Daily Protein Lifestyle: Canada

By McKinley Corbley: Rather than making purses out of plastic, this small Canadian company has begun making vegan leather clothing items out of apple peels that are recycled from the juicing industry.

The two sisters behind the Toronto-based fashion line SAMARA recently launched their Mini purse, which is the first object made out of their new ‘apple leather’.

The designers say they were inspired to develop the material as a means of replacing the petroleum-based materials that are typically used to make vegan ‘leather’.

Though the designers told Tree Hugger that they are currently using polyurethane (PU) as a binding agent, they reassured readers that the glue is still a much more eco-friendly material compared to the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that is commonly used in the textile industry.

“As the vegan leather industry is growing, we decided that it was time to raise the bar and start experimenting with other plant-based materials,” reads the SAMARA website. “We’ve been hard at work over the last year, aiming to create our best seller—the Mini—out of apple-based leather.

“After many iterations and quality checks, it’s finally here. Made from apple skins that are by-products of the juicing industry, and some PU that acts as a binding agent, we’ve designed our newest addition to the Mini Collection: our Apple Leather Mini.”The Mini is now on sale at the SAMARA website for $50 a pop. Additionally, a portion of every purchase made through the company’s website helps to send a “solar-powered backpack” to a child in East Africa. Fashion Designers Replace Plastic-Based Vegan ‘Leather’ With Fabric Made Out of Apple Peels

Read More........→February 18, 2026 Categories: Canada,Fashion

Craig Campbell and his Doberman named Night – Supplied, Craig Campbell

A Canadian dog-lover has gotten to learn all over again why they call the animal Man’s best friend after his own brave pooch deterred a bear attack.

On a familiar trail in Cochrane, near Calgary, Craig Campbell was on a walk with his dog, a 10-year-old Doberman named Night. It was a trail he had taken with Night several times, but the routine physical activity suddenly turned into a life or death situation.

There in the bushes, a grizzly sow with her 2 cubs had wandered into the woods sandwiched between farms. Even still, Campbell had his bear spray, but having it is only half the challenge; the other half is using it.

“I managed two thoughts,” Campbell recalled in an interview with CTV News. “First of all, I said to myself, ‘This can’t be happening.’ And then I realized I wasn’t going to get the bear spray out (in time) and I said to myself, ‘I’m about to die.’”

Just then, Night came from beside in a flash and put himself between man and bear. Towering 7 feet on its hind legs above the crouching, barking dog, it gave enough time for Campbell to arm himself, but by then the bear huffed and went back to her cubs.

An avid trainer, Campbell has for years been training Night in the German sport of Schutzhund, often used to train the breed and others like it as police dogs. He believes this is why Night ran at the bear when others might have ran away, tail between their legs as it were.

“He is a very brave dog,” Campbell said. “To have an animal that literally stood between me and death, there’s no better friend than that.”

The story won Night an award in Purina’s Animal Hall of Fame for 2025, Canada’s longest-running pet recognition award. Inductees receive a medallion, recognition at a ceremony in Toronto, and one year’s worth of free pet food.Despite the sports and the bravery, Campbell said Night is a playful dog too, loving few things more than jumping into a stream and watching minnows swim through his paws.

s-best-friend-recognized-as-dog-of-the-year-for-saving-him-from-a-bear-attack. Man's Best Friend Recognized as Dog of the Year For Saving Him from a Bear Attack