Back-to-school essentials, made by people right here

Every August, the same list comes back: backpack, lunch box, name labels, shoes, a water bottle. That first day of school is a small thing on the calendar, but in the head of a four- or five-year-old, it’s enormous. And for the parent, it comes with a wave of shopping that, honestly, makes my head spin a little.

So I figured: if I’m going to buy all of it anyway, I’d rather it go to people here. Not the big chains — small businesses, real people in Quebec who sew, print, assemble. So I made the list I wish someone had handed me.

The backpack

Sacs Lavoie — Sewn in La Baie, in the Saguenay, since 1988. The backpack that lasts three school years instead of one. lavoie.qc.ca

The lunch box and reusable bags

• Dans le Sac — A small family business that hand-sews reusable bags for snacks and lunch. danslesac.co
• Eco Loco — Washable snack bags, zero-waste by design, with fabric knit in Montreal. ecoloco.ca

Name labels (the saviour of lost mittens)

• Cestamoi — Stick-on and iron-on name labels, printed in Quebec since 2011. Back-to-school is literally their season. cestamoi.ca
• Colle à moi — The best-known local label maker: labels for everything, from clothes to lunch boxes to boots. colleamoi.com

Clothing

• Les Petites Natures — Linen and cotton clothes, simple and durable cuts, for ages 0–9. Designed and assembled here. lespetitesnatures.com
• Little Yogi Company — A small local brand of organic “grow-with-you” clothes that stretch a little with the child. littleyogicompany.com

Slippers

Les Mains d’ici — Soft leather slippers, handmade. The kind of little thing that makes a big day a bit gentler. lesmainsdici.com

The comfort blankie (the most important thing in the bag)

Veille sur toi — Blankies and plush toys hand-sewn, no small beads, with an embroidered face. For the child heading to daycare or kindergarten, that’s often the real essential: a piece of home in the bag. veillesurtoi.com

For the big emotions

Les Belles Combines — A Quebec company whose calm-down kit helps a child name and move through a big day. lesbellescombines.com

I don’t know if a nice lunch box makes a first day of school any easier. Probably not. But if we’re buying anyway, it might as well support people here who make things with care. Happy first day — to you as much as to the kids.