The Barrie Fair Trade Town Initiative

The Fair Trade Towns initiative is new to Canada, adapted from the international campaign initiated in the United Kingdom. By becoming a Fair Trade Town we are confirming our community's commitment to supporting the principles of Fair Trade, and improving the livelihoods of millions of farmers and workers in the global South who benefit from the Fair Trade certification system.

To become a Fair Trade Town, our community must achieve the goals outlined below. These goals encourage access to Fair Trade Certified products in the community, as well as increasing education and public awareness on the issue of Fair Trade.

The Barrie Fair Trade Working Group (BFTWG) has set and objective for Barrie to qualify as a Fair Trade Town by May 1st, 2010. It is planned that an official announcement take place during international Fair Trade Weeks (May 1st to 15th) in 2010.

Fair Trade Towns — a Brief History

The concept of a Fair Trade Town was established in the UK in 1999 when local members of Oxfam in Garstang England decided to elevate local awareness of Fair Trade by establishing the concept of a Fair Trade Town. The campaign won the support of local businesses, churches, schools, town council and the local media.

A criteria for qualification as a Fair Trade Town was created and made dependent on the number of retail stores and cafés supplying Fair Trade products in comparison with the population. There was also a requirement for support from local faith groups, schools and the town council.

Upon satisfying the criteria, in 1999, town council declared Garstang a Fair Trade Town.

By 2006 there were more than 200 Fair Trade towns in the UK and by 2009 this number had grown to 400, including Dublin, London and Edinburgh. Fair Trade Towns were also appearing throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand and United States. San Francisco qualified in May 2009.

In Canada, Wolfville, Nova Scotia was declared, by town council, as Canada's Fair Trade Town in 2007. Additional smaller communities such as, La Peche QC, Port Colborne ON, Gimli MB, and Golden, B.C. were added in 2009, but to date no cities of any significant size. More information is available at www.fairtradetowns.org and www.transfair.ca

Requirements for Barrie to Qualify as a Fair Trade Town

Listed below are the six key requirements for Barrie to qualify as a Fair Trade City.

1. The local council uses Fair Trade Certified products and supports the Fair Trade Towns campaign.

   Status: In May 2009, the coffee machine in the City Hall lunch room was replaced with a new machine that promotes as well as provides Fair Trade coffee. See Photo.

2. Stores & Cafes serve Fair Trade Certified products. The number of stores and cafes is prorated to population. For Barrie, population 130,000, there is a requirement of 26 retail stores and 13 cafes.

   Status: The Barrie Fair Trade Working Group has documented that a least 26 retail stores and 12 cafes comply. See Fair Trade Suppliers PDF.

3. Community organizations, faith groups, & schools use and promote Fair Trade Certified products.

   Status: Numerous, diverse segments of the Barrie community actively promote Fair Trade products. These include Georgian College, Barrie North Collegiate, Barrie Central Collegiate, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Central United Church, The YMCA, The Barrie Library, The MacLaren Art Centre, The Huronia Symphony, The Rotary, Kiwanis and many more. See News & Events, and Photo Gallery for more information.

4. Public awareness events and media coverage promote Fair Trade and the campaign

   Status: Almost every month for the past several years, Fair Trade has been promoted somewhere in the Barrie Community. This website documents events at Kempenfest, City Hall, Georgian Mall, Bayfield Mall, as well as numerous presentations and workshops at schools, churches and community meetings. Many of these events have received newspaper and TV coverage.

5. A local steering committee is created to maintain commitment to Fair Trade promotion.

   Status: The Barrie Fair Trade Working Group was established in 2005 by Bob Jowett and Bruce Morton. The organization meets monthly and assists with the planning and implementation of Fair Trade promotions in the Barrie community. The organization also maintains this website and communicates with the national organization TransFair Canada.

6. Other ethical and sustainable purchasing and consumption initiatives are promoted within the community.

   Status: In May of 2009 the City of Barrie created a new By-Law 2009-076 that incorporated Green (Sustainable) and Fair Trade requirements into the City of Barrie procurement policy. In addition, the City of Barrie and the BFTWG have partnered with the Barrie Living Green organization to promote sustainable consumption and purchasing.

For further details download the Fair Trade Towns Action Kit (PDF: 1.8MB).

How I Can Help

Write a letter to:

The Mayor, Members of Council of the City of Barrie and Circulation List.
City Clerk's Office
The City of Barrie
70 Collier Street, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 4T5

Request that the City of Barrie pursue and achieve Fair Trade Town status as per the requirements of TransFair Canada by May 1st, 2010.

Download a sample letter in .doc format.