Slow Ottawa (also on Twitter and Pinterest) is a one-person, non-commercial site that I want to keep independent and ad-free. I’m hoping to produce a lot more audiocasts and blog posts, but as a deaccessioned curator I’m struggling to eke out an existence in a challenging local economy. I have long been advocating for eco-friendly living and investment in local goods and services, and I’m now entering that game with a sister site called called smallmuseums.ca.
The mission of the new business is to help museums, historic sites, archives and community organizations thrive in rapidly-changing times. Shortly after launching in May 2015 my conservator colleague and I distributed a nationwide health & safety survey. The results confirmed that many small heritage institutions are maintaining their facilities and artifacts with precarious combinations of off-the-shelf cleaning products containing harmful dyes, fragrances, abrasives and bleaches that will unwittingly brought harm to artifacts, staff and visitors. In response we have developed a whole line of museum-grade cleaning products, at the core of which are our safe, sustainable, Ottawa-made multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner and beeswax wood polish.
Slow products, made in Ottawa. Click image for details and link to larger image.
Our friends at Operation Come Home (featured here in my favourite Slow Ottawa interview) carry the basic product lineup at their Re:Purpose Store in Centretown. And at the Mill of Kintail in beautiful Lanark County you can purchase our full line of cleaning agents and tools. Go here for information on visiting and donating to both locations.
Have you got a product of your own to market? If you need access to industry-acclaimed packaging or an elegant, responsive website let’s talk. All design for Slow Ottawa and smallmuseums.ca is my own work.
Thanks for your support.
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