Diane Richardson

ShopSidneybytheSea.com

We live in a beautiful community and it's the small businesses that make it vibrant and a great place to live. But our small businesses are facing hard times and we need to help them survive.

In an effort to promote the independent businesses on the Saanich peninsula we have started an online portal for local businesses. This site makes it easy for locals to find these businesses, contact them and know when they're open for business.

We hope that if you live on the Saanich peninsula you are supporting all our independant businesses and this site will just make it easier for you to do so.

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We make it easy for you to do the right thing.

Through my affiliation with Macdonald Realty Victoria and their partnership with Offsetters.ca every real estate transaction I complete is carbon neutral.  I pay to offset the emissions from my car in my day-to-day business and for every purchase or sale of real estate that I am a part of I pay an offsetting fee to make the transaction earth friendly.

Offsetters is a Vancouver-based organization recognized as the top provider of carbon offsets in Canada by analysts such as the Pembina Institute, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Environment Canada.  Offsetters uses funds to invest in carbon-reducing initiatives both in Canada and internationally.

For more information on how carbon offsetting works visit www.offsetters.ca

Macdonald Realty has recently commenced a long-term partnership with Habitat for Humanity as Macdonald's primary corporate charity.  Macdonald's giving theme is "Finding a Home for Everyone", this global organization and the work they do in communities all over the world is the perfect fit for Macdonald's giving goals in serving our communities and neighbourhooods.

Macdonald Realty recently became a supporter of the Minerva Foundation for BC Women's Education.  The Minerva Foundation offers students facing financial obstacles the opportunity to enhance their education.  They create opportunities and offer programs through trusted partnerships in the areas of education, leadership development, economic security and safety.