,  respiratory and musculoskeletal system problems, and more.

Seems to me that the switch wasn’t motivated by the consumers’ best interest but rather to continue making money. Consumers are becoming much savvier though and a simple switch in toxins isn’t going to cut it anymore. We now have many organizations monitoring the marketplace and blowing the whistle when businesses make bad decisions in the name of profit.

It is true that some of the larger corporations have pulled the offending merchandise. However, maybe there is a better solution: not putting toxic products on the shelves in the first place. There are stores that strive to ensure that what they sell is fun and safe. I suggest we shop at local stores that take the time to know as much about their products as they can.

Dreampower makes costumes that can transform any little girl into a princess. Most are handmade in St. Jacob’s in Ontario. The costumes are made to be everyday dress up that can be handed down again and again. What they do not make themselves, they carefully source to ensure that what they do sell is safe and lasting.

Undine Jewellery is another Canadian success story, which sells fun, colourful jewellery for kids. Rima Macikuna ensures that the materials she works with are safe, sourcing her silver from Canada and Italy to ensure that it is not mixed with lead. She also uses glass beads for the majority of her work, as they are beautiful and safe to wear. When she does use metal, she works hard to ensure that they are safe.

In chatting with Sarah from Dreampower and Rima from Undine Jewellery, they both commented on how challenging it is to source safe materials, but with determination both of these Canadian companies are doing everything they can to bring our children safe products that are also incredibly gorgeous and lasting.

If you live in Canada and have old, broken, or unwanted costume jewelry that is cluttering up your life, ecocessories™ jewelry recycling service is the solution for you.

ecocessories™ makes it easy for people living in Canada to recycle their jewelry. Here’s how it works:

1. Visit the Recycle page.
2. Fill out the “Yes! I want to recycle my jewelry” form.
3. Wait for a postage-paid envelope to arrive.
4. Fill the envelope with your old, broken, or unwanted jewelry.
5. Throw the envelope in your nearest mailbox.

Once the jewelry arrives, it serves as an inspiration for new sterling silver & recycled bead designs. Jessica, founder and designer, disassembles the jewelry, cleans the beads and vintage components, sorts the beads by colour and then lets her creative juices take over.

Jessica personally does all the silversmithing that you see in her new designs, such as her signature clasps, hammered circles, soldered links and more. Her new designs are high quality, designer jewelry with an eco-friendly twist. If you recycle your jewelry - keep an eye on the ecocessories™ online store. Your recycled beads might be Jessica’s next inspiration.

In the meantime, if you are in the Toronto area, visit Jessica at the Green Living Show in April.