About Us

Earth's General Store opened its doors on September 3rd, 1991. Hello, my name is Michael Kalmanovitch. I am the founder and owner of Earth's General Store. I started the store in 1991 in response to some trends I noticed while conducting workshops on environmentally friendlier lifestyles: People wanted to know where to find the information that I was sharing outside of the workshops and more of it; People wanted to know where to purchase products that lessened their impact on the environment; People were concerned about the world - both environmentally and socially; People were scared; People wanted to do something about what was happening in the world. So I decided to create a space where I could respond to these needs. I created Earth's General Store "to offer people information and products to help them lessen their impact on the environment and society". This was my founding statement and it remains the guide to what I do.

People have the ability to make choices at every decision in their lives. I am not talking about all the big ones where people angst over their decision, I am talking about all those small decisions. Many of these small decisions were made a long time ago and they become routines but these "small decisions" collectively add up to major effects. As a consumer you are always faced with a choice and each choice will involve a compromise.

The people that attain this level are called conscious citizens and since we are creatures that need to consume to survive we can also say that these conscious citizens will also be conscious consumers. They will take into account aspects of their purchasing choices such as:

• Do they need the item or do they want the item;
• How much nature was destroyed/affected to make this product for me to purchase and was it a worthy exchange;
• Were the people that produced it treated and paid fairly;
• Why do they want/need the item;
• Is there a choice that will limit the impact on the environment and society;
• Will it lessen their impact on the environment and society;
• Is the choice they make honourable and supportive of the world they envision where they want to live (and by extension - their children)?

Every act of consumption is a vote for the type of world you wish to be part of. Don't waste your vote.

We are indeed succeeding in this goal.

The purpose of this website is:

• To share information;
• To offer products;
• To encourage people to lessen their ecological footprint (usually through a change in lifestyle);
• To encourage people to get active - politically and physically;
• To let people living in the Edmonton to have a look-see into our store and entice them to come and visit us (sneaky eh!).

Our space is unique. I did not aim to create this - it just evolved. People spend hours walking around the store learning. Many of them leave without purchasing anything but thoughtful. The store was not created to sell things. It is a glorified soapbox. We don't have to get into a conversation with people they just have to slow down enough to figure things out for themselves.

People are so used to being sold stuff - products, ideas, image, etc. Sometimes when a person has spent some time in the store and talking with a staff member they will be waiting to have some kind of sales pitch but they are left waiting. We, as a society, are programmed to respond to purchasing pressure (sales pitches) and when the customer is "primed" by a sales pitch they are conditioned to expect a "closing pitch". This doesn't happen. The purpose of giving a person information is not to compel them to purchase something but rather to educate them about the benefits and leave the decision up to them about whether they need the product.

Don't get me wrong. I survive by people purchasing items from the store but it is not the purpose of the store to sell products just to sell them and to make profit. The purpose of the store is to create change. It is a tool for change.

The store is located on the second floor of an older building. This makes it difficult for people to access - and, unfortunately, impossible for wheelchair dependent persons or people with stollers (most people with strollers jsut leave them at the bottom of the stairs or carry them up - you can ask the staff person to assist you). I believe that the store should be on the busiest intersection of the city so that more people would be invited to change but we cannot afford this kind of exposure. I am quite comfortable where we are and what we are doing.

I have not done this all by myself. It takes a whole lot of people to support a store. It not only takes people that are willing to be challenged and chooses to purchase products that lessen their impact but it takes fantastic people to work here at the store. There is none that has embraced the philosophy of the store and added to the store as the very competent store manager, Deborah Robb. It seems we are blessed with excellent staff that care for the philosophy of the store (they certainly are not here for the wages) and wish to support the store. I thank these people for their time and energy - Jan Przysienzniak, Katie Peterson, and Katherine Friesen. We are very pleased to have a new staff member Bree-anne Nabholz, Kathy McIntosh, Camille Marceau, and Kamaljit Bates.

Over the years the store, and myself personally, have received community recognition and awards: Emerald Award 1993 (finalist); Larry Sand Award (in recognition of service to the GLBT community in Edmonton - 2005); Salvos Prelorentzos Peace Award (2003); Alberta Centennial Medal (2006), the 2007 Emerald Award for Small Business, and the John Humphrey Centre City Humanitarian Award for Business 2007.

Ever since I opened the store the media has always been very generous with their coverage of the store and what I/we are doing.

Store Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 10:00am - 5:30pm
Thursday: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm - 5:00pm

We are located at 10832 Whyte Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6E 2B3