Still looking for a summer job?  REAL has received funding from Summer Jobs Canada to hire two young people for 32 hours a week for eight weeks. Candidates must be between the ages of 15 and 30.  One of...

The REAL Deal Store is pleased to be offering a helpful product for gardeners  interested in sustainability.  Biochar is a natural, high-carbon soil amendment made from sustainably processed wood.  You can use it to enhance soil health, retain moisture/nutrients,...

The REAL Deal would like to add one more person to our team of yard associates.  This is for  part time work over the summer, June, July and August.  The person would work a minimum of 8 hours to...

Our Rain Barrel Pickup day is now a  Garden Fundraiser!  If you come between 10 am and 2 pm we will have some other great garden additions to get you growing.  Proceeds support REAL’s monarch gardens on the REAL...

Here are a few ideas for greening your Easter celebrations. Serving the Feast.  Stay away from the disposables.  Our store sells tablecloths and cloth napkins, if you are looking for those.  We always have lots of plates, glassware, cutlery,...

REAL’s 2024 Annual Report summarizes our non-profit’s activities up to the end of January 2025.  It has a been a busy and productive year.  We have a range of projects that directly benefit our community including the mini-forest, litter...

Have Donations? Now is a Good Time to Bring Them! We truly appreciate all of your donations of good quality used items for the REAL Deal store, but we appreciate them even more this time of year! Winter, from mid-December...

Spring and summer are a busy time for REAL, and we are still narrowing down the dates.  But here are some of the early in the season happenings to watch for. Pitch In Smiths Falls/ Shoreline Cleanup – is...

REAL’s February 2025 Update is ready!   Find out about our new Heat Pump Advisory Service and the Rideau Roundtable’s new Eco-Literacy Program.  We have some plant seeds for sale at the store, some tips on reducing your food waste,...

Have you been wondering if a heat pump is right for your home?  REAL is pleased to announce a new heat pump advisory service.  Our energy advisor, Alan Leonard, has recently completed specialized training that will allow him to...

The Smiths Falls Climate Protection Working Group (CPWG) wants to hear from you! The group, established in early 2023,  is creating a local Climate Action Plan, and has created a survey to gather public input.  Municipalities will play a...

Our fifth online auction was an unqualified success.  We attracted $3557 in bids on the 176 items up for auction.  About 170 people took part, and in the end 69 people won the right to purchase  one to 11...

Please note that the REAL Deal Store will be closed between Sunday, December 22 and Wednesday, January 1 inclusive.  The store will reopen Thursday, January 2, 2025.  The store closes every year between Christmas and New Years to give...

REAL’s December 2024 Update has been posted.   Learn which seasonal items can and can’t be recycled, sources of phantom power loss,  and about our Mini Forest planting and Online Auction.  It is often easier to explain what the REAL...

REAL is now 35 years old!  Our environmental organization began with a meeting of concerned citizens on Oct. 31, 1989.  Through the years our small  non-profit has been involved in dozens of small scale, hands on, local projects meant...