New Paper Boutique is A Love Letter to the Trees

We have a saying here at Canopy — ‘Once a Canopal, Always a Canopal’, meaning that once you’ve worked here, and become a Canopal (our nickname for staff), you are a friend for life. 

In November 2025, our Canopal Carol Steuri opened A Love Letter - Paper Boutique. The store, located in Ottawa’s Beechwood Village, sells all recycled and Next Gen paper products, which means everything sold in this paper store is tree-free. We interviewed Carol about the vision behind the store, and how it ties into her time at Canopy, and what it's like to run the only paper store in the world that sells all recycled or Next Gen paper products.

What inspired you to open A Love Letter?

I’ve always wanted to have a European-style paper shop. I love paper, cards, stationery, and all things tactile. After years of working across different industries and sectors, now is the time. But I knew if I opened up a retail space, it would need to be more than just selling stuff. 

Our goal is to educate and inspire our community about protecting forests while delighting them with a thoughtful selection of beautiful paper things (and it's all recycled or Next Gen). It’s also a home to art, handmade local goods, and centres community connection, which are all very important to me.

We are thrilled to have A Love Letter as a Pack4Good partner. Why was being part of our initiative important to you?

Canopy’s partnership is a no-brainer. You get a solid policy to adapt and follow, access to its team and network, including intel that’s hard and time-consuming to source on your own. 

A Love Letter is the only paper store in the world that carries only recycled and Next Gen paper products. It’s hard to fathom, but 3.1 billion trees, many from the most climate and biodiversity critical forests, are cut down every year for paper packaging. I don’t have the time as a small business owner to be up to date on all things forest conservation and Next Gen innovation — that’s not my day job anymore — but I trust that Canopy is at the forefront. Plus, I get an excuse to touch base with my Canopals. 

What is it about forests that inspired you to create a store like this?

Our home is surrounded by forest in the Gatineau Hills. There is no place on Earth I’d rather be than running in the trees with my dog. Forests are deeply important to me and my family. I feel very privileged to live where we do, with access to nature, the river. It brings me so much joy. After many years of climate and conservation work, I was craving a more creative way to make an impact. Having this space, connected with community, is a perfect fit for me. I walk into A Love Letter and I just smile, and folks walk in here, I see them do the same. It feels meaningful and concrete. 

What are Next Gen paper products?

I wanted to use the same word that Canopy uses. When folks walk in here I say all is made with either recycled or Next Generation materials. Next Gen means low-impact, low carbon alternatives — made from what is usually wasted or burned like agricultural residues. We don’t need to be making paper out of trees anymore.

Can you give some examples of products that you carry?

We carry cards, journals, stationery, notepads, writing tools, things for the desk. We also have a vintage collection of clothing and decor on the second level. Second-hand clothing meshes well with our mission in keeping forests standing and diverting waste from landfill.

What do you hope A Love Letter will help inspire?

Our vision is a world where paper is forest-free and creativity flourishes in written word. That about sums it up. We do this by creating a beautiful and inspiring space that helps to educate the community that paper doesn't need to come from climate- and biodiversity-critical forests anymore. Connection is so important in this screen-based world, and writing connects us, it’s tactile, it’s something you feel.

On our wall in the shop, there’s a giant stencil: A love letter to the trees: the beautiful, majestic forests that we depend on and must protect.

Retail isn’t an easy game for small independent shops. And especially, when you are doing something different that challenges the status quo. It’s difficult to find a beautiful collection of paper things on recycled or next gen paper. Oftentimes, I find stuff I love, but I can’t order because it doesn’t satisfy my purchasing policy. I pay extra in freight, delivery, because I am sourcing from around the globe and I want to price our goods competitively, ensuring accessibility, thus I take a greater hit on margin. I wish there was a Next Gen mill here in Canada, it’s such an untapped opportunity in the prairies. Canada could lead in this space, alongside India. There are lots of politicians and public service workers that enter A Love Letter, how cool would it be if this little shop inspired some real change! I’ve already experienced suppliers converting to recycled paper, to compostable sleeves, because I’ve asked. These are small wins. We all need to be doing our parts, and every little bit adds to the whole.