Youth Community Partnership Inc. News Release
June 30, 2009
GIMLI, MB RECOGNIZED AS "FAIR TRADE TOWN"
Gimli, MB has been recognized as Canada’s sixth official Fair Trade Town, with the designation taking effect Canada Day, July 1st.
TransFair Canada, the national fair trade certification organization, bases its recognition of Fair Trade Towns on six criteria, such as a resolution being passed by the local political authority, the number of stores and cafes serving and selling fair trade products, and the establishment of a local fair trade committee to monitor adherence to and growth of fair trade in the community.
Over the past year, a local committee representing Municipal Council, students and teachers at Gimli High School, and town merchants has worked with Fair Trade Manitoba, a program of the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC), to achieve this recognition.
Several well attended public meetings were held in Gimli over the winter and spring with speakers on fair trade. Following presentations by the Fair Trade Committee, the Evergreen School Division (Gimli, Riverton, Arborg and Winnipeg Beach) and Community Futures East Interlake both resolved to move to use of fairly traded products.
An application for Fair Trade Town status was submitted to TransFair in May by the local committee. Fair Trade means that producers of agricultural and handmade products receive a fair return for their goods and work.
Most fair trade products are made in community or cooperative settings and pay a dividend back to the producer group for education and health care. There is no child labour involved in fair trade and most fair trade products are produced in an environmentally friendly way or are organic.
The RM of Gimli Council Resolution passed on fair trade included a broader perspective on green and ethical procurement, and on fostering relationships with communities in developing countries.
