What grows local stays local so shop local

[Music]

[Applause]

last march

i went on a trip with my mom to new york

city

we sat on the chairs of a luxurious

restaurant

thinking about what i was going to have

evoked an ocean of excitement within me

bluefin tuna sashimi with fancy looking

mocktails

puffer fish and of course a steel plate

of

wagyu beef it was probably the best meal

i ever had the place was incredible

the company was amazing and the food was

delicious

everything was perfect

that is until you see the price tag and

of course when you reflect on why the

price tag

is what it is the world has changed

significantly

and when we let these changes redefine

our values

with our world becoming more globalized

we get to enjoy goods from all over the

world

at the beginning of the 20th century it

took around three months

to get across the atlantic ocean from

north america

to europe however just over a century

later

this speed has decreased to just five

hours

technology allow us to live life way out

of our reach

but while we get to enjoy these luxuries

our planet is paying the ultimate price

a single trip from u.s

to europe uses around 36 000 gallons of

fossil fuels

and with hundreds of these voyages

taking place every day

the amount of pollution and carbon

emission going into the atmosphere

is immense that is the price to pay for

convenience

the convenience of having whatever you

want whenever you want

from wherever you want that

is not sustainable and now with the

climate crisis

it actually is borderline unethical

so what can we do when we still have to

stock our kitchens

keep our businesses open and fulfill our

daily needs we can’t stop the purchasing

it keeps economies alive it keeps jobs

it contributes to our quality of life

we can’t stop purchasing but we can

definitely make better purchasing

decisions

so start shopping locally

shopping from your local marketplace

creates and sustains local jobs

and allows local economy to flourish and

maintain strong sense of community

encourages people to stay more

importantly and ensures that the talent

stays in the area

personally when i realized the

environmental impact of buying from

overseas

i switched immediately not only does

shopping locally benefit my local

economy

all that money stays in the community

and taxes go to good use to support my

local government

plus i’m at peace knowing that i

contributed and minimizing my

environmental impact

let’s all make that switch and

consciously buy more goods and services

locally

there are three easy steps we can all

take to mitigate climate change

by choosing to shop local the first

thing you can do is to shop

at farmers markets or locally owned

grocery stores

i’m sure there are a few in your

neighborhoods support these kind of

businesses

instead of the big box stores second

buy locally grown food and choose local

products when you can

not only did these products take a

shorter amount of time to get to you

they will be much fresher too finally

choose small local businesses when you

can

we realize that sometimes goods are

often cheaper at big box stores

but by choosing to give this local shop

your business

you know that these few dollars will

stay in your community

and keep your neighbors business

thriving a small price to pay for the

overall

benefit as a family

we really enjoy ontario’s special times

together

but instead of bluefin tuna sashimi with

fancy looking mocktails

puffer fish and wagyu beef we now enjoy

cushy oysters

dungeness crab and wild dc salmon from

the fraser river

these delights are not just delicious

they are sustainable

ocean wise and locally sourced

we are just one family one household but

if

all of us get together we can achieve so

much more

join me in supporting our local

community by shopping from local

businesses

and please tell your family members and

friends to do the same

when you invest back in your community

you are not just keeping local

businesses alive

you are helping yourself you are making

your city a more prosperous space

you’re enriching it with character and

you’re creating a thriving

locality we can’t stop the purchasing

but we can definitely make better

purchasing decisions

and that’s how we all as a community can

create positive changes

to increase quality of life a thriving

local scene

and a better state for the planet thank

you very much

you