When you step into Oliver’s new Fillosophy Refill Bar, the physical distancing sticker on the wooden floor reads “you belong here.” Perhaps this detail, among the sea of others in the store, best shows the welcoming energy that founder Linsay Ogden is working to cultivate in her sustainable store.
Though a self-contained, small space, the zero-waste shop is curated with precision. Everything from sourcing local coffee to the jar labels were picked and tweaked to fit within the overall concept and aesthetic. The space is bright, clean and minimalistic, with the building’s old church windows giving way for a stream of sunlight. Not a single bar of soap is out of place.
Even the logo choice was a calculated decision. Ogden says she spent a month researching different fonts, learning what looks good together and how certain fonts make people feel.
“I nerded out hard,” jokes Ogden.
The store carries pantry staples like spices, nuts, grains, rice, teas, as well as products like soap, shampoo and locally made household cleaners. They also have kombucha on tap from Motherlove Kombucha, brewed in Kelowna, B.C.
The selection covers everyday products which Ogden thought to be basic, daily necessities. The main goal, she says, is to have a space where sustainable options are accessible to everyone in the community while fighting plastic pollution.
Aside from the products themselves, even storage and displays in the space are repurposed. Some pieces in the store were old cupboards and wood found in the church and remade into the bar area at the back of the store and the cashout counter at the front.
After spending a year in the making, Fillosophy Refill Bar is set to open this month in the building attached to Popolo restaurant. Though they wanted to (quite fittingly) open on Earth Day, April 22, delays in some orders forced them to push back that date.
Although cities like Kelowna, Penticton and Vancouver have refilleries, there’s no local option for locals living in the Oliver and Osoyoos area. Seeing this gap herself, while also noting the need amongst the community was a big push for Ogden to open Fillosophy.
There are currently 500 people who are already subscribed to Fillosophy’s newsletter. The response from people has been shocking yet delightful to see, says Ogden.
“I believe the past year has really shifted people’s ideas on how to shop and how to be more sustainable,” she says.
Ogden and her family started making sustainable changes in their own lifestyle about two years ago. Starting with small things like switching from plastic wrap to beeswax wraps, they took it one step at a time.
“We just kind of eliminate little bits and pieces at a time because I think it’s not reasonable or sustainable to go, ‘okay, I’m going to clear out my whole house and start over,’” says Ogden.
Environmental awareness, however, is not new to her. This interest goes way back to her childhood when she used to visit her grandparents every summer in the Kootenays. They were the ones who instilled a sense of responsibility for the environment in her from a young age.
Ogden’s grandfather would teach her about topics like food security, conserving energy and gardening. They would also take her to environmental marches, which she recalls as being some of her fondest childhood memories.
Carrying these lessons and ideas throughout her life, Ogden brings this passion to Fillosophy in a genuine way, hoping to make sustainable habits more accessible for locals in the area.
