Earlier this week I was a guest on The Bill Good Show, a venerable local radio show here in Vancouver. There was the usual chat about the project, and then we took some calls from listeners.
Mr. Good was an excellent moderator of the phone lines. Earlier we had discussed my ongoing search for toilet paper that is sourced and manufactured in Canada. It’s a topic which never fails to delight the media.
We took a call from somebody who said he used to work at a local paper manufacturer in New Westminster, which I heard as “Cougar Paper”. He said they definitely made toilet paper from Canadian trees and wood pulp.
I noted down the name, and promptly went home to investigate. I googled, and did find a paper company, but they don’t have a plant in New Westminster, nor do they make toilet paper. I was foiled again.
Later in the week, though, I received a long and informative email from the good people of Kruger Paper. They did, in fact, have manufacturing facilities and a tree farm in New Westminster, and produced several brands of toilet paper. It turns out that they’ve been around since 1904, when Mr. Joseph Kruger opened a paper business in Montreal.
Success! I can now bask in the warm, smug glow of Purex EnviroCare, toilet paper entirely sourced and manufactured in Canada. They also make a couple of brands of paper towel, so that problem is solved as well.
Why did this take so long? Web searches were consistently disappointing. No one seems to be optimizing their website for people like me looking for “toilet paper made in Canada”. Even the aforementioned Purex product page doesn’t mention Canada. I then turned to the aisles of my local grocery stores, where I made an incorrect assumption. I stalked the aisles of Whole Foods and Choices, certain that they would be my best bets for earth-friendly and locally-made TP, as they have been for other products.
I was wrong, and should have instead started with the kitteny-softness (actually, the Purex EnviroCare is recycled toilet paper, so it’s more poodle than kitty) that is that familiar brand Purex.
Don’t you get Majesta brand toilet paper out there? It’s owned by Irving, and as far as I know made right here.
At least that’s my assumption.
https://majesta.com/content.aspx?id=358
Congrats on solving the puzzle!
I used to live in Queensborough (area of New West), and there was a tree farm at the end of my street. A little oasis of perfect rows of tall poplars. I always imagined making a maze through them. Wonder if that’s the same farm…
Congrats on your sucess! It’s on my shopping list now. (Plus I’m relieved to see that some of the pulp we produce does actually stay in Canada.)
We do get Majesta here – at such fine establishments as Walmart and Zellers. Maybe even Superstore which would fit with the Canada theme much better.
Hey Darren: there is also Cascades in Quebec that makes TP, tissue, papertowels, etc from recovered and recycled paper / fiber. here is their website if you want to check it out. and they do sell their products in BC.
https://www.cascades.com/site/tissue-paper/index.html
I’m starting to think that it’s easier to find Made in Canada products in Quebec than it is in BC.
majestic, Cascades are both made here and found in almost all stores, big or small.
We also have a good number of bath products made here as well, Bleu Lavandre is another great company and found in most of the major malls. They have wonderful lavender products made from QC lavender. Check them out, I’m sure you’ll love them
Did you ever look up Lemieux Eco-friendly cleaning products? Again another QC company.
Congrats by the way on getting more radio piblicity for the project!
Another great product – Made in Quebec – Credobags reusable organic cotton mesh produce bags. They replace the single use filmy plastic bags that we all hate at the Grocery store and Farmers Markets. The cotton of course isn’t grown in Canada, But the fabric is woven and the bags are sewn in Quebec.