Category: Contributed

Caitlin’s Story: A Sea Smart Journey

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Originally posted on the Sea Smart blog on November 25, 2022

Here at Sea Smart, we focus on having a positive real-world impact on children and youth. Our goal is to inspire them to be curious, empathetic, and inspired about the magical world of ocean science and marine biology. As Communications Coordinator, I love hearing and spotlighting the children, families, teachers, and community members we’ve impacted.

When I asked our Founder and CEO, Dr. Elaine Leung, if any specific people came to mind that we had significantly impacted over the years, she immediately suggested our very own Environmental Educator, Caitlin Stanley. In November 2022, I sat down with Caitlin over Zoom to get to know her better. Her story truly encapsulates what we’re trying to achieve. 

Igniting a Spark

Caitlin’s journey with Sea Smart began in the classroom. A curious student, she had chosen to take Grade 9 Ecology as one of her electives. Caitlin’s teacher organized a workshop series with Sea Smart, inviting Elaine into the classroom to lead discussions and activities about plastic pollution and other ocean threats.

Caitlin Stanley, one of our Environmental Educators, enjoys a day at the beach.

Throughout a few sessions, Elaine led Caitlin’s class through hands-on activities, introducing conservation and marine biology. In groups, they created a community action project to build awareness and reduce human impacts on species at risk. Caitlin’s group decided to do what they could to minimize single-use plastics in the school cafeteria.

“We encourage our student groups to generate ideas they can carry out themselves. I remind them not to make assumptions, but to ask questions and then think of their solutions,” Elaine said. “It’s important to teach children and youth that everyone can positively impact the world, no matter how young they are.”

The grade 9 students headed down to speak to the cafeteria staff. Using the investigative skills they had learned in the workshops, they used curiosity to ask the staff about their procedures. Then, they suggested alternative solutions. 

For example, Caitlin noticed that the muffins were wrapped in plastic. When questioned, the staff explained that this was for sanitary reasons; they couldn’t handle cash and distribute the baked goods without donning plastic gloves for each student. Caitlin’s group suggested storing muffins in a covered tray and distributing them with tongs, avoiding the need for either saran wrap or gloves.

“At first, we didn’t even know if it was possible,” Caitlin told me. “We were only in grade 9! But it was empowering to realize that we could change something for our entire school.”

Getting Involved

When Caitlin was fourteen, she became one of Sea Smart’s first volunteers. She initially joined the after-school team, leading students ages 6-10 through ocean-themed extracurricular activities. Later, Caitlin volunteered with Sea Smart’s summer camps, heading to the beach to help the Environmental Educators set up and run programs. She remained a volunteer for the rest of high school.

“It felt amazing to be on the beach. I could see the change we were having, getting the children interested in the ocean,” Caitlin told me. “I wish there were programs like this when I was a little kid!”

She also learned to be a role model from the Educators and staff members around her. Determined to lead by example, she began taking her bicycle to the beach and bringing a plastic-free lunch. Caitlin even involved her family, creating a promotional video for Sea Smart with her brother’s production company and inspiring her mother and grandmother to become regular donors.

Joining the Team

After her first year of university, in 2021, Caitlin officially joined the Sea Smart team as an Environmental Educator. Now, she takes the lead on creating and delivering programs at Sea Smart’s beachside summer camps. 

“I love working with kids. Even when we’re teaching them about dangers to the ocean and marine animals, they’re so hopeful and optimistic,” Caitlin says. “My favourite part is brainstorming answers to ocean problems with them.”

What’s next?

Next year, she’ll return to her studies, where she’ll take classes on environmental science, water testing, conservation, and more. 

And after that? She’s not quite sure. “I’m not sure what my next step will be after graduation, but I know it’ll be something to do with sustainability. It’s been my passion ever since that action project in grade 9 ecology class. I can’t wait to discover how to have the biggest positive impact on the environment!”

Millennial Dreams for Our Hometown

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Originally published in the seventh and final edition of #AloneTogether: A Cambridge Quaranzine. This special edition was created to be part of the Welcome Cambridge virtual event, and to celebrate the stories of our thriving and diverse community.

I’m a relative newcomer to Cambridge; to be honest, I only moved here from Guelph in 2019 because my partner, Blake, already had a place here. So while I have come to appreciate the natural beauty, people, and local businesses here, I decided that it made sense to include Blake in this article for the Welcome Cambridge edition of the Quaranzine.

Blake loves mornings. A natural early riser, he enjoys eating a quiet breakfast before heading outside for his “morning commute”. These days, his usual route takes him across the pedestrian bridge, through Queen’s Square and back across the river for a wander downtown Galt before heading back to start work in his home office.

“It’s a nice start to my day,” Blake tells me. “It’s good to get some exercise and see the neighbourhood.”

Blake first moved to Cambridge in 2015 when he got a job with Gore Mutual Insurance. He quickly fell in love with the architecture and history of the Galt area. On his lunch breaks, he would often take a walk outside or meet his colleague for coffee downtown. He joined the local chapter of Toastmasters to practice his public speaking, which used to meet every week at Monigram. Eventually, Blake decided that he no longer wanted to commute from Waterloo, and bought a condominium in the Galt area.

“I was inspired by the potential in the three city cores of Cambridge,” he says. “I like this area and wanted to invest in its future. I’m glad I found a place within walking distance of downtown Galt.”

Together, we enjoy driving around old neighbourhoods to look at heritage houses, or walking along the trail behind Preston Memorial Auditorium. Before COVID-19, we often went to the Queen’s Square Idea Exchange or Old Post Office to read, study, and work. I particularly enjoyed eating at local restaurants.

What do we hope for the future of our adopted home city? Our dream is to see even more independent stores and businesses thriving in each of the three downtown cores; for increased walkability and bike lanes; and for more inter-city transit (we’re looking forward to the ION light-rail system extending to Cambridge!). I hope for greater diversity and cultural celebration. And, of course, we can’t wait for the day when we’re allowed to meet with friends and neighbours again. Until then – we wish all newcomers a warm welcome to Cambridge. We hope it becomes your home too!

The Drive-In: A Perfect COVID-19 Activity

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Originally published in Volume 6 of the Idea Exchange Quaranzine at: https://www.flipsnack.com/IdeaExchange/alonetogether-issue-6-retrodiscoveries/full-view.html

When our lovely Idea Exchange Volunteer Coordinator, Shannon, reached out to me to write an article about my first experience at a drive-in theatre, I jumped at the chance. I grew up in Vancouver, where the closest drive-in was in a suburb an hour away. I don’t think I even knew what a drive-in was until I came to Ontario! After a quick Google search, I decided to take myself out for a Thursday night date at the Mustang Drive-in to see the 80’s classic films Dirty Dancing (which I had only recently seen for the first time on Netflix) and Footloose (which I knew nothing about).

I wasn’t quite sure when people tend to arrive at a drive-in, or what the quality of the food at the concession stand would be, so I drove to Guelph early to grab a quick dinner. I stopped by Royal City Park to eat my sandwich and say a socially-distanced hello to a few friends from the Flying Dance Community; I used to be a regular at their Friday night social dances, back when those existed. The familiar Latin music piping from their speakers as they set up for a lesson in the gazebo put me in the perfect mood to head to the drive-in for some Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey!

I arrived at the Mustang five minutes after “doors” opened to find about 30 pick-up trucks and SUV’s already parked on the simple gravel lot. Most people had backed into their appropriately distanced spots and were setting up with blankets in their open trunks. I found a place with a good view of the large screen and ventured out of the car to check out the single building at the back of the lot. The cash-only concession stand had a small selection of candies and cold drinks, with just a few pre-wrapped burgers under some heat lamps, the sight of which made me glad that I had eaten before attending. The washrooms were well-maintained and clean (for some reason I had been expecting Port-a-Potties), but I wished I had brought a flashlight as I navigated puddles on my way back to my spot.

I leaned my seat back and settled in for several hours alone in my car. I found myself wishing for a hot drink and a blanket as I waited for the movies to begin, especially as the evening grew colder and rain began to pour down in sheets – it almost completely obscured my view of the first fifteen minutes of Dirty Dancing. Thankfully, the rain did not return for the rest of the evening as I enjoyed the feature films. I was originally hesitant about the sound quality in my very old little Toyota Matrix, but the audio came through loud and clear through the radio.

In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience at a drive-in, despite being alone and cold. I look forward to returning with friends and blankets some day!

Waterloo Region’s Evolving Workplace Sector | Part 2: Looking Towards The Future

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Written by Valerie Chong and Miranda Burton. Originally posted on the ClimateActionWR blog on August 4, 2020.

80% Reduction by 2050

In 2018, a region-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was set and endorsed across the Waterloo Region. This long-term plan supports the transition towards a low-carbon, sustainable future, reducing emissions 80% below 2010 levels by 2050 (otherwise referred to as 80 by 50). In 2019, ClimateActionWR was granted funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM). The grant is part of Transition 2050, an initiative offered through FCM’s Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP). Through this program, ClimateActionWR is working with all 8 Waterloo region municipalities to develop a long-term strategy  to contribute to a low carbon transition by 2050 in alignment with the region-wide target, and the target date as set out by the Paris Agreementand  the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. 

Part two of the Community Climate Action Blog Series highlights how Waterloo Region will achieve the 80 by 50 goal. Let’s see what the future looks like for the Workplace Sector.  

A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ALL 

A sustainable workplace is more than just building. It’s a space where employees can thrive in a healthier, lower impact and more productive environment. The article ‘The Built Environment, Climate Change, and Health’ cited that: “Buildings contribute to climate change, influence transportation, and affect health through the materials utilized, decisions about sites, electricity and water usage, and landscape surroundings.” 

Sustainable workplaces also go beyond just an office building; it can mean creating opportunities to add new jobs in the green technology and energy sectors, securing more stable energy sources for local industry, and attracting more firms from the fast-growing low-carbon economy. ClimateActionWR previously highlighted the potential for a Zero-Impact Sustainability Incubator, which Waterloo Region is starting to form. 

Working towards an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is an ambitious goal but worth pursuing for a greater tomorrow. As highlighted in Waterloo Region’s Evolving Workplace Sector Part 1: The Story So Far, evolv1 is helping create a template for future workplaces in our region and beyond. Although the environmental benefits will help us reach the 80 by 50 goal, the social and economic benefits of evolv1 will make that journey more prosperous. 

“A building isn’t truly sustainable unless it’s also a healthy, enjoyable place to visit and work.”

Stantec

evolv1 is creating a workplace that is healthy for its tenants, the economy and our planet. The building fosters a better quality of life to the tenants that move within, whether it’s the access to outdoor spaces, abundance of natural light, a living wall, space to interact with others, or access to public transportation. These benefits will provide sustainable space that other workplaces should aspire to emulate for Waterloo Region’s workplace sector as we work towards our 80 by 50 emissions reduction goal.

WORKPLACES OF THE FUTURE

The future of workplaces is here in Waterloo Region, with evolv1 fully operational and plans underway for evolv2. The trend towards greener workplaces is swiftly gaining momentum contributing to approximately $48 billion towards Canada’s GDP in 2018.  Additionally, 460,000 Canadians are working in these green buildings according to the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC). The business case for these workplaces is increasingly clear and the costs of not investing are both environmental and financial. 

“There is no time to waste or reason to wait. Zero carbon buildings represent the best opportunity for cost-effective emissions reductions today.”

– Thomas Mueller, CEO and President, CaGBC 

In light of the current pandemic and the need for a green recovery, green buildings can play a pivotal role in protecting both Canada’s economy and social and natural environments. CaGBC is advocating for a green recovery via green buildings. Recommending investment in the sustainable workforce, prioritize retrofitting existing buildings and funding zero carbon new construction. 

RETROFITTING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE 

ClimateActionWR engaged with experts and technical stakeholders from the sustainability industry between November 2018 and  February 2019. This technical engagement resulted in themes, challenges and actions that will help shape Waterloo Region’s long-term Climate Action Strategy. Waterloo Region has the technology to make big strides in our workplaces, but lack of urgency and financial incentives is a recurring challenge the experts identified. 

Retrofitting current buildings in Waterloo Region was cited as an important action by stakeholders. This is appropriate given the potential carbon reduction (51%) retrofits can provide as laid out in CaGBC’s A Roadmap to Retrofits in Canada. Building retrofits most noted by experts included building envelope (walls, glazing and roofs) and building tightness. The challenge in approaching these action items is mainly financial with a need for incentives and budget to funnel into upgrades. Investing in greener buildings is financially viable but the high capital costs and long pay back periods create roadblocks for innovation. 

Beyond funding,  stakeholder buy-in, conflicting messages  and slow moving policies were all identified as barriers as well. Feedback also addressed the opportunity of community-based designs influencing how living, working and social spaces interact together, and mitigating energy use through the optimization of building controls. To help decarbonize the workplace sector experts highlighted a variety of mitigation strategies and opportunities. These included: 

  • identify key stakeholder and recognize best practices initiatives
  • find opportunities for renewable resources
  • highlight existing success stories and plans that met GHG reduction goals for motivation
  • partner with companies to develop specific goals and policies to meet GHG reduction goals
  • update Building Code Policies
  • aim for transparency for sustainable building information; and
  • guidelines for upgrading mechanical equipment.

If you’d like to hear more, Patrick Darby from WalterFedy shares the findings from the extensive technical engagement initiatives in this presentation. The third phase of the 80 by 50 goal is underway to develop the long-term (30-year) Climate Action Strategy.

Community Help for Endangered Baby Turtles

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A version of this article was included in Issue 005 (July 31, 2020) of the Idea Exchange Quaranzine. Header photo from @raresites.

Have you ever seen a turtle crossing the road?

All eight species of turtle in Ontario are considered at-risk, mostly due to habitat destruction and fragmentation caused by roads or construction. Since 2017, rare Charitable Research Reserve has been working hard to mitigate these human factors with its Protect the Turtles egg incubation project. rare gathers turtle eggs that are in danger due to the location of their nest, brings them back for artificial incubation, and releases them back into the wild after they hatch. The project also collects valuable data such as nesting locations and turtle mortality rates.

This year, rare’s permit from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry to excavate turtle nests was extremely delayed, while reports of nests in dangerous locations across Waterloo Region began to pile up. Without the permit, the organization was not allowed to collect any eggs. All rare could do was put out a call to the public to help build nest protectors to cover the eggs where they were, and hope that would be enough.

Dave Devisser, a long-time resident of Cambridge, was one of the people who heard rare’s call. Dave has always loved living close to nature, and enjoys hiking and checking out the local wildlife, like butterflies and ospreys. He had supported rare before, through the annual Walk & Run for rare, and jumped at the opportunity to do even more.

Dave dug out his tools and got to work. He drilled four long, narrow boards to create a square frame, and covered the top with hardwire mesh nailed tightly to the wood. He included two notches, just 2×1” big, for the baby turtles to exit the protector once they hatched. In the end, Dave completed four identical turtle protectors which he dropped off at rare.

Images by Dave Devisser

 “The protectors are to stop people from stepping on the nests or from predators getting in and harming the eggs,” Dave said. “I was looking for ways to be more involved with nature, and this was a great way to physically protect it. It’s nice to support local biodiversity.”

This year, rare was able to collect 1900 eggs from 66 nests (once the permit came through), and protect an additional 42 nests thanks to protectors provided by community members. While uplifted by the community support, Logan Mercier, a conservation technician assistant at rare, cautions that this is not a permanent solution to turtle endangerment. “Really, we need to focus on road mitigation, and we need to stop building in their habitat; we need to stop fragmenting their habitat,” Mercier said in a recent article in The Record.

The turtle hatchlings are expected to be released in mid-August. This year’s Walk & Run for rare will be held virtually for the month of September. For more information, please visit https://raresites.org/.

If you find an injured turtle, please call the Ontario Turtle Conservation Centre Hotline at 705-741-5000.

Waterloo Region’s Evolving Workplace Sector | Part 1: The Story So Far

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Written by Valerie Chong and Miranda Burton. Originally posted on the ClimateActionWR blog on July 29th, 2020. Header image from evolv1.

Progress on Community Climate Action Blog Series 

In 2013, ClimateActionWR, led by Reep Green Solutions and Sustainable Waterloo Region, collaborated with the Region of Waterloo, and the Cities of Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo to create the first Climate Action Plan for Waterloo Region. This Climate Action Plan aimed to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions by 6% below 2010 levels by 2020. Next year, a community greenhouse gas inventory will be conducted to determine if we have met that ambitious goal, which would be an important first step towards our overall 80% reduction goal by 2050. 

The following post is part of a new series of blogs highlighting the hard work our action owners have been doing to move us towards our community targets. This one will focus on the workplaces sector.

THE WORKPLACE SECTOR

In 2015, ClimateActionWR determined that workplace buildings (including industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings) are responsible for 27% of Waterloo Region’s total carbon footprint (full report in Our Progress, Our Path). We knew that the overall output would only increase as Waterloo Region’s population continues to be the fastest growing census metropolitan area in the country. We have a responsibility to make adjustments to the carbon efficiency of our workplaces. 

To tackle this issue, Energy+, Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro and Waterloo North Hydro, Enbridge (Union Gas), Kitchener Utilities, Sustainable Waterloo Region, Area Municipalities (City of Waterloo, City of Kitchener, City of Cambridge, and the Region of Waterloo), and the Cora Group committed to taking action. As action owners, they have been working hard over the past five years to bring people and organizations together to move both buildings and behaviour towards a more sustainable future in which employees, employers, and landlords can play an active part. One example of this work is the creation of evolv1, thanks to collaborative efforts between organizations and stakeholders.

“The power is in our work together.” 

Tova Davidson, Executive Director of Sustainable Waterloo Region 

EVOLV1 – CHANGING THE WORKPLACE LANDSCAPE OF WATERLOO REGION 

Developed, owned and managed by the Cora Group, evolv1, Canada’s first multi-tenant Zero Carbon Building​, was collaboratively imagined by Sustainable Waterloo Region, EY, The David Johnston Research and Technology Park, and the Cora Group in an effort to model the workplace of the future.  The project considered all aspects of the modern workplace, combining sustainability and functionality to create a unique design-certified net positive building. 

Designed for today’s tech-savvy workforce, evolv1 has 104,000 square feet of space for multiple tenants, collaborative work and event areas, and amenities. Thanks to built-in features such as a beautiful 40-ft living wall, a geothermal well system, and solar wall technology, the building is designed to be net-positive, by producing 108% of its energy needs on-site.

evolv1 was carefully designed to encourage sustainable and low-impact behaviour. The main staircase is a design feature of the foyer and is wide enough for many people to use at once, discouraging the habitual use of the elevators tucked away to the side. A central waste sorting location rather than individual waste bins encourages tenants to consider their daily garbage output. evolv1’s location beside the ION LRT station in the University of Waterloo David Johnston Research + Technology Park, secure bike parking, and EV charging stations allow employees to choose sustainable transportation options with ease.

“From the geothermal, to the solar walls, two-inch thick triple-paned windows, this place is packed with cool sustainable features. But we’ve also created a better building. A beautiful, healthy space where people in this Region can work and gather.”

 Adrian Conrad, COO of the Cora Group

MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING

evolv1 was developed not only to create a uniquely regenerative building, but to lead a change in the behaviour of organizations and employees in their workplaces. The building is just the beginning of a global reimagining of the workplace. A key component of evolv1 is its tenants, many of which are leading technology or sustainability-focused organizations. They are active participants in the success of evolv1 through their policies and actions; monitoring their energy and water use, carbon emissions, and waste production. 

In 2018, evolv1 launched its “Culture of Sustainability” program, a partnership between Sustainable Waterloo Region and an academic research team from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. Manuel Reimer, leading a team of behavioural psychology researchers from Laurier, is creating an evidence-based engagement strategy to cultivate a culture of sustainability within evolv1 and its tenants, which can be applied to other commercial building projects.

“The building will act as a ‘living laboratory’ to understand how best to engage the inhabitants of sustainable buildings in sustainable practices. There are ways to nudge people towards more sustainable habits, such as the physical design of the building, but there is also a social aspect we’re looking at to encourage engagement in all aspects of sustainability.”

Manuel Reimer, Director, VERiS, Associate Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University 

Through educational workshops, interactive events, and collaborative conversations, tenants from across all organizations within the building are encouraged to collaboratively develop and achieve a comprehensive suite of environmental, social, and economic goals. Over the long term, shared values, practices, and symbols will emerge and take root, reflecting a collective understanding of what it means to make positive contributions to environmental, social and economic or organizational systems within and beyond the building.

The first floor of evolv1 also houses evolvGREEN, a leading collaborative workspace of entrepreneurs, researchers, and clean economy supporters who are driving the march toward a clean economy. Entrepreneurs looking to build companies that support a clean economy have access to startup accelerator programming and mentorship through the Accelerator Centre’s specialized cleantech programming.

YEAR ONE AT EVOLV1

In 2020, evolv1 became triple-certified – earning LEED Platinum CS (Core & Shell) and becoming dual certified as a Zero Carbon Building (ZCB)  – in both Design and Performance. The Cora Group applied for the zero-carbon performance certification after a year of energy data was collected from the building. After a full year of operation evolv1 has proved that it is sustainable in design and performance. 

Current tenants include The Accelerator Centre, Borealis AI, EY, Sustainable Waterloo Region, TextNow, University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. Tenants pay market rates for their workspaces, proving the financial feasibility of the premium commercial building and that sustainability is good for business.

How to Reduce Your Food Waste

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This article was originally posted on July 17, 2020 on The Sustainable Student, the student-run blog from the Sustainable Ambassadors at the University of Guelph Sustainability Office.

When it comes to reducing organic waste in my kitchen, I use a combination of creative meal planning and smart food storage. Over the last several years, I’ve discovered a number of tips and tricks to help everything run smoothly – and even save some money. Food habits are highly personal, so there is no best way to run your kitchen.

I encourage you to play around until you find what works for your household!

Organization

The most common cause of my personal food waste is that I forget about items until they expire. Out of sight, out of mind, right? I combat this with my two most essential kitchen tools: a sharpie and a roll of masking tape. If you tend to put leftovers into re-used yogurt or sour cream tubs like I do, you’ll want to mark them clearly with name and date on the top or sidewhere it is clearly visible as soon as you open the door of the fridge or freezer. If you can use clear bins, that’s even better.

Two kitchen tools I can’t live without.

Pull everything that’s going to expire soon to the front of your fridge, freezer, and cupboards. Some of my friends actually have a dedicated “eat me first” shelf. This way there is no excuse that you didn’t see that little bin of old hummus behind all the juice cartons!

Shop smart

The best way to reduce the food waste that comes out of your kitchen is to control what comes into it. I try never to go to the store without a grocery list, because it’s very difficult to plan a week worth of meals on the spot.

I start my grocery list with the basic essentials (eggs, milk, bread, etc.). My next step is to check the fridge, freezer, and cupboards to see what I already have. Thanks to my labelling system, it’s easy to see what’s about to expire and incorporate those items into the next week’s meals.

When you’re in the store, be aware of how long produce lasts and where you need to store them. It’ll affect what you buy, and in what quantities. For example, I have learned not to buy green onions when the fridge is already going to be extremely full, because they need to be stored in an upright jar with water in order to stay fresh. The same goes for things that aren’t best frozen (like tomatoes – I buy a mixture of fresh and canned) or things that go bad within a quick window (I’m looking at you, avocados – I never buy more than two at a time).

Use that freezer!

I don’t like eating leftovers for more than two meals in a row. Some people can make a huge batch of meals every Sunday and be set for the week, but that’s just not my style. Instead, I buy versatile ingredients than can be used in a variety of recipes, and store them in the freezer ready to use. For vegetables, that means washing, blanching, chopping/mincing, and packing things like carrots, peppers, and celery into freezer safe reusable bins or bags. The stalks or tops go into a special bin reserved for making soup stock.

For other ideas, check out The Sustainable Student’s previous article on how to regrow your kitchen scraps into brand new vegetables.

Prepping meat means portioning ground meat into patty sizes, separating packages of chicken breasts or pre-slicing pork tenderloin. Again, everything gets labelled and stored with the oldest food at the top or front. This process means that I am never scrambling for ingredients and rarely have to resort to eating pre-frozen meals or takeout. I also rarely have to eat (or throw out) super old leftovers. As an added financial bonus, I can buy bigger amounts of items that are on sale and save them for when I’ll need them.

What to do with older (but still edible) food

So, you messed up, and found a bunch of wilted spinach lurking behind the rest of your veggies in the crisper drawer. What do you do?

I love to throw old leafy greens into my fruit smoothies. Honestly, I don’t even taste them. You can also turn older food into soup (broccoli, leeks), dips (sour cream), salad dressings (berries), croutons or breadcrumbs (stale bread), baked goods (bruised apples) and more. This is an extension of the “imperfect produce” idea, which is that just because ingredients are no longer in their prime doesn’t mean they aren’t useful or able to be turned into something delicious.

Creating an Indigenous-focused Beauty Company

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This article was originally posted on January 18, 2020 on the Innovate Inclusion website.

Jennifer Harper is the Founder and CEO of Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics, a successful online business known for its high-quality lipsticks and for its focus on Indigenous empowerment. Cheekbone Beauty has a dedicated social media following of people who identify with the brand’s positive messaging of diversity and inclusion.

I reach Jenn at her home office on the Wednesday after American Thanksgiving, the weekend of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“It’s so busy right now! We sold more products this weekend than any year before – we’ve even completely sold out of some lines,” she says as we get started. “It’s a great problem to have, though. We’re growing quickly.”

Jenn is friendly, positive, and extremely open about her journey. It’s clear that she’s passionate about her business, which was born out of a very personal story.

Jenn’s Story

Image designed by Rachel Nico

Jenn, who is Indigenous, grew up in Niagara with her Caucasian mother and had minimal connection to her Indigenous heritage or community. She says she often struggled with her identity as an Indigenous youth, especially because she was unaware of the history of residential schools or transgenerational trauma until about ten years ago.

“In 2008, I started to pay attention to the way media talked about the First Nations community. It was always so negative, and was often about stereotypes such as alcohol addiction. It perpetuates shame, which causes you to not want to talk about things. I have had difficulties with alcohol, and so did my dad, and other members of my family. A big part of my healing has been learning to talk about my struggles and not feeling ashamed of them.”

“Growing up as part of Generation X, I didn’t have a ton of female role models and definitely no Indigenous ones. I also didn’t learn a lot about entrepreneurship at school; I don’t think I could have named more than one entrepreneur from my generation who had built a business or a company.”

Cheekbone Beauty Cosmetics was born out of a desire to improve Indigenous representation and to support Indigenous youth. Jenn firmly believes that a business can be both successful and have a social cause. She donates 10% of Cheekbone Beauty’s profits to Shannen’s Dream, which supports the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society. The company also often features Indigenous models in their branding.

“I just want people to feel how much we love Indigenous youth, and how much we love each customer and how grateful we are that they order and purchase our products. Every dollar allows us to grow and move forward with the business. I have so much heartfelt gratitude and respect for all of them.”

Starting the Business

I ask Jenn how she knew starting her own business was the right move for her, rather than joining an existing organization or non-profit.

“I think I always had the entrepreneurial spirit,” she says. “During my career, although I was working for companies, I was always in independent roles. I did sales for a while and became familiar with hunting down business and dealing with a lot of rejections. That definitely helped me get started. Now that I’m a business owner, I’ve also become knowledgeable about other aspects of business such as supply chains and distribution.”

“I had a good start thanks to the Native Women’s Association of Canada. In 2016, I attended an online mentorship program through NWAC where I had the opportunity to learn everything a business operator needs to know. At the end of the course, all of the program participants got to meet and share our stories. Surrounded by other Native entrepreneurs, with all that support, I knew then that I was on the right path.”

She started with just $500, a gift from the NWAC program, and used it to register her domain and open a small Shopify store. Jenn made sure to post on social media every day from her smartphone, no matter what, which organically grew into the following the company has today.

Jenn admits that there have been challenges along the way. It can be difficult to explain her business model to potential investors or collaborators who are extremely focused on the bottom line; it’s hard to quantify the positive social impact Cheekbone Beauty’s brand is having on Indigenous youth and young people in general. She’s not afraid to share her story, though, and over time has built up a strong business network.

“I’m not afraid to talk about my struggles. When I went on Dragon’s Den, even though I didn’t get the investment that I was hoping for, I showed that I could stand on a national stage and talk about myself, be vulnerable, and act as a role model for the people watching. I was willing to take that risk because our youth need to see us try.”

“Everyone deserves to see their face represented, no matter whom they are or where they are.”

What’s next for Cheekbone Beauty?

“One of Cheekbone Beauty’s next projects is a sustainable lipstick line with better packaging. As Indigenous people, we always ask ourselves: How will what we’re doing today affect the next seven generations? This new line is speaking to that. It’ll be out in March 2020!”

Any advice for other entrepreneurs?

“My personal advice is that we should be working harder on ourselves daily than on our businesses. Unless we are whole and well, we’re not going to be any good to anyone else – including our company.”

And for aspiring entrepreneurs, Jenn says: “Just keep going. The key is consistency. You can start with something smaller and prove that it can work before you scale up. You don’t need to go big right away… Show up every day, and always do your best.”

The Two Ways to Give Your Website a Boost

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This article was originally posted on October 29, 2019 on The Letter M Marketing’s website.

Ever wonder why your website doesn’t get that many hits, despite all your hard work? Why aren’t you at the top of Google searches? It’s probably because of SEO – a strategy that is becoming increasingly crucial for every business to have. The world of digital marketing is always changing, and we have to keep up. To get you started, here’s a quick introduction to what SEO is, and why it’s so important.

What is search engine optimization (SEO)?

SEO is a strategy to help your website rank higher in organic search results in order to increase website traffic and leads. It’s a valuable way to build brand awareness. It is an active practice that involves various techniques to optimize internal and external aspects of the website. SEO influences the content on your website, as well its design and functionality. There are also off-site ways to boost SEO and build trust.

Why is SEO important?

When your customers search for your services or products, you want your website to be at the top of the search engine results page. This is because people generally click on the first few links that they see. The higher rank your site has, the more web traffic you will receive.

Google ranks search engine results based on how trustworthy, high quality, and relevant those websites are. It has created a vast index of all sites, which an automated bot “crawls” through to look for keywords indicating which websites are relevant to what was searched. If you haven’t taken SEO into consideration when building your website, Google will not be able to find your site or won’t believe it to be relevant.

What are paid online search advertisements?

Paid online advertisements are a way to ensure that your website can get to the top spot immediately. These can be targeted to very specific demographics and geography. There are display and text-only ads available through Google, as well as promoted posts and ads through social media networks.

Why might I need paid search ads?

It may take a long time (several months or even a few years) for your website to climb to the first page of Google search results as it builds credibility online. Paid ads are a great way to give your site an initial boost while you build your organic presence. They can also be effective for short-term promotions, seasonal products, and more.

 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
Benefits-Lasts a long time
-Perceived as much more trustworthy than paid ads by Google AND by customers
-No continued ad costs		-Quick to implement and see results
-ROI is easily obtained
-Customizable and targeted
Drawbacks-Takes time to build – patience is key
-May require significant updates to existing website
-Requires strategic planning for all future content creation		-Continual cost and ad maintenance/refreshing
-Less trustworthy to customers and to Google

The best approach is often a mixture of both paid and organic tactics. Even if your organization has limited financial resources, a little time and care can go a long way to building your website traffic.