July 2007

1Issue 73 - July 2007 The Source

A window into the world of RootsRootsRootsRootsRoots Issue 73 July 2007

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The Canada Collection shines under the big sky in Algonquin ParkROOTS GOES UP NORTHROOTS GOES UP NORTHROOTS GOES UP NORTHROOTS GOES UP NORTHROOTS GOES UP NORTH

Issue 73 - July 2007 2 The Source

SPECIAL DELIVERYA selection of recent letters from the world of Roots

I N S I D EI N S I D EI N S I D EI N S I D EI N S I D EI S S U E 73I S S U E 73I S S U E 73I S S U E 73I S S U E 73

The Source wants to hear from you.Please send your letters to Robert Sarner [email protected]. Letters may be editedfor length and clarity.

PublishersMICHAEL BUDMAN, DON GREEN

EditorROBERT SARNER

Editorial AssistantPAULOMI PATEL

InternCARLY ANDERSON

The Source is published every month byRoots Canada Ltd. We welcome lettersfrom readers for publication. Pleaseaddress all correspondence to TheSource, Letters to the Editor, RootsCanada, 1400 Castlefield Ave., Toronto,Ontario, M6B 4C4 or by email [email protected] Letters may be editedfor length and clarity.

Each issue of The Source is alsoavailable, in an abridged version, on theRoots website at www.roots.com

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In keeping with our new monthlypublishing schedule, the nextissue of The Source will appear inlate July.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

DepartmentsFRESH INK

GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

MOMENTS THAT MATTER

GREEN TIPS

HEALTH TIPS

STAYING POWER

WORDS OF THANKSOn behalf of everyone at FashionCares and the AIDS Committee ofToronto (ACT), we would like tothank Roots for the generous dona-tion to the Fashion Cares Boutique.

The new venue made way fora fabulous and exciting atmos-phere, and with the support ofRoots, we were able to create anamazing boutique experience forall patrons, volunteers and staff.

The generosity of Roots willalso allow ACT to continue con-fronting HIV/AIDS in the comingyear and beyond with prevention,education, support advocacy, and– most importantly – with com-passion. For instance, we con-tinue to offer aggressive HIV pre-vention programs in the commu-nity, with targeted programs formen, women, youth and affectedcultural communities.

Your support also enablesACT to provide programs for peo-ple living with HIV/AIDS andtheir loved ones, many of whomhave nobody else to turn to.

If you have any questionsabout Fashion Cares or aboutACT, please contact JasmineTaulla at 416-340-8484, ext. 249,or at [email protected].

Once again thanks for not justthinking about HIV/AIDS but foracting on it.Jasmine TaullaFashion Cares/ACT, Toronto

FOLLOWING UP...Just wanted to let you know I re-cently had a phone conversationfrom a customer by the name ofDonald Growing. He called, say-

ing he had had such a positiveexperience in our store that he feltit was only right to give us hisfeedback.

Mr. Growing was looked afterby Angela Staweki and MunmunDas. He had come into the storelooking for the Cooper Half Zip inan extra large but we were soldout. Angela and Mun called sev-eral stores to try to locate it forhim but with no success. As aresult, they took Mr. Growing’sphone number and did a productsearch through Head Office. Un-fortunately, despite their efforts,they could not find the desiredsweatshirt as it was sold out acrossthe country.

They called Mr. Growing to lethim know. Although he was disap-pointed by not being able to getthe sweatshirt, he was impressedby the follow-up of our associates.Mun told him she would call himas soon as they were available instock again.

Mr. Growing called to tell me hewas so appreciative of how he wastreated. He said he had to let meknow as good work often goes un-recognized. He felt the associateswent out of their way to assist himand provided “outstanding” cus-tomer service. He told me he wouldbe sure to come back in and buytwo sweatshirts when they becomeavailable.

Way to go girls!Kassandra LesniowskaStore Manager, Kitchener, ON

THE POWER OF A SMILERecently, in the weekly BeaverTales sent to the stores by Retail

Operations, the Quote of theWeek said that: “Customer Serv-ice is not a department. It’s anattitude.”

I couldn’t agree more andthat’s what we always try to prac-tice in our store. As such, it’s al-ways gratifying when we receivepositive customer feedback in ap-preciation of our approach. Theother day, we received a phone callfrom a customer asking to ex-change an item she had purchased.

During our conversation, shementioned how impressed shewas with the staff on duty whenshe had been in the store. It was aSunday and was a record-breakingday financially. The store was azoo. All three cash areas werelined up and there was a waitingperiod to cash out.

The customer said that whatimpressed her was that despite thenoise and crowd of shoppers, boththe cashiers and the young womanwho helped her were all smiling.She appreciated that they lookedlike they were really having fun.

I wanted to share how proud Iam of my management team andstaff for their hard work and forearning such a great comment,and a well-deserved one, duringsuch a busy time.Jamie QuinnManager, Niagara Falls, ON

CLIMBING TO THE TOPToronto’s Roots Central jumps tofirst place in sales among allRoots stores

YOUNG AND COMFORTABLERoots salt and pepper design getscolourful for babies

MAKING TRACKS FOR OTHERSRoots staff pull an all-nighter aspart of the Relay for Life

IN HONOUR OF THE GOVERNORRoots pays tribute to environmen-tal work of Arnold Schwarzenegger

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION…Producers use Roots store toshoot scenes for new movie

HEIDI KLUM HAS GOOD TASTESupermodel takes her favouriteFlat Bag with her while shopping

A GOOD FITRoots provides clothing forFitSpirit program

RAISING THEIR VOICE IN STYLECommunity choir shows Canadianspirit with Roots

BARBADOS TO DRESS INROOTS AT PAN-AM GAMESCaribbean country goes north toget the official outfitter for its team

THE SENSATION OF GOOD STYLERoots showcases fall collectionat Montreal fashion fest


ROOTS GOES UP NORTHThe Canada Collection shines under the big sky in Algonquin Park

Continued on next page

Talk about a winningrecipe! Bring togetherthe right ingredientsand the right people,and like with any-

thing you’re creating, it’s asafe bet that with such qualitycomponents the whole will begreater than the sum of theparts. That was certainly thecase recently when Rootstraveled to the place where itwas first conceived in 1973 –Ontario’s fabled AlgonquinPark – and that inspired thesuccess of the company.

The occasion was a photo-shoot for the new heritage-inspired Roots Canada Collec-tion, created in tribute to thecountry’s 140th birthday onJuly 1. The objective was toproduce images that not onlyshowcase the apparel but alsoevoke the spirit and sensibilitybehind its design.

Since it arrived in thestores, the Canada Collectionhas met with great success.Made in Canada, the themedline features cotton jerseyshorts and T-shirts, tanks,sueded fleece hoodies,sweatpants and stretch piquepolos. Designed by Women’sWear Designer Jules Power,along with graphics byStephanie Briers, each gar-ment comes with small patri-otic details including feltappliqués on the hoodies andbacksides of varsity sweats,

Canada Day crests as patches,and special enamel pins as aholiday gift with purchase.

Launched in time for theVictoria Day long weekendthroughout all Canadian stores,

the collection is available inwhite-grey mix, grey mix,white, harvest red and blackcolours. An original RootsCanada Day logo was createdfor the occasion and all items

come with an exclusivehangtag featuring this logo.

For a photo-shoot, it’s hardto go wrong when you com-bine great style, winning per-sonalities, exemplary talent,positive energy, a sense ofnaturalness and spontaneityand, of course, a place ofbreathtaking beauty such as theunspoiled wilderness ofAlgonquin Park.

In mid-June, Ilich Mejia,Senior Art Director and ChiefPhotographer at Roots traveledthree hours north from Torontoto Algonquin Park and theRoots Bonita Lodge. Thisserved as the base camp for theshoot. There, he joined forceswith Diane Bald, stylist for theproject, and Don Standfield, agifted photographer in his ownright who lives in AlgonquinPark and helped coordinate thewhole endeavour. Together,they planned the shoot thatwould be centered in andaround the timelessly photo-genic Bonita Lake.

The team was completedwith the two people who wereto be on the other side of thelens: Canadian Olympic goldmedalist Adam vanKoeverden, a master of thekayak, and student AlexBudman, who has spent mostof her summers in AlgonquinPark.

Adam van Koeverden, Alex Budman and Kingston at Bonita

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The shoot began early thenext morning and was com-pleted by sundown. It was anintense day spent in differentactivities on both land and onwater. No makeup or artificiallighting were used. Adam andAlex proved a perfect mix toshowcase the full range of theCanada Collection. The

clothes looked as if they weremade for them. In such a wil-derness setting, they perfectlyexuded the Roots style.

Everything came togetherbeautifully in a way that Rootsexcels — down to earth but upto date. Human and withoutpretense. Active, athletic, styl-ish. An approach that reflectsan appreciation and respect for

nature and the environment.Quality and integrity. A cel-ebration of the best of Canada.

“As soon as you arrive inAlgonquin Park, you immedi-ately understand why it’s hadsuch a strong influence on andinspiration for [Roots Co-Founders] Michael and Don,”says Ilich. “You feel why thisplace represents Roots so much.Being surrounded by such natu-ral beauty and tranquility, it justclicks right away. And, as a pho-tographer, the Park presents end-less possibilities in terms of thelight and nature. The settingnever dates.”

Although this was the firsttime Alex took part in such anintense and extended photosession, she proved a naturalbeauty, perfectly at ease withthe demands of such a project.Algonquin Park is her secondhome and Alex is attending asummer camp there again thismonth.

For his part, Adam has ap-peared in several Roots photo-shoots in recent years. A highly

accomplished athlete, he iscurrently enjoying a trium-phant season on the interna-tional kayaking circuit. Shortlybefore coming to AlgonquinPark, he returned from Europewhere he’s won six gold med-als in the 2007 World Cupkayak events in France andHungary since May.

In 2004, at the OlympicGames in Athens, Adam won agold medal in the men’s 500-metre kayak single and abronze medal in the 1,000-metre kayak single.

When he isn’t busy com-peting, training or attending tohis studies in kinesiology,Adam also serves as an ambas-sador for Right to Play and theDavid Suzuki Foundation andtakes part in various Rootsevents. In early June, he deliv-ered the valedictory address atthe McMaster University con-vocation ceremony for the Fac-ulty of Science in Hamilton,Ontario. Next year, Adam willbe representing Canada at theOlympics in Beijing. - R.S.

A view of Bonita Lake in all its glory

Some fall season items were also photographedOn the eve of the shoot, staff from nearby Camp Tamakwa

sat around the campfire at Bonita


SUPPORTING A NEW WINE INITIATIVEDan Aykroyd holds press event at Roots for his eco-friendly winery

This month, actor/comedianDan Aykroyd officiallylaunched his Discovery Se-

ries line of wines and announcedplans for the creation of the DanAykroyd Winery. At a press con-ference at the Roots flagshipstore in Toronto, Dan introducedthe first two wines – aChardonnay and a CabernetMerlot blend – in his name-branded wine portfolio.

Roots Co-Founder MichaelBudman took part in theevent, hosting both his long-time friend Dan, and MurrayMarshall, CEO, of DiamondEstates Wines and Spirits. Dia-mond Estates is building theDan Aykroyd Winery inBeamsville in southern On-tario’s Niagara Peninsula. Thegroundbreaking on the $12million, 45,000-square footwinery is scheduled for this

fall and will be operational inlate 2008. It’s designed by theaward-winning, Toronto-basedarchitectural firm of Moriyamaand Teshima.

“I am very proud to lendmy name to this winery,” saidDan, who was born in Ottawa.“It’s a true expression of mypassion for the world-classwines of the Niagara region.This amazing facility is a sym-bol of my ongoing commit-ment to helping sustain thegrowth of the Canadian wineindustry.”

The Dan Aykroyd Winery

will feature a multi-level hos-pitality building that will paytribute to the Niagara regionand to Dan’s 30-plus years ofwork in film, music and TV byshowcasing some of his fa-vourite memorabilia. Thewinery is designed with envi-ronmentally sustainable ele-ments including a geothermalheating and cooling system.

“Roots has always beenproud to be associated withDan Aykroyd and his manycreative endeavours,” saysMichael. “In addition to hisenormous talents, he’s a truefriend of Roots and a great sup-porter of Canada. He’s one ofthe best representatives ofCanada in his field and be-yond. His involvement in On-tario’s wine business willsurely take it to an excitingnew level.”

MAKING TRACKS FOR OTHERSRoots staff pull an all-nighter as part of the Relay for Life

In late June, employees fromseveral stores in Ontariowalked all night in their

respective cities for a worthycause. Starting at 7 p.m. on aFriday and ending at 7 o’clockthe next morning, the teamswere among hundreds partici-pating in the Canadian CancerSociety’s annual Relay forLife.

The overnight event fea-tured teams of 10 in a non-competitive 12-hour relay. Par-ticipants took turns running,walking or strolling around atrack while celebrating the sur-vival of cancer patients or pay-ing tribute to the lives of lovedones who had died from thedisease. Survivors were invitedto walk the first lap to cel-ebrate their courage, as lumi-naries representing those whohad lost the battle lit their way.

Toronto store managersJanet Braam from the Lodgeand Ellie Thiessen of theRosedale location have beenparticipating in the Relay forsix years with several staffmembers from their stores.

Employees from the St Clairlocation also took part in theToronto event which raisedmore than $206,000 in total,double the original goal.

Both Janet and Ellie havehad people in their lives af-fected by cancer, compellingthem to get involved with theTeam Recruitment Committee.Due to their long-standing sup-port, both received DedicationAwards at the Relay for Life

Opening Ceremonies.“I’m proud to be able to

volunteer with an organizationthat raises so much money forcancer research,” says Ellie.“If it weren’t for all those peo-ple who donate to the Cana-dian Cancer Society, my momwould not be doing as well asshe is today. Because of them,she can walk that track with allthe other survivors. Thank youto everyone who donates to

any type of cancer research.”Elsewhere in the province,

the Roots73 Outlet in Sarniaalso joined in the spirit. Led bycaptain Janice Payne, andfellow teammates CraigMacNeill, David Lenuzzi,Deb MacDonald and MarkDaley, the group raised morethan $600 for cancer research

“We would like to thankRetail Director RosemaryEisenhut for contributing toour fundraising,” says StoreManager Deb MacDonald.“Through the long night full ofloud bands and karaoke, wekept going until the early morn-ing. We hope to carry on thistradition year after year andshow our community that Rootshas its heart in the right place.”

Funds raised by the Relayfor Life finance researchprojects andhelp provideinformationand communitysupport serv-ices for peopleliving with can-cer.

Staff and friends from the Lodge, Rosedale and St Clair locations inToronto have a great time staying up all night to support cancer research

ON THE MOVENew appointments andpromotions at Roots•Janice Blair appointed Retail StoreSystems Support Analyst, Head Office•Jennifer Ferreira promoted to Man-ager, St. Clair, Toronto•Tracey Graham promoted to Man-ager, Oakville, ON•Michele Haugh promoted to Divi-sional Director, Roots 73, Women’sand Kids’ Wear, Head Office•Sergio Gomez promoted to Manager,Technical Services, Head Office•Jennifer Hogarty promoted to Buyer,Kids’ Wear, Roots 73, Head Office•Jesse Howell promoted to Key holderat Canada One Factory Outlet Mall,Niagara Falls, ON•Sacha Kaseram appointed AssistantStore Manager, Oakville, ON•Shyrose Kassam promoted to Vice-President of Roots 73/Outlets, Head Office•Lisa Moorhouse promoted to StoreManager, Sunnyside Mall, Bedford, NS•Sandy Mouselo promoted to PlanningManager, Recall, Roots 73, Head Office•Karen O’Hearon promoted to As-sistant Store Manager at Spring Gar-den Place, Halifax, NS•Judy Olmstead appointed Keyholder at Canada One Factory OutletMall, Niagara Falls, ON•Antra Reimanis appointed to AssistantStore Manager, Square One, Mississauga,ON

Dan Aykroyd and Murray Marshall


A GOOD FITRoots helps a worthy cause, providingclothing for FitSpirit

According to a recent sur-vey, more than 65% offemale teenagers in

Canada are inactive.This is a growingconcern brought tolight by FitSpirit, aToronto-based pro-gram that stresses theimportance of exer-cise for young girlsbetween the ages of13 and 17. Physical activityhelps prevent obesity and otherrelated health risks as well asincreases self-awareness andself-confidence.

In recent weeks, a femaledelegation of Olympic repre-sentatives and members of theHeart and Stroke Foundation,all clad in Roots active wear,visited high schools in Ontario

IN HONOUR OF THE GOVERNOR

In recognition of CaliforniaGovernor ArnoldSchwarzenegger’s environ-

mental leadership, Roots salutedthe former film star during histrade mission trip to Canada inlate May. Since taking office in2003, Mr. Schwarzenegger hasenacted some of the most pro-gressive environmental policies inthe world, especially on the issueof lowering greenhouse gases.

Roots pays tribute to environmental work of Arnold Schwarzenegger

It was largely due to hisenvironmental work that theEconomic Club of Torontopresented the Governor withits 2007 Newsmaker of theYear Award before 1,300 peo-ple at a luncheon at whichRoots was present. On his firstevening in Toronto, Roots Co-Founder Michael Budmanpresented Mr. Schwarzeneggerwith a specially made Roots

genuine leather bag, tanned inan eco-friendly process (vegeta-ble tanned). Michaelcommended the Governor, alongtime friend of Roots, forhis political courage and con-viction in making the environ-ment such a high priority of hisadministration.

“It was great to see the wayCanada welcomed Arnold dur-ing his visit,” says Michael,who first met the Governor inthe 1980s. “He’s justifiablyreceived a lot of praise for bothhis environmental vision andthe action he’s taken to back uphis words. We respect and obvi-ously support him in his driveto tackle the problem of globalwarming. We believe his mes-sage of ‘active optimism’ ismuch needed in dealing withthe environmental challengesthe world faces today.”

As part of its recent ad inthe National Post on the backcover of the Toronto magazine,Roots saluted Mr. Schwarze-negger for his environmentalwork and congratulated himfor his latest award.

CLOSING THE DEALStore manager Pauline Kourie makesa most impressive sale

Some mo-mentsare more

memorable than others. Inthe course of a week atRoots stores, there’s alwaysa particular highlight thatstands out. In mid-June, thestaff at Roots Central in Toron-to’s Eaton Centre had no trou-ble picking the highlight of thepast seven days.

On a Wednesday morning,a customer came in seekingitems for a corporate seminarinvolving internationalbusinesspeople. She wantedthem to be able to walk awayfrom their trip with the quin-tessential Canadian mementoof their time here.

Store Manager PaulineKourie seized the occasion,

makingvarioussugges-tions to thecustomer.In the end,she sold

more than $3,600 worth of mer-chandise: eight leather bags (themost popular being the VillagePacks) and 15 Canada backpacksfrom the Canada Day line.

“The customer walked inwanting gifts that representedCanada and I told them thatRoots is Canada,” saysPauline. “She was thrilled withthe purchases and really im-pressed at the great customerservice and how the store wasrun. It was incredible. ButRoots Central is, after all, aforce to be reckoned with.”

and Quebec where they gavemotivational workshops. So far,the program has reached nearly

4,500 students and hasbeen acclaimed for itsvital message and inno-vative format for fe-male teenagers.

The principles ofhealth, wellbeing andactive lifestyle for allages have always been

part of the Roots philosophy.“To give the opportunity toyoung women to expand theirhorizon and to discover newsports is extremely importantfor us,” says Don Green, Co-Founder of Roots. “The con-cept of FitSpirit is unique andwe are very proud to supportthem.” For more information, goto www. fitspirit.ca.

Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman presenting the Governor with apersonalized leather bag during his recent visit to Toronto

TOP MARKS

Talk about going fromstrength tostrength! InJune, RootsCentral at To-ronto’s Eaton

Centre had a banner month.This following a particularlystrong spring. So far this year,at the halfway point in 2007,Roots Central is leading all thecompany’s stores in terms ofsales revenue.

Indeed, summer is off to agreat start at Roots Central,which opened in 1998. With thewarm weather, foot traffic in thedowntown core has increasedconsiderably, with locals andtourists alike flocking to thisprime location.

The nice weather may bringpeople out but Store ManagerPauline Kourie and her staffhave a winning way engagingcustomers that makes all thedifference in the retail world.This and the stylish summer-wear created by the Roots de-sign team go hand in hand inattracting newcomers and lur-ing veteran ones to keep re-turning to their favourite storein the downtown mall.

Sale of the week at Central


WHAT INITIATIVE IS ALL ABOUTRoots Lodge sets great example in energy conservation

Roots has long demon-strated a strong commit-ment to the environment

but is always looking to domore. In that spirit, staff at theRoots Lodge in Toronto havetaken the initiative to carry outnew eco-friendly measures.

Store employees have chal-lenged one another to use onlyreusable plastic plates and cof-

fee cups for lunch. They havehelped assess in-store lightingand the Lodge has now reducedthe number of energy-sappinglight fixtures by 12 units. Inaddition, they put up friendly,hand-made signs to remind eve-ryone to turn off lights when-ever possible, such as in bath-rooms and stockrooms.

Inspired by an energy con-

servation flyer sent to businessesby Ontario Hydro, Store Man-ager Janet Braam felt it fit rightin with Roots environmentallyfriendly policies. She decided toimplement it with her staff as afun, cost-saving challenge andaims for a 10% reduction.

“I’ve always felt that animportant part of energy con-servation is done on an indi-vidual basis,” says Janet.“Every small change each per-son makes can have a hugeimpact overall. At store level,Roots is all about the environ-ment and our impact upon it.This helps us to further prac-tice what we preach. It’s goodfor the environment and goodfor the company.”

In late June, the Head Of-fice sent a memo to all storeswith a list of suggestions onhow to conserve energy andlessen the environmental im-print of each location. At thesame time, stores were alsoinvited to add eco-friendlyideas for the project.

BEING A MEMBER HAS ITS PRIVILEGESFounders get new Roots jackets inspired by legendary hockey teams

Next season, the WesternHockey League will wel-come a new team with a

fabled past. The Edmonton OilKings will be the fourth incar-nation of the team to play out ofEdmonton in the past 40 years.

With the rebirth of theteam comes a new logoand new clothing designsby Roots inspired by il-lustrious Canadian ath-letes of yesteryear. Peoplejoining the Oil KingsFounders Club receive anexclusive team jacket de-signed and handcraftedby Roots at its state-of-the-art leather factory in To-ronto. The project was coordi-nated by David Jackson, Ac-count Manager in the Busi-ness-to-Business Department.

Fashioned in red with ac-cents of white, blue and gold;each jacket is hand-cut and

made of Melton wool withleather stripe inserts and 100%cotton knit cuffs and waist-band. The chest features anembroidered with the crest ofthe Oil Kings, which includeshistorical elements in its de-

Edmonton Investors Group(who also own and operate theNHL’s Edmonton Oilers).

Designs were inspired fromjackets worn by the EdmontonMercurys who took home thegold medal at the Oslo Winter

Olympics in 1952 and thepodium jackets (made byRoots) worn by the 2002Canadian Olympic HockeyTeam that won gold in SaltLake City.

“I love working with theRoots leather factory as youcan see the time and carethat go into developing prod-ucts from the ground up,”

says David Jackson. “ It’s anamazing process. The OilKings Founders Club memberswho will be receiving thesejackets can be extremely proudto own and wear them as theyare Canadian, made just liketheir organization.”

sign. The crown was the high-light on the original crest, whilethe nine crown jewels symbolizethe nine trips to the MemorialCup. The oil drop representsAlberta’s booming oil industryand references the modern dayownership of the team by the

FRESH INKA selection of coverageof Roots in the media

Here aresome recentsightings ofRoots in thepages ofnewspapersand maga-zines and

on television:• Glow, July/August issue: Spotlight on theRoots Village Bag and the Melinda clutch.• National Post, June 23. RetailTherapy editor Nathalie Atkinsonfeatured the Lauren Bag in her Obses-sion of the Week column.• Canada’s Next Top Model, June:Roots Los Angeles-based photographerMike Rosenthal was seen wearing themen’s striped scarf during his guest spot.• The Globe and Mail, June 16. Articlecited the Roots Utility Capri. Also, thewomen’s cargo shorts were featured inthe regular Knockoff column as anaffordable alternative to the costlyDKNY version.• CFTO-TV News, June 14. Actor DanAykroyd shown at his press conferenceat Roots announcing his new winery andlaunch of his new line of wines.• US, June 11. Actor/model Heidi Klumfeatured wearing a black Roots Flat Bag.• Malaysia Business Times, June 11. Articleon opening of first Roots stores in Malaysia.• The Globe and Mail, June 9. Men-tions the Roots silver purse in ‘Thefuture of sport is sleek’ section.• Toronto 24 Hours, June 8, Vancou-ver 24 Hours, June 8, Fashion maga-zine, June 4: Spotlight on the RootsVillage Napsack in the ‘FashionLoves, Sunny Delight’ section.• Vancouver 24 Hours, June 7. Articleabout the employees of the VancouverAirport Authority receiving a Rootsleather bag or jacket as a gift for theVAA’s 15th anniversary.• The National Post, June 7. HeidiKlum seen carrying around a RootsVenetian Village Bag.• The Jewish Magazine, June: RootsCamp featured in their Super CampPacking Guide section.• Toronto Life, June: Spotlight on theRoots vegetable-tanned café bag in the‘It’s Easy Being Green’ section.• Green Living, June issue: MentionsRoots organic bedding in the DreamGreen Bedding section.• Globe and Mail, May 31. Spotlighton Roots partnering with Torontojewellery label IceRok to launch Herit-age Collection of nature-chic pendantsand charm sets.• Metro, May 25. Article mentions thatEric Mabius, the Ugly Betty actor, wasat Roots flagship store in Toronto forthe Rethink Breast Cancer FashionTarget launch party.• Fashion, May issue: Mentions RootsFlat bag in the Fashion File Trend section.• Where Toronto, May: Article recom-mends Roots as being a place forcasual clothes.• Wish, April: Spotlight on the Rootsnative organic pima cotton queen flatsheet and standard pillow case avail-able at Roots Home. Also, mentionsRoots cotton striped tank top andRoots Café bag..• Flare, April: Roots beach bucket ingold featured in the ‘hot picks’ section.

- Compiled by Carmela Ledo

Staff members from Roots Lodge do their part for the environment

An exclusive design for the Founders Club


THE SENSATIONOF GOOD STYLEShowcasing fall collectionat Montreal fashion fest

For the third year in a row, Roots partici-pated in the annual Sensation Modefashion and design festival in Montreal.

Launched in 2001, this year’s 5-day outdoorevent began in-mid-June and concluded onSunday, coinciding with the Canadian GrandPrix weekend. It put the spotlight on Quebecand other Canadian talent in fashion and de-sign, strengthening Montréal’s reputation asan international style centre.

Styled by Nella Walker, Director of De-sign, Roots showcased its upcoming fall collec-tion along with new fall leather bags and jack-ets. The Roots presence at Sensation Mode wascoordinated by Kim Court-Hampton, Execu-tive Assistant to Michael Budman, and GinetteFillion, Regional Manager, Quebec.

In August, for the first time, Roots willalso participate in the Sensation Mode fash-ion show in Toronto.


BARBADOS TO DRESS INROOTS AT PAN-AM GAMES

The island nation of Barba-dos is heading to the2007 Pan-American

Games this month with auniquely Canadian style. The100-person delegation will beoutfitted exclusively by Rootswith patriotic athletic gearfashioned in blue, white andyellow, the colours of the Bar-bados flag.

The uniforms feature men’sand ladies’ polos, shorts, trackjackets and pants and traveljackets and pants. Accessories

include duffle bags, villagepacks and baseball caps, allcomplete with a Barbadoscrest. Celso Afonseca, ProductCoordinator in the Business-to-Business Department at theHead Office, oversaw theproject, which follows a simi-lar collaboration between Bar-bados and Roots for the 2004Summer Olympics in Athens.

The 15th Pan-AmericanGames will be held July 13-29in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sec-ond in size only to the Olym-pics, the Pan-Am Games areheld every four years, involving42 countries, 33 sports andmore than 5,500 athletes. Itsmission is to strengthen tiesamong all people of the Ameri-cas and to promote the develop-ment of sport on the continent.

A MEETING OF MINDSRoots supports eclectic gathering forfifth straight year

In late June, Roots helpedkick off Idea City 2007, anannual conference that

brings together major achiev-ers from the fields of business,the arts, science, medicine,technology, media and more.As one of the official sponsorsof this event, Roots providedcustom-made Idea City leatherbags and discount coupons asgifts for participants.

Produced in the Roots

leather factory in Toronto, thebags sported the Roots logoalong with this year’s Idea Cityemblem.

The conference is thebrainchild of long-time friendof Roots Moses Znaimer, Co-founder and former presidentof City-TV. More than 500delegates and 50 speakers -representing the leading lightsin their respective fields - at-tended the three-day forumthat took place at the IsabelBader Theatre in downtownToronto. For more informa-tion, go to www.ideacityonline.com

GOOD CAUSE WITH THERoots takes part in charity golf tournament

Caribbean country goes north to get theright official outfitter for its team

FINE PRINTRoots employees in Whistler read for charity

Starting in late June, em-ployees and patrons ofRoots in Whistler, British

Columbia were being encour-aged to crack open a book fora good cause. The WhistlerReads Challenge is aimed atfostering the growthof a broader literarycommunity in the re-gion through friendlycompetition. Localbusinesses are askedto demonstrate theirreading skills and getas many staff and pa-trons as possible toread a chosen book by the endof the summer. Each team can‘throw down the gauntlet’ andchallenge other local groups.

The Roots Whistler crew,led by Assistant Manager

Melissa-Anne Stentiford, ac-cepted the challenge and isencouraging all staff and cus-tomers to pick up JenSookfung Lee’s End of East. AVancouver native, Lee’s bookfocuses on three generations of

the Chans, a Chinese-Canadian family, set inVancouver’sChinatown.

Founded in 2005,Whistler Reads is abook club focused onthe ‘one book-one city’idea. Group discussionsoccur on the first Thurs-

day of every odd month andoften include the presence ofthe author either in person orvia telephone. Twoonie dona-tions are being collected forThe Literacy Foundation.

A preview of the stylish gear to beworn by the Barbados athletes

Roots Whistler

In late June, hun-dreds teed off atthe Angus Glen

Golf Course inMarkham, Ontario tobenefit the WayneGretzky Foundation’sAnnual Charity GolfClassic. KarlKowalewski, Direc-tor of Leather atRoots, presented TheGreat One with a giftin appreciation of themany contributionshe’s made to the community.

Wayne was given the newRoots Arnold athletic bag,named for Roots friend Califor-nia Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger who also re-cently received the bag (Seepage 6). Wayne’s wife Janet wasgiven a custom-made white

Prince Lauren leathertote with gold hard-ware and the newUptown bag in shinywhite Verince leatherwith gold hardware.

Tournament spon-sors also receivedRoots bags donatedfor the occasion. Morethan 160 leatherSuitor Bags weregiven out, each per-sonalized with theGretzky Foundation

logo embroidered on one sideand the Roots emblem on theother.

Funds raised at the event willhelp underprivileged youngstersin North America to experiencehockey, both as participants inamateur play and as spectatorsat NHL games.

Wayne and Karl


In early June, staff and shop-pers at the famous West Ed-monton Mall were pleasantly

surprised to see actors TimCurry, Patrick Swayze, ChrisKattan and Carmen Electra atthe Roots store shooting scenesfor a new movie Christmas inWonderland.

Hours earlier, the staff hadtransformed the store to have awinter theme with speciallydressed mannequins helping tocreate the holiday atmosphere.

Christmas in Wonderland isabout three children who movefrom L.A to Edmonton withtheir father. When they goshopping at the West Edmon-ton Mall, they find counterfeitcash, inadvertently help catchsome crooks, and later make adiscovery about Santa Claus.

RAISING THEIR VOICE IN STYLECommunity choir shows Canadian spirit with Roots

• Please send us details of similar goodnews and we’ll be happy to publish it in TheSource (email: [email protected])

MOMENTSTHAT MATTERBig developments inthe life of Roots staff

• Nicole McQuoid, Sales Asso-ciate in East Point, NB, com-pleted her Bachelor of Sciencedegree with a major in MarineBiology at the University of NewBrunswick, St. John Campus.• Karen O’Hearon, AssistantStore Manager at Spring GardenMall, Halifax, NS, has a newbaby niece. Georgia Marie Nel-son was born May 30.• Sue Stewart, long-time em-ployee and part-time keyholder at Quinte Mall,Belleville, ON recently gavebirth to a baby boy namedLocklind Stewart.

The Niagara region isbursting with song, andRoots is playing a role.

On two successive weekendsin June, the Young Singers ofNiagara performed in the re-gion. The choir, (made up of80 children from the area)sang at the inauguration ofthe Healing Garden in TheHotel Dieu Shaver Health

and Rehabilitation Center inSt. Catharines.

In keeping with their Ca-nadian theme, all children inthe choir wore Roots CanadaT-shirts in an initiative coor-dinated by Kristi Lee, Man-ager of the St. Catharinesstore and Jamie Quinn fromthe Niagara Falls outlet.

“They not only sounded

great, but they looked evenbetter,” says Kristi.

Founded in 2003, theYoung Singers of Niagaraperforms a wide repertoirefeaturing contemporary, clas-sical and religious music. Thechoir puts on several majorconcerts each year with pro-ceeds going to various chari-ties in the region.

GOOD VIBESJodi King performs new album at Roots

In mid-June, several Rootslocations in and aroundWinnipeg played host to in-

store performances from localsinger/songwriter Jodi King.The shows included tracksfrom her new acoustic EP,which features a stripped backvocal styling and emphasis onpiano-led melodies. Oftencompared to KT Tunstall andCorinne Bailey Rae, Jodi’ssongs express a wide range ofemotion from introspective topop and upbeat.

“I think there is room formusic that’s honest, unpreten-tious and uplifting,” says Jodi,who first performed at Rootslast year. “That’s what I do bestand that’s what I want to shareas far and as wide as possible.”

In August, Jodi will beginon a 10-day cross-Canada tripplaying most major Roots lo-cations as part of “Back-to-School Tour.”Jodi’s EP can be purchased onlineat iTunes or via www.jodiking.comand www.maplemusic.com.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION…Producers use Roots store in Edmonton toshoot scenes for new movie

GeorgiaMarieNelson

Jodi King performing songs from her latest acoustic EP

In the photo above: Back: MichaelRohanchuck; middle row (left to right):actor Preston Lacy, actor Chris Kattan,Manita Bains, Jason Stromberg; frontrow (left to right): actors MichaelKnight and Amy Schlagel

The Christmas in Wonderland cast pick up Roots products during theirbusy filming schedule

In a sea of maple leafs from Roots, the Niagara Children’s Choir perform


GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED INTaking attendance of special guests at Roots stores

MUSICAL ROOTSThis month, we spotlight singer Amy Winehouse

THE ROOTS TOP 10A guide to the sounds ofRoots for the month of July

HEIDI KLUM HASGOOD TASTESupermodel takesher favourite FlatBag while shopping

A few weeks ago, super- model, actor and TV host

Heidi Klum was spotted wear-ing a Roots Flat Bag whilestrolling in the Meat PackingDistrict of New York with herchildren. She did not go unno-ticed by the media. Heidi wascaptured in photos that werewidely seen on the internet andin the press including in Usmagazine. (Go to see her sport-ing a black Village Bag withgold hardware. <http://www.roots.com/index.php?/canada/content/blogcategory/39/126/lang,en/>)

Several days earlier, shehad bought three Roots bags atthe Los Angeles store.

1. Tears Dry On Their Own, AmyWinehouse2. Your Joy, Chrisette Michele3. My Moon, My Man, Feist4. Makes Me Wonder, Maroon 55. Way I Are, Timbaland Feat.Keri Hilson & D.O.E6. Valerie, Mark Ronson Feat.Amy Winehouse7. Big Girls Don’t Cry, Fergie8. Back To My Roots, Steel Pulse9. Tell Me What We’re GonnaDo, Joss Stone Feat. Common10. I Wish I Didn’t Miss YouAnymore, Angie Stone• Compiled by Davin Bujalski

Celebrities have long made a point of shopping at Roots. Here are thelatest sightings of prominent figures from the world of entertainmentand sports who visited Roots stores recently:

· 100 Bloor St., Toronto – Academy Award nominee actor for Little MissSunshine, Abigail Breslin visited the flagship store; Singer Deborah Cox,in town for the recent opening of the new wing of the Royal Ontario Mu-seum, stopped by the store; former star of Beverly Hills 90210, Tori Spell-ing and husband, Dean McDermott visited the store.· Centreville, Montreal – Actor Steve Carell, star of The 40 Year Old Vir-gin, was in town filming a movie with Anne Hathaway when he shopped atthe store. Buying a few sweaters, he recounted memories of playing hockeyin Montreal. Both their stunt doubles also shopped at Centreville in recentdays.

Embracedfor her rug-ged charm

and bold senseof humour, tosay nothing ofher distinctivelysoulful voice,AmyWinehouse hasoften been com-pared to legen-dary singersBillie Holiday and SarahVaughan. With one platinum-selling album under her belt(Frank, 2003) and her latestalbum, (Back To Black, 2007),heating up the charts, the nameAmy Winehouse is sure to bearound for a while.

Amy is a new breed of vo-calist emerging from the UK.She was born to a taxi drivingfather and a pharmacist motherin Southgate, North London in1984. From a young age, shewas surrounded by music, es-pecially jazz. Many of her fam-ily members from her mother’sside were professional jazzmusicians with successful ca-reers. At home, she was con-stantly listening to her parent’srecord collection of Dinah

Washing-ton, EllaFitzgeraldand FrankSinatra. Asshereached herteens, shewas drawnto thesounds ofAmericanR&B artists

such as TLC, Salt-N-Pepa,Carole King and MinnieRipperton. The diverse range ofmusic she was brought up withhelped shape the sound she isnow known for.

At age 16, after being ex-pelled from theatre school fornot applying herself, Amy be-gan singing professionally. Herclose friend, British singerTyler James handed off herdemo tape to an A&R rep whohappened to be searching for ajazz vocalist. Soon enough, shehad signed a recording contractwith Island/Universal Records.

In 2003, Amy released herdebut album Frank, a mix ofjazz, pop, soul and hip-hop, torave reviews and garnered sev-eral awards. Following her

success, articles started ap-pearing in the media reportingon her supposedly wild andboisterous behaviour. Herrecord label and managementcompany suggested that Amyenter into rehab for her alcoholabuse. Instead, Amy droppedher management company andwent on to write “Rehab”, thelead single from her currentalbum Back To Black. Filledwith the sounds of 1950s and60s rock, R&B and soul, BackTo Black has received greatacclaim.

Amy Winehouse is cur-rently touring in support of thealbum. She was also recentlyasked to write and record thetheme song for the next JamesBond movie. In April she ac-cepted a different kind of pro-posal from James Fielder-Civil. They were married inMiami in a small, private cer-emony.

To hear the good sounds ofAmy Winehouse, listen toRoots Radio.• For more information on her,visit: http://www.amywinehouse.co.uk/ or http://www.myspace.com/amywinehouse

- Davin Bujalski

Abigail Breslin Deborah Cox Dean McDermott, Tori SpellingSteve Carell


GREEN TIP #38Easy ways to help theenvironment

HEALTH TIP #35Easy ways to stay healthy

As part of our continuing series of team pictures of all the stores in the Roots retail family, this issueof The Source is shining the spotlight on the Centreville store in Montreal. From left to right: Left to

right: Sandra Thiel, Marcel Gingras, Brigitte Misserey, Jocelyn Lemaire, Angie Ello, Aran Pamplona, DanielGarcia, Julien Casazant, Adjani Franco, Corina Shmidt, Renal Tingue, Suzy Almaeda, Deena Jacobs

STARTING LINEUPIntroducing the people who make it happen at Roots stores

SPEAK TO MY AGENTThe littlest customers show their Roots

You’re never too young to lookgood in Roots. Many people

obviously agree, based on the mailwe receive at the Head Office.Both customers and staff oftensend in photos of their children,cousins, nieces, nephews, grand-children, friends neighbours oreven pets wearing Roots, asking ifthey could appear in a future adcampaign for Roots.

We can’t promise that but earlierthis year The Source started pub-lishing a selection of such pictures ona regular basis. Everyone is welcometo submit their favourite shots.

Please send your photos [email protected] Be sureto include the name and age ofeach child or pet in the photo,and a sentence stating that youagree for the photos to be used inThe Source.

Georgia Marie Nelson, 1 month, Halifax, NSGucci, 18 months, Winnipeg, MB

Rinse no more: According toConsumer Reports, pre-rinsingdishes does not necessarily im-prove a dishwasher’s ability toclean them. By skipping the washbefore the wash, you can save upto 20 gallons of water perdishload. At one load a day, that’s7,300 gallons over the course ofthe year. Not to mention thatyou’re saving time, dishwashingsoap, and the energy used to heatthe additional water. Source: Vanity Fair magazine

Secrets of the evergreen: In an-cient times, Taoists living in themountains of China observed thatduring snowy winters the onlyplants showing vitality were ever-greens such as pines. Throughexperimentation, they found atherapeutic use for every part ofthe pine tree: a physical and men-tal energy boost from pine needletea and bark tea, antimicrobialproperties in sap, and sustenancefrom pine nuts as a food. Sincethen, the pine has become a sym-bol of longevity in Chinese cul-ture.

A potent antioxidant in pinecalled pycnogenol protects en-dothelial cells (which make up thelining of the blood vessels andheart) from free radical damage,serves as an anti-inflammatory,and preserves healthy skin struc-ture. It’s one of only a few antioxi-dants that cross the blood-brainbarrier, protecting brain cells fromthe ravages of free radicals in theblood. Pycnogenol is available indietary supplement form, but thesame beneficial flavonoids can beobtained by eating pine nuts. Source: Secrets of Longevity byDr. Maoshing Ni

Jordyn Dallas Nelson, 2 months, Toronto


PRACTICAL STYLETwo bags in one with Reversible Beach Tote

With the temperature soaring, a good way to beat

the heat this summer is to headto the beach. Make it easierwith the new fully ReversibleBeach Tote by Senior Acces-sories Designer LynneMorris. It providesroomy practi-cality andversatilestyle witha choiceof stripesor floralpatternsdepend-ing onyourmood.

Made in India of 100% cot-ton canvas, the ties and trimare accented in real leather.The stitched and folded han-dles are long and fashioned toallow for optimum comfort.

Small inside tabs snap togetherfor added security and shieldthe interior detachable clutchpurse from sand and surf.

The clutch is large enoughto fit personalitems such as asmall wallet, cellphone and sun-glasses. It allowsa more portableway to storeyour valuablesas you go for an

icecreamcone,whilehav-

ing the tote guardyour spot in the

sun.The Reversible Beach Tote

is currently available in 40 lo-cations across Canada.Retail price: $68

A guide to just-launched Roots productsNEWNEWNEWNEWNEW & & & & & NOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHY

THE HOT LISTA fast look at what’s flyingoff the shelves at Rootsstores· Village Prince Bag· VenetianVillagePrince Bag· Men’sParksidepique polo· Men’sCampgraphic tees· Women’s modal rib tank· Women’s long rib Canada tank· Women’s sugar slub tee· Women’s long sleeve Camp tee· Women’s vintage graphic Canadatee· Women’s Roots athletic tee· Women’s basic kanga hoody· Women’s Love kanga hoody· Women’s warm up cuffed pant· Women’s Canada athletic jerseyshort· Women’s Roots OriginalSupercrop· Women’s Roots Original Croppedsweatpant· Stop Global Warming bracelet· Roots Mints· Roots Eco-Bag· Crocs Beach Clog

YOUNG AND COMFORTABLERoots salt and pepper design getscolourful for babies

The popular speckled-fleecegets an infant-friendly

makeover with the CooperOverdye Roots Crew andSweatpant. The salt and pepperfabrication goes through a sec-ond dye bath to reveal a morevibrant shade featured incheeky pink or infinity blue.

The traditional Roots Herit-age beaver print is featured onthe chest and also on the hip.Now available in stores acrossCanada and the United States,the comfortable cotton/polyes-

THE WOMEN’S ECO-POLONew environmentally friendly addition to successful polo line

Due to the popularity of theGwen Pique Polo line this

spring, Designers Jules Powerand Joanne Joseph have cre-ated a new collection forwomen fusing a classic style inan environmentally friendlymanner.

Made of 97% organic cot-ton and 3% spandex fabric, thenew Women’s Eco-Polo main-

tains a slim, clean aestheticwith a simple beaver patch onthe left chest. The cotton andspandex combination makesthis fabric soft and gives it astretchable property. In addi-tion, the use of organic cottonalso makes this product envi-ronmentally friendly while be-ing fashion forward at thesame time. A double raw edge

hem along the bottom addssubtle natural detailing.

The polo comes in six newcolours: retro red, coral sunset,jade, English mustard, nauticalnavy and burnt ochre. The eco-line launches in time for fallwith select colours availableacross Canada and the UnitedStates.Sizes: XS-XL; Retail price: $38

ter fleece garments have softribbed neck, arm and leg open-ings and an elasticized waist.- Sizes: S-5T; Retail price:Crew: $29.95, Sweatpant:$24.95


Documents

July 2007