The Toronto Green Living show http://www.greenlivingonline.com/torontoshow/exhibitors.html
is something our family try to get to each year (4 years in total now) as a kind of barometer of where sustainability is at.
The first year I was tugging at Frank's sleeve, saying "see, I'm not crazy, look at this !".
It felt like I was the only person in Niagara back then could spell sustainability (let alone define it !) and had any interest in the environmentally responsible types of products, ideas and directions that I was looking for.
This year was no exception. A great barometer. Bigger, possibly a little more mainstream, but still something creative, suprising and optimistic. The surprise aspects this year ? Eco-sex industry appearance (natural lubricants, wooden personal items ! and more.......) green funerals, electric motorbikes (the big black macho ones, not the scooters) and more varieties of wind turbines than I have ever seen (one complete with leggy blonde model in a green dress - ugh !) !
We firstly took an old computer with us as our free pass (Samsung added it to the 135 000 kg of recycled electronics they have collected since April 1 this year)
http://pages.samsung.com/ca/green/en/index.html?prnt=ca_green
Then we ate, local, small scale Ontario fare - including NOTL based providor
http://www.pingueprosciutto.com/page/page/6590171.htm Niagara Food Specialities, the wonderful Jamie Kennedy, reSIPprocate coffee, Ontario Cheese Society and Beretta Organics.
What was really interesting was how the big guns have caught on. The Loblaws stand talking about sustainable seafood, Sears lining up all their "green" products, and an exceptional way to re-use waste heat http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Green+Program and so on.
is something our family try to get to each year (4 years in total now) as a kind of barometer of where sustainability is at.
The first year I was tugging at Frank's sleeve, saying "see, I'm not crazy, look at this !".
It felt like I was the only person in Niagara back then could spell sustainability (let alone define it !) and had any interest in the environmentally responsible types of products, ideas and directions that I was looking for.
This year was no exception. A great barometer. Bigger, possibly a little more mainstream, but still something creative, suprising and optimistic. The surprise aspects this year ? Eco-sex industry appearance (natural lubricants, wooden personal items ! and more.......) green funerals, electric motorbikes (the big black macho ones, not the scooters) and more varieties of wind turbines than I have ever seen (one complete with leggy blonde model in a green dress - ugh !) !
We firstly took an old computer with us as our free pass (Samsung added it to the 135 000 kg of recycled electronics they have collected since April 1 this year)
http://pages.samsung.com/ca/green/en/index.html?prnt=ca_green
Then we ate, local, small scale Ontario fare - including NOTL based providor
http://www.pingueprosciutto.com/page/page/6590171.htm Niagara Food Specialities, the wonderful Jamie Kennedy, reSIPprocate coffee, Ontario Cheese Society and Beretta Organics.
What was really interesting was how the big guns have caught on. The Loblaws stand talking about sustainable seafood, Sears lining up all their "green" products, and an exceptional way to re-use waste heat http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Green+Program and so on.
I urge anyone and everyone to take in this show, for inspiration and fun. The kids were stuffed with free samples, and they were so healthy, organic, local, small producers, etc - we said go for it ! The 3 days show is always held the weekend of Earth Day, so mark it in your calendars for next year.
Oh, nearly forgot the crucial part. Go on Saturday & stay over, so you can enjoy biovino samples and not have to drive home that evening.
