sept / oct 2011

Issue 102 • Sept. - Oct. 2011 The Source • 1

A window into the world of Roots Issue 102 • September/October 2011

CAPTURING THE MAGICOF ALGONQUIN PARK

Ryl

an P

erry

Roots revisits its birthplace and focuses onclassic designs, creating the perfect mixwith its new fall campaign

2 • The Source Issue 102 • Sept. - Oct. 2011

DepartmentsFINE PRINT

HEALTH TIP

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

GREAT MOMENTS IN RETAIL

ON THE MOVE

GREEN TIP

SPECIAL DELIVERYA selection of recent letters from the world of Roots

I N S I D EI S S U E 1 0 2

EXPRESS YOURSELF

PublishersMICHAEL BUDMAN, DON GREEN

EditorROBERT SARNER

InternsTAMAR DOBNER

ALEXANDRA GUNDYAMANDA LAZAROVITZ

The Source is published by Roots CanadaLtd. We welcome letters from readers forpublication. Please address allcorrespondence to The Source, Letters tothe Editor, Roots Canada, 1400 CastlefieldAve., Toronto, Ontario, M6B 4C4 or by emailto [email protected] Letters may beedited for length and clarity. Each issue of The Source is also availableas a blog on the Roots website atwww.thesource.roots.com and on Facebookat www.facebook.com/rootsthesource.

LOOKING GOODChecking in on recentrenovations and expansionon the retail front

CELEBRATING A CENTURYRoots Taiwan marks coun-try’s centennial with specialcollection

WELL RECEIVEDRoots donates gifts toCanadian troops in Afghani-stan

GAIL’S PASSIONNo mystery why veteranretail associate is one of thetop salespeople at Roots

DIGGING FOR DINOSAURSDan and Donna Aykroydinvite celebrities to get downand dirty in support of newAlberta museum

GETTING A FIXThe Roots repair team makeproducts shine again

THE MAKING OF A WIN-WIN SITUATIONInterns earn praise at Rootsin mutually beneficialprogram

MAKING A DIFFERENCEThe Japanese Restaurant Asso-ciation would like to thank Rootsfor generously donating beauti-ful, well-crafted leather wrist-bands for our fundraising eventfor tsunami and earthquake reliefin Japan.

The wristbands were popularat the dinner we hosted with theAssociation of Japanese Cana-dian Business and Professionals,and contributed to making itsuch a special event. We arecertain the wristbands willcontinue to assist with ourfundraising activities in themonths to come.Shigeo KimuraJapanese Restaurant Assoc.Toronto

WHAT A TEAMI recently visited the Pen CentreRoots store in St. Catharines,ON. I was greeted by JennaCutting, who made me feelwelcome while I looked around.I noticed some men’s cardiganson clearance, but decided to putoff buying them until my nextvisit.

A few days later, I returnedfor the sweaters and was disap-pointed to find they had beenshipped to another store. Iexpected to be told the itemswere unavailable. Instead I waspleasantly surprised whenAshley Hatt and Store ManagerCasey Smith devoted all theirfocus to locating the cardigans.

Upon tracking down theitems, Casey made several callsand had them shipped to anearby Roots 73 store.

Later on, I dropped by a thirdtime to inquire about specialordering a leather duffle bag.Ashley and Casey patientlyanswered all my questions andlooked after ordering the bag forme.

The team at this store isalways friendly and willing toserve their customers with asmile. Good service is hard tofind, and being able to witnessgreat service first-hand is adelight.

Thank you Casey, Ashley,Jenna, Taylor (Langshaw), andDuane (Swartz), as well as therest of the team at the Pen Centrestore. I hope to see you all againsoon.Neil JohnsonSt. Catharines, ON

A SOLD-OUT SUCCESSThe Miriam chapter and theATID chapter of CanadianHadassah-WIZO wish to thankRoots for its generous support ofour 4th Annual Literary Levee.

The evening saw a sold-outcrowd that heard our featuredauthor, Judie Oron, speak abouther travels to Ethiopia, whereshe rescued a Jewish girl fromslavery. Judie helped the girlescape to Israel, and lateradopted her.

We could not have held such

a successful event without thehelp of sponsors and merchan-dise donors like Roots. Withyour contribution, we raisedmore than $5,500, exceeding ourgoal. It will be used to helpchildren, healthcare, and women,both in Israel and here at home.

Again, thank you for yoursupport.S. Gunter-Goldstein,M. Drassinower, and L. SachsCanadian WIZO HadassahToronto

STYLISH IN SCRUBSOn behalf of the SickKidsHospital Nursing Staff and theRegistered Nurses Council, wewish to thank Roots for itsassistance in making NursingWeek 2011 a success. Not onlydid we receive many positivecomments about our new customRoots nursing wear, but it wasalso nice to be able to sell thelatest line during Nursing Week.

Once again, it’s been apleasure working with the Rootsteam.C. Peskun and S. de YoungCo-Chairs, RN CouncilToronto

Roots Taiwan General Manager Matt Meng and Michael Budman launch the centennial collection in Taipei

We invite you to send usyour letters and/or yourmost creative photos or

illustrations for publicationin The Source. Please send

your submissions [email protected]


THE PERFECT MIXTake a group of creative people, great team spirit, and classic designs, then bring them all

together in Algonquin Park for several days, and what do you get? The impressive, justlaunched “Rediscover Your Roots” campaign. By ALEXANDRA GUNDY

Dipping hispaddle intothe glassysurface of

South Tea Lake,Peter Vooys propelsthe red cedar-stripcanoe through thewater, making hisway from CampTamakwa to Bonita,in Ontario’sAlgonquin Park.Scanning the lake forloons, he adroitlynavigates through thecool, quiet Julymorning.

Arriving at hisdestination just afterdawn, Peter steers hiscanoe toward the sitechosen for animportant Rootsphoto shoot. Theaverage modeldoesn’t normally show up forassignment alone in a canoe, butthis isn’t your standard photoshoot, and Peter isn’t yourtypical model.

The Tamakwa staff memberhas left camp behind for a fewdays to model for the Rootsearly fall campaign, his third for

the company. ForPeter, the shoot isconvenientlylocated at Bonita,next to South TeaLake, a 20-minutepaddle away.

Acquired byRoots in 1996, theBonita guest lodgesite was the obviouschoice as the visualbackdrop for theRediscover YourRoots campaign.

“Algonquin Parkis the birthplace ofRoots, so Bonitawas a natural fit forthis heritage-inspired campaign,”says CreativeDirector StephanieHolden. “Theproperty also has avery authentic and

rustic feel that allows our shootto have a relaxed cottageatmosphere. It’s a beautifulsetting that is very inspiring fora natural, outdoor lifestyle.”

Stephanie was the creativeforce behind the RediscoverYour Roots project, designed toencourage customers to look

back into their closets andremember their favourite Rootspieces, with a focus on leatherfootwear and classic sweats.

“The campaign was reallydriven by the company’s heritageand from the stories that peopleshare with me about theirfavourite pieces whenever Imention that I work at Roots,”says Stephanie.

When Roots opened its firststore in 1973 in Toronto, its firstproduct was the negative heelshoe. Eight years later, the nowclassic Roots sweatshirtsdebuted.

Stephanie usually conceptu-alizes a campaign three to sixmonths before it’s shot. Whenconceiving a theme, majorfactors include the productrange, theseason and howthe designersdescribe theclothing andtheir motivationbehind creatingeach piece.Stephanie thenpresents a moodboard, locationproposal, andher sketches to

Roots Co-Founders Don Greenand Michael Budman, DesignDirector Diane Bald and ChiefOperating Officer Jarar Kazmi.Much work goes into visualizingthe campaign, and it’s importantthat everyone is on the samepage ahead of the photo shoot.

“We really understand eachother,” says hair and makeupartist Anna Barseghian, whohas worked with Roots onseveral campaigns over the pasttwo years. “When you put fivecreative people in a room andthey all have the same vision…well, that’s pretty amazing. Itdoesn’t happen often in thisbusiness.”

The shoot ran for four daysin early July, and each day Annaand model Rachelle Gouldingawoke at 5 a.m. for hair andmakeup, while other members ofthe team took advantage of thebeautiful surroundings by goingfor early morning kayak outings.However, as soon as the suncame up, it was strictly business.

Algonquin Park resident,photographer, and longtimefriend of Roots Don Stanfieldhelped scout Bonita for the bestshooting locations. He walkedthrough the property with Diane,and again with Rylan Perry,who photographed the campaign,to show them where to get thebest lighting during the ten-hourshoots. Because changingweather is often a big challengewhen photographing outdoors,Don, who grew up in AlgonquinPark, always had backup

Continued on the next page

Rachelle Goulding and Peter Vooys in campaign shot at Bonita in Algonquin Park


MODEL BEHAVIOURPeter Vooys and Rachelle Goulding make the Rediscover Your Roots campaign come alive

Whether he’s photographedpaddling a canoe, buildinga fire, or putting up a tent,

Peter Vooys looks natural in thewilderness - and for good reason. AProgram Director at CampTamakwa in Algonquin Park, helikes nothing better than going oncanoe trips, hiking and spendingtime outdoors.

Before working at Tamakwa,Peter spent eight years on staff atanother camp, where he wasassistant director. He divides histime between Algonquin Park,where he also works with theschool groups that come toTamakwa in the off-season, and hisnative Kingston, Ontario, where hespends the winter teaching highschool gym, history, and outdooreducation part-time.

The story of Peter’s involvementas a Roots model is rather uncon-ventional. Though he had previ-ously met Roots Co-Founders Don

Continued from previous page

locations in mind. While showingthe team the lay of the land, heentertained everyone with storiesabout the history of the Park.

“Don made the shoot,” saysPeter. “Especially for those whohad never been to Bonita before.He’s a great storyteller and reallyis the resident Algonquin expert.”

An extended photo shoot canbe exhausting, and Anna creditsVisual Presentation ManagerPatrick Davis with keeping theteam motivated.

“It was a hot day, and therewere a lot of mosquitoes in thewoods,” she says. “It’s not likebeing in a studio shoot. Peoplefade when they are workingoutside, and Patrick’s energy isinfectious. He motivates themodels, and keeps everyone’sspirits up.”

Every night the team dinedtogether in the Bonita rec hall and

discussed plans for the nextday’s shoot. Following dinner,they would gather around acampfire where conversationoften turned more personal.Before long the Bonita crewwas talking to each othercandidly about themselves,their hopes and their dreams.

Seeing her concept cometo life is the part of the processthat Stephanie enjoys the most.Her favourite series of pictures

Green and Michael Budmanthrough his job at camp, Peter’srelationship with Roots reallykick-started when he representedTamakwa in a canoe raceagainst Camp Wapameo andCamp Ahmek. The two othercamps usually win, so excitementran high when Peter and hispartner emerged in the leadduring a portage through Bonita.

“We didn’t have a model foran upcoming campaign,” saysRoots Design Director (andformer Wapameo camper) DianeBald, “and we had noticed thatPeter just naturally knows how topaddle a canoe, is so comfort-able in the outdoors, and alsophotographs beautifully. Somepeople just have ‘it’.”

Soon after the race, Peterreceived a call from Michael andDiane who asked if he wasinterested in modeling for Roots.He accepted, and a week laterwas en route to British Colum-bia’s Sunshine Coast for his firstmodeling gig ever.

“I was certainly nervous to bepart of the shoot,” says Peter, 28.“I had no idea what I was in for,but thankfully I was asked to dothings I’m comfortable with, likecanoeing and hiking.”

Peter has since been involvedin two campaigns, for the VintageVarsity collection, shot at theUniversity of Toronto, as well asthis fall’s Rediscover Your Rootsin his beloved Algonquin Park.

“Working in Bonita was likeshooting in my backyard,” he

says. “Over the past couplecampaigns I’ve really gotten toknow the crew, so it was great tohave them up to one of the mostbeautiful spots in the Park. Seeingsome of the team experienceAlgonquin for the first time, throughfresh eyes, reinforces the power ofits beauty to those of us who arelucky enough to live it every day.”

RRRRRachelle Goulding’s relation-ship with the companystarted just over a year ago.

Since then she’s become one ofthe main faces of Roots, appearingin seven advertising campaignsand gracing two covers of TheSource.

“I’ve loved everything aboutworking with Roots,” she says.“The crew have all become closefriends of mine, and we work sowell together that it doesn’t feel likea job.”

Born in Vancouver, the full-timemodel has lived in New Zealand;

Australia; Victoria, BC; Calgary;and now New York. She has thetravel bug, and has visitedseveral locations to work with theRoots team.

“The shoot in Joshua TreeNational Park, in California, wasby far my favourite. Not only dideveryone work so well togetheron that shoot,” she says, “but itwas amazing to spend an entireweek in the desert, to be able tosee every star at night, and toreally feel like you were in themiddle of nowhere.”

Rachelle’s work takes her allover the world, and to keepherself busy in foreign cities sheoften enjoys going to the moviesby herself.

“Usually by the time mycontract in a city is up, I will haveseen every film that is playing intheatres,” she says. “In fact, I sawtwo movies back-to-back today –and yes, I did pay to see thesecond one!”

When she isn’t working,Rachelle, 25, likes to spend timeat home in New York with herFrench bulldog, Winston.

“When I’m not traveling, I lovecooking at home,” she says. “Ialso like anything that involvesbeing outside. During the day, I’llbike up the west-side highway orwalk through Central Park, and atnight I like to go out with friendsor hang out with my sisters.”

Rachelle can next be seen inthe upcoming October campaign,which was also shot at Bonita inAlgonquin Park.

involved Peterand Rachelleinside a canvastent.

VideographerMichaelSchmidt wason location tofilm the entireshoot, includ-ing the puttingup of the tent.Set to music by

Canadian singer/songwriter JeenO’Brien, his video is part of thecampaign’s online presence, andcan be seen on the RootsYouTube channel.

After the shoot wrapped,Stephanie and her team selectedtheir favourite photos, producedfull size mock-ups of the cam-paign and presented it to Don,Michael, and Jarar. The keyshots are then used online, inprint ads and on in-store posters.

In order to carry theAlgonquin Park experience intostores, Visual MerchandisingCoordinator Nathalie Baronebrought in props to give theretail environment a more rusticfeel. These include cottagestaples like paddles, lanterns,Pendleton blankets, and barnwood.

“The campaign is aboutgoing back to the beginning ofRoots, and drawing from itspast,” says Diane. “The com-pany started because Don andMichael love to create, andwhen they shaped the companythey were inspired by theirexperiences at camp and in thewilderness.”

Algonquin Park is at theheart of Roots, and it only madesense to go back there to create acampaign that encouragespeople to rediscover their roots,as Roots rediscovers its own.


CELEBRATING A CENTURYRoots Taiwan marks country’s centennial with special collection

LOOKING GOODChecking in on recent renovations and expansion on the retail front

The square ismilling withpeople, some

perched on the edge ofthe courtyard’s largefountain, while otherslunch under the warmsummer sun onrestaurant patios acrossfrom the Roots store inToronto’s BrookfieldPlace. Sunlight streamsthrough the glassceilings and down intothe large windows ofthe shop, making ithard to believe thecourtyard is, in fact, indoors.

Deep in the heart of the city’sfinancial district, the Roots storehas undergone a major renova-tion and expansion, tripling insize from 730 to 2,230 squarefeet. The new design takes theclassic Roots retail concept andgives it a fresh, modern take,echoing the polished downtownsurroundings.

The porcelain tile floor isjuxtaposed with an abundance ofreclaimed wood, as most of thestore’s fixtures are made fromsalvaged lumber. Wood interiorsare a big part of the company’s

brand recognition, but leaserestrictions forbade the designersfrom using it in the flooring atBrookfield Place. However, thetile floor reflects the natural lightthat flows in, which brightens theatmosphere of the shop andlooks beautiful against all theenvironmentally friendly,reclaimed wood.

“It makes our atmospherewelcoming and natural,” saysPauline Landriault, Director ofPlanning and Development. “Weonly use reclaimed wood for ourfeatures, though we use bamboofor our veneers because it grows

in abundance and isa sustainablematerial.”

Pauline, whodesigns all the Rootsstores, is influencedby the location whenshe draws up plans.One need only lookfrom the modernBrookfield Placestore to the MontTremblant shop,nestled in Quebec’smajestic LaurentianMountains, to seethat not all Roots

stores are designed alike.The Tremblant location,

which also underwent recentrenovation and expansion,evokes a modern European skilodge, featuring striking wood-work and original exposed pinesupport beams. When designingthe look of the store, Paulinedrew inspiration from St. Moritz,a famous ski resort in Switzer-land. The renovation opened thestore up from 2,800 to 3,500square feet, making room for anew leather bag wall.

Location continued to inspirein Newmarket, 55 km north of

Toronto, where the Roots storemoved to a new spot. Paulinelooked to the rolling hills andfarms in the area when scoutingout materials for the new store,and chose a concept that useswood reclaimed from old barns.Her favourite part of the New-market store is the floor plan.

“I love the intimate shopswithin the shop,” she says.“They allow our vast range ofproduct categories to each haveits own individual shoppingarea.”

Over in Kingston, Ontario,Area Manager Lance Lakins isexcited about the new Roots 73store at the King’s Crossingmall. Setup was a team effort asmore than 31 people pitched into get the 4,500-square-footstore ready for its grand openingin mid-August.

Though each store takes theclassic Roots design concept andgives it its own distinct twist, theenergy and enthusiasm through-out the renovation process wereconsistent.

“The visual team always doesa wonderful job,” says Pauline.“I love working with all ourgreat store managers and staff.”

As the Republic of China,commonly referred to asTaiwan, marks its 100th

birthday this fall, Roots is makingsome history of its own inconnection with the Asianrepublic. The word ‘Taiwan’ ismaking its debut on Rootsclothing in a special collectioncelebrating the centennial. Thecollection will also be the firstavailable via e-commerce forcustomers in Taiwan. Thecentennial collection will initiallybe the only products availableonline, with additional Rootsmerchandise rolling out soon.

The planning process beganlast November with creativeideas coming from Matt Meng,Gina Ting and other members ofthe Roots Taiwan team. Withtheir input, the team in Canadadrew inspiration from the coloursof the Taiwanese flag and pastspecial collections created byRoots, such as those for theOlympics, Right To Play and theNHL.

The centennial collection is

made up ofpremiumproductsfeaturingcustom labelsand gold

zippers. It includes T-shirts,sweatshirts, a sweatpant, polos,track jackets and a kids line. Acustom Village Pack, passportholder and flag pouch were alsodesigned for the occasion. The

collection, which is accompaniedby commemorative, reusableshopping bags and a custom, gift-with-purchase umbrella, arrived instores in September.

“This is a momentous occasionfor Taiwan so we really wanted togo full out with this collection,” saysLiz Doggett, Director of WholesaleOperations, who oversaw theproject. “We’re looking forward toshowcasing Taiwan on our clothing

and leather products and hopethis will become an annualcollection similar to our CanadaDay campaign here at home.”

The collection kicked off inlate August with a visit to Taiwanfrom Roots Co-Founder MichaelBudman, as well as a mediaevent, fashion show and VIPreception. The collection was alsofeatured in the Taiwanese editionsof GQ, Elle and Vogue maga-zines, on billboards and on theside of Taipei city buses.

“A custom collection of thisnature is a collaborative effort so Iwant to give special recognition toLing Chow, Andrea Wang andLinda Calero for each of theirroles in making this incrediblecollection come together andsurpass our expections,” saysMelinda McDonald, VP, Whole-sale and Business Development.“We’re all very excited to seethese one-of-a-kind commemora-tive styles launch.”

Roots currently has 40 storesin Taiwan, with another fiveopening this fall.

Mont Tremblant store after recent facelift inspired byfamous Swiss ski resort, St. Moritz

Taipei city busessport new Roots collection


NEW WAY TO GET TO THE SOURCERoots magazine makes its debut in social media with new Facebook page

With more than 100 issuespublished to date, The

Source recently took on a newdimension when it joined theonline world of social media. Inmid-July, Communication andPublic Affairs interns TamarDobner, Alexandra Gundy andAmanda Lazarovitz developeda public Facebook page called“The Source – The magazine ofRoots Canada”.

It draws attention and interest

to the Roots magazine throughlinks to various articles from TheSource, as well as related videosand pictures, including a gallery ofpast covers. Along with commentsand other input from the public, thepage will also soon feature a briefvideo about The Source, whichwas a collaborative effort betweenthe interns and Roots Radio mavenDavin Bujalski. As of earlySeptember, the page had attractedmore than 120 “likes.”

Canadians’s love of theoutdoors is such animportant part of the

country’s collective identity thatit’s no surprise when wildernessthemes are reflected in Canadiandesign.

Through its Play Nationexhibit, Toronto’s DesignExchange explores the deep-seated connection betweenwilderness and Canadianiconography. Several Rootsproducts, old and new, are ondisplay with other iconic brands.The show uses different medi-ums to explore Canadian designand its relation to culture,symbolism, identity, and history,an association created andperpetuated by artists, writers,politicians and citizens.

Co-Curator AnneMarieMinardi initially chose toinclude Roots in the exhibitbecause of the company’scelebration of Canadian outdoorculture.

“We chose companies that

are not only innovative in theiruse of materials and design,”says AnneMarie, “but tell thestory of Canada’s nationhood –from aboriginal and early settlersto Canada’s internationalpresence in sport and fashion.”

The curators selected anassortment of pieces, and allitems were either manufactured

or designed in Canada.Other apparel brandsrepresented in theexhibit include Hud-son’s Bay Company,Canada Goose, andMountain EquipmentCo-op.

“Everyone whocomes to the exhibitrecognizes the Rootslogo and the style of theproducts,” saysAnneMarie. “Wewanted to explore thebrand’s connection tothe outdoors, the storyof the company, and the

fascinating history of the beaveras a national symbol.”

Roots products are rife withsymbolism, an example of whichis the RBA T-shirt with theprominent beaver logo, featuredin the exhibit. In 1975, thebeaver attained official status asa national symbol when itreceived royal assent through“an act to provide for therecognition of the beaver as asymbol of the sovereignty ofCanada.” The beaver’s emblem-atic status originates from itsrole in the fur trade, an impor-tant part of Canada’s industriousheritage.

AnneMarie consulted RootsArchivist Eva Lee about whichitems to include and togetherthey chose a selection of currentand archival material.

“I looked at old Rootscatalogues for reference,” saysEva. “The negative heel shoewas an obvious choice, as it wasthe first product Roots ever

made. I also felt it was importantto include the Puff Boots, whichwere worn by Team Canada atthe 1976 Winter Olympic Gamesin Innsbruck, Austria. It was thefirst time Roots outfitted TeamCanada with footwear.”

Shortly after Eva beganworking as an archivist for Rootslast year, she came across a pairof Puff Boots from the 1970s ina box of old footwear. When shelooked inside the boots, shefound a letter and upon readingit discovered that a customernamed Mary Williamson haddonated them in 2003.

“In the letter, Mary mentionsshe donated the boots in hopethat Roots would one dayestablish a museum,” says Eva,“and now, eight years later, theboots are part of an exhibit!”As Eva continues to curate theRoots archives, she is making ita priority to collect materialthrough donations from employ-ees and the public.

“Roots has such a greatheritage,” she says, “and itwould be wonderful to one dayshowcase all of the company’sarchival material.” (To inquireabout donating to the Rootsarchives, email Eva [email protected])• The Play Nation exhibit runs untilOctober 10, 2011, in Toronto. Seehttp://www.dx.org/ for more info.

EXPLORING CANADIAN STYLERoots on display in downtown Toronto as part of Design Exchange exhibit

Roots figures prominently in Design Exchange exhibit focusing on thewilderness and Canadian iconography

ROOTS GIVEAWAYWant to win free tickets for you anda friend to see the Play Nationexhibit currently on view at theDesign Exchange in Toronto? Thefirst five people to email us [email protected] will win apair of tickets, courtesy of theDesign Exchange.

VenerableRootsAwardJacket haspride ofplace atexhibit


FRONT TUCKS AND BACK PIKES FOR CANADAOlympic trampoline athletes show their true colours

In early June, Roots had prideof place at an event inToronto dedicated to encour-

aging healthy living. The annual“play day” is part of At My Best,a national program that promotesphysical activity, emotional well-

being and healthyeating among youngchildren. At My Bestwas developed in 2008by a Canadian not-for-profit organization forphysical and healtheducators, sponsoredby a large pharmaceuti-cal company based justoutside Toronto.

The At My BestPlay Day bringstogether familiesthrough engaging,interactive activitiesfocused on health, suchas yoga classes, leapfrog tag and nutrition bingo.This year’s event, which tookplace at an elementary school,played host to three CanadianOlympic trampoline athletessporting Canada-themed clothingprovided by Roots.

The trio – Karen Cockburn,Jason Burnett and RosieMacLennan – kicked off themorning with a highly acrobatic

LIVING ON THE EDGERoots designs product line for EdgeWalk, the CN Tower’s latest attraction

Imagine taking a leisurelyoutdoor stroll on a narrowledge atop Canada’s tallest

structure. It isn’t a nightmare orfrom the script of a King Kongremake, it’s the CN Tower’snewest attraction, EdgeWalk.

Open to the public sinceAugust 1, EdgeWalk lets thrill-seeking individuals walk aroundthe roof of the tower’s main pod,directly above its revolving

restaurant. A combination ofropes, clips and harnessessecures participants to a safetyrail, allowing them to circle thepod’s 150 m (492 ft.) circumfer-ence. At 356 m (1,168 ft.) aboveground, it’s the world’s highestfull-circle, hands-free walk andthe first of its kind in NorthAmerica.

Extreme activities like thiscall for some commemorative

merchandise for participants topurchase and show off to theirdisbelieving family and friends.In anticipation of the attraction’sopening, the CN Tower con-tacted Roots to develop aclothing line sportingEdgeWalk’s logo. Staff T-shirtsand a retail line of T-shirts,hoodies and baseball hats weredeveloped for sale at the CNTower. Roots also made polo T-shirts for VIPs at EdgeWalk’sopening celebration.

Tanja Zelko, Manager ofOnline Marketing and CustomerExperience at Roots, was invitedto experience the attractionahead of its official opening.

“I didn’t eat anything thatmorning, and while walkingover to the CN Tower, I keptlooking up at it and thinking Imust be crazy,” says Tanja. “Youcan tell right away from theequipment that you’ll be safeand once you’re up there, thefeeling is just amazing. Theguides explain how high youare, the current wind level andpoint out buildings below so that

you can get a sense of where youare and get used to looking downfrom so high up. Once you’recomfortable, they have you walkbackwards to the edge and leanout, then you go further and leanforward. It was great!”

If walking outside while 116storeys above ground isn’tadventurous enough, participantscan always hope for a rainy orfoggy day to heighten thesensation. Open from May toOctober, EdgeWalk operates inall weather except electricalstorms and high winds, claimingthe varied conditions only add tothe experience.

demonstration on a trampoline.In a scaled-down version of theirnormal competitive routine, theathletes performed a series oftwists and jumps known intrampoline lingo as ¾ frontstraight, back tuck, back pike,front tuck and barani. They thenspent time answering questions,signing autographs and takingphotos with young fans waiting

Getting some air and a bird’s-eyeview of Toronto, Tanja Zelkogoes for a stroll on EdgeWalk

Canadian Olympic trampolinists in the air and on the ground at event in Toronto

T-shirts for salein EdgeWalk’s

gift shop

in line to take their turn on thetrampoline.

No stranger when in comesto dressing Olympic athletes,Roots outfitted the trio at therequest of Springfree Trampo-line, national supplier for At MyBest. The athletes will representCanada in a trampoline competi-tion at the 2012 Summer Olym-pics in London.


FINE PRINT

Here are somerecent sightingsof Roots in thepages ofnewspapers andmagazines:

A selection of coverageof Roots in the media

MAKING IT VITAL

KKKKKyle Dine’s life changedwhen he was diagnosedwith severe allergies at

age two. Since then he’s worn anID engraved with his vitalmedical information. His latestID is a leather cuff, part of anew Roots line, created inpartnership with the CanadianMedicalert Foundation, a charityproviding emergency medicalprotection to members.

Designed with both style andpracticality in mind, the Rootscollection includes leather cuffsand athletic watches, items thatare new to Medicalert. Eachpiece features a stainless steelemblem customized with thewearer’s personal information.

“Over the years, I’ve beenthrough several differentbracelets,” says 28-year-oldKyle, a children’s musician fromKingston, Ontario. “But this ismy favourite so far – I abso-lutely love it.”

A lifelong member ofMedicalert, he relies on the IDtag to notify emergency servicesof his condition and medicalneeds should he ever fall intoanaphylactic shock.

“It’s very important to methat I wear a Medicalert braceletas it can speak for me if I ever

have a life-threatening allergicreaction,” Kyle says.

The Roots line veers awayfrom the chain pendants manyMedicalert users have becomeused to. The leather cuffs comein white, pink, black, or brown,and the athletic watches arewater resistant. Available only tomembers of the Medicalertcommunity, each piece has anidentification number, givinghealth and emergency respond-ers access to a 24-hour hotlinethat provides additional informa-tion about the wearer’s healthconditions, current medications

or emergency contacts.“We are constantly looking

for ways to innovate,” saysRobert Ridge, president andCEO of Canadian Medicalert.“When it came to creating a lineof new, casual lifestyle pieces,we immediately thought ofRoots. On top of great designand enduring quality, Rootsshares our commitment to health,wellness and community in-volvement.”

Roots had a variety of youngpeople in mind when designingthese items: the teenager whomay be uncomfortable wearing abracelet that says “epilepsy,” orthe young professional whowants a more discreet way toindicate that she is diabetic.

“We’re looking for strongproducts to attract our membersaged 18-34,” says AngelaSchulman, Senior Manager ofMarketing and Communicationat Medicalert. “We want toappeal to their sense of style andfashion, and we strongly believeRoots will help us with thisdemographic.”• The Roots line is available toMedicalert Canada and USmembers. For more informationgo to www.medicalert.ca or call1-877-217-7449.

THE POWER AND THE GLORYSupported by Roots, Canada’s Adam van Koeverden paddles to victory

True to his triumphant ways,Adam van Koeverdenadded another impressive

feat to his already long list ofvictories in international kayakcompetition. In late August, hefinished in first place in themen’s 1,000-metre final in theWorld Canoe and Kayak Cham-

pionships in Hungary.This latest win qualifies

Adam for a spot on TeamCanada at next year’s SummerOlympics in London, England.In the previous two SummerOlympics, he captured threemedals including a Gold Medalin Athens in 2004 in the K-1

500m race and a Silver Medal inBeijing in 2008 in the sameevent. He has also finished first,second or third in seven otherworld champion races since2005.

In his most recent victory, theOakville, Ontario, native quicklytook a commanding lead in therace, winning by more than threeseconds.

“My goal has always been totake it out pretty hard andfrazzle people and get them torace at my pace and have a goodfinish,” Adam, 29, said after therace. “I was able to do that todayfor the first time at a worldchampionship.”

Since 2004, Roots has been asponsor of Adam, who hasappeared in ads for the companyand taken part in many specialevents hosted by Roots.

New collection can save lives

Adam uses his usualstrategy to finish firstwith a time of threeminutes 36.1 seconds

Kyle Dine loves his new leatherMedicalert cuff made by Roots

• Toronto Life Stylebook:Fall. City Briefcase in Norwe-gian Tan included in featurecalled The Look.• Chatelaine: Sept. Featuresboth the two-tone women’sleather jacket and the KateBag.• Homemaker’s: Sept. DayPack in Alberta leather andUptown Satchel in Harvardleather showcased.• Fashion magazine: Sept.Features the Saddle Pack inTribe.• Flare.com: Aug 29. Roots xPapernomad iPad coverlabelled ‘eco-chic’ collabora-tion.• Globe and Mail: Aug 27.Satchel selected as top book-smart bag for fall.• Hello!: Aug 22. Showcasesthe Kate Wallet in WovenTribe.• Globe and Mail: Aug 13.Recycled Canvas Walletincluded in article showcasingstylish wallets.• Sweetspot.ca: Aug 8. RootsFlat Saddle-Alberta selectedas one of the top ten summer-to-fall handbags.• 24 Hours: Aug 3. Vintagesweatpants included in TestDrive feature.• Fashion: Aug. Rootsfingerless gloves, GretzkyJacket, Omar Pack and SmallBanff Bag featured in “AlmostFamous” photo shoot.• Sweetspot.ca: July 27.Large Coin Purse showcasedas part of a summer vacationwardrobe in fashion section.• The Province: July 15.Features colourful, summer-friendly Roots leather bags.• Toronto Star: July 12. BlackMegan bag included in featureon Bucket Bags.• The Grid: July 6. New RootsPocket Book highlighted in TheDrop feature.• Globe and Mail: July 2.Roots Canada Pillow featuredin travel section as a perfectsouvenir for the royal couple topick up during their tour ofCanada.• Lush: Summer issue. Rootsjogging pants and BeaverCanoe Long Johns showcasedin men’s photo shoot.• Metro: June 22. Selects theChloe Dress as the “Top Pick”in the Test Drive feature of thestyle section.


FAR FROM HOME, CLOSE TO THE HEARTRoots donates gifts to Canadian troops in Afghanistan ahead of their redeployment

It often seems that the furtherpeople are from home, themore they appreciate simple

things that remind them of wherethey’re from. This explains whyhalfway around the world, aRoots T-shirt becomes a nationalsymbol, evoking nostalgiaespecially for those who’ve leftCanada behind.

When Roots recently donateda large shipment of clothing toCanadian troops in Afghanistan,the familiar brand was wellreceived. The attire, contributedas a gesture of support, wasgiven to the soldiers on CanadaDay. They proudly wore theirshirts, emblazoned with symbolslike the maple leaf and beaver,throughout their final weeks inthe war-torn country.

Around 3,000 soldiers hadconverged at Kandahar Airfield(KAF) in late June as part of theCanadian combat withdrawal. Asa result, their celebration alsobecame a farewell party formany of the soldiers who, afteralmost ten years in the country,

were finally going home.“It was fun to see how

pleased the soldiers were toreceive the T-shirts,” says BrianBurke, President and GeneralManager of the Toronto MapleLeafs, who partook in thefestivities. “After all, what’smore Canadian than Roots?”

An American who passion-ately supports the Canadiantroops, Burke had contactedRoots Co-Founders MichaelBudman and Don Green weeksearlier about contributing

merchandise.“I asked Michael and Don if

they wanted to send some gearto Kandahar and they jumped onit, like they always do for a goodcause,” says Burke. “It’s typicalof those two – bringing a smileto soldiers half a world away.”

Happy to help boost thetroops’s morale, Roots sent fivehuge boxes of merchandise.

“The soldiers thought it wasa wonderful way to celebrate,”says Louise Des Roches, fromthe Department of National

Defense, who helped hand outthe shirts. “One came up to meand said ‘Now I can wearsomething other than my uni-form!’”

Soldiers were not the onlyones enjoying the party – manyCanadian celebrities made thelong trip to Afghanistan for thefestivities. Comedian RickMercer entertained the troops,while actor Mike Smith mingledwith the crowd, staying incharacter all day as his TrailerPark Boys alter ego, Bubbles.Toronto Maple Leafsdefenseman Luke Schenn wasalso there, signing autographswith Burke by his side.

Many of the soldiers sportedbright red Team Canada hatsalong with their new Rootsshirts. The celebration was thebiggest bash to date at KAF.

Soon after, Canada formallyhanded control of their lastbattlefield to US forces, offi-cially ending the combat missionand transferring to a non-combattraining role.

TAKING ON THE KILIMANJARO CHALLENGEClimb Your Heart Out participants sport Roots gear as they scale Africa’s highest mountain

Reaching the summit ofMount Kilimanjaro inTanzania, Africa’s highest

mountain, takes fortitude,tenacity and passion. In August,12 supporters of the Save AChild’s Heart charity acceptedthe challenge in an effort to raise$1 million for lifesaving heartsurgeries for African children. Inaddition to raising funds, theorganization held a seven-day

teaching and surgery mission atthe Bugundo Medical Centre inMwanza, Tanzania.

Roots learned about theinitiative, named Climb YourHeart Out, from Dr. BernieGoldman, a longtime friend ofthe company and Chairperson ofthe board of directors of Save AChild’s Heart’s Canadianchapter. To show its support,Roots donated toques, baseball

caps and T-shirts for thosemaking the climb.

“All of our climbers andporters were so touched by theRoots gear,” says EmmaHacohen, Project Coordinatorof Climb Your Heart Out. “Afterhours and hours of hiking everyday, it was always comforting tospot in the distance the grey hatsthat all our porters wore proudly.It meant food and shelter wereclose by.”

The event’s participants camefrom Canada, the United States,Israel, South Africa and Ethio-pia. Seven climbers reached thetop of Uruhu Peak, MountKilimanjaro’s highest peak, withtwo others reaching Stella Point,about 160 m below.

“It was a humbling andexhilarating experience,” saysEmma. “At the bottom of themountain, it seemed insurmount-able but taking it one day at atime, I sensed we were conquer-ing it. I guess it’s similar to whatwe’re doing at Save a Child’sHeart. Saving children with heartdisease also seems insurmount-

able. But one heart at a time weare making a difference.”

The Israeli-based organiza-tion is dedicated to improvingthe quality of pediatric cardiaccare of children living with heartdisease in developing countries,including neighbouring Arabcountries. Children from aroundthe world are brought to theWolfson Medical Centre inHolon, Israel to receive treat-ment. The organization alsoconducts surgical and teachingmissions in partnering countriesacross the globe. Medicalpersonnel from those nations alsohave the opportunity to come toIsrael and receive pediatriccardiac care training, which canthen be used to help children intheir home countries.

Since 1995, Save A Child’sHeart has treated more than2,600 children and trained 56physicians. It has offices in 12countries worldwide.• For more information or tocontact the organization’sCanadian chapter, visitwww.saveachildsheart.ca.

Canadian troops in Kandahar celebrate Canada Day with Roots gear

Roots toques keep climbers warm in Tanzania


NEW & NOTEWORTHYA guide to just-launched Roots products

TabathaCottonBlazer,FatiguePlaid, $128

CharlottetownCardigan,Fog, $148

Reverse Knit Kanga,Oatmeal Mix/Cabarnet, $98

Crepe Bootie, SuedeLeather, Black, $248

Emilia Bag,AlbertaLeather,Slate, $338

The Londoner, Prince Leather, Bamboo, $368

Canvas Parka,Beluga, $228

SkinnyChino,

Portobello,$98

BoyfriendChino,VintageKhaki, $88

French Saddle, NorwegianLeather, Tan, $238

Andie’s Bag, BoxLeather, Black, $188


NEW & NOTEWORTHYA guide to just-launched Roots products

Trudeau DuffleCoat, Black,$268

Knox V Neck Sweater,Charcoal/Black, $92

HudsonFlannel

Shirt,Beluga,

$68

WatertonBondedJacket,

Grey Mix,$108

Cargo Bag, Alberta Leather, Black, $218

New City Briefcase, NorwegianLeather, Tan, $398

Trailblazer Messenger, AlbertaLeather, Black, $368

Lawrence Zip Mock,Charcoal Mix, $64

ForestSlim FitT-Shirt,

Stout,$34

Utility Mock Cardigan, DarkCharcoal Mix, $118

Beatle Boot, BatisferaLeather, Black, $248


GAIL’S PASSIONNo mystery why veteran retail associate is one of the top salespeople at Roots

For Gail Skolnic, working atRoots isn’t just a job, it’san important part of who

she is. A sales associate inToronto for the past 22 years,Gail proudly represents a brandshe both believes in and loves.With her extensive knowledgeand understanding of Roots,coupled with an enthusiastic,outgoing personality, Gail hasdeveloped a legion of loyal,long-time customers, many ofwhom have become her friendsover the years.

It’s not just Gail’s easymanner with people that hasconsistently made her one of thetop retail sales performers atRoots. She has a strong workethic, often refusing to go homeuntil she meets her daily salesgoal. Many of Gail’s coworkersat the Yorkdale Mall store,where she has worked since1992, say getting her to go homeat the end of her shift is achallenge.

“Roots is my home base,”says Gail, 53, who grew up inToronto. “I like our clientele. Ilove the ambience, the wholepackage.”

Gail fosters a positive workenvironment with the respect sheshows her younger coworkers,which is triggered by her desireto learn from them.

“You gotta love the people,the brand, the product,” saysGail. “Roots is a home. I know Ihave a purpose when I get up.”

In 1989, Gail was introducedto the Roots team by RimaBiback, Director of RootsHome and Licensing. At thetime, Rima oversaw the Rootsstores in the Toronto area andGail was a frequent shopper atthe “Roots Lodge” on YongeStreet. Rima offered Gail aposition after noticing herfriendly, positive attitude andobvious love for people andshopping.

Initially based at theBayview Village store, Gailswitched to Yorkdale after twoyears to be closer to her mother,who worked in the mall at ahigh-end watch store.

Gail’s commitment to herfamily helps explain why she hasalways shied away from becom-ing a store manager. Initially, shevalued the flexibility of being asales associate, as it gave hermore time to spend with her sonwhen he was younger. Today, sheenjoys the freedom to take timeoff to travel, one of her favouritepastimes.

Over the years, Gail hasbecome good friends with manyRoots staff and customers, andthinks of the people she workswith as her family. She’s seenmany of them grow within thecompany.

One example is JararKazmi, Chief Operating Officer,who has known Gail since hebegan working for Roots at theYorkdale store in 2001.

“Ever since I met Gail, herpassion and commitment toRoots have been consistent andreflected in customers’s reac-tions to her,” says Jarar. “She’salways ready to take up achallenge and makes sure shesees it through successfully. Herknowledge and positive attitudemake her a great ambassador forRoots and we’re lucky to haveher as part of our team.”

Gail’s strong sales abilitiesrun in her family. Both herparents work in sales – hermother is in retail, while herfather is a contractor. As theowner of a printing company,her husband is highly salesdriven himself. At one point, heand Gail even thought aboutopening their own business toteach good sales techniques andskills. To this day, the ‘salesgene’ is an integral part of herlife.

BIG AND BEAUTIFULRoots looms large in downtown Taipei with billboard initiative

Deep in the heart of Taiwan,in Taipei’s bustlingXimending district, crowds

of shoppers and tourists cometogether under bright lights andeye-catching billboards. Amongthe larger than life advertise-ments is a huge poster thatspotlights the latest Roots

products. Measuring 30 by 18 feet,the billboard hangs on the side ofthe Eslite Ximen department store.

The store is nestled in Taipei’sfirst pedestrian zone, wherethrongs of young people shop, eat,and socialize. Roots has twolocations in the popular shoppingdistrict – a shop within the Eslite

Ximen department store, and astand-alone flagship locationnearby.

Attracting upwards of threemillion shoppers each month, it’sno wonder the neighbourhood isprime real estate for advertising.Procuring a billboard in the heavilytrafficked area is both expensiveand difficult to obtain.

“Acquiring advertising space ina target area is not easy inTaiwan,” says Roots Asia AssistantMarketing Manager Athena Lin.“We wanted to try a differentmethod to promote the brand, sowhen the new Eslite Ximendepartment store opened, we tookthe opportunity to negotiate abillboard contract.”

The poster campaign began inApril when it showcased the VillageBag and has proven highly popularso far. The contract gives Rootsthe billboard spot until the end ofDecember 2011, and Athena says

they are planning to approachEslite Ximen for more space inthe future.

“We believe the billboard hasincreased brand awareness,”says Athena. “Since launching thecampaign, our customer servicedepartment has received anumber of inquiries about theproducts shown in the ads.”

The latest billboard promotesthe Roots Taiwan centennialcollection, which was unveiled ina two-part campaign. In August,the poster announced theupcoming collection. In Septem-ber the official ads promoting thecollection debuted.

Other forms of media expo-sure have been used in conjunc-tion with the billboard. Roots hasalso placed ads in TaiwaneseVogue, Elle Taiwan, and BusinessWeekly Taiwan, and has receivedexcellent feedback about theincreased coverage.

After 22 years at Roots, Gail Skolnicshows no signs of slowing down

Billboards in Taiwan shopping district increase brand awareness


Photographed in Algonquin Park, birthplace of Roots


HEALTH TIP #63

AT THE ROOTOF A GOODPALATE: Rootvegetables likebeets, carrots,

parsnips and turnips may beknown for their versatility, butthat’s not all they have to offer.Packed with vitamins, mineralsand antioxidants, root vegeta-bles can enhance your health inmultiple ways.1. Reduce your cancer risk: Arecent study found that ratseating raw carrots, or falcarinol-enhanced feed (a naturalpesticide that protects roots fromfungal diseases), were one thirdless likely to produce canceroustumors than rats that didn’t eatcarrots.2. Get your folate: Parsnipscontain more than 20 per cent ofyour daily folate, a form ofvitamin B

9. It helps the body

synthesize and repair DNA andis particularly important forwomen who are pregnant orbreastfeeding.3. Absorb more iron: Rootvegetables like turnips containone third of your daily vitamin Crequirement. The antioxidanthelps the body absorb iron andproduce collagen (a naturalprotein found in skin andconnective tissues), amongother functions.4. Increase your exercisestamina: Drinking beet juice hasbeen found to improve thebody’s use of oxygen, allowingyou to exercise longer. It’s alsoknown to reduce blood pressure.5. Boost your beta: Carrots gettheir orange colouring from beta-carotene, which acts as a sourceof vitamin A that contributes tohealthy vision and skin.

• www.besthealthmag.ca

DIGGING FOR DINOSAURSDan and Donna Aykroyd invite celebrities to get down and dirty in support of new Alberta museum

Celebrities often cometogether to support variouscauses, but star-studded

events generally aren’t 70million years in the making. InJuly, Canadian actor, comedianand longtime friend of RootsDan Aykroyd, and his wife,Donna Dixon Aykroyd, hosteda three-day dinosaur dig and theinaugural Aykroyd Family andFriends Dinosaur Ball innorthern Alberta. The eventraised awareness and funds forthe Pipestone Creek DinosaurInitiative and the completion ofthe new Philip J. Currie Dino-saur Museum.

Roots Co-Founder MichaelBudman and Design DirectorDiane Bald attended the multi-day event, digging and diningalongside other guests includingenvironmentalist andWaterkeeper Alliance headRobert Kennedy Jr., CriminalMinds star Matthew GrayGubler, movie executive JohnGoldwyn and bestsellingmystery author PatriciaCornwell.

The Aykroyds’s passion forPipestone Creek’s dinosaur bonebed was sparked last summerafter visiting the site on a familyvacation. Located just outsideGrande Prairie in northernAlberta, it contains one of thedensest deposits of horneddinosaur bones in the world. Thebone bed, or mass gravesite, wasdiscovered in 1974 whenschoolteacher Al Lakustastumbled upon the dinosaur

bones while searching for leaffossils. Paleontologists beganexcavating in 1986 and havesince found that many of thebones belong to the previouslyunknown speciesPachyrhinosaurus lakustai,named after Lakusta.

At the dig, event attendeesreceived a brief lesson on how toexcavate dinosaur bones and usetheir tools, which includedchisels, trowels, hammers,pocketknives and even a smalltool similar to those used atdentists’s offices. Once diggingcommenced, rumours that thebone bed contained more than200 bones per square meterproved accurate.

“Everyone was findingthings,” says Diane who, alongwith one of Dan’s daughters,unearthed a 1.5 ft.-long tibiabone. “It was amazing to make ascientific discovery and workalongside so many talentedpaleontologists, curators and

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PhD students. It’s an incredibleand unbelievable feeling to knowthat these bones are more than70 million years old.”

Scientists believe the highdensity of bones in the area,nicknamed the River of Death,was caused by the rapid demiseof a large migrating herd. Aflood likely took out hundreds,perhaps even thousands, ofdinosaurs in as little as 12 to 13hours.

While Diane and a group of18 to 20 people were working onone of the main Pipestone Creekbone beds, Michael worked on anew bed, a one-hour boat rideaway. He had to scale theriverbank to reach the narrow,cliff-top bone bed.

“When Donna and I ap-proached Michael and Dianeabout joining us in the bone bed,they immediately saw the worthin this adventure,” says Dan.“This find of Pachyrhinosaurusbones represent one of therichest resources in Alberta withthe potential to attract visitors tothe province and to provideyoung scientists with the mate-rial to make their careers.”

After a few days of wading inthick mud, the celebrity guestsmingled with local museumsupporters at the Aykroyd Familyand Friends Dinosaur Ball inGrande Prairie. The celebs weresplit up and each hosted theirown table at the gala, which sold700 tickets. With performancesby Dan Aykroyd and a specialcollaboration between theCanadian Tenors and theGrande Prairie Boys Choir, theevening was a success, raisingaround $500,000 dollars.

The Philip J.Currie DinosaurMuseum, namedafter internation-ally renownedpaleontologist andprofessor Dr.Philip Currie, isslated to open in2013. Designedby Toronto-basedTeeple Architects,the museum willbe a 41,000 sq. ft.education andresearch facility.

Suzanne S

agmeister

Michael Budman, Dan Aykroyd and Diane Baldpose with RCMP officers prior to the gala

Actor Matthew Gray Gubler, model AliMichael and Stella Aykroyd search fordinosaur bones in Alberta Easy ways to stay healthy


Spotlighting the top performing Roots stores in recent months based on their sales resultsGREAT MOMENTS IN RETAIL

Before this issue of The Source went to press, we receivedthe final sales figures for stores in recent months. Taking

the top spot for company stores in August was the BrookfieldPlace location in Toronto. The month before, it was theMetrotown store in Burnaby, BC.

As for the Roots 73/Outlet category, the King’s Crossinglocation in Kingston, Ontario captured top spot in August,while the Grandview Outlet in Vancouver, pictured, took thehonours in July.

Congratulations to Karren Coratchia, Manager of theBrookfield Place store; Leanne Green, Manager of theMetrotown store; Lance Lakins, Manager of the King’sCrossing outlet; and David Morison, Manager of theGrandview outlet; and to their respective teams for theirexemplary performances.

Hats off to all of the other stores that surpassed their salesgoals in August and July.

ALMOST AS GOOD AS NEWThe Roots repair team make products shine again

In today’s throwa-way culture,increasingly fewer

companies show aninterest in providingrepair services fortheir products. Thisoften leaves customerswith little choice butto discard items thatcould have otherwisebeen fixed and given anew lease on life.

At Roots, standingbehind its productshas always included aservice to repairproducts whenpossible, particularlyleather goods made atits state-of-the-artfactory in Toronto. From walletsto jackets, the company’s repairteam, led by Mariana Suarez,exemplifies the high standardsRoots strives for in every aspectof the business. As part of itscommitment to customers, datingback to its inception in 1973, thecompany offers repair servicesfor nearly all its leather merchan-dise, regardless of when the itemwas purchased. Such a service israre in North America, wherefew large companies stillmaintain a repair department intheir own factories.

In the 16 years Mariana hasworked in her position, she hasdeveloped the way repairs arehandled at Roots. As the leaderof her team, she communicateswith store employees anddetermines the price of each

repair job. Based on what shesees in her work, Mariana oftenshares her observations with thedesigners on certain aspects ofproducts so adjustments can bemade to improve them in thefuture.

“Mariana has a great under-standing of the making of ourproducts and communicateseffectively with all the differentstores,” says Karl Kowaleski,Leather Product Expert. “She’salso very quality conscious andmakes sure that customers willbe satisfied.”

Mariana began overseeingthe repair department in 1995,about a year after she first joinedRoots in shoe repairs. Animmigrant from Ecuador, shewas nervous about taking on thisrole, as it would require her to

communicate withretail staff inEnglish, her secondlanguage, which shehadn’t yet mastered.Having studiedmedicine for fouryears in Ecuadorbefore working inthe accountingdepartment of a cardealership, Marianahad little otherprofessionalexperience. AtRoots, RichardKowalewski, whoformerly managedthe factory, encour-aged her to chal-lenge herself and try

her best. Fortunately for Roots,she did.

Mariana has since grown toappreciate the importance of herrole at Roots, and enjoys theindependence and freedom shehas in her job.

“It’s important to likewhatever you do,” says Mariana.“With my work, it’s like havingmy own company. I’m my ownboss.”

Today, the repair departmentis comprised of 10 people whowork in three separate groups –handbags, shoes and jackets. Ina typical day, Mariana distrib-utes repair assignments amongher team and communicates withstore employees to determinehow long certain repair jobs willtake and how much they willcost.

GETTING A FIX ON REPAIRS

· Repair jobs include replacinghardware, re-stitching, re-lining, re-conditioning (only onblack or brown leather) andzipper replacement· Leather repairs can only bedone if leather is in a work-able condition· Repair jobs take between 3-6 weeks, sometimes longerduring the holiday season· Stains, dyes and pen markscannot be removed fromleather items

Not surprisingly, the mostcommon repairs involve hand-bags as customers generally usethem much more often than otherRoots leather products. The mostfrequent thing that needs to berepaired on bags is the zipper,again due to inevitable wear andtear. Far less common thingsrequiring repairs are the lining,stitching and refurbishment ofthe leather.

While the repair departmentdoes its best to fix all Rootsleather products, it sometimesreceives items that are so old orin such bad condition thatthey’re impossible to salvage.One of the things Marianadislikes most about her job ishaving to send back a purse orjacket that can’t be repairedbecause there’s no replacementfor a broken part or because it’stoo old. Mariana says the oldestitem she ever repaired was aRoots B52 Bomber Jacket thatwas 30 years old.

Mariana Suarez manages the Roots repair department

L to R: Charlie Yamaguchi, Catherine Arancon, Susan Cormier, ‘AdaFida, Ayumi Kawaguchi, Jacqueline Yang, Young-Soon Mclellan, DavidMorison. Missing from photo: Andy Wong, Cindy Lee, Kap-Soon Wi,Chelsea Milette, Ricky Kang, Jerwin Vergera, and Lucy Cardarelli.


DÉJÀ VUA vintage Roots moment from 1979

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTIONYoung actor chooses Roots backpack on film set

From sweatpants to leatherbags, Roots items oftenappear unexpectedly on the

big screen and on television. It’snot uncommon for people tocontact the company to report aRoots product sighting. Recently,12-year-old Davis Coughlin, anaspiring young actor fromLivonia, Michigan, told us aboutwearing his favourite Rootsbackpack for his latest moviegig.

Davis has a bit part in theupcoming movie, The Setup,

playing the role of a student.Last winter, his talent agencyarranged for him to take part asan extra in a scene being filmedoutdoors near his hometown.

When Davis arrived on theset, he was told that all thechildren playing students wouldreceive pants and shirts to wearfor the filming but they werefree to use their own coats andbags. As a Roots enthusiast,Davis immediately chose hiscolourful Roots backpack forthe shoot in hopes that it wouldhelp distinguish him from theother kids. He has had this bagfor two years, since his motherpurchased it for him at the Rootsstore in Birmingham, Michigan.

“I made sure to wear myRoots backpack,” says Davis.“It really stood out amongst theother students, as they had dark,drab backpacks.”

Directed by Mike Gunther,The Setup was written by rapartist 50 Cent, who stars in italongside Bruce Willis. You cansee if Davis and his Rootsbackpack made the final cutwhen the movie hits theatres inmid-September.

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ACTING UPYoung thespians strike a pose with style

In early May, four actors woreRoots in a photo shoot at themonthly general meeting of

the Young Emerging ActorsAssembly. The pictures weretaken to promote the Toronto-based organization and to createa relationship between it andRoots. Eli Goree and BrynMcAuley founded the YEAAtwo years ago to help raise theprofile of Canadian actors anddevelop a stronger actingcommunity.

“Acting can be an alienatingprofession,” says Bryn, 22,regarding her motivation behind

starting the organization.“You’re working for your ownsuccess, meaning that all yourvictories and losses are solitary.”

The clothes were providedthrough a personal connectionbetween someone at YEAA andRoots. Bryn says the actorsresponded positively to theiroutfits, which they picked outthemselves. The group includedShannon Kook-Chun andJessica Tyler from the CanadianTV show, Degrassi, as well asMelanie Scrofano, from the TVshow Pure Pwnage, and YEAAco-founder Eli Goree.

TTTTTEAM SPIRIT: For severalyears, starting in the late

1970s, Roots sported a team in aToronto soccer league. Most ofthe team worked at Roots,including Co-Founders MichaelBudman, (top row, far right), andDon Green, (top row, 4th fromleft). As other teams werecomprised largely of immigrantsfrom countries with a strongsoccer culture, let’s just say thatTeam Roots was far more

successful off the field than intheir weekly games. The graphicfor the team T-shirt was borrowedfrom jerseys created for the Rootshockey team.

Among those in this 1979photo are four Kowalewskibrothers: Karl, (top, 3rd from left),Richard, (top, 2nd from right),Stan, (bottom, 2nd from left), andHenry (bottom, far right). Ed Cox,now in his 36th year at Roots, is inthe top row, 4th from right.

CONAN CAN’T STOP...WEARING ROOTSUS comedian shows his brand preference in film

I’ve got anew gig,”

comedianConanO’Brientold a sold-out crowdlast year atVancouver’sOrpheum

Theatre. “I’m the new assistantmanager at the Roots onRobson Street. Come ondown,” he deadpanned, “we’rehaving a special on toques.”

All joking aside, Conan isclearly a Roots fan, as evi-denced by his wardrobechoices in the documentaryConan O’Brien Can’t Stop thatwill be released in DVD inSeptember following a theatri-cal run this summer. Conanwears Roots gear consistentlythroughout the film, which

explores the drama behindcomedy as it follows him on hisLegally Prohibited from BeingFunny on Television Tour.Favouring the men’s CanadaCollection, Conan not onlywears the clothes, but alsobrings his Tribe DouglasDuffle with Canadian Flag allover North America with him.

The title of the tour refers toConan’s former job as host ofThe Tonight Show, and hisensuing resignation over atimeslot conflict. Conan’ssettlement with NBC barredhim from appearing on TV forsix months, so he took to theroad instead.

Can’t Stop goes behind-the-scenes to document thegrueling 32-city tour, showingConan and his crew not only attheir hilarious best, but also atless ideal moments.

DavisCoughlin:all smilesin Roots


THE MAKING OF A WIN-WIN SITUATIONInterns earn praise at Roots in mutually beneficial program

In today’s highly competitivework environment, internshipprograms are increasingly a

gateway into the professionalworld for young people. As partof this trend, Roots, like manyother companies, offers tempo-rary positions that provideexperience and insight intoseveral areas of the company.Year-round, seven departmentsat the head office – web,customer service, fashiondesign, communications, art andaccounting – work with interns(mostly students) from variousbackgrounds.

“I believe internships arebeneficial to both the companyand the students,” says Mens-wear Designer OliverCapistrano, who has workedwith eight interns since joiningRoots in 2009. “It’s a wonderful,hands-on education for thestudents, and it’s great to haveextra support and assistance in abusy department.”

According to a 2009 survey

of graduate students in Canada,55% have participated in aninternship or co-op program(which gives students credittoward their degree). Comparedwith other academic activities,grads say practical experiencecontributes the most to theirpersonal development.

“I am constantly impressedby the young people who dointernships at Roots,” saysRobert Sarner, Director of

Communi-cation andPublicAffairs.“Almost allof thosewho’veworkedwith meover theyears havebeenextremelymotivated,conscien-tious,

hardworking and eager to learn.Interns contribute a lot to Rootsand assuming we make it apositive experience for them,they also become ambassadorsfor the company after complet-ing their internships.”

There’s a widespreadmisconception that internshipsusually consist of little more thanmaking coffee and photocopy-ing. At Roots, it’s anything but.Rather than give interns menial

tasks, the apprenticeshipsinclude relevant, interestingassignments that provide youngpeople with practical experiencein their prospective professions.

Senior staff at Roots also seethe use of interns as a way to geta fresh perspective on projects.They seek out individuals incollege and university programsrelevant to their respectivedepartments. Interns work forapproximately four to sixmonths, most often during thesummer, as the majority areeither in the middle of, orcompleting their undergraduatedegrees.

Although interns at Roots getno monetary compensation, theyreceive the same discount atstores as all other full-timeemployees. More significantly,it’s not uncommon for aninternship to lead to gainfulemployment for the intern atRoots or elsewhere, in theultimate win-win situation forboth sides.

FOUR SCORE ...Kilcoo Camp celebrates 80th birthday in style

Given the seminal role thatOntario’s Camp Tamakwa

played in the lives of Roots Co-Founders Michael Budmanand Don Green, summer campand the Canadian outdoorshave always influenced theRoots aesthetic. With anemphasis on sweats and casualbasics, the brand is a staple onthe packing lists of campersacross the country.

This summer, Roots wasparticularly prominent atKilcoo Camp, an all-boysovernight camp in Haliburton,Ontario. In celebration of its80th anniversary, the campapproached the Business-to-Business Department at Roots

to custom design staff shirtsand a clothing line to com-memorate the milestone. Theline included a T-shirt, longsleeve T-shirt, hoody andsweatpants. Roots also de-signed customized Awards andPodium jackets, a scarf and aBanff Bag for the camp’salumni reunion this September.

“Everyone loves the Rootshoodies and the staff arepleased with the tees theyreceived for being part of our80th staff,” says PatrickTingley, Assistant Director ofKilcoo Camp. “Our 80th yearreminds us of the camaraderie,traditions and values of the 79years that have come beforeand the promise of a greatfuture.”

Founded in 1932, KilcooCamp has built a reputation asone of Canada’s leading campsfor boys. It draws campers fromCanada, the United States,Central and South America,England, France, Japan,Holland, Germany and Spain.

WHO JUST DROPPED IN?Taking attendance of special guests in the worldof Roots

John Legend Helen MirrenCanadian Tenors

Celebrities have long madea point of shopping at anddeveloping friendly ties

with Roots. Here are the latestsightings of prominent figures inentertainment and sports whorecently visited Roots stores, thehead office, factory or were seenwearing Roots.• Bloor Street, Toronto –American musician JohnLegend picked up a leatherjacket, Oxford boots and longsleeve T-shirt while in the cityfor his summer concert tour.• Grande Prairie, AB – TheCanadian Tenors visited theRoots store in Grande Prairiewhile in town for the inauguralAykroyd Family and FriendsDinosaur Ball.

• Bloor Street,Toronto –British actressHelen Mirrendropped in toRoots while inToronto for theBlackCreekSummer MusicFestival.• Bloor Street,Toronto –Americanactress andsinger SelenaGomez pickedup a Varsity Jacket.• Toronto – Harry Potter starTom Felton (Draco Malfoy) wasspotted in Roots Heritagesweatpants at Pearson Airport.

Interns learn and help out in various departments

Staff wear 80th anniversary line

SelenaGomez

Tom Felton


STARTING LINEUPIntroducing the people who make it happen at Roots stores

SPEAK TO MY AGENTThe littlest customers show their Roots

We often receiveunsolicited photosfrom people eager to

show us pictures of theirchildren, cousins, grandchil-dren, or even pets, wearingRoots. Sometimes the send-ers ask if we could use thephotos in a future advertisingcampaign for Roots. Whilewe can’t promise that, we arehappy to publish them in TheSource. Over the years,Speak To My Agent has

As part of our continuing series of team pictures from the Roots retail family, this issue of The Source isspotlighting the Vaughan Mills store in Vaughan, Ontario. Back row (L to R): Lorenzo Richards, NajjaGordon, Abilana Premkumar, Windy Zhang, Yana Vorontsov, Diane Tran, Samantha Kmiecik, JaimeOliveria, Tharsigan Jeya. Front row (L to R): Adriane Wu, Nizana Halim, Amy Nguyen, Julienne Thomas,Aisha Mohammed, Christy Lai, Asya Levin, Mishka Thebaud.

become one of the mostpopular items in The Source.

Everyone is welcome tosubmit their favourite shots tobe considered for publication.Please send your pictures [email protected].

Be sure to include thename and age of each childor pet in the photo, where itwas taken, place of residenceand a sentence stating thatyou agree for the photos to beused in The Source.

Saluting those who gothe distance

STAYING POWER

Fletcher Green, 3years, Chelsea, QC

Milan Dwivedi, 14months, Toronto

Cleo SmithLinden, 14months,New YorkCity

Elaine Nelson, Sales Associate, 25yearsYenna Chu, Leather Chenille, 20yearsMaria Ferreira, Leather Digitizer,20 yearsTeresa Rodrigues, LeatherEmbroidery Clean, 20 yearsEdmund Chin, Leather Shipper, 15yearsKerry Kirby, Store Manager, 15yearsBeata Romanczuk-Wong, SalesAssociate, 15 yearsJasodra Badrie, DC Administra-tion, 10 yearsLalmanie Baul, PO Administrator,10 yearsNatalie Dawood, Keyholder, 10yearsPenelope Hall, Assistant Manager,10 yearsRamrattie Mangar, DC Administra-tion, 10 yearsJaqueline Morris, ReceivingCoordinator, 10 yearsRakhee Nazir, DC Picker Packer,10 yearsRobin Nelson, IT Director, 10 yearsDenise Caissie, Store Manager, 5yearsMarina Correia, Payroll and BenefitAdmin, 5 yearsMunmun Das, Associate Buyer, 5yearsNancy Flores, DC Picker Packer, 5yearsAllison Fortier, Store Manager, 5yearsRingo Law, Associate Designer, 5yearsMegan Leblanc, Store Manager, 5yearsCarlea Meraw, Sales Associate, 5yearsTara Mosher, Keyholder, 5 yearsLucy Palomba, Keyholder, 5 yearsCary Trudelle, Keyholder, 5 yearsMelissa Whaley, Store Manager, 5yearsLily Yu, Leather Stitcher, 5 years

ON THE MOVEMoyeen Ahmed, SourcingManager, Roots 73Gitu Aivalli, TechnicianSarah Box, District Manager,Ottawa & North Eastern OntarioHeather Collet, District VisualCoordinatorAlison Gollob, SourcingCoordinatorLaura Cristinzo, TechnicianCandice Cuthbert, MerchandisePlanningAshley Hind, Customer CareSpecialistJarar Kazmi, Chief OperatingOfficerMarlee MacLean, OnlinePhotographerJoanne Nedeljkovic, DesignerBethany Peckham, Manager,Customer ServiceGalit Sone, Visual Planning andDisplay CoordinatorJames Wilford, Senior DistrictVisual CoordinatorHelena Yeap, Women’s Designer,Roots 73Yuhui Zhang, Technician

New appointments at Roots


MUSICAL ROOTS

CHEF’S CORNERRoots-friendly recipes for a healthy diet and to bring pleasure to your palate

This time around, we spotlight Canadian hip-hop artist Shad K. Easy ways to help theenvironment

GREEN TIP #66

In this issue, we present therecipe for making sautéed garlickale. A form of cabbage, kale isa powerful antioxidant with highlevels of beta carotene, vitaminK and vitamin C.

INGREDIENTS:1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil1 cup (250 mL) sliced onion2 cloves of garlic¼ cup (50 mL) water1 tsp (5 mL) sodium reduced soysaucepinch of chili flakes (optional)4 cups (1 L) packed choppedkale, tough stems removed1 tsp (5 mL) black pepper

DIRECTIONS:1. In a large pan or wok, heat oilover medium-high heat. Add theonion and sauté for 3 minutes.Add the garlic and sauté anadditional 2 minutes.2. Add the kale, water, soy sauceand chili flakes, if using. Cook for5 minutes or until the kale is verywilted.3. Add the black pepper and serveimmediately.

Prep time: 5 minutesCook time: 10 minutesServings: 4

Source: www.heartandstroke.com

MAKING YOURDRIVE ECO-FRIENDLIER: Ifyou must movearound by car,

follow these tips to make yourride more eco-responsible andfuel-efficient.1. Buy green: When buying acar, consider its environmentalperformance and the appropri-ate size for your needs.2. Plan your journey: A plangets you to your destination thefastest, easiest way, avoidingunnecessary fuel consumption.3. Check tire pressurefrequently: Well-inflated tiresdecrease rolling resistance,making your car more fuel-efficient.4. Reduce loads and avoidroof racks: Excess weightincreases gas consumption.5. Don’t warm up your engine:Modern cars only need to bewarmed up in extremely coldconditions.6. Use air conditioningsparingly: A/C uses a lot ofpower and can decrease fuelefficiency.7. Accelerate gently and keepa constant speed: Gentledriving is safer and uses lessfuel than abrupt or heavyacceleration.8. Use engine braking:Releasing the accelerator toslow your car improves fuelefficiency and reduces wear andtear on brakes.9. Don’t idle your engine:Idling cars use fuel and releaseexhaust into the atmosphere.10. Offset your CO

2 emis-

sions: Reduce your CO2

emissions through an offsetprogram like www.offsetco2.ca.

• www.greenlivingonline.com

This has been abusy year forShadrach

Kabango. The 28-year-old Canadianrapper not onlywon his first JunoAward in 2011, butalso found the timeto complete amaster’s degree inliberal studies atSimon FraserUniversity inVancouver. Betterknown as Shad, theacademic rapperhas earned criticalpraise for hisdistinct sound andstandout performances.

Born in Kenya to Rwandanparents, Shad moved with hisfamily to Canada, where he wasraised in London, Ontario. As ateenager, he developed aneclectic taste in music, whichwas fostered by his appreciationfor artists like Outcast, Commonand Weezer.

Shad began writing lyricsand performing while studyingfor his undergraduate degree inbusiness at Wilfred LaurierUniversity in Waterloo, Ontario.His music was popular with theKitchener-Waterloo universitycrowd, but Shad’s big breakcame when he won the annualRhythm of Future talent compe-tition organized by The Beat FMradio station. He used his firstplace winnings of $17,500 tofinance his debut studio album,

When This Is Over, in 2005.The album is a diverse

collection of lyrical genius,guitar and drumbeats. A self-taught guitarist, Shad learned toplay on a broken three-stringguitar in his parent’s basement.The album is unconventional asfar as rap goes, with lyrics thatwrestle with loneliness, fear andcynicism. Shad’s mother, lendsher vocals to the track I’ll NeverUnderstand, reciting a spokenword poem she wrote about theemotional aftermath her familyendured following the Rwandangenocide.

In 2007, Shad was signed byBig Box Recordings and re-leased his second album, TheOld Prince. Shortlisted for the2008 Polaris Prize and nomi-nated for two MuchMusic VideoAwards, The Old Prince, much

like his firstalbum, focuses onsocial issues.

It was Shad’smost recent album,TSOL, released in2010, whichcatapulted himonto the interna-tional stage. Hespent the yeartouring, and inbetween showsworked on hisgraduate degree.

Though hestudied businessand liberal arts,Shad alwaysenvisioned himself

as a musician.“If I wasn’t in the music

industry,” he says, “I would besitting in an office somewheredoing a job, and dreaming aboutmaking music instead.”

Last March, Shad won theJuno for Best Rap Recording,and a mere three months latercompleted his master’s degree.

Exploring personal triumphsand failures, asking questions ofhow to better understand theworld we live in, and just havingfun doing it all are very muchwhat Shad is about. His musicspeaks loud and clear and isattracting an increasingly largeaudience – with good reason.- Davin Bujalski• Listen to Roots Radio to hearthe music of Shad. To learn moreabout him, go to:http://www.shadk.com


Photographed in Algonquin Park, birthplace of Roots

sept / oct 2011

Documents

source issue

world of roots issue

roots website

anearby roots

roots canadaltd

fixthe roots repair

welcome letters

store managercasey smith