Hey there hemp!

Fifteen years ago, Mike Carriere was managing a hotel in rural Manitoba and living in what he calls a ‘toxic environment’. He needed a career change, and with three young children, it was important to him to change his life and philosophy, reduce his carbon footprint, and do something he could feel good about. 

Enter hemp. 

 Together with his brother George, Mike opened Hempyrean at The Forks Market, and started selling hemp food, t-shirts, and miscellaneous items. The name came from the word empyrean, which means ‘deriving from heaven’. For Mike, it seemed fitting to simply add an ‘h’, since he considers hemp to be a miracle plant. 

 His research into hemp revealed that it’s the oldest cultivated plant in the world, and one of the most versatile. You can make just about anything out of it, including paper, plastic, wood, fibre, and concrete. Not only that, but hemp’s seeds and oil are some of the healthiest on the planet. Mike himself has been eating hemp for over 15 years, and declares he has never felt better. (For the record, he looks about a decade younger than his real age, too.) 

Hempyrean turns 15 years old in February 2016, and has since become a pioneer in the natural organic clothing industry. The product line has expanded over time to include a full range of hemp clothing, along with clothing made from other wood pulps like bamboo, wool, eucalyptus, soy, and more. 

Mike is passionate about the fact that everything at Hempyrean is made with natural organic fibres, eco-friendly processes, and fair-trade practices. He is proud to know that every piece of clothing he sells comes from natural plants rather than synthetic fibres, and is making a difference to the environment. 

In addition to clothing and accessories, Hempyrean carries several hemp-enriched cosmetic lines from Canada and the U.S. Right here in Manitoba, Mike and George make their own hemp-enriched hand and body lotion, and also a body wash and shampoo. 

With exclusive rights to several natural organic product lines, Mike likes providing customers with items you won’t find anywhere else – items as unique as the customers themselves. One of his favourite things about being in The Forks is the variety of people he meets from around the world. It makes him smile when people stop in to take selfies with his mannequin, Molly, who is always fashionably dressed from head to toe in natural organic fibres. 

So next time you’re at The Forks Market, stop in and see Mike, take a selfie with Molly, and be sure to pick up that one-of-a-kind piece of eco-friendly clothing. The environment will thank you for it later.

Check out Hempyrean on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

THIRD + BIRD flies into The Forks Market

There's something one-of-a-kind about THIRD+BIRD — besides the fact that it's totally local. It's an event that takes the best of what Manitoba farmers, artisans, makers and local businesses have to offer, and puts it all in one place. They select the best of the best to be vendors. 

Needless to say, it's gained a reputation for being not-your-grandma's craft market.

If you haven’t been able to make it out to any of their events, now’s your chance. On December 12/13 and 19/20 THIRD + BIRD will be in Centre Court at The Forks Market doing a pop up with select vendors so you can see what all the buzz is about. 

Here’s a full list of who’s coming, when, and what they are all about:

Dec. 12: 9:30 am - 9 pm

From left to right: Buttercream by Alareen, Little Orchard Co., Anita Rex Designs

Anita Rex Designs

Handmade wreaths and felt accessories in modern and rustic designs. Styled with burlap, yarn, felt and grapevine.

Buttercream By Alareen 

French macarons gift wrapped and packaged in sets of 6,12, & 24.

Decadence Chocolates

Handcrafted chocolates made using natural and fresh ingredients with no preservatives. All items are created in small batches to ensure quality.

Little Orchard Co.

Products for little ones featuring original designs based on childhood memories and cute things kids say. Featuring soft, hand screen printed onesies, t-shirts, long sleeved tees, baseball shirts, and sweatshirts, as well as waterproof laminated cotton baprons (bib-apron hybrid) & cowls.

Fresh Cut Downtown

Festive and seasonal flowers and arrangements. 

Barbara + Cecile Handbags

Handbags and smaller accessories like key chains, wallets, toiletry bags and more. Contemporary design with a dash of whimsy.

dconstruct jewelry

Eco resin and concrete jewelry, home wares and iPhone cases. Handmade in their Winnipeg studio.

From left to right: Monkeys, Monsters & More, Silver Birch, Shut Ur Piehole

Monkeys, Monsters + More

Handsewn precious little animals using socks, gloves and up-cycled vintage fabrics and wool blankets

Shut Ur Piehole

Tasty homemade pies made from scratch — with no more than 10 ingredients — in cute jars. 

Silver Birch

Wooden snap toys, framed art, rustic signs and cutting boards. Inspired by exploration of the city of Winnipeg and the wilderness that surrounds us.

Dec. 13: 9:30 am - 6 pm

From left to right: Crampton Made, Barbara + Cecile Handbags, Whitehouse Art

Crampton Made

Manitoba foodstuffs made with Manitoba ingredients. Picked, pressed and crushed when the produce is at peak flavour.

Flora + Farmer

Unique, artisan spreads and pickles. Made without pectin or thickeners, and with a bit of natural sweetness.

Whitehouse Art

Paintings of animals in vibrant colours. Described as bright, playful and full of life. Original paintings, prints and cards available

Barbara + Cecile Handbags

Buttercream By Alareen 

Decadence Chocolates

dconstruct jewelry

Monkeys, Monsters & More

Shut Ur Piehole

Silver Birch

December 19: 9:30 am - 9 pm

From left to right: Rachael Kroeker Ceramics, Hogwash Bath + Body, Red Herring Supply Co.

Hogwash Bath & Body

Natural cosmetics specializing in cruelty-free soaps, scrubs, lotions and lip balms. Products are 100% vegan and not tested on animals. 

Rachael Kroeker Ceramics

Handcrafted, contemporary tableware. Sleek, modern pottery with a wonderful balance of design, comfort, and beauty. Every piece is 100% unique, with no two marbling affects ever being the same.

Red Herring Supply Company

Handcrafted small leather goods. Every item is thoughtfully designed and carefully put together to ensure quality and uniqueness in every piece.

From left to right: Souvenir Handmade, Riley Grae Designs, Sweet Spirit Apothecary

Riley Grae Designs

Handsewn accessories, paintings, prints and jewelry. Each item is designed and handmade using as much re-purposed material as possible without compromising the products quality.

Souvenir Handmade

Jewelry inspired by our prairie surroundings and a love of antiques. Made from timeworn silverware, semi precious stones, and natural materials such as leather, wood and porcupine quill.

Sweet Spirit Apothecary

All natural skincare products, essential oil blends, and crystal pendants made with love. Handcrafted in small micro batches, and produced pure as can be.

Boomerang 360

Sweatshop free and hand screen-printed accessories made with environmentally friendly water based inks. T-shirts, hoodies, scarves, pillows, cloth napkin sets, tea towels, baby onesies, kids tees and canvas prints. Handmade buttons, magnets and patches.

From left to right: dconstruct Jewelry,  Decadence Chocolate, Coal and Canary

Coal + Canary

Handpoured soy/vegetable candles featuring a wide, crackling wooden wick. They smell as good as they look!

dconstruct Jewelry

Decadence Chocolates

December 20: 9:30 am - 6 pm

From left to right: Kevin Fawley Art, Brook Drabot Glass, Elephant Shoe Teething Co.

Brook Drabot Glass

Beautiful handmade glass creations inspired by nature. 

Elephant Shoe Teething Co.

Stylish jewelry for mama to wear, that is also safe for babies to chew on. Always BPA free.

Kevin Fawley Art

Using archival photographs as his samples, each drawing is composed of charcoal, graphite, acetone transfers and hand cut Xerox prints. They portray a black-and-white anachronistic future.

From left to right: Utoffeea, Sara Clark Jewelry, Boomerang 360

Sara Clark Jewelry

Modern, handcrafted wood and resin jewelry.

Utoffeea

A savoury sweet treat made from layered cashews, crunchy buttery toffee and three types of chocolate swirled. 

Boomerang 360

Coal + Canary

dconstruct Jewelry

Decadence Chocolates

Sweet Spirit Apothecary

Come check out what a craft market can really look like. See you in Centre Court at The Forks Market on December 12/13 and 19/20!