The 50th Annual Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards Ceremony was held on Tuesday, October 2nd in Toronto, in front of a gala audience of over 500 leading grocers, suppliers, and distributors at Grocery Innovations Canada 2012, Canada’s premier grocery conference and tradeshow.
Each year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers Awards Program recognizes the success of outstanding independent retailers and offers insights into innovations that are changing and enhancing the way retailers compete.
The Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year is the most prestigious award CFIG can bestow. Each year, Independent grocery stores from coast to coast in Canada compete for the coveted title in each of the specialty, large, medium and small surface categories. Each of the competing stores is visited personally by a highly respected retail management expert, who evaluates competing stores based on retailing excellence and innovation, store team performance, customer service, space utilization, freshness and cleanliness.
THE ARNOLD RANDS HERITAGE AWARD; awarded to the year’s best multi-generational store that is privately owned, and that has been in the same family for at least two generations, in the same community for 35 years.
- Masstown Market, Masstown, Nova Scotia; Laurie and Lisa Jennings, Eric Jennings and Wade Jennings
NATIONAL PLATINUM AWARD; recipients have earned an Award of Merit for ten consecutive years.
- Askew's Foods (Sicamous) Ltd., Sicamous, British Columbia; David Askew, Ron Daniel, Brian Hoshizaki and Colleen Davies
- Longo Brothers – Winston Churchill, Mississauga, Ontario; Eric Michaud and Staff
- Sunripe, Sarnia, Ontario; Will and Ingrid Willemsen
CANADIAN MASTER MERCHANDISER AWARDS; supporting point-of-sale merchandising and relationship building between grocery retailers and their suppliers by encouraging them to work together in building effective displays.
- Gold Large Surface Category: Quality Foods, Northridge, Nanaimo, British Columbia; Ken Schley, John Briuolo, Noel Hayward and Kevin Foote
- Gold Medium Surface Category: Freson Market Barrhead IGA, Barrhead, Alberta; Aaron Coutts, Lanny Bowman, and Team Members
- Gold Small Surface Category: Buy-Low Foods, Walnut Grove, Langley, British Columbia; Dave Houweling and Steven Bacon
- Platinum Award: Quality Foods, Northridge, Nanaimo, British Columbia; Ken Schley, John Briuolo, Noel Hayward and Kevin Foote
REGIONAL SMALL SURFACE CATEGORY AWARDS
- British Columbia/Yukon: Nester's Market & Pharmacy, Whistler, British Columbia; Dan Bregg, Sam Corea, Bruce Stewart, Ian Fairweather and Staff
- Alberta/NWT/Nunavut: Tofield IGA, Tofield, Alberta; Dave Hare, Mieke Hare, David Hare Jr., Metieke Hare and all Our Great Staff
- Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Northern Ontario: Quality Market, Campus Hill, Thunder Bay, Ontario; David Stezenko and Dan Stezenko
- South/Central Ontario: Thorncrest Market Foodland, Toronto, Ontario; John, Mary, Joey, Vincent and Deanna Carnevale
- Eastern Ontario/Quebec: Barry's Bay Metro, Barry’s Bay, Ontario; Neil & Connie O'Reilly and Gerard O'Malley
- Atlantic Canada: Colemans Food Centre, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland & Labrador; Pamela Curtis and Staff
REGIONAL MEDIUM SURFACE CATEGORY AWARDS
- British Columbia/Yukon: Safety Mart Foods, Chase, British Columbia; Brooke Kynoch and Linda Kynoch
- Alberta/NWT/Nunavut: Market Street Vulcan, Vulcan, Alberta; The Fantastic Team at Market Street Vulcan
- Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Northern Ontario: Battistelli's Independent Grocer, Lively, Ontario; Brent Battistelli and Team Members
- South/Central Ontario: Michael-Angelo's Market Place Inc., Mississauga, Ontario; Michael Pugliese and John Crisci
- Eastern Ontario/Quebec: Métro Plouffe de Sherbrooke (boul.Bourque), Sherbrooke, Québec; Daniel Plouffe et Patrick Plouffe
- Atlantic Canada: Powell's Supermarket, Bay Roberts, Newfoundland & Labrador; David Powell, Adam Powell, John Mercer and Craig Oates
REGIONAL LARGE SURFACE CATEGORY AWARDS
- British Columbia/Yukon: Quality Foods Courtenay, Courtenay, British Columbia; Ken Schley, John Briuolo, Noel Hayward, Dan Gigliotti and The Entire Store Team
- Alberta/NWT/Nunavut: Freson Bros. Brooks IGA, Brooks, Alberta; Vince Wlad and Team Members
- Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Northern Ontario: Rome's Independent Grocer, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; Steve Rome and Chris Rome and Store Team
- South/Central Ontario: Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc. Bathurst Street, Vaughan, Ontario; Mani Salemi and Staff
- Eastern Ontario/Quebec: Moncion's Your Independent Grocer Gloucester, Ontario; Marcel and Linda Moncion, Terry Hess and All The Staff
- Atlantic Canada: Colemans At The Gardens Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador; Bill Skeard and Staff
NATIONAL SMALL SURFACE CATEGORY AWARDS
- Bronze Award: Colemans Food Centre, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland & Labrador; Pamela Curtis and Staff
- Silver Award: Thorncrest Market Foodland, Toronto, Ontario; John, Mary, Joey, Vincent and Deanna Carnevale
- Gold Award: Nester's Market & Pharmacy, Whistler, British Columbia; Dan Bregg, Sam Corea, Bruce Stewart, Ian Fairweather and Staff
NATIONAL MEDIUM SURFACE CATEGORY AWARDS
- Bronze Award: Michael-Angelo's Market Place Inc., Mississauga, Ontario; Michael Pugliese and John Crisci
- Silver Award: Safety Mart Foods, Chase, British Columbia; Brooke Kynoch and Linda Kynoch
- Gold Award: Métro Plouffe de Sherbrooke (boul.Bourque), Sherbrooke, Québec; Daniel Plouffe et Patrick Plouffe
NATIONAL LARGE SURFACE CATEGORY AWARDS
- Bronze Award: Freson Bros. Brooks IGA, Brooks, Alberta; Vince Wlad and Team Members
- Silver Award: Longo Brothers Fruit Markets Inc., Bathurst Street, Vaughan, Ontario; Mani Salemi and Staff
- Gold Award: Quality Foods Courtenay, Courtenay, British Columbia; Ken Schley, John Briuolo, Noel Hayward, Dan Gigliotti and The Entire Store Team
NATIONAL SPECIALTY CATEGORY AWARDS
- Bronze Award: Sunripe, London, Ontario; Will and Ingrid Willemsen
- Silver Award: The Market By Longo's King Street West, Toronto, Ontario; John Visconti and Staff
- Gold Award: Choices Market Kelowna, Kelowna, British Columbia; Wayne and Carol Lockhart, Lloyd and Betsy Lockhart, Salim Ahmed and Patrick Clancy
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES; to be eligible for Hall of Fame induction, a store must win at least three Gold Awards or receive one Platinum Achievement Award and one Gold Award.
- Sunripe, Sarnia, Ontario; Will and Ingrid Willemsen
- Nester's Market & Pharmacy, Whistler, British Columbia; Dan Bregg, Sam Corea, Bruce Stewart,
- Ian Fairweather and Staff
- Harold’s Family Foods, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan; Byron and Heather Guy, Christopher Szeszorak, Management and Staff
Photos are available at www.facebook.ca/cfigfcei
Source: Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers