A reply from a friend ...

A long time ago ... seemingly half a lifetime away, we used to shop at a wonderful jewel of a general store that carried a dizzying selection of just about EVERYTHING imaginable ... it was a favourite place to go for a wander with a then toddler Noahkila who LOVED the toy section ... and urgent gift needs were seldom unmet in the amazing breadth of items the store carried ...

Last week Ms. H noticed a price sticker on a deck of cards and asked where "that store is?" and we told her about it ...

Yesterday, or more truthfully, early this morning the proprietor of that business sent me an email in reply to my posting about the product recalls ... I was delighted ... thanks to the internet in recent months our family and his have been able to reconnect and get caught up on the events that have transpired over the last 11 years ... BUT the latest email caused me pause to proclaim a hearty - "AMEN !!!"

Sharing his experience with the aforementioned product recalls, he rightly posits the blame where it belongs ... I bear no grudge on any small business owner just trying to make a living ... I don't even begrudge them buying products - afterall, THEY do have to make a living in a global market ... but like my businessman friend I DO place the blame for this at the feet of the manufacturers who have embraced the race to the bottom a little too eagerly ...

So in support of small local businesses anywhere - I offer the following quotation as a reminder that what WE chose to do with our hard earned dollars has an impact ... it's our job to seek a positive impact:

I'd also like to offer a little more information on your item today about the lead paint recall issue. Those of us who read newspapers (yes, there are still some of us out here) have been well-informed on this matter for months. It WAS in the headlines, and all responsible retailers have long since pulled these products. In our own case, our suppliers sent us lists, they gave us full credit for any goods on the lists, and we checked every product made in China, whether it was on the list or not.

The problem has arisen because lead paint (banned in Canada for at least the last twenty years) dries in 1/4 the time of non-lead paint. The manufacturers have put so much pressure on the factories to deliver larger orders faster and faster, that many Chinese factories started using lead paint because it dries faster. In principle, of course I completely support your "buy local" position, and other aspects of concern about people shopping only for price. However, in this case I think the blame has to fall with the manufacturers (Mattel, et al) who have moved their facilities offshore, and with impossible delivery demands create bad results. I believe that they are the real villains.

Once again: "AMEN!!"