Category: Manitoba

Happy Thanksgiving, Safeway!

Posted on by Daniela Travierso

Hi Team,

As we head into the Thanksgiving long weekend, there’s never been a more important time to express my gratitude for each and every one of YOU!

I know our stores will be buzzing with excitement as our customers pick up everything needed to create their holiday meal — and you’ll be right there to make their shopping experience exceptional!

Thank you for showing up every day with a positive attitude.

Thank you for your willingness to go above and beyond to serve our customers.

Thank you for supporting one another to be the best you can be.

And thank you for all of your efforts and hard work that help our Safeway family succeed.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with happy moments.

Warm regards,

Julie Sue Wood, Vice President Operations, SMO

Manitoba Safeway teammates step up to donate more than $71,000 in support of children’s health

Posted on by Daniela Travierso

For Safeway teammates, giving back to the causes close to home has always been second nature. In fact, its been more than a decade that teammates have proudly participated in the Safeway payroll donation program.

A few dollars from each paycheque truly go a long way in supporting the organizations that make a tangible difference in the lives of Manitoba families. This is especially true for those dealing with a cancer diagnosis.

In 2020, our Manitoba teammates donated more than $27,000 to the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation. This gift will have a direct impact on their AfterCare Program. For more than a decade, CancerCare Manitoba has provided long-term follow up care for survivors of childhood cancer. The purpose of this program is to educate cancer survivors about their cancer and its treatment and what that means for their health as they reach adolescence and young adulthood. Through your support, CancerCare Manitoba will be able to provide these children with the resources and tools needed to lead happy and healthy lives.

And by joining forces, your donation went even further, supporting both the St. Boniface and Heart and Stroke Foundations.

St. Boniface Foundation

Through our Manitoba teammates’ donation of more than $25,000 through the payroll donation program, St. Boniface Hospital will be able to purchase three Transcutaneous Bilirubin (TcB) monitors, virtually doubling the hospital’s supply of this important piece of equipment. This monitor helps to determine the development of jaundice in the first few hours of a child’s life.

Heart and Stroke Foundation

You also collectively donated more than $19,700 to support a strong future for HeartSmart Kids — a program designed in collaboration with Indigenous communities. HeartSmart Kids is a unique classroom and family resource that takes a wholistic approach to improving health using a comprehensive set of tools, tactics and resources. This no-charge education program is offered to Indigenous children from kindergarten to grade six and includes grade-appropriate resources to make an impact on students and families with the tools they need for long, healthy lives.

Thank you, Manitoba Safeway teammates, for your passion to serve your communities and help those most vulnerable when they need it most. Your efforts don’t go unnoticed! By working together, we can truly make a difference for families across our province.

Help us celebrate the second annual checkstand campaign for the A Family of Support: Child and Youth Mental Health Initiative

Posted on by Daniela Travierso

At Safeway, we’re driven by our purpose of being a family nurturing families and we’re excited to bring this to life with a very special campaign in our stores.

In partnership with the Sobey Foundation and Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations (CCHF), we’re proud to kick off the second annual checkstand campaign in support of the A Family of Support: Child & Youth Mental Health Initiative. Our goal is to come together with our teammates, partners and customers to continue advocating for children and youth with mental health challenges.

About the campaign

From September 16 – 30, Canadians from coast-to-coast will have the opportunity to donate $2.00 (or more!) when checking out at Safeway and any Sobeys Inc. banner stores.

100 per cent of the funds raised will be donated to support the A Family of Support initiative and are directed through 15 regional programs across 13 children’s hospitals in Canada. This means that the funds raised in each community, stay in the community, and support children and youth close to home. The donation proceeds will play an important role in helping each hospital implement specialized mental health programs for their children and youth.

A huge thank you to our frontline teammates who are essential to bringing this important cause to life in our stores. By inviting customers to support their local children’s hospital, our cashiers are truly our checkstand champions and we couldn’t do it without them!

Last year’s checkstand campaign was a huge success, raising over 2 million in stores, and we can’t wait to build on this for 2021! Thank you for your continued support and for your ongoing commitment to help create healthier tomorrows for more kids and families in your community!

Resources

  • Learn more about our family of support at afamilyofsupport.com.
  • Your wellbeing, and the wellbeing of your family, is so important to us. Visit sobeysmentalwellbeing.com for more information to support your mental wellbeing and wellness needs.

Three new FreshCo locations in Alberta announced

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

As part of Sobeys Inc.’s plan to win market share and grow our business in Western Canada, we are announcing three new FreshCo locations in Alberta.

Closing for renovation August 28, 2021 and re-opening as FreshCo in Winter 2021/2022

  • Safeway Downtown Fort McMurray, Fort McMurray, AB

Closing for renovation October 2, 2021 and re-opening as FreshCo in Spring 2022

  • Safeway Jasper Gates, Edmonton, AB
  • Sobeys Lewis Estates, Edmonton, AB

The Pharmacy Departments will remain open during the remodel and banner conversion and the fuel station in Fort McMurray will convert to a Fast Fuel and the kiosk to a Needs. The location will remain open and continue to operate during the construction process to ensure there is no disruption in service.

Our full-service grocery stores are an important part of our customer offer and a valued part of our business. By expanding our store network to include full-service Safeway stores, as well as additional discount FreshCo stores, we are better equipped to win market share by having customers shop with our company rather than discount competitors.

We will be working closely with impacted teammates and the respective unions in the coming weeks to ensure the terms of their collective agreements are met and to provide support through this transition.

We are sincerely grateful for our teammates’ commitment and dedicated service to Safeway.

Stay up-to-date at SafewayTalks.ca.

Manitoba Safeway Teammates raise $64,000 for Toonies for Tummies

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

From February 11-25, 2021, Safeway stores across Manitoba raised critical funds for school meal programs in their local community as part of the Toonies for Tummies campaign. The annual campaign is an opportunity for the grocery industry to come together in support of school-aged kids facing food insecurity.

Together, our teammates and customers in Manitoba raised an incredible $64,000! You continue to show up for your communities when they need you most, and your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed.

The number of children facing food insecurity has doubled since the onset of COVID-19, and the need for help has never been greater. Through the generosity of our customers, kids at more than 1,000 schools will have access to healthy, nutritious breakfasts, which will give them the energy they need to thrive in the upcoming school year.

We are so proud of our Safeway frontline teammates who brought this campaign to life. A heartfelt thank you to the passionate Cashiers for rallying in support of hungry kids in their local communities!

Manitoba Safeway teammates raise over $190,000 for local food banks!

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

Despite the challenges that our Safeway teammates faced in 2020, they never missed an opportunity to show up when their communities needed them most.

When our Safeway teammates learned that the pandemic had only heightened the need for food donations in communities across Manitoba, they truly stepped up to the challenge and championed our holiday checkstand campaign like never before. This past holiday season, our Safeway teammates put in tremendous effort to support local food banks through at-the-register cash donations and the sale of pre-packaged food hampers containing the most needed items.

Through determination, hard work, and an immeasurable commitment to their local communities, our Manitoba Safeway teammates managed to raise $57,700 in food hamper sales and $140,285 in cash donations for a total of more than $197,985! Such an absolutely incredible achievement!

A huge thank you goes out to every single teammate for continuing to show up everyday and put your local communities first throughout these challenging times. Your true Safeway spirit inspires us everyday!

Holiday Heroes – How our Safeway Teammates spread holiday cheer

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

We know our Safeway teammates always show up for their communities. Whether it be through donations, time, or serving their communities throughout COVID-19, they always give back.

Here are a few stories showing how our teammates spread holiday cheer within their communities this holiday season.

Earlier this month, a person experiencing homelessness entered Gerald’s store (4821 – River East Safeway) to warm up and rest. During this time of year, the weather conditions in Manitoba are harsh and with a province-wide lockdown instilled, the only places that are open are essential services.

The individual was spotted by teammates taking off some layers so that they could warm up. They didn’t have a coat, and instead were using blankets to cover themselves and instead of socks they had gloves on their feet.

Gerald was called over by his teammates to assist with escorting the individual out of the store when it became apparent that they weren’t there to shop. When Gerald arrived, he realized that they needed help and attention.

Debbie, a Safeway teammate, went and bought the individual a sandwich, and Gerald bought them water. He made space for them out of the way and at a safe distance from other customers so that they could eat and warm up. After realizing that this individual didn’t have proper socks or gloves, Gerald took it upon himself to purchase both for them. A customer in the store realized that this individual didn’t have a coat and ran out to his truck to get a used one to donate to them. The individual was very pleased to now have a coat and proper socks and gloves rather than wearing blankets.

Gerald was very affected by this interaction and was emotional after they had left the store – he hoped that he had made them a little more comfortable that evening given their circumstances. As a leader, Gerald demonstrated to his team how to look past the stigmas of homelessness and how to make a difference for someone in the community. A customer was so moved by this act of kindness that they wrote into the local paper to detail the events and give Gerald his much-deserved recognition.

Over in Calgary, Tanya from Aspen Safeway spread holiday cheer to seniors in long-term care facilities. During it’s first year, Tanya’s Cards of Kindness Campaign gathered 1112 holiday cards from co-workers, customers and the community that she and her daughter distributed to seniors for the holidays. Through the help of her community, Tanya was able to bring 1112 smiles to seniors across Calgary this holiday season.

In Calgary, two of our Safeway teammates, Tammy and Laura were recognized by the Cliff Bungalow Association for their contribution to helping those in need in their community. Both Tammy and Laura received the Toole Peet Community Hero Award for their continuous contributions to their community.

Throughout this challenging year, you have continuously shown up for your local communities and shown true compassion and dedication. No gesture is too small or goes unnoticed. Your local communities thank you for your hard work and dedication especially throughout this holiday season! A huge thank you to all our Safeway teammates for their recent sales of Food Bank hampers and fundraising for the Food Bank.

A day to remember our Canadian Heroes

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

Team,

Today is an important day for Canadians across the country, and a particularly significant day for us as a team with such deep Canadian roots.

On November 11, we pay respect to our Canadian Heroes, both past and present, who have fought for our country. While their courage and heart inspire us every day, I encourage you to take a moment today to pause and reflect on the bravery of those who have served – and continue to serve – Canada during times of conflict.

Let us never forget the men and women who have sacrificed for our country, and let us continue to honour our Canadian heroes who defend our values and freedoms today.

We thank our Safeway teammates who have served or are still serving our country, and those with friends and family that may still be doing so. We will wear our poppies with pride today to honour you.

Today and always, #CanadaRemembers.

 

Kind Regards,

Julie Sue Wood

Vice President, Operations – Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario

Manitoba Safeway teammates join forces to donate more than $19,000 to the Heart & Stroke Foundation

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

Giving back to the communities we proudly serve has always been integral to who we are at Safeway. It’s no secret just how invested our teammates are in their communities across Manitoba. Whether through the donation of time, effort or money, our teammates take pride in supporting their neighbours and the organizations that truly touch Manitoba families.

 

Over at least the last decade, our Safeway teammates have proudly joined forces to participate in the Safeway payroll donation program. By volunteering a few dollars from each paycheque, our teammates use their collective power to truly make a significant impact on causes close to home. One of the causes most important to our teammates is the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

 

The Heart & Stroke Foundation has been dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke for over 60 years. Their work has saved thousands of lives and improved the lives of millions. Through their foundation, they’ve become a leading funder of live-saving research, providing education to millions of Canadians about the risks of heart disease and stroke, and continue to empower Canadians to live healthier lives.

 

In 2019 alone, our Safeway Manitoba teammates donated more than $19,753.00 to the Heart & Stroke Foundation through the payroll donation program. This donation means that more Western Canadians impacted by heart disease and stoke will have better access to the resources they need most – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This also means that the Heart & Stroke Foundation can continue to deliver critical resuscitation training both during the pandemic and beyond.

 

This funding also helps to support a strong future for HeartSmart Kids; a program designed in collaboration with Indigenous communities. HeartSmart Kids is a unique classroom and family resource that takes a wholistic approach to improving health using a comprehensive set of tools, tactics and resources. This no-charge education program is offered to Indigenous children from kindergarten to grade six and includes grade-appropriate resources to make an impact on students and families with the tools they need for long, healthy lives.

 

Click here to watch a special thank you video dedicated to our Safeway teammates from the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Every day, you go above and beyond to not only create exceptional customer experiences in our stores, but to meaningfully invest in our communities. While each payroll donation may seem small, your combined efforts truly prove just how much we’re capable of when we work together. Way to go, team!

Manitoba Safeway Teammates raise over $127,000 for mental health programs at The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba

Posted on by Sudhanshu Rewari

There is no question that Safeway teammates are dedicated members of the community who step up when their neighbours need help. Throughout our first in-store checkstand fundraising campaign in support of the A Family of Support: Child and Youth Mental Health Initiative, you again stepped up to support Canadian families and encouraged our customers to donate to the cause.

100 per cent of the funds raised during the campaign are directed to the priority mental health programs at the local children’s hospital in that community.

Together, teammates and customers across the country raised an incredible $2.2M in support of Canadian kids and their families.

Manitoba Division Stores raised over $127,988 in support of the mental health program at Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, of which Safeway teammates helped to raise $48,246

The Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba – Creating Care that’s Closer to Home

Over the last 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients presenting to HSC Winnipeg Children’s Hospital for mental health assessment. About 45% of child and adolescent patients are transported from their rural communities for care, resulting in millions spent on medical transport annually. The hospital will implement a new Urgent Telemental Health Service for children and adolescents in rural Manitoba, bringing care closer to home.

About the Initiative
Launched on August 26, 2020, the A Family of Support: Child and Youth Mental Health initiative addresses the critical need for early interventions in child and youth mental health. This groundbreaking long-term partnership between Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundation, the Sobey Foundation and Sobeys Inc. have committed to donating and raising millions of dollars to enhance resources for 13 children’s hospitals across Canada.