October 28, 2015

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO ARDEN HOLDINGS INC.:

This statement is in response to CBCs letter dated October 23, 2015.
With over 400 stores across Canada and a history that dates back over 33 years, we are proud of our
reputation, and the safety and satisfaction of our customers are our top priorities.
Although CBC Marketplace has not provided specific details regarding the products from our stores that
were tested for cadmium content, including the testing process that was used, we can confirm that
Ardene is committed to following all Health Canada guidelines with regards to the safety of our
products, and especially those products intended for younger people under our Ardene Girl collection.
We have had prior discussions with Health Canada regarding application legislation and guidelines and
our related compliance matters.
Health Canadas Industry Guide to Childrens Jewellery defines childrens jewellery as "jewellery that is
manufactured, sized, decorated, packaged, advertised or sold in a manner that appeals primarily
to children under 15 years of age."1 This includes jewellery that has an intended play value; features

characters or images commonly associated with products for children, and/or is sized specifically for
younger people.
Ardene voluntarily complies with Health Canadas Draft Proposal for Cadmium Guidelines in Childrens
Jewellery. Specifically, any jewellery product for children that is manufactured, imported, advertised or
sold in Canada adheres to the requirements in the Guidelines which limit total cadmium to 130 mg/kg.2
In fact, Ardene exceeds the Guidelines in that none of our Ardene Girl products contain any cadmium, as
they are all made of plastic. Additionally, although Health Canadas Canada Consumer Product Safety Act
(CCPSA) does not prohibit cadmium in adult jewellery and Health Canada has advised that there is no
known risk associated with simply wearing jewellery which contains cadmium3, we have previously
advised our suppliers that the cadmium content in all of our jewellery must respect the 130 mg/kg
threshold.
We have not at any time received any customer reports of incidents related to cadmium.
While we are proud of this track record, we are constantly working to improve our processes and offer
the best-possible customer experience. This includes ongoing initiatives related to working with store
staff to help them consistently provide exceptional customer service.

Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/indust/jewellery-bijoux/index-eng.php

Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/legislation/consultation/_2011cadmium/draft-ebauche-eng.php
3
Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/pubs/indust/jewellery-bijoux/index-eng.php
2

November 6, 2015

This statement is in reply to your letter dated October 30, 2015.

As stated in our communication to you on October 28, 2015, Ardene voluntarily complies with Health
Canadas Draft Proposal for Cadmium Guidelines in Childrens Jewellery. All of our jewellery designed for
younger people, branded as Ardene Girl, is made of plastic, and therefore does not contain any traces of
cadmium.
As we also advised in our October 28 communication, Ardene has implemented its own internal policy for
all jewellery items sold in our stores. Our suppliers have been advised that the cadmium content in all of
our jewellery must respect a maximum 130 mg/kg threshold. We have not at any time received any
customer reports of incidents related to cadmium.
Thank you for providing photos of the products that were tested as part of your report. It is important to
note that these items are not part of our Ardene Girl collection, which is clearly distinguished from our
main store collection via a prominent pink label that reads Ardene Girl.
Ardene stands behind our internal policy regarding cadmium content in our products. We will further
investigate the four products identified by the CBC and will take the necessary steps should they not
respect our guidelines.
Again, we stand behind our track record, and continually work closely with Health Canada, the Retail
Council of Canada and other industry groups on all matters relating to consumer product safety.
We are pleased to respond in writing to your requests for information.

Best regards,
Arden Holdings Inc.