On Friday, May 10, Toronto officially became the largest Fair Trade City in North America, making it the sixteenth community in Canada to achieve the designation and bringing it alongside other world cities like Paris, Boston, Dublin, and Vancouver.

The cold, rainy weather couldn’t dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic crowd as Councillor Mike Layton read out the Proclamation that was the final piece of a years-long pursuit to become a Fair Trade City, led largely by Fair Trade Toronto. I was on hand with Nettie Cronish from the Fairtrade Canada Board to make the official declaration and present the City and Fair Trade Toronto with a certificate acknowledging their achievement.