Holiday Train is Coming to Town

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train hits the rails, tomorrow (November 28) for it's three week journey cross-country collecting food and money for local food banks and raising awareness in the fight against hunger. 

The decorated train will be in Windsor at 5:30 pm on December 3rd at the CP yard at Erie St W & Janette St.

To entertain those in attendance will be Doc Walker and Kingston native, Miss Emily who has recently performed at Ottawa Bluesfest and Bobcaygeon Big Music Fest where she shared the stage with The Tragically Hip, Sam Roberts Band and the Trews.

Please bring non-perishable food items.

The following is a list of the most needed food items (source:  Food Banks Canada)

Most needed food items

• Pasta products & Rice 

• Canned meats and fish

• Dry and canned soups & stews

• Canned fruit & vegetables

• Breakfast cereal

• Peanut butter

• Canned/Powdered milk

• Fruit Juices

• Pasta Sauce

• Beans & Legumes

• Baby Food

Black Friday, eh?

Black Friday is the name given to the day following the American Thanksgiving.  Traditionally it's the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  On this day, most major retailers open extremely early and offer promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season, similar to the post Christmas Boxing Day sales here in Canada.  It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year.

The day's name originated in Philadelphia by the Police Department, because the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic which would occur on the day after Thanksgiving.  The term has been in use prior to 1961 and began to see broader use outside of the Philadelphia area around 1975.  As time went on, the term received an alternative explanation.  Black Friday began to indicate a point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or as bookkeepers call it, be "in the black".

As Canadians in a border city, this explanation should help make our decision easier to keep our money in this city.  Knowing now what the term "Black Friday" means, which merchants would you like to see "in the black", the ones across the border or the ones in your own hometown?

Let's make our own Black Friday  a success.

Happy shopping Canada, eh!

O Canada eh, Clip Art by Phillip Martin

Black Friday Shopping: Local vs. State-side

In today's Windsor Star, they ran a poll asking whether Windsorites will be shopping locally or going stateside on Black Friday, which is November 23.  It's called Black Friday because that is when retailers expect to sell enough merchandise to put their business "in the black".  Some merchants count heavily on this day for their survival.

Personally, I would shop in Windsor as I always do.  I like getting to know the retailers and putting my money back into my community.  It surprised me however, to see such a large number of the pollsters opting to take their money across the border.  Of the 46 who voted,  over 41 per cent selected shopping in the U.S.  Of the people I know personally who shop in Michigan, the reasons vary from cheaper goods to bigger selection.  I suppose it depends on what you want and how selective you are with the quality of the goods.

If you were to answer the question,  "Are you going to shop here of go to the U.S. for Black Friday?", what would your answer be and what are the reasons behind your answer?