2018 Independent Grocer of the Year Awards Announced

TORONTO – October 24, 2018 – The 56th Annual Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards Ceremony was presented tonight in Toronto, in front of a gala audience of over 500 leading grocers, suppliers, and distributors at Grocery Innovations Canada 2018, Canada’s premier grocery conference and trade show.

Each year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) Awards Program recognizes the success of outstanding independent retailers and offers insights into innovations that are changing and enhancing the way retailers compete.

The 2018 NATIONAL Winners of the Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards are:

Large Surface

Gold: Tim Styba and Team Save-On-Foods – Northgate, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Silver: Glenn Macnab and Staff Longo’s – Leaside, Toronto, Ontario

Bronze: Robb Epp and Team Save-On Foods – Pemberton Plaza, North Vancouver, British Columbia

Regional: Brad Brewer and Staff Colemans At The Gardens, Corner Brook, Newfoundland & Labrador

Medium Surface

Gold: Vince Piligra and Staff Longo’s – York Mills, Toronto, Ontario

Silver: Buy-Low Foods Osoyoos Team Buy-Low Foods, Osoyoos, British Columbia

Bronze: Buy-Low Foods Athabasca Team Buy-Low Foods, Athabasca, Alberta

Regional: Daniel Plouffe et Patrick Plouffe Métro Plouffe de Farnham, Farnham, Québec

Small Surface

Gold: Colby and Annette Woodhead, Doug Nakano and James Inglis Blind Bay Village Grocer, Blind Bay, British Columbia

Silver: Ross and Carol Bletsoe, Ian and Sarah Bletsoe Lakefield Foodland, Lakefield, Ontario

Bronze: Don Boos and Staff Freson Bros. Hanna, Alberta

Regional: Cathy Graves and Chad Graves Graves Freshmart, Bridgetown, Nova Scotia

DAVID C. PARSONS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN SPECIALTY FOOD RETAILING (GOLD):

Galleria Supermarket – Thornhill, Toronto, Ontario

Silver: Choices Markets White Rock Team Choices Markets White Rock, South Surrey, British Columbia

Bronze: Angela Masellis and Staff The Market by Longo’s – Imperial Plaza, Toronto, Ontario

ARNOLD RANDS HERITAGE AWARD

David Askew and Family of Askew’s Foods, Salmon Arm, Armstrong and Sicamous of British Columbia

The award is given 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.

CFIG is proud to announce the following grocers’ entry into the HALL OF FAME (IGYA):

Jeffrey Min and Jaeho Park of Galleria Supermarket, Thornhill, Ontario

Eric Wood and Staff of Longo’s – Burloak, Oakville, Ontario

To be eligible for IGYA Hall of Fame induction, a store must win at least three Gold Awards or receive one Platinum Achievement Award and one Gold Award.

CFIG is proud to announce the following grocers’ entry into the HALL OF FAME (MASTER MERCHANDISER):

Carl and Nathalie Dessureault and Rene Larocque – Dessureault Your Independent Grocer, Ottawa, Ontario

Darcy Ginter and The Store Team – Quality Foods, Parksville, British Columbia

Jim and Vicki Bexis, Peter and Agusta Vacirtzoglou and Staff – Sun Valley Supermarket, Toronto, Ontario

To be eligible for Master Merchandiser Hall of Fame induction, a store must win at least three Gold Awards.

Platinum Achievement (10 years)

Neil and Connie O’Reilly & Gerard O’Malley Barry’s Bay METRO, Barry’s Bay, Ontario

Shelley Keim and Staff Freson Bros. Manning, Alberta

Ryan Durnie and Staff Freson Bros., Valleyview, Alberta

Jeffrey Min and Jaeho Park Galleria Supermarket, Thornhill, Ontario

Joe Bruzzese and Staff Longo’s – Boxgrove, Markham, Ontario

Eric Wood and Staff Longo’s – Burloak, Oakville, Ontario

Mike Van Giesen and Phil Greenhalgh and Staff

Tru Value Foods – Mayne Island, British Columbia

Special Award – Ryan McIlwain – Lakefield Foodland

During the awards, a special award was given to 16-year-old Ryan McIlwain of Lakefield Foodland for rescuing a drowning man this summer. He was presented with a cheque from the Associate Members’ Council for his heroism.

About the Canadian Independent Grocer of the Year Awards

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 gala awards evening takes place annually at Grocery Innovations Canada, the premier grocery event in the country.