Many Fair Trade options are available in our community
Selkirk’s Fair Trade Committee is a great local resource to learn more about Fair Trade and how residents can incorporate more Fair Trade options into their lives. With October being Fair Trade Month they welcome residents to learn more and possibly volunteer with the group.
“[A Fair Trade Town’s] purpose is to unite the local population by providing global Fair Trade opportunities for purchasing ethical and sustainable choices,” said Megan Lamirande, Program Coordinator for the City of Selkirk.
Selkirk became a Fair Trade Town in 2017. This designation is earned by meeting requirements such as a certain amount of Fair Trade certified products available at local businesses, hosting public awareness events, and having a steering committee that has active meetings with community volunteers and leadership members.
Overall, the goal is to contribute to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.
Because of the pandemic, the Selkirk Fair Trade Committee, which the city is a part of, had hit a bit of a lull, but with life returning to a more in-person experience, the committee is back and is ready for new members to join in.
“We’re looking for individuals that have various interests, but in general, they would ideally be interested in promoting Fair Trade within Selkirk. We need someone to assist with planning events and promotions. We would need someone to assist with providing education either to the local businesses that might not be a part of it yet or perhaps visiting, say, the elementary schools or one of the centers like the Friendship Center or Gordon Howard, just to give information on how certain Fair Trade products can benefit them. As well, individuals that want to help working at events or at our tables in the summer. We usually have a table up for Holiday Alley serving hot chocolate. So, [we’re just looking for] volunteers that want to help out with support that way, hopefully, we can grow the committee and create new roles,” said Lamirande.
The Committee currently gets together about once a month and the time commitment that would be required from volunteers would depend on the role that they want to take on.
For businesses that are interested in getting involved, the Selkirk Fair Trade Committee provides information about how to become a Fair Trade workplace.
Vanessa Figus, Manager of Citizen Engagement for the City of Selkirk said that the City of Selkirk itself became a Fair Trade workplace.
“The City of Selkirk offices are all Fair Trade workplaces and all we had to do is make sure that the coffee, tea, and sugar we have available to staff is Fair Trade and then we got our designation. It’s something so simple as something that most of us consume on a daily basis and just making that small switch,” she said.
Lamirande explained that this outreach is part of growing Fair Trade in our city.
“To keep your designation as a Fair Trade town, you have to have a certain amount of businesses in town that are Fair Trade workplaces,” said Lamirande.
For residents who aren’t able to take on a volunteer role but want to contribute to our community’s Fair Trade impact, they can support Fair Trade products being sold by local businesses.
Residents may not even know that there are so many Fair Trade options in our communities or that they may already be purchasing Fair Trade options without even noticing it. For instance, many of the local grocery stores have Fair Trade items that may have a small logo on the back but otherwise, you would never know are certified Fair Trade from looking at them. A list of some of the businesses in the city and their Fair Trade products is viewable on the city’s website.
The City of Selkirk itself is also promoting Fair Trade this month on their website. Until the end of the month, residents can purchase Fair Trade items at the Civic Office or online at the City’s website for 50 per cent off.
“We have Fair Trade canvas bags, Fair Trade soccer balls and a Fair Trade book in which Selkirk is featured,” said Figus.
To learn more about the City of Selkirk’s Fair Trade designation, the businesses in the city with Fair Trade products and for more resources check out https://www.myselkirk.ca/community-services/fairtrade
To shop the city’s Fair Trade items visit https://shop.myselkirk.ca/product-category/merch/fairtrade
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