Category: Provinces

We’ve been supporting local suppliers for as long as we can remember, and helping our Canadian food entrepreneurs flourish continues to be an important part of who we are and what we stand for.

This is why we’re happy to put a well-deserved spotlight on some of our incredible partners. We recently met up with Kristin Campbell, co-founder of Squamish Water Kefir Company, to learn all about her company’s delicious products filled with healthy probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Can you share a little bit about your background and how your company came to be?

Sabrina Horlyck (the other half of Squamish Water Kefir Co.) and myself are self-proclaimed health nuts who had long suffered from nagging gut issues until we found relief from adding fermented foods into our diets.

The first batch of water kefir was brewed in Sabrina’s kitchen while she was studying at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition on a personal quest to cure her intestinal issues. She was quickly amazed by the results and was even more ecstatic when her family loved it. Soon Sabrina was delivering to friends and neighbours in a little red wagon with her young daughter in the back. The defining moment came when Sabrina received a text message from someone who tried her “magic potion,” and it was then that she knew she was onto something good.

I had travelled the world as a yoga teacher, teacher trainer, and studio owner. I had just sold my remaining shares in NeoWhistler YYoga and was looking for a new gig. While out for a run together, Sabrina pitched the idea to partner up, and a YES leapt out of my mouth before my mind caught up! We decided to sign up for the next Squamish Farmers Market and we sold out in a couple of hours on a rainy Sunday in September. It was green lights from then on and Squamish Water Kefir Co. was born in 2015.

Sabrina                           Kristin

Can you tell us more about your products?

Your gut talks to your brain and your brain talks to your gut — and both benefit from fermented foods. By consuming fermented foods, you’re adding beneficial bacteria and enzymes to your intestinal flora, increasing the health of your gut, and strengthening the digestive and immune systems.

• Sparkling Probiotic Soda with over 2.5 Billion Live Vegan Probiotics in every can. Flavours include Blood-Orange, Lemon-Ginger, Berry Berry, Mojito Mint and Lemonade Iced-tea.
• Pure Water Kefir with over 215 Million Live Vegan Probiotics in every ounce. This can be used in smoothies, salad dressings or taken as a daily gut shot.
• Probiotic Popsicles, the first of their kind with the first ingredient being water kefir and up to 2 Million Vegan Probiotics per pop! Flavours include Lemonade, Fudge, Grape and Horchata.

In what ways have your local B.C. roots impacted your business?

British Columbia is known for its stunning natural beauty and environmental consciousness. That’s why it was important to us to do our part in minimizing our environmental impact. We use eco-friendly packaging, all of which are purchased within a 100 km radius of our facility in Squamish, and we promote recycling initiatives.

In addition, B.C.’s well-established health and wellness culture, with a strong demand for products that offer health benefits, inspired and motivated us to go in this direction with our business — and we’re happy we did!

As your business began to grow, why were you interested in working with Safeway?

Safeway is a trusted and recognizable brand that truly supports (and believes in) local businesses like ours. Having our products on your shelves helps us widen our customer reach, boost sales, and increase visibility of our products so we can fulfill our vision of providing nutritious and delicious products to all.

What did it feel like when you saw your products on Safeway shelves for the first time?

We were ecstatic when we got the news that Safeway was placing an order. It felt like a rite of passage! Seeing our innovative products on your shelves has lifted our confidence in continuing to grow our business.

What makes you most proud to partner with Safeway? 

Partnering with such a renowned brand gives our business an added sense of credibility and validation, reflecting positively on the quality and appeal of our products. Not to mention, it gives us so much pride to work with a company that shares our same values — a commitment to sustainable and community-centric practices.

What growth has your company seen since partnering with Safeway?

It’s still early days, but we’ve seen an uptake in sales over the last couple months, and we hope to see this continue. We’d also love to see our products in Safeway stores across Canada, too.

What’s next for you and your business?

We’re innovators at heart! Our company was the first to market with our Sparkling Water Kefir/Probiotic Sodas and Probiotic Popsicles, and we have another product line in the works. Stay tuned on Instagram @squamishwaterkefir for updates.

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Squamish Water Kefir is now available in 15 Safeway stores throughout B.C. (with more to come!). Be sure to try these yummy products that are good for your gut health, too.

Keep an eye out for more Safeway Local Supplier Spotlights coming your way soon!

The Company’s bargaining committee has been at the table with UFCW 1518 and UFCW 247 since January, working towards fair collective bargaining agreements. On October 20, the majority of B.C. Safeway teammates voted in favour of new contracts with both Unions.

These agreements include wage increases, modernized language, and a path towards full time jobs for Grid B employees, making it possible for our teammates to build long-term careers with Safeway and FreshCo Pharmacy.

We’re working quickly to implement all changes in accordance with the new agreements and will provide updates through Store Managers on the implementation plan and timing of retroactivity payments. We appreciate your patience as we work through the implementation process.

We’re also pleased to announce a tentative agreement reached with BCTGM Local 468, which is subject to ratification on November 1. If you’re a member of this bargaining unit and have questions on the agreement or the ratification process, please reach out to the Union directly. Please ensure that you’re informed on the tentative agreement and exercise your right to vote in the ratification process.

We’d like to thank all involved for their efforts towards solidifying agreements that help us to continue serving B.C. families. We’re proud to continue building a strong future for Safeway in the province.

As you know, we reached a fully recommended tentative agreement with UFCW 247 last week. We now have agreements with both UFCW Locals and you will be able to get fully informed and participate in ratification processes this week.

The tentative agreements contain wage increases, more flexible scheduling options, voluntary severance offering, and a path to full-time for Grid B teammates who are building their careers in our stores and are a vital part of our future.

The time has now come for you to participate in a ratification vote on your respective tentative agreement. From October 18-20, your Union has asked you to cast your vote to ratify the new agreement.

It’s important that you exercise your right to be informed on all details and to participate in the ratification vote. This is a major decision and not one you should leave in the hands of others.

Please review the meeting notifications posted by the Union so you can be fully informed on the tentative agreement and to know where to vote.

If you require adjustments to your schedule so that you can attend a Union meeting or the ratification vote, please speak to your Store Manager and they will do their best to assist. In addition, if you don’t have access to a computer or mobile device that will allow you to participate in the Union’s meetings or online voting, please speak to your Store Manager about getting access to a Store Training Computer you can use.

Your vote matters! Exercise this right to make your voice heard.