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Walk into Joe Fresh at the Real Canadian Superstore® location in Langley, B.C., and you might feel like you’ve stepped into an upscale boutique. Women’s dresses, shirts and pants hang neatly on sturdy, wooden hangers. The store is one of five in Ontario and British Columbia that have been piloting wooden hangers and phasing out plastic ones.

Environment 

Getting the hang of it 

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Woman with hands in pockets, standing in front of pharmacy counter 

Ghada Gabr

People

Earlier this month, a customer came in to see long-time pharmacist Ghada Gabr, who’s also associate owner of three Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Halifax. His vision was blurry, he noticed he was thirsty all the time, and he was urinating way more than usual. He knew something was wrong, but he didn’t have a family doctor and wasn’t sure what to do. Luckily, Ghada did. 

Health and wellness

Ghada tackles diabetes 

Woman wearing face mask, standing in grocery store, holding up signed greeting card

Linda Vogelstatter 

Staying with a company for 40 or 50 years is impressive, but Linda Vogelstatter went even further: she celebrated her 60th anniversary with Loblaw last January. Linda, now a cashier at a Loblaws® location in downtown Toronto, still remembers the exact date she started her journey with the company: January 10, 1961.  

Culture

Linda’s at 60 years and counting 

Smiling mother and teenage daughter standing in their neighbourhood street 

Christa Wasko and daughter

When her 13-year-old daughter, Nafisa, started spending more time in her room, sleeping more, and coming home from school exhausted, Pharmacy Operations Specialist Christa Wasko put it down to two normal causes: being a typical teenager, and pandemic fatigue. All of that changed this past winter when, what began as a stomachache one morning, turned into a month-long absence from school. 

Christa sees the subtle signs of mental illness 

Photo of two men in hard hats renovating a space

Aaron Buitinwerf

Aaron Buitenwerf, a cashier at a Real Canadian Superstore® location in Grimsby, Ont., visited The Fort for the first time with his friend, Spencer, when he was 12 years old. The Fort is an after-school program and youth centre with a location in Smithville, Ont., and it was there that he found a community, a family, and a place to call home.  

Start your career

Aaron’s home away from home 

Photoshopped image of a man in a beret holding a paint palette in front of an easel with a photo of a grocery store worker pushing a giant Cheerio on it 

Frank Catney

It started with the Super Bowl. When Frank Catney, Assistant Store Manager, Replenishment at a Real Canadian Superstore® location in Aurora, Ont., was watching the big game, he paid as much attention to the commercials as he did to the showdown between the two teams. The ads sparked an idea: what if he worked with store colleagues to create some funny, conversation-sparking graphics based on each week’s sale?  

Frank is picture perfect 

Pots of flowers with “native plant” tags

Native plants

If you’re going to be out there gardening this season, but haven’t thought about what to include, native plants could be the answer. They’re beautiful, colourful and good for local wildlife. Native plants can help our ecosystems get back on track. 

Plant local, think global 

Man standing in grocery store produce department

Dave Morello

When Dave Morello, franchise owner of Morello’s Your Independent Grocer (YIG) in Peterborough, Ont., started volunteering with the YMCA of Central East Ontario 15 years ago, it was because he wanted to give back to his community. “We employ a large number of people here, we provide a service to the community, we obviously want to attract the community to shop at our business,” he says. “But I also felt a responsibility to support the community, too.” 

Community

Dave cares for his community 

Woman sitting on rocks next to Lake Louise, Alberta, with mountains in the background 

Akila Narayanan

Akila Narayanan, Director, Technology – Supply Chain, reflects on how her two-week temporary position became a two-decade journey. 

Technology and digital

Akila’s unexpected climb up the ladder 

Brian Lalonde

It was the worst possible timing. Last March, as the province was entering its first COVID-19 lockdown, Brian Lalonde was laid off from his job at a residential cleaning company. Like many Canadians, he found himself in a scary and difficult situation. But he had an additional challenge: his wife was pregnant, and her due date was fast approaching.  

For Brian, timing is everything 

Anastasia Beauchemin

It took Anastasia Beauchemin 39 years to feel like her authentic self. “After I got my [gender affirmation] surgery, I was finally able to say: this is me,” says Anastasia, a grocery clerk in the dairy section at a Maxi location in St-Hubert, Quebec, just outside Montreal.  

Diversity and inclusion

Anastasia is living her authentic life 

Ashley Pinto

When Ashley Pinto, Category Director, Produce Procurement, learned she was being recognized as one of the top 10 leading Women in Produce by Grocery Business Magazine and Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), she felt incredibly proud. And when she learned she was nominated by her industry peers, she was humbled. 

Ashley is a top woman in produce 

Two men in facility holding up maple products 

Jakeman's maple syrup

When travel shut down at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jakeman’s Maple Products faced big losses. That’s when he got in touch with Tony DiGiacomo, Category Director in Loblaw’s grocery division. Chad and Tony had actually met in 2019 to talk about the company’s local products. A year later, his call came at precisely the right time.  

Sourcing 

Tony and Jennifer’s sweet deal 

Pharmacist administering vaccine to older person

Alberta pharmacist update on COVID vaccinations

Canadians are beginning to see the light at the end of this year-long pandemic tunnel. And Shivali Sharma and Brian Jones, both pharmacist/owners of Shoppers Drug Mart® stores in Alberta — the first province to allow pharmacies to administer the vaccine — want to assure everyone that the COVID vaccine has been approved by Health Canada and is safe. 

Pharmacists say COVID vaccinations are going smoothly 

Man leaning against shelf at end of grocery store aisle

Late nights with Paul 

Paul Swiech jokes that his resume could fit on a matchbook cover. In his lifetime, he’s had three jobs: delivering newspapers, bussing tables, and working for the Zehrs® banner — where he’s spent the last 40 years. 

Smiling woman giving two thumbs up while skydiving

Jehiel Cabrera

When Jehiel Cabrera arrived in Canada from Manila, Philippines, her accounting credentials were not recognized, and she faced the daunting reality of building a new career from scratch. She landed a job as a Receiving Clerk at our Regina Distribution Centre (DC), and in the five years since, she’s worked her way up to Senior Supervisor, Inventory Control.  

Be brave, like Jehiel

Young woman with “Miss Alberta World 2020” sash on, holding flag of Canada behind her 

Sophia de Guzman

It’s not every day that someone tells you the reality TV show Toddlers & Tiaras changed their life, but that’s exactly what happened to Sophia de Guzman, a front-end cashier at Joly’s Your Independent Grocer™ in Fort McMurray, Alta.  

Pageants taught Sophia to give back 

Young man working in deli department of grocery store

Ani Dharmarajan

Back in September, Richard Downe got a message on LinkedIn that intrigued him. It was from Ani Dharmarajan, a University of Waterloo student who works part-time at a Zehrs® location in Waterloo, Ont. He had an idea he wanted Richard’s help with. 

Ani’s recipe for success 

Smiling man standing in front of greenery 

Cameron Ross

Cameron Ross saw the post on the Globe and Mail’s Instagram: a collage of headshots of the CEOs at 223 companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It was a sea of almost entirely white, male faces.

Cameron wants everyone to speak up

Smiling man sitting at desk, pen in left hand, paper and clipboard on desk

Ian Stewart

Ian Stewart, Associate Owner of a Shoppers Drug Mart® store in Toronto, wants to increase the representation of Black students in pharmacy — and is getting a little help from Shoppers Drug Mart to do just that. 

Ian and Shoppers Drug Mart double down to support Black pharmacy students 

Close-up profile of student reach for head of lettuce on shelf 

Kelowna container farm

The white 40-foot shipping container sits in front of École KLO Middle School in Kelowna, B.C. Peek inside and you’ll see rows upon rows of leafy greens and herbs including basil, oregano, and parsley. Bright full-spectrum lights shine down on the seedlings, while pumps circulate water through the hydroponic farm, creating a sound reminiscent of a waterfall. 

Nutrition takes root with President’s Choice Children’s Charity

Devon Sheriff

Devon Sheriff, store manager/franchisee of a NOFRILLS® location in Etobicoke, Ont., describes his journey so far as “the typical immigrant story.” Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he spent much of his childhood living with his grandmother while his mother moved to Canada to seek more opportunities and a better life.  

Devon’s community connection 

Device in front of a box of pasta with electronic lit-up label under it

Pick-to-light

Sometimes picking orders for the PC Express™ service can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Personal shoppers have to search among a sea of crackers for just the right brand and flavour, or scan a large four-foot section for the correct type of face cream. But a new system is being piloted in some of our stores to make things easier. 

Lighting it up for personal shoppers

Johnathan Day

Johnathon Day, a Bakery Department Manager at an Atlantic Superstore® location in Moncton, has always thought of himself as a “computer guy” — but he didn’t know much about coding or interpreting analytics. So, when Loblaw began offering a self-study program aimed at helping colleagues gain new skills, he jumped at the opportunity.  

Johnathon skills up

Teenage boy standing next to car in store parking lot

Riley Rostotski

Riley Rostotski was just 14 when he started working at a Real Canadian Superstore® location in Saskatoon. Fast forward nearly two years, and he’s happily logging 30-hour weeks while juggling Grade 11 and driving his very own car to his shifts.  

Riley's got drive

Cucumber Kid

In an email to PC Optimum™ customers, Galen shares his thoughts on plastic waste and how we’re tackling the problem. Here’s his message.  

We have a plastic problem and Loblaw is part of it

Heba Salama

“Stop complaining.” “You’re just weak.” “Why are you so negative?” “Are you crazy?” “You need to toughen up.” These are all things Shoppers Drug Mart™  Associate Owner Heba Salama was afraid of hearing if she spoke up about how she was feeling.  

Heba isn’t always OK — and that’s OK 

One woman posing at work, selfie of another woman 

Andrea and Ayeman

It didn’t take long for Ayeman Bhatti, Digital Product Owner, for the PC Financial® brand, to realize product management was her “bread and jam,” as she puts it. She’d always been interested in finance, but after graduating from university, she realized she wanted to do product management in the digital space.  

Andrea and Ayeman show why Loblaw is a top employer 

10 participants standing in small-scale version of grocery store

Maxi Giant Steps

Being able to work in a grocery store is something some of us might take for granted, but for autistic adults, it can be life-changing. It's one of the many reasons why Loblaw has teamed up with Giant Steps Montreal, a school dedicated to the education and inclusion of autistic students, to launch the Polaris Enterprise initiative.  

Opening doors for autistic adults 

Close-up of a smiling woman on a rugby pitch

Breanne Freeman

Breanne Freeman, Senior Manager, Customer Engagement Solutions, talks about her love of rugby and how she brings what she’s learned from the sport to her role. 

Breanne’s got game 

PC Express helps town of Apsley 

Around midnight on December 4, 2020, a fire broke out, destroying the only grocery store in the village of Apsley, Ontario, in the township of North Kawartha. The nearest grocery store is about 50 kilometres away, a long haul at the best of times — and 2020 certainly hasn’t been the best of times. 

Holiday help for small community after devastating fire 

Mother (left) embracing daughter from behind 

Desiree Seymour

When a teenage Desiree Seymour landed a summer job at the Loblaws® store in her hometown of Summerside, PEI, she didn’t expect she’d build a career with the company—or that much of her family would one day work with her. 

It’s a family affair for Desiree 

Woman standing with hands on hips in front of school campus 

Sophia Wajdie

Sophia Wajdie, a Technology Adoption Analyst with Loblaw Technology, discovered her passion in high school — and entirely by accident. Her family had moved from Brampton to Woodbridge mid-year and many classes were full, so she ended up being placed in a computer engineering elective. It was not her first choice.  

Sophia wants tech to be more equitable 

Woman leaning against railing of store mezzanine with blurred store in background  

Marla Berry

Marla Berry is the kind of cashier who will try to make you smile as you pass through her checkout lane. “I just want people to leave happy,” she says. “If somebody comes through and they don’t look like they're having a good day — which, especially now, is common — I just want them to be able to get through the line quickly, and if I can help them leave in a better mood, then good.” 

Marla’s positively marvelous 

Smiling woman seated near windows with closed blinds 

Terri Anne Gibson

Terri Anne Gibson, Pharmacist at a Shoppers Drug Mart® location in Chilliwack, B.C., has always had a passion to help others. But The Shoebox Project for Women, which collects and distributes gift-filled boxes to women in shelters across Canada, means so much to her — for different, more personal reasons.  

Terri Anne thinks outside the (Shoe)box 

Gallery of animated backpacks adorned with PC Children’s Charity logos 

PC Children's Charity backpacks

Every year, Loblaw’s colleagues and employees look forward to the annual giving campaign in support of the President’s Choice Children’s Charity. In a typical year, the campaign features a variety of in-person events at locations across the country: a kick-off town hall, BBQs, bake sales — it’s a chance for the creativity and giving spirit of our colleagues to shine.  

PC Children’s Charity™ annual internal campaign gets a virtual transformation 

Waterstone Canada's most admired corporate culture logo

Waterstone, Most Admired, Story

We’ve invested a lot in our culture, and we’re proud to be named by Waterstone Human Capital as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures for 2020. This national award recognizes Canadian organizations for having cultures that have helped them enhance performance and sustain a competitive advantage.   

Recognition for our culture journey  

Autonomous truck in front of a Loblaws location 

Gatik truck 

Innovation

Loblaw’s partnership with Gatik, a technology company specializing in autonomous (often called “self-driving”) vehicles to help companies make short-haul deliveries, was in the works long before the pandemic. But COVID allowed that partnership to flourish. 

Future is bright with self-driving trucks 

Read the story 

Crystal standing in a distribution centre

Crystal Furey

When Crystal Furey began her career over 20 years ago, she rarely saw another female in the room. She graduated as an industrial engineer from the Technical University of Nova Scotia, where she was one of just six women in the class. Today, she’s the only female General Manager of distribution at Loblaw. She leads two of Atlantic Canada’s five Loblaw Distribution Centres: DC 21 in Halifax and DC 15 in St. John’s.  

Crystal paves the path less travelled 

Six colleagues in yellow shirts with their arms up 

Colleagues wearing promo t-shirts

Old t-shirts. We’ve all got them. But our store colleagues may have a few more than most, as t-shirts are often used for in-store campaigns. But what happens to them when the campaign is over? How about giving them a new life, a new purpose? 

Old shirts get new life 

Scott poses in uniform while on a peacekeeping mission and the two medals he earned on that tour

Scott Winkler Remembrance Day

For Scott Winkler, Remembrance Day is personal. It’s about honouring the men and women — including those he served alongside in the Canadian Military — who made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of peace and freedom. Scott, a Transportation Reconciliation Specialist who typically works out of our Maple Grove distribution centre in Cambridge, Ont., served three years as a member of the 1st Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment in the early 1990s. 

Distribution

Scott remembers his fellow soldiers 

 Female barista standing behind counter of Starbucks kiosk

Ange-Lyne Patenaude

Earlier this summer, a manager at a Loblaws® store in Ottawa captured a short video of a heartwarming scene: 21-year-old barista Ange-Lyne Patenaude using sign language to communicate with a regular customer who is deaf and usually gives his order by typing it on his phone.  