What can I find at your store?

The store has a lot of things that you can find in most health food stores. We carry; bulk foods, whole wheat flour, beans, our own soy milk, grains, coffee, prepared sandwiches, and baked goods. You can also buy fresh produce from our buying group-for info call:848-7586.

The store's mission demands that we think about environmental and social justice in the food choices we offer. Most of the food we carry is organic. This means that the food was produced without chemicals, growth hormones, or pesticides. Organic food is better for our bodies and better for the Earth.We also consider issues like fair trade in choosing our food.

We only offer one type of coffee in the store: Bridgehead. Bridgehead is an endeavour of Oxfam-Canada, a non-governmental organization working on development issues. The coffee farmers are paid much more than if they sell their coffee to multinational corporations.

For now, we've decided to stock mostly food items. This means that we may not have the usual vitamins, supplements, and beauty produts that you find in most health food stores. If we don't have a particular product you'd like, ask us to order it for you.

How is the Store Run?

There are several different ways people are involved in the store: general membership, staff, volunteers, and the board of directors.

The general membership is made up of all Concordia students who finance the store, as well as people who decide to purchase a membership.

The staff includes the manager, who orders the food, does the relevant administration, and co-ordinates volunteers. There are also cashiers and work-study people (assistant manager, buying group co-ordinator, and publicity co-ordinator), all hired from the Concordia student body, who make the day-to-day store operations go smoothly.

The volunteers help out in a number of ways: putting up posters, working in the resource centre, organizing an educational event on food issues, general store help, etc...

The board of directors are responsible for all of the policy, planning, and programming of the store. Through general interest meetings, educational events, and the daily operations of the store, the board keeps in touch with the general membership.

Anyone can get involved with the board; it's a great way to learn more about non-governmental organizations, as well as how a business works. If you're interested in finding out more about the board, talk with the manager or one of the cashiers.

Where Does The Money Go?

The store is non-profit, directed by the students of Concordia University and the people who purchase general memberships. That means that any money that the store makes goes back into the store. It's the board's job to decide what to do with that money.

You can let them know what you think the store needs by coming to a general interest meeting, or speaking with the staff. If you are especially interested in helping form the direction of things to come for the future, consider joining the board.

Special Orders

Anyone who is a member of Le Frigo vert (ie. Undergraduate Students, former students since 1995, or ancilliary members) can place orders through the Assistant Manager (Claire) for things that we do not sell in the store, or for bulk items of 10 kilograms or more. We mark up the wholesale price on large orders by only 15%, which gives you a great retail price. (Mark-up on single or small quantities is higher.)

For example, say you need a special herb, or a litre of blueberry vinegar... providing we have access to ordering your items, we will do so for you. Perhaps you consume a lot of rice, or have a large household that always needs bread flour on hand? You can order practically any type of rice or flour (including ORGANIC) through our distributors, providing that your order be of 10 kilograms or more.