Lily in The Globe

According to a new article filled with fabulous pictures (like the one above), The Globe and Mail thinks we're neat. Yay!

Vancouver Update: Getting local with Marché St. George

A few weeks ago, Aiko wrote a great little post about some of the many benefits of buying "local," and in that vein, I thought I'd post some quickie snaps I took during a recent visit to the Marché St. George. Opened in a former corner store at the intersection of 28th and St. George here in East Van, the Marché strikes me as being a truly "neighbourhood" kind of place, with all sorts of delightful products and edibles largely--but not slavishly!--with a very 100 mile-ish bent.

Some locally made soaps I felt compelled to take home and test out (verdict: awesome!).

A cold case full of treats from near and far, including free-range eggs from Abbotsford.

The exceedingly friendly barista, Natasha.

Sourcing of the products aside, Marché St. George has such a great neighbourhood vibe that it's easy to see why they are becoming such a popular meeting place....Not to pick on chain stores/cafés, but the quirky, homey nature of Marché--run, as it is, by a young couple+extended family team--isn't exactly the kind of thing that generally comes out of corporate headquarters!

For more information, Andrew Morrison of Scout Magazine has written a review in this week's West Ender; be warned, however: his enthusiasm is catchy!

Lily Inspiration: The Benefits of Buying Local

Victoria, B.C. is a small city that I believe is Green at Heart. 46% of Victoria residents take the bus, walk or ride a bike for their daily commute, and we all live in neighbourhoods that are focused on creating sustainable communities. I think people in Victoria believe shopping locally is a positive choice they can make with tangible benefits for themselves and their city.

Whether it's groceries or accessories, buying from a local source vs. a national (or international) chain makes an impact on greenhouse gases and carbon emissions when examining the true cost of shipping. Also, where an item is manufactured can have a smaller environmental footprint depending on the energy resources consumed in the process. Here in B.C., 86% of our electricity comes from hydroelectric dams, with the remainder powered by natural gas, both of which produce far fewer detrimental emissions than coal burning power plants.

A major benefit to any community is economic sustainability. Local producers and retailers create local jobs and quite often choose to shop locally themselves, helping to support other businesses and investing in community projects that national chains might overlook.

However, I think the most tangible benefit for customers is choice. Local businesses are able to listen to and cater to their customers' requests and provide diversity in an otherwise homogeneous market. Here at Smoking Lily we keep a Request List handy for items we don't have at the moment, and are able to accommodate variations in our products that national chains can't offer. Also, because we care about the quality of our products, we offer a one-year repair policy on everything we make (and we're often able to repair our older products that have seen better days for a nominal cost!). All in all, shopping local is a wonderful way to support your community and environment and get something for yourself that you can't get from the big shops.