Blog

The Graduation Event

Graduation convocation is a time of relief and happiness. I recently graduated from a teacher training program at Algonquin College. Last night, I attended my Convocation, and here’s what I took away from the Event: As a final, closing chapter in one’s studies, Convocation is amazing. You’ve arrived; All Graduates are nervous and unsure of what is going to happen at the Event — this is no problem as the Institution knows what it’s doing and will...

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Entrepreneurial Newcomers

Yesterday, I had the good fortune to have meetings with two relative newcomers to Canada and the Ottawa area. In speaking with them I reflected on their stories of immigration, business, and how they’ve made, or are making, an impact on the community through their endeavors. A couple of salient features of their stories resonated with me: Canada is a very stable country that holds great attraction for immigration from abroad. Public safety, education, banking,...

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Tea’s Growth Continues

In 2014, Specialty Black Tea saw an increase of 5% in the overall retail sales of tea in Canada (Euromonitor, 2015).  Specialty Tea is leading a surge in tea consumption fueled by changing tastes in consumer habits and demographics. The Specialty Tea industry in Canada has great opportunities, with higher-end teas making great strides. Specialty tea like Tea Campaign's single origin Darjeeling Black and Green tea are fine examples and are a protected Geographic Indication...

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North American Tea Growers

When one thinks of a known Tea Origin, India and China typically come to mind. Camellia Sinensis, however, has been grown in the Americas since the 18th Century, when the French botanist, André Michaux started a tea garden in South Carolina with cuttings taken from a tea shipment in 1799 (Walcott, 2012). In North America, tea cultivation has seen an expansion of interest among growers which culminated in the founding of the US League of...

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Ethically sourced, fair trade and organic, and Geographic Indication

Ensuring that a supply/value chain is in compliance with environmental law is complex enough to say nothing of social issues being added to the mix. Small wonder, then, do questions of customers having a deep understanding of this complexity amid an already supersaturated landscape of data dissemination often come up. Ethical labels are one solution to this problem, with marks providing a visual queue as to how products are sourced and sold. The problem is...

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Darjeeling Tea: Region and Quality

Darjeeling tea is often called the “Champagne of Teas” for a number of very good reasons. Located in the Northern part of West Bengal, Darjeeling is bordered by Sikkim in the north and Jalpaiguri in the southeast. Sharing a borders with Nepal, Bhutan, and a small area of Bangladesh, the area is ideally situated at the foothills of the Himalayas. Unlike, Assam, with its heartier (and larger) leaf, and maltier taste in the cup, the majority...

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On Business — It’s About Resilience + Passion

Recently, on a flight out West, I watched a niche coffee documentary on a Barista competition in the US. Here’s what I learnt: 1.   Culinary Coffee, as shown in the film, requires trial and error, with various concoctions not necessarily working out. In business, this is going to happen more often then naught. Acceptance of this fact,whether in coffee or business, is a must. 2.   Being positive in the face of adversity will...

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