Granville Island in Vancouver is home to one of the North American continent’s great public markets: visitors love British Columbia’s progressive, green capital, which boasts an eclectic, multi-cultural dining scene. For regional produce and other edibles, Granville Island is a must-visit.

Granville Island was settled in the late 19th century, along with the rest of Vancouver (which was originally known as Granville). By the 1970s, Granville Island had become, according to its official tourism website, “a declining 37-acre industrial wasteland” of former sawmills, factories, and shantytowns. Its location on False Creek didn’t help, and typhoid and sewage issues further contributed to the island’s decline.

Fortunately, city officials had the foresight to reclaim the polluted land and creek, and turn it into a public space with parkland, housing, and public exhibition space.

Today, the island has been restored and renovated. There are cobbled streets, renovated factories, performance spaces, galleries, boutiques, restaurants, a lovely hotel, boat tours and a ferry dock, and the Public Market, which was built in 1979. The market is full of rotating “day vendors” selling edibles and crafts, as well as permanent eateries, and there’s a Thursday farmer’s market, that runs from June to October.

Image: Dominic Schaefer

I’ve long been obsessed with public markets, and have been fortunate enough to help open two of America’s best: the San Francisco Ferry Building, and Seattle’s Melrose Market. Yet I’d never been to Granville Island. On a recent layover, I decided to spend the time scouring the market to stock up for a 20-hour journey I was making on VIA Rail Canada. I love nothing more than hitting a farmers or public market, bakery, or regional grocery store before departing on a trip, so I can try the local cuisine in transit.

I arrived at the market ravenous from my flight, and the first place I visited was Siegel’s Bagels. For years, I’d heard about Montreal bagels and smoked meat (similar to pastrami), but never having been to Quebec, I hadn’t had the opportunity to try them. The owner of Siegel’s is a Montréalais, hence the focus on his native cuisine. And now, after eating a chewy bagel stuffed with the juicy, tender, lightly smoked meat, I understand what all the fuss is about.

Image: Dominic Schaefer

Other stalls worth checking out include Benton’s Fine Cheese, where you’ll find a case full of French and Canadian cheeses. At The Lobster Man, get Dungeness crab and lobster cooked to order; Longliner Seafoods has BC salmon and halibut. There are delis with stuffed saucisson,  and various produce stands (don’t miss Okanagan Valley fruit: depending upon season, berries, stonefruit,or  apples or pears are available. I sprang for two pints of luscious raspberries). At South China Seas Trading Co, you’ll find everything from fresh wasabi and shiso leaves to dim sum wrappers. Don’t forget to pick up some pastry (like the decadent caramel bars) at Stuart’s Bakery, and smoked or candied salmon at the Salmon Shop.

Image: Granville Island

For souvenirs, lunch, or dinner, check out Edible Canada’s bistro and retail shop, across from the market. There, I scored some Noble Bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup and maple sugar candy, but there’s also a jewel-like array of preserves, oils, and vinegars. Before you leave the island, drop by Liberty Wine Merchants for some spectacular BC Wines (I’m loving Blasted Church Vineyards’ Hatfield’s Fuse).

Granville Island is easily accessible by taxi, bike, boat, foot, or the #50 False Creek bus from downtown Vancouver, and is approximately 20 minutes on public transit from Vancouver International Airport.

Tours of the Granville Island Public Market can be arranged through Edible BC.

Top image: Granville Island

Related on EcoSalon:

Food by Boat: The Appeal of Floating Farmers Markets

7 Lessons from Canada’s Environmental Pragmatism

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Got a hankering to see the continent, but short on time/funds/without wheels? Travel by train is a lower-impact, relaxed, and budget-conscious way to go, especially in Canada.

Serious travelers have likely logged time on the rails, be it  sleek, high-speed European or Japanese trains, or the clapped-out versions found throughout parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia.  Here in the states, unfortunately, long-distance rail travel can be time inefficient and pricey. 

In general, however, train travel  is a greener way to go. Recent freak accidents in Spain and Quebec notwithstanding, trains are statistically much safer and less expensive than driving (when you factor in gas and depreciation), and far more efficient if you’re not in a hurry. After all, you can nap, read, or work.

Personally, I just like to zone out and  stare out the window, taking in the  scenery. Having traveled by train on four continents, I’ve experienced the good, the bad, and the seriously fetid. So it’s with good authority that I say VIA Rail Canada—the country’s national passenger rail system—rocks. Another eco-plus: Vancouver’s Pacific Central Station is just a 20-minute ride from the Vancouver National Airport on the efficient Canada Line rapid transit system.

VIA recently underwent a $22 million dollar renovation and eco-consciousness is notably a part of their promotional campaign  (Canadians are impressively on the ball when it comes to green practices and ethics). Perhaps being an enormous country with a low population, fragile ecosystem, and massive foodshed is a good thing?

The VIA website addresses environmental issues and cites statistics, such as this: “Last year, 4 million VIA rail passengers traveled more than 851 million miles (1.37 billion kilometers)? Despite all these trips, they produced only 0.03% of greenhouse gas (GHG)  related to transportation, while motorists alone have produced 13% of GHG emissions.”

This isn’t to say that you should believe everything you read, but the fact that travel by train is environmentally cleaner than plane, car, or cruise ship is nothing new. I’ve always loved taking the train, so for me, VIA’s makeover was an excuse to go to British Columbia for a week, and travel two of the province’s most famous routes.

The Canadian line runs from Vancouver to Toronto, but I chose to travel from Vancouver to Jasper (which is actually just over the border in Alberta), home of the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies. Because the Canadian travels trans-provinces, it offers both Economy (which includes a sleeping berth) and Sleeper Plus class, which includes full-service dining, and by far the sweetest room I’ve ever seen on a train.

VIA isn’t the Orient Express, so don’t expect bells and whistles, but the cushy chairs fold down into a full bed with a duvet, and there’s a private bathroom; showers are shared. There were even functional electrical outlets (are you listening, Amtrak?), but Wi-Fi capability depends upon route; in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, forget about phone and internet…which I gladly did. In fact, I was so cozy in my room, I had to force myself out and into the glass-ceiled and -sided Dome and Panorama cars (access may depend upon route and travel class).

During daylight hours, if you’re lucky, you’ll have an engineer who slows the train for photo ops of stunning visuals, like the towering Pyramid Falls, visible only from the tracks en route to Jasper.

The 20-hour overnight journey offers distinctly beautiful scenery. There are jagged peaks, meadows of wildflowers, farmland dotted with bales of hay, and usually, loads of wildlife (I seemed to be napping or peeing every time someone saw a moose, Grizzly bear, or bald eagle, but they’re out there, I promise- there were plenty of animals in Jasper). You’ll see crystalline glacial lakes, and cruise alongside the milky jade waters of the Fraser River.

In Jasper, I boarded the famed Jasper-Prince Rupert line, formerly known as “The Skeena” because it follows the dramatic river of the same name. This two-day, 720-miles run heads west, going from the Rockies to the rugged Pacific Coast. There are no sleeper cars on this route; instead, the train stops overnight in the sleepy city of Prince George (recommendation: the stylish Sandman Signature Hotel).

While the first day has attractive, pastoral scenery, the second day is money. From the jagged, glacier-swathed peaks of the Coast Mountains to the misty sandbars of the swift, wide Skeena, it’s Canadian wilderness at its best.

Prince Rupert itself is a delightfully quirky little port, and a great place to kick it for a couple of days. The highlights of the region (besides the views of the Alaskan Coastal Range, just 40 tantalizing miles away) are the stellar humpback whale watching and grizzly viewing.  I took a six-hour round-trip boat ride up the Northern Inside Passage with the excellent, family-owned Prince Rupert Adventure Tours.

We watched humpbacks “lunge-feeding” just yards away from the boat, spotted porpoises and harbour seals, and watched bald eagles snatching fish scraps out of mid-air. The highlight of  the week, however, was seeing grizzly bears in the Khutzeymateen Valley.

Although completely wild, the bears live in a protected region known as a “sanctuary,” how close to shore the boats can get to the animals, which spend summers foraging onshore for dandelions, grass, and clams, depends upon their mood. Many of the passengers on the boat were the same folks I’d spent the last two days riding the rails with. It had been a running joke amongst us  that we’d ask for a refund if we didn’t see any whales or bears on our trip. It turns out that traveling to the edge of the continent is worth every cent.

All images: VIA Rail Canada

Related on EcoSalon :

10 Things to Love About Rail Travel

7 Lessons from Canada’s Environmental Pragmatism

The post Why Travel by Train Rocks, Especially in Canada (Hint: It’s Relaxing and Green) appeared first on EcoSalon.

A new infographic details municipal efforts to make cities more environmentally friendly.

With the definition of “green” still fuzzy when it comes to products, it’s even more difficult to measure the efforts of cities attempting to decrease their carbon footprint. What are water consumption policies like? How many cars on the road? What types of recycling programs and waste reduction efforts are underway? Are there any green building or alternative energy incentives?

HouseTrip set out to find out and measure the efforts of the world’s top “green” cities. Motivation for the project came from wanting to help draw attention to the importance of cutting global pollution generated by cities. With more than half of the world’s population now living in urban areas, cities are beginning to become leaders in environmentally responsible living. Data collected from the Siemens Green Cities Index and other sources provided the information to develop the infographic.

The inforgraphic shows which of these most progressive cities are doing what in the world of green: London, New York, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. So what are these cities up to? Just 44 percent of New Yorkers own a car, for example. Compared with 95 percent of the rest of Americans, that’s a pretty huge difference. Head over to Amsterdam and you’ll see more bikes than people—one bike for every 0.73 people in fact. Copenhagen is among the cities embracing the benefits of green roofs, with legislation requiring green rooftops on all new buildings, which will add 5,000 square meters of vegetation. Vancouver and Copenhagen recycle 55 percent of all their waste. Vancouver generates 90 percent of its energy from renewable resources; Stockholm is at 60 percent.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Images: HouseTrip

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Clayoquot Wilderness Resort in Vancouver provides guests with luxurious “tented” accommodations and five-star dining.

Tucked in the middle of nowhere on the west coast of Vancouver Island is an eco-safari retreat called Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, which can only be reached by boat or seaplane. While the accommodations at this resort are comprised of 20 tents, each offers every bit of the luxury you are seeking. This remote Canadian getaway has dining tents that offer five-star cuisine, massage and treatment tents, lounge tents and guest tents with fluffy duvets and antiques, all inspired by late 19th century Great Camps.

But behind the luxury there is a deep and meaningful commitment to restoring the land. Located on the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve Area on the banks of the remote Bedwell River, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is committed to running in an environmentally sustainable manner with as low-impact operations as technology allows.

We love that every evening the Activities Director meets with guests personally to design their adventures for the next day, which depends on weather, tidal charts and animal sightings. The resort offers tons of activities so guests will never have a shortage of things to do in the wilderness.

If you go: While Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is only open May through September and guests are encouraged to make reservations in advance. Rates start at $4,650.00USD for three nights, and include return airfare from Vancouver to the Resort, deluxe tented accommodation, all meals, snacks and beverages (including alcohol), massage treatments and a wide array of guided adventure activities including instruction.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, Vancouver, Canada appeared first on EcoSalon.

In two words? Canada executes.

Having just returned from extraordinary Vancouver, I can appreciate how its greenness extends beyond the pristine meadows of Stanley Park to thrive in the souls of its dwellers who witness their slightly higher taxes at work in the form of a well-maintained, pothole-free environs. It’s not just bells and Whistler. It’s beauty that exists down deep, even in the success of enacted laws that put the U.S. and its stagnating bipartisan representatives to shame.

No wonder Vancouver’s goal of being the greenest city in the world by 2020 gives it yet another edge in livability. Sure, San Francisco and Portland are weaning off the foreign fuel nipple, but our neighbors to the north might outwit and out play us by focusing on the most winning survivor tactic of all: spawning green jobs like rabbits – some 10,400 in the next eight years.

According to the Vancouver Sun, the city is now moving ahead in 10 key areas that range from greening the economy by securing the city’s international reputation as a mecca of green enterprise, improving food production, cutting greenhouse gases and making walking, cycling and public transit the preferred transportation option for its citizens.

In terms of the jobs, some 300 are linked to expansion of the city’s district energy program, while another 900 comes from clean tech trade missions spurring the relocation of companies. Another 600 are predicted in the farming sector – urban growing, farmers’ markets, food processing and street food vendors. While Canadians agree being greener is a matter of conscience there is nothing like the promise of income to perk up commitment to conservation.

The good news is the green strides are not just limited to Vancouver. Throughout the country, progress is being made and used as a benchmark for what is possible if civic leaders go the distance. Here are some of the initiatives:

Switching Off the Coal

The province that has become a teenage girl destination because of Justin Bieber might now be better known for a reliance on green energy as it shuts down four coal-burning power plants even before its 2014 target date. It’s part of a 10-step transition to generate all of its electricity from fuel sources such as biomass to cut nasty carbon dioxide emissions. So far, coal production has dropped 5% while wind generation rose 80% – a reduction of pollution equal to the annual emissions of seven million autos.

Sparing the Trees

One of Canada’s largest media corporations, Quebecor, is making a sizable dent in its newspaper, magazine and book publishing distribution through its Concrete Actions initiative – the switch to printing on 100% recycled paper will spare more than 79,000 trees and 215 million liters of water. Meanwhile, it planted more than 210,000 trees as part of a program to plant roots for every Videotron customer who participates in online billing.

Victoria’s Dockside Green

While Vancouver sets out to lead the world in green building design and construction, Dockside Green in the heart of downtown Victoria, B.C. is setting records as a green development – earning its second residential LEED platinum ranking through the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) for two towers called Balance. Comprising 171 homes, it matched Phase I in earning a record 63 out of 70 points, serving as a model for sustainable community development. The high score was based on several key factors, including: biomass gasification using wood-waste to create heat and hot water; improved insulation, green roofs, exhaust air energy (heat) recovery, reduced lighting power densities with energy-efficient fixtures and occupancy sensors.

Boosting Subway Systems

Ottawa has coughed up $1 billion in funding to improving the public transit in the Greater Toronto Area to “cut the commute, clear the air and drive growth.” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said traffic congestion had become a top issue – blamed on a $2 billion a year loss in productivity. Across the country, refurbishing and improving public transit has become a cause célèbre according to HuffPo Canada. While leaders look for ways to get people off the streets and on nicer, roomier subways, they are netting results through simple, targeted incentives. Examples cited: The Toronto Transit saw sales go up 57% by giving monthly pass customers a small incentive for buying a year’s worth of passes in advance: Meantime, Montreal has a huge response when offering s small incentive if customers bought their monthly passes off-peak and off-line from a participating retailer rather than transit ticket booths.

Giving Edge to Organic Food Producers

Canada’s organic producers now can circumvent red tape to expand their products locally in grocery stores and to export to Europe through an international agreement giving the country an edge in the European Union, the single largest market for organic products in the world. A result of an extensive analysis of the Canadian and EU organic production and certification systems, The Canada-European Union Organic Equivalency Arrangement allows the healthy exchange of imports and exports of certified products without need for additional certification.

Embracing E-Waste Recycling

It appears everyone is getting into the act, including the annual Live Green Toronto Festival where visitors recycle nearly 3,300 media items in one day – swapping good DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs and records to keep them out of the landfills. Since 2004, Canada-based Sony, Panasonic, Bell and other companies have stepped up their own recycling programs, recognizing that while technology enhances our lives the downside is the short life cycle and ultimate disposal of products that can break down in landfills and poison the environment. As members of Product Stewardship Canada which implements recycling solutions for end-of-life electronic products, the companies participate in take-back programs in Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Nova Scotia, and will soon expand to other provinces.

Making Way For More Bikes

Not all commuters are thrilled about it, but Vancouver’s mayor, Gregor Robertson, who peddles to work each day, is making way for bike lanes in the bustling city. Gregor recognizes that a true commitment to being the greenest includes letting more bikers share the streets – yes, even those bikers who forget to wear helmets or signal when they change lanes. Does it make the city a better place to live? Well, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper, biking improves cardiovascular health which makes people happy, reduces gas and bills and makes the air cleaner – which pleases Fraser Valley, where Vancouver’s pollution blows.

Images: Coolin Sights; Mediamag; Lightrailnow; CBC;The Globe and Mail, alexindigo

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Canada’s sustainable fashion growth is a healthy sign of the times.

With easily more than 50 Canadian designers now working various sustainable practices into their collections, it was difficult to highlight just these five. Canada has seen tremendous growth in the number of eco fashion designers over the past few years. The following designers represent both those who have been leading the movement in Canada, and also some up-and-comers that you should be watching. Their A/W 2011 collections are sure to impress even the most discerning.

Nicole Bridger, Vancouver

Nicole was the first winner of Canada’s Fashion Takes Action award, Design Forward. Her A/W ’11 collection is entitled “Safe to Love,” aptly named after a personal experience she recently had. “Every season I reflect on life lessons that I’m learning”, Bridger says of coming out of a painful relationship. In addition to earth tones, we can expect to see passionate colours from Bridger this fall including reds, purples, and blush pink.

Thieves, by Sonja den Elzen, Toronto

Continuing on the theme of consciousness, Thieves’ A/W 2011 is entitled “Reflection,” which according to designer den Elzen is the embodiment of seasons layered and loved.  “It is about the seasons and years blending together, erasing the lines of time and offering genuine lifelong pieces that become the foundation of a wardrobe for those who are reflective and conscientious of their surroundings.”

This fall, we can expect to see more of the highly tailored look den Elzen achieves with beeswaxed organic cotton and hemp/wool/tencel suiting blends, combined with soft draped jerseys, organic wool knits, and lush, hand-knit wear.

Adhesif, by Melissa Ferreira, Vancouver

Newer to the scene but becoming known for their use of reclaimed and recycled materials, Adhesif recently rocked the runways at Vancouver Eco Fashion Week . For A/W 2011, we can expect to see more vintage tweed, wool suiting and printed cotton twill.

“The colour palette reminds me of a sunset on an open field in the Prairies,” states designer Melissa Ferreira. “Many pieces have a draped feel to them but I have added in some pieces that have a ‘sack’ or box-cut look as well”.

 Harricana by Mariouche, Montreal

For more than two decades, luxury fur designer Mariouche Gagné has been ethically recycling fur made in Canada. She claims to have recycled over 50,000 coats, saving 400 metric tons from landfill. The Harricana A/W 2011 collection features three themes: Femme Fatale, giving rise to elegance and femininity; Military, urban, unisex and streamlined; and Timeless, evoking the wild and untamed nature of the great Canadian outdoors.

Device by Melanie Ferrara, Toronto

Since 2008, designer Melanie Ferrara has produced a series of vintage-inspired modern classics, made in Toronto using tencel, organic wool and organic cotton. For inspiration for her A/W ’11 collection, she looked to the period of the 1940s. “Fashion at that time was influenced by wartime austerity measures, and was characterized by tailored silhouettes with an emphasis on the waist and shoulders,” says Ferrara who adds she used a neutral color palette of navy and black as the base, paired with greys, cream, plum and plaid.  “The result is a collection of timeless, wearable pieces which range in style from modern casual to sophisticated elegance.”

The post Canada’s Top Eco Designers: The Pioneers And Emergents appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fashion Weeks around the world have taken the headlines by storm with coverage from NY, Paris, Milan and London. And thankfully, each of these international shows have featured sustainable fashion on their runways.

Here in Canada, we tend to hold our Fashion Weeks a bit later in the season, mainly so that our top fashion media outlets don’t have to be in two places at once. This week we are hosting both Montreal Fashion Week and Eco Fashion Week (EFW) Vancouver.

For the first time, Montreal Fashion Week has teamed up with non-profit organization FEM International to present ModEthik, which will feature an exhibition and collective runway show, as well as an educational discussion around ethical fashion and responsible consumerism.

Vancouver is taking it to a whole new level with the first ever Eco Fashion Week. The three-day event will be focused on sustainable fashion and includes a trade show and seminar component as well. I caught up with the organizer, Myriam Laroche, who hopes that buyers will put EFW on their calendars twice a year and that Vancouver will become an international eco fashion capital.

“Our mission with EFW is to make it easy for the fashion industry to take the green road”, states Laroche. “In order to do this, we feel that the educational part of it is extremely important. The runway show presents the look of the collection, and is an opportunity to show buyers how to wear and style the clothes. The trade show provides a platform for designers and buyers to deepen their understanding of eco fashion, and at the same time meet and develop business relationships.”

Eco model, activist, designer, author and sustainable pioneer Summer Rayne Oakes is one of the presenters at Eco Fashion Week Vancouver. Delegates will learn about her new company, Source4Style (which is currently in private beta) – the world’s first online marketplace for designers to search and source leading sustainable textiles. I had a chance to chat briefly with Summer about her talk and the importance of having sustainability sessions at Fashion Weeks across the globe. Here is what she had to say:

“Sustainability is still such a black box in the fashion industry. It’s not uncommon to have workshops and presentations designed to elucidate and untangle its inherent complexities. And if attendance to these talks is any indication of people’s interest, well then I don’t see any sign of it stopping.”

And I couldn’t agree more. The industry is becoming hungry for this information. They want to understand the social and environmental impacts of their work, and how they can do their part. And it makes good business sense for Fashion Weeks to provide the venue for such growth.

Image: Courtesy of Montreal Fashion Week

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I love a good sale and I’m going to take a wild guess and say you do too.

Here’s another round of Stylish Steals to take you into the next season, based mostly out of Body Politic in Vancouver (belts from Beklina and shoes from Juno & Jove).

I started with the pants, because of the name (Spine Pant) but also because of the sexy ladder like stitching up the back. On sale for $179.

This Dani Tunic by Lara Miller top (made from bamboo) with a cute poof on the sleeve is a nice contrast to the organic cotton of the pants. On sale for $151.50

You’ve got your slim fitting pants and your looser tunic top but now you need to pull it in a bit. I can’t stop belting things lately and love these slim, recycled leather belts from Lina Rennell. Love the fun colors, but for this outfit I’m going with the brown. Not on sale ($155).

A Teich handbag on sale? Yes! This little clutch has black to pull in the pants and brown to pull in the belt without being to matchy matchy. On sale for $119.

These Maggie May earrings from Dotted Loop pulls everything together and throws in a splash of color. No other jewelry needed. Not on sale but priced right at $48.

Shoes could be key putting this outfit together and advise these Olsen Haus Babylon Flat to keep it simple but feel free to rock this outfit with heels too. Just keep the embellishments on the shoes low key.

I couldn’t make up my mind what to do for making this more fall-focused but listen, there’s a lot of jackets and cardigans over at Body Politic, so play around a bit.

The post Stylish Steals: Subtle and Sexy For Day appeared first on EcoSalon.

As the founder of Fashion Takes Action, it has been a pleasure to work with so many emerging eco fashion designers over the past few years. Our recent Design Forward award, which recognized top sustainable designers was a great success in terms of raising awareness for who we considered to be the top fourteen designers, and more specifically how it has opened doors for our winner.

As our inaugural winner, Nicole Bridger received flight and accommodations to New York and a place to show at Nolcha Fashion Week‘s Ethical Fashion Preview in September. In addition, Nicole won a look book – styled, photographed and designed, which she will take with her to NY to accompany her Spring/Summer 2011 collection. Nicole was also awarded $1000 in eco friendly fabric, from Canadian supplier Telio, along with $1000 toward the certification of her line courtesy of Ecocert.

I had the chance to catch up with Nicole over a yummy vegetarian meal while she was visiting Toronto this week for her look book photo shoot. It was really important for me to hear first hand how the award has affected her business, and to learn more about what the future has in store for her.

How does it feel to be the first winner of the FTA Design Forward Award?

It’s a real honor to be recognized in this way, and it is so exciting that this award even exists. It’s a sign of the times of where things are going. For myself, it was a rare opportunity to acknowledge my own work. As business owners, we tend to look forward and project ahead to the next five years, focusing on how far we have yet to go. We don’t tend to acknowledge how far we’ve already come. And in the case of the award, it just feels good to know that I have accomplished something incredible, and that I am being recognized for my hard work and dedication.

Being the first designer is exciting because I hope I can be somewhat of a mentor or role model for other designers hoping to go down the same path and choose sustainability. We can show that it is possible, it can happen, and I hope I can help make it a little bit easier. The more people who are doing it, makes it easier for all of us.

What has the award done for your business?

It has been amazing for recognition on a North American level. Just carrying the title of Canada’s first eco fashion design winner has opened so many doors for me. Doors that were maybe more closed, or that were met with resistance before, and now I can say I just won this national award, and the reaction is different. Selling season hasn’t started yet, but I am expecting things to pick up as a result of winning. The opportunity for me to be in New York at Nolcha’s Ethical Fashion Preview in September, is huge. I will be in front of so many retailers, more than ever before, including international retailers. A lot of people say that my line is more European in its styling, so it could do really well in NY and could be a turning point for my business.

There has already been a big change in terms of the amount of press I have received over the past few months. It has given the media a reason to write, and now it would be great to see this same success south of the border and to gain that kind of recognition in the U.S.

The opportunity to come to Toronto, to meet and work with the team that Fashion Takes Action put together is amazing. Connecting with everyone in Toronto has really tightened up the community for me and it feels great to be a part of something so exciting. And the connection with Telio for the fabric has been amazing and I look forward to continuing that relationship. It has already solved a few fabric sourcing issues I had which is amazing because its one of the hardest things about being a sustainable designer.

The eco certification, when it goes through, is going to be huge. I think it will help answer any doubts that consumers may have about my true intentions, and whether or not my collection is in fact sustainable. So customers can feel good about supporting us or buying our product, if that is what’s important to them. I think it’s important for eco-minded consumers to feel reassured, especially since there are so many claims out there without any kind of backing.

Have you always considered yourself to be a sustainable designer?

I grew up in Vancouver and my family and community was big on recycling. Literally every school play I did was about “reduce, reuse, recycle”, so it really was ingrained in us. I’m not sure if that is just what it was like growing up in Vancouver but I felt like it was definitely more available for me to be mindful of the environment.

Personally, I have a threefold approach or philosophy to life. I care for the earth, I care in my heart for its people and also for our individual spirit. This translates into my business and is always top of mind when I am designing. I have sewn “I am love” tags on all of my clothing, because at the root of our true form we are all love energy. I think its important for us to all be kind to ourselves and to one another, and to come from a place of love and try to spread a bit of positive energy.

Where do you get your inspiration?

It comes from the life lessons that I’m learning at the time that I’m designing. With fall 2010 I had just left my husband, so I called the collection “Healing Heart.” It was a very difficult decision to leave because I had a 10-month-old son, but I had to do what I had to do. As a result, it’s a really small line of just seven styles, but they are seven really strong pieces.

But finally making that choice in my personal life felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was finally able to be happy, maybe for the first time ever. It was a journey for me in reconnecting with myself, my spirit, and really about falling in love with myself again. I had completely lost touch with myself out of self-sacrifice for that relationship.

So Spring 2011 is called “Reconnection” and it’s a journey to true happiness and loving yourself. The color palette is playful and creative. I feel this creative energy re-emerging, so I’m really excited about where things are going to go from here. When you’ve been bleeding energy for so long, it’s nice to see it going somewhere good. I love personal growth and so every season I get to reflect a bit on where I’m at and what I’m learning. And that dictates both a color palette and silhouette.

What is the fashion scene like in Vancouver?

There is a lot of conscious minded people living on the west coast, in both Canada and the U.S, so I’m seeing a big change in terms of the number of sustainable designers that are emerging. It’s a great community to be a part of because we all openly communicate with each other and get to support each other and share whatever we can.

I have a strong following in Vancouver, where I do a studio sale once a month and tons of people show up. It’s a nice time for me to be with the customer because when you just wholesale or sell online, you miss that connection.

The fashion scene in Vancouver is definitely a bit slower. But now that we are becoming more of an international city, you see people becoming more comfortable with a particular style, where it’s no longer just about wearing jeans and a Mountain Equipment Co-op jacket. It is still very different from Toronto, where there is a very strong suit and business culture. But that is starting to change. People are starting to get more edgy with their style, and feel comfortable with it, which is nice to see happening.

With the upcoming Eco Fashion Week in Vancouver, do you think it is becoming the eco fashion capital of Canada?

Yes because we have the built-in health, earth and socially conscious consumer. On a daily level you are either walking on a beach or running in the woods, skiing on a mountain or kayaking on the ocean. People are just more connected to nature. They don’t have to be convinced. It’s a very laid back environment, where I feel there is less judgment. It’s kind of like yoga in a way, where it’s your own practice and you do what’s right for you. Nothing feels forced.

I’m very excited to be showing at Eco Fashion Week Vancouver.  I think it’s the one thing that can work in Vancouver. We can’t compete with LG Fashion Week in Toronto. Out west, sustainable fashion is a niche and it’s non competitive. It’s something we can offer that is authentic to Vancouver, that we are known for and that can draw international designers and buyers. And I think it can be really successful. I’m really excited to be a part of it and helping support that movement.

What does the future look like for Nicole Bridger?

Well, the very next step would be strengthening our wholesale accounts and I’m hoping that will really take off in NY.

My true vision for the company is to have our own retail outlets. So opening our first boutique will be a real milestone. I hope to have a store sometime in the next year. First in Vancouver, and then maybe a second one in San Francisco. From there I would love to take it global, with retail outlets all over. And then I would love to branch the line to carry both high end, and a lower end collection, kids and babies, bags and accessories, and even house and home products. Overall, creating a lifestyle brand that you can rely on for green, ethical and high style.

My long-term goal would be to create a co-op setting in a developing country, and help restore a community. It is the only time I would consider doing offshore production, where I would actually get right in there myself to do the farming of linen and hemp, and create a closed loop system.

Images: Portrait taken by Dawn Stenzel; fall “˜10 collection by Candace Meyer

The post Up Close & Personal with Eco Fashion Award Winner Nicole Bridger appeared first on EcoSalon.

Vancouver will no longer be known as the affordable shooting location for TV shows from Airwolf to The X-Files. Judging by blogs, Twitter and social media trends, people are now watching the city for its environmental leadership.

Friday marks the start of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games hosted in Vancouver, marketed as the “greenest” ever Olympics by Ann Duffy, corporate sustainability officer for the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).

Of course, she faced a huge challenge in trying to minimize the footprint and waste generated by facilities and operations to accommodate: 7,000 athletes, 10,000 media professionals, and some one million people who will buy about 1.85 million event tickets (according to estimates by MacLeans’ sports section).

But for many environmentalists, what her organizing committee has done isn’t nearly enough to warrant a green-gold medal. And the sponsors of the “greenest ever” games, basking in her green halo’s glow, are suffering scrutiny, too.

Coca Cola aspires to win a green rep through recycling efforts in Vancouver. Panasonic has pledged to offset its carbon footprint. And Teck – a mining company based in Vancouver – donated the bronze, silver and gold for the official medals, which it thankfully “mined” out of electronics waste materials, and not sensitive habitat.

Do some, none or all of the above deserve the love of ecogeeks? Put yourself in an informed position to judge, with the links and resources below.

Basic reading:

Short descriptions of green initiatives at the Winter Olympics by Earth911.com writer Amanda Wills

“Canadians have also made it clear that celebrating winter sports shouldn’t come at the expense of a healthy planet. Thousands of people signed a petition in support of making the games climate conscious. All these voices made a difference. The 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver have raised the bar for climate action, including energy efficient venues, the use of clean energy sources, and by promoting the use of public transit. Of course, there is, still, lots of room for improvement”¦” – A report entitled 2010 Winter Olympics: What’s the score on climate change? from the David Suzuki Foundation

-¦Unchecked global warming jeopardizes the future of all winter sports. Frenzied reports have been coming in for weeks about the snow situation in Vancouver, which by all accounts is not good. Snow is being saved under tarps, according to some of those reports. More snow is being trucked in from surrounding areas. And even these efforts are expected to fall short, so the snow will likely have to be “enhanced” by sand and hay underneath…So far this year, at least six events have been canceled [due to poor snow conditions].” – A Change.Org post by environmental activist Mike Gaworecki

A Vancouver-based blogger, Leah Karpus, considers everything from made-in-China souvenir mittens to local snow conditions as part of her personal assessment on the Winter Olympics green marketing campaign

Further Resources:

The Reports & Resources area of the official Vancouver 2010 Olympics website, including Environmental Assessments and Sustainability Reports

A slideshow on Mother Nature Network profiling 12 Olympic athletes who “want to save the planet.”

A story about the forthcoming London Summer Olympics from Sustain Magazine that asks: Is “Sustainable Olympics” is an oxymoron?

A WWF-World Wildlife Fund report about the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, which they say are failing to meet proper environmental standards

An activist blog post that criticizes the Olympics for claiming to be green, but taking money from industrial developers as sponsors, and using too much non-renewable energy

This is the latest installment of EcoMeme, a column featuring environmental news, trends and tech highlights by Lora Kolodny.

Image: Roland

The post EcoMeme: Judging the Winter Olympics appeared first on EcoSalon.