Urban Hippie by Jen Lahey is published every second Tuesday at OttawaMagazine.com. Follow Jen on Twitter @Jen_Lahey.
Urban Hippies across Ottawa are tapping their feet with impatience, because we’re getting a brand new, highly enticing stomping ground. On September 15, the doors of Canada’s largest eco store will open, beckoning the environmentally, fashion, and design-aware to come and spend in the face of some 12, 000 items, all of them friendly to the environment.
terra20, located at 2685 Iris St. in the Pinecrest Mall, will boast home decor, kitchen goodies, baby items, clothing, makeup, and personal care items, and scads more, all of it under one roof.
Naturally, The Urban Hippie was itching to see this green mecca, and finangled her way into a sneak peek tour before the doors opened to the public. Able photographer John Kealey documents the ride as staff put the final touches in place.
Click on any image to view the slideshow of behind-the-scenes pictures:
Luminous glass in shades of green and blue adorns the soon-to-be-finished entry to terra20.
terra20 President Bill Stewart, who has reportedly been putting in just as long days as his employees, was on site, and even asked the Urban Hippie for her recipe for homemade lavender kitchen cleaner!
A sign spells out the store’s ideals. Every item for sale is also labelled with icons to show if the item is organic, cruelty-free, waste-reduced, chemical-free, sustainable, and more.
The ecobar section of the store features dispensers and sturdy, recyclable containers that you fill (and refill) with environmentally friendlier cleaning products that are mixed right on site.
Staff have been working long hours for weeks to get ready for opening day, including stocking the eco-friendly bedding section.
Kids items that are free of toxins and chemicals, and even environmentally friendly? Parental no-brainer.
The logos on these school supplies sums up the spirit of the place. (And terra20 carries a nice selection of adorable notebooks, too.)
All goods are put through a rigorous screening according to terra20’s exacting ethical and green standards, including Ottawa’s own Purple Urchin, creators of delightful body care products.
These summer-bright bamboo dishes are among the many kitchen items that foodies will covet.
Almost there. Shelves are in the process of being stocked ahead of the Sept. 15 opening.
At terra20, the personal care products are organized by type, not brand. Handy!
Product junkies, rejoice: the personal care section is the biggest in the store.
Spotted in the kids section: adorable puppets made from recycled sweaters.
