A Love Letter Paper Boutique

This stationery store was built around a unique concept: It has all the items you expect from a high-end paper boutique — cards, journals, wrapping paper, gifts — but everything in the shop is made of recycled paper or next generation material.

“What that means is it’s tree-free,” owner Carol Steuri explains, “So it’s a low-impact alternative to cutting down forests for paper.”

Sustainability is an important priority for Steuri — her past endeavours include a post-graduate degree in climate policy and a stint as the Executive Director of Green Communities Canada, a community-based climate action group, and Canopy Planet, a group that works with industry partners to protect old-growth and endangered forests from harvesting. The main focus of her work at Canopy Planet was in the area of next-generation paper materials, advocating for many of the same materials that are now featured in her store.

Aside from traditional forms of recycled paper and cardstock, the store sells products made from flax, wheatstraw, offcuts from the fashion industries and recycled fabric. “A lot of different things can make paper. We really don’t need to be making paper out of trees anymore,” Steuri notes.

Variety was also what drew her to the Beechwood Village when choosing a location for the shop. “I meet folks from Vanier, I meet folks from New Edinburgh, I meet folks from Manor Park. I love all the people that come through the door,” says Steuri, “And especially the community that share their stories. Yeah, it just feels like a really good neighbourhood to plant some roots in.”

Try out some next-gen paper yourself at 137 Beechwood Avenue!