June, the Pearl of Summer
June 6, 2025
Greetings from the Staff and Board of Directors of Steep Hill Food Co-op, your grocery store on Broadway! Welcome to the beautiful month of June which is named after the Roman goddess Juno, and heralds summer’s arrival. So much to do and celebrate this month! School lets out and family holidays are being planned. The days are starting to feel long for those sitting inside at a desk! Let’s celebrate those Dads and father-figures on the 15th. Be sure to let them know how much they mean to you and how grateful you are to have them in your life. Summer Solstice on June 21 is also National Indigenous Peoples Day, with cultural events at Wanuskewin and Reconciliation Saskatoon’s Rock Your Roots Walk to honour Survivors and recognize and celebrate our diversity. And June is also the month of events celebrating 2SLGBTQ+ love, resilience, and community with a grand finale on June 22 with Saskatoon’s annual Pride Parade and Pride in the Park at Rotary Park.
Sadly, at the time of writing this, our province is already overwhelmed by forest fires in the northern areas. Credible science lays much of the responsibility for these destructive and debilitating fires at the feet of climate change. Warmer temperatures, decreased snowpack, low soil moisture and increased drought conditions, all linked to climate change, are making wildfires more frequent, larger and more severe. You can help fight climate change by making a few small alterations to your life right here at home:
- Much of our electricity and heat is powered by coal, oil and gas. Use less energy by lowering your heating and cooling; switching to LED light bulbs and energy-efficient electric appliances, washing your laundry in cold water and hanging items to dry instead of using a dryer.
- The world’s roads are clogged with vehicles, and the air is burgeoning with airplanes - all powered by fossil fuels. Consider walking, taking public transit, or riding a bike instead of driving thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping with your health and fitness. For longer distances, consider a train or bus or carpool whenever possible.
- Eating more locally grown produce and products can significantly lower your environmental impact.
Did you know that at Steep Hill, we can help you with that last goal? Whenever possible, Steep Hill prioritizes stocking the shelves and coolers with locally grown produce and products. The shorter the distance that the food travels to your kitchen, the less nutrients that are lost and the fewer the greenhouse gas emissions! A winning combination for you and the environment! Drop in and ask the friendly staff what’s new and local.
Store News
Oh Canada! Steep Hill will be open from 11 AM til 4 PM on Canada Day, July 1. And remember we are now opening at 10 AM on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
We’re going to miss having Carmen Corner as a regular supplier of pork products, but we do want to wish Don and Louella Friesen all the best in their retirement - whatever new adventures their future might hold! We put in a big final order so if you still have a chance to take some Carmen Corner products home with you while supplies last. Sovereign Family Farms and Original Family Farm will continue to supply us with healthy, delicious pork products too.
Our newest local supplier is Seven Meadows Farm, growing vegetables hydroponically year round at Regina Beach. Check out their Peppers - both sweet and hot – and their Beefsteak Tomatoes.
Watch for the return of your early summer favourites: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and saskatoons are starting to arrive.
On May 17, Nancy Allan, Ann Brander and Rae Hearn celebrated Fair Trade Day by setting up a display in front of the store. People stopped by to learn how fair trade products make a difference – and tried the coffee and chocolate. Two lucky winners took home a door prize of Level Ground Coffee and Camino chocolate, a couple of our great Fair Trade products.
Canadian-Made Personal Care Products
Good quality, Canadian-made personal care products can be difficult to find, especially if organic and sustainable ingredients and manufacturing are a consideration. Fortunately, Steep Hill has already done the work of sourcing some great products for you!
Some of these companies were featured in the last newsletter’s article about Canadian cleaning products. The Unscented Company produces both home and personal care products; Steep Hill currently has body lotion and deodorant in stock. Shampoo and conditioner powder concentrates by Myni just need a bottle and water to turn into full-sized products. Curelle, based in Vancouver, manufactures unscented hair products, lotions and body washes, and the store has a number of these products in stock. Founded in 2002, Green Beaver has been a popular source of natural lotions, sunscreens, toothpaste, and other products at Steep Hill for a number of years. Currently, the store has Green Beaver face lotion, deodorant, dental floss and toothpastes (try the cinnamon flavour!). Look for plastic-free deodorants from Attitude arriving soon.
The Soap Works is the original unwrapped soap bar, manufactured in Ontario. Steep Hill always has an excellent selection of their soaps, including shampoo and conditioner bars. Mountain Sky Soap was first manufactured in the original owners’ basement but has expanded considerably since then! As well as soaps, Steep Hill also carries their shampoo and conditioner bars.
Give some of these great personal care products a try! As always, if you know of other products that Steep Hill could look at bringing in, contact the store at 306-664-4455 or at hello@steephillfood.ca.
Watch for Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities!
Broadway is always a busy place in the summer – this year promises to be even more so. To help ease the frustration and inconvenience of the Broadway bridge closure, various activities have been planned for the street over the next several months. Steep Hill will have an outdoor presence for some of these events and will need volunteers to sit at the outdoor table, sell cold drinks, and chat with the public about the co-op. Watch for more information on social media over the next while.
As always, the store needs people willing to collect and dispose of cardboard and other recyclables, garbage, and compost. Now that everything has greened up in earnest, the need for weeding, tidying, and tree-trimming behind the store has become more immediate. If you’re finished with your own yard work (or don’t have a yard but enjoy working outdoors), why not lend your skills to making the back area look neater?
If you’re interested in any of these opportunities or have questions, please email Amielle directly at hello@steephillfood.ca. Two hours of volunteer work gives you working member status for the following month, which provides you with the working member discount (6% off the shelf price). For in-store volunteer work, sign up for a shift in the store or by calling or emailing to request a shift.
Handmade House: A Creative Collective on Broadway
At Steep Hill Food Coop, we believe in the power of co-operation—not just in how we source our food, but in how we support our community. That’s why we’re proud to highlight fellow co-operatives and collectives on Broadway, like the inspiring Handmade House.
Located at 710 Broadway Avenue, Handmade House is a long-standing artist cooperative that has been showcasing Saskatchewan’s creative talent for over 50 years. The shop features handcrafted work from more than 100 local artists, including pottery, jewelry, textiles, woodwork, and fine art.
What makes Handmade House special is its co-operative model. The store is managed by 12 working members who share responsibilities and decision-making. All items are handmade by Saskatchewan-based artists, and the shop operates on a consignment basis—ensuring that 60% of each sale goes directly to the maker.
This model not only supports local artisans but also fosters a strong sense of community and shared purpose—values we at Steep Hill deeply admire and strive to uphold.
As you enjoy the Broadway Block Parties this August, we encourage you to explore the many co-operative gems along the avenue. Stop by Handmade House to discover beautiful, locally made treasures—and don’t forget to visit us at Steep Hill for fresh, local, and organic goods.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected community—one co-op at a time.
Asparagus Gremolata
Form an Italian garnish zest called gremolata with lemon, garlic, and parsley to compliment cooked green vegetables such as asparagus, green beans and fiddleheads or grilled chicken and fish.
View Asparagus Gremolata Recipe
We Have an Opening on The Newsletter Committee!
Do you like what you’re reading here? Maybe you could make it even better! Would you like to join the committee that puts it all together? Newsletter Committee members attend one short Zoom meeting a month to plan the next issue, deciding on what topics to include and decide which story or stories you would like to write. As you know, we like to share information about organic and local food, our products and suppliers, co-operatives, our community, eco living tips and ways to be involved with your co-op. Active committee members are entitled to a working member discount (an additional 3%) when buying groceries at Steep Hill. If you are interested contact us at board@steephillfood.ca.
Drop Your Bottles and Cans at SARCAN and Donate to Steep Hill
Did you know that you can donate your bottle and can deposit refunds to Steep Hill through SARCAN’s Drop and Donate program? It’s a quick and easy way to support our co-operative and help SARCAN. By returning your cans and bottles, you support circular economies, reducing the need for mining natural resources and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from production cycles.
At the SARCAN depot, use the Drop and Go entrance off to the side of the main doors. Go to one of the computer screens on the walls and fill in the electronic form. Type in the phrase “Steep Hill Food” to indicate where to direct your donation. You don’t need to set up a personal account to do this. The machine will print a barcode sticker to put on your box of glass containers or bag of cans before dropping them off.
SARCAN will e-transfer the value of your donation to Steep Hill’s bank account, and we’ll use these funds to help make needed improvements and upgrades around the store. Every little bit counts towards reaching our goals!
Saskatoon has four SARCAN depots. They are open 9 AM til 5 PM Monday to Saturday, located at 2900 Jasper Ave South, #7 - 2305 22 Street West, 350B - 103 Street East, and 3803 Kochar Ave. The Drop and Go areas at the Kochar and 103^rd^ Street locations are open until 9 PM on Thursdays and Fridays. For more information visit SARCAN.ca
We Want to Hear From You!
For information about products and the store, email us at hello@steephillfood.ca or call 306-664-4455.
To contact the Board of Directors with ideas, feedback, concerns or questions, email board@steephillfood.ca or fill out a “How did we do today” card when you are in the store.
Thanks to Jasmin Carlton, Amielle Christopherson, Adam Douglas, Amy Jo Ehman, Cathy Holtslander, Maryann Scott, and Ann Smith for contributing to this Newsletter!
Your grocery store on Broadway!