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