Convenience Store News Canada unveils winners of 2022 Impact Awards

Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd.

A guiding principle for Imperial Tobacco Canada Ltd. is its determination to build “A Better Tomorrow.” So, when it came time to launch Vuse in Canada in 2019, sustainability and reduced environmental impact were essential.

That determination led, in August 2021, to “Drop the Pod,” the brand’s first safe disposal pilot program.

“There were two big challenges,” said Pascal Durand, head of Vuse, for Imperial Tobacco Canada. “First it was setting up the logistics behind the operations to be able to expand the Vuse safe recycling program to as many Vuse consumers as possible.” 

Working with a leading recycling partner, empty Vuse pods are safely incinerated, while old Vuse devices get recycled. Any collected e-liquid from Vuse pods is used as fuel in cement production, while collected metals from Vuse devices are transformed into raw material for the manufacture of new products.

“The second big challenge was communicating the program to as many adult Vuse consumers in Canada as possible given the very restrictive legal environment.” Vuse is offering Drop the Pod safe disposal bags at Vuse.com, free of charge, introducing incentives for the return of disposal bags and by the end of the year, it hopes to have several hundred participating locations in Ontario.

“The most rewarding part of this has been hearing Vuse consumers and retail partners tell us that this program is exactly what they had been looking for and to see them actively use it,” says Durand.

JTI-Macdonald Corp., Jule Chan

A self-proclaimed “tree hugger,” Jule Chan has always been passionate about the environment and knows that individual and collective efforts can create change.

“Caring for the planet and the environment is something that always just seemed natural to me,” says Chan, who saw an opportunity to put her passion into action at work when she volunteered to join JTI’s Environmental Sustainability Agile Team, which focuses on measuring and reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

“I am very excited and proud that I work for a company that takes our environmental impacts seriously and wants to do the right thing to genuinely make a difference and reduce our company’s impact on the planet,” says Chan, adding JTI’s management team has been very supportive in standing behind all the sustainability team’s initiatives and recommendations.

Chan has carved a reputation as a real go-getter, who has taken the lead on projects, such as going paperless, reducing the number of printers and installing a Bevi water machine to eliminate non-reusable water bottles, as well as supporting group efforts to convert eight the 13 forklifts at the plant to electric; implementing eco driving modules for the sales force; a carpooling campaign, public gardens and more.

While Chan is proud of all her company’s sustainability efforts, one really stands out: For the last two years, JTI has partnered with Tree Canada.

“This gives employees an opportunity to get involved in our sustainability efforts and learn about the importance of trees, while spending time with colleagues,” says Chan, adding JTI employees have planted 1,229 trees and counting. “The Earth is really an amazing place with such beauty that gives us so much in so many ways.”

Chan’s employer credits for playing “a key role in JTI’s mission to reduce its carbon footprint, change our employee culture in terms of sustainability, and raise awareness of the issues we all face with regards to the environment.”

Parkland Corporation

Parkland launched its Bistro On the Run initiative across Canada with sustainable foodservice packaging in mind. It invested in freshly-ground bean-to-cup machines to eliminate the waste of thermos-held coffee being dumped every two hours, while ensuring its customers enjoy fresh hot coffee every time. Its double-walled coffee cups—made from bamboo, a renewable resource—mean there’s no need for a sleeve or an extra cup. Parkland is currently testing a water-based liner, slated for 2023 implementation, which will make its Bistro cups 100% compostable.

The company’s Chill Out recyclable cups, launched in 2022 and made from RPET material, further lower Parkland’s carbon footprint.

“Parkland’s Bistro coffee initiative is a building block for future foodservice initiatives at our retail locations,” says foodservice category manager Jackie Pink.

“Being sustainable was a critical factor. We’re first to market with bamboo cups, as well as RPET recycled plastic and upcoming compostable packaging, with the hope that we set a precedent for the industry. We want to make sure to do our part wherever we can to build a sustainable future for generations to come.”

Canadian Tire Gas+

The brand purpose at Canadian Tire Corporation is clear: “We Are Here to Make Life in Canada Better.” And that brand purpose is brought to life across the company, including the Gas+ network, through adherence to five core values, two of which are directly tied to its diversity, inclusion and belonging efforts: “Inclusion is a must” and “We are stronger together.”  

“We are committed to creating a culture based on mutual respect, where everyone feels that they belong and can contribute,” explains Andrea Ongaro, division vice-president, petroleum operations and business development. “We know we are stronger together and make decisions that reflect diverse voices and focus on actions consistent with our brand purpose and core values.”

A wide range of steps have been taken to make this a reality: The company shares resources with corporate employees and gas station retailers that help foster a sense of inclusion and belonging; they’ve held “Courageous Conversations” sessions, on topics such as unconscious biases and discussed DIB Terminology, and why language matters. In addition, the company added land acknowledgements at the beginning of all meetings; shared days of significance and 2SLGBTQ+ topics; added pronouns as part of corporate email signatures, and hosted a presentation from Prism, the 2SLGBTQ+ employee resource group.

“What started with us providing learning materials for fundamental concepts led to people courageously sharing stories,” says Ongaro. “This impacted others to live boldly and discover that they are accepted and to accept others as we learn that our differences and similarities make us stronger together.

“People now recognize we’re just scratching the surface in our interactions with each other and are learning how to become allies and partners in a beautiful lifelong journey of growth and discovery.”

JTI-Macdonald Corp., Jade Osagie

Jade Osagie’s job title at JTI is trade marketer, but she does far more than just trade marketing for the company. Osagie plays an active leadership role in the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, joining the D&I steering committee, promoting a safe and inclusive workplace, celebrating JTI’s racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, and ensuring an LGBTIQ-inclusive environment.

“I've always wanted to be an advocate, I've always wanted to be involved in D&I,” Osagie says, adding she wasn’t formally involved at JTI until she sat in on a virtual company Pride event in the early days of the pandemic.

“It just grabbed me and touched me in such a way where I knew I needed to be involved… I wanted to step up and be a part of that committee,” she recalls.

Since then, she’s facilitated unconscious bias training, expanded and enhanced Black History Month programs, hosted a company-wide panel of Black women who worked at JTI from around the world, created profiles of Black employees on the company portal, and, following the murder of George Floyd, interviewed JTI general manager Alan Jackson about the value of Black Lives Matter.

For Osagie, D&I is about learning, and growing. “It's always education… There's always things you can learn. There's always things you can be aware of,” she says. “To be an ally is to learn.”

Alimentation Couche-Tard   

As the war in Ukraine continues, so, too does Alimentation Couche-Tard’s commitment to helping Ukrainians and those affected by the conflict.

The c-store giant has stepped up to support several public and private initiatives helping Ukrainian refugees. For instance, in the early spring, ACT joined a group of 18 Quebec companies aiming to help 1,000 people and their families newly arrived in Canada to work, have access to housing, and secure livelihoods.

Efforts didn’t stop there: In support of a Government of Canada initiative, ACT was among the early participants in the launch of the Canadian Industry for Ukraine donation portal, which provides high-priority goods and services to support displaced Ukrainians, as well as the organizations providing aid and resettlement services.

On a local level, the team in Western Canada worked with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Alberta Provincial Council to deliver gift bags of personal hygiene products, food and coupons to refugees arriving in Alberta.

Globally, ACT engaged customers in a Red Cross fundraising campaign in its stores, which is well on its way to its goal of collecting $4 million in emergency funding.

“We are honoured and humbled to have been selected among the winners of Convenience Store News Canada's inaugural 2022 Impact Awards,” says Suzanne Poirier, senior vice-presient operations, Alimentation Couche-Tard. “First, we want to extend a sincere thank you to all our team members and customers for their continued support and for partnering with ACT to have a positive impact in the communities where we live and operate. Our global Couche-Tard/Circle K communities truly came together to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and those that were displaced by these heartbreaking events. Doing the right thing is at the core of our company values and we believe to have a unique opportunity to use our reach and scale to help build a more sustainable future in Canada and beyond.”

Blast-Off Fireworks

In some ways, the work of Blast-Off Fireworks  with the Manitoba Agricultural Museum to preserve Western Canada's last flat grain warehouse, is a story of good corporate citizenship. But it’s also a story about community and heritage and the impulse to do things because it’s in the blood. That’s the case for Matthew Bialek, president and founder of Blast-Off Fireworks. For generations his family was tied to farming and agriculture—he was the first to break that tradition.

“My dad encouraged me to go to school versus helping in the family agri-business,” he says. “But, I feel a huge debt of gratitude to the agricultural industry—which is fading pretty fast in Manitoba—and this is one of our attempts to preserve a small slice of that.”

Blast-Off developed the "Prairie Pride" fireworks kit to support the endeavour to help the museum, which sold the fireworks kits for fundraising, while Blast-Off distributed it across its network of 4,000+ stores, and every sale contributed to funding the preservation of the Brookdale flat warehouse.

Blast-Off sold enough fireworks to fully fund the costs of moving the flat warehouse to the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin, Man. A job well done, but the work isn’t over. Blast-Off is now partnering with the Pioneer Village Museum in Beausejour on a similar project: preserving the Elevator Agent's Office from the grain elevator in Tyndall.

Blast-Off’s commitment is about helping, but it’s also just who they are. “We're still very reliant on service, on relationships, and many of the features that—when you think back to the past—the agricultural industry shared,” says Bialek. “There’s still some form of that in our blood… for us this is a project of love.”

Convenience Industry Council of Canada

Each year, to close out the month of August, the Convenience Industry Council of Canada puts on National Convenience Week—to celebrate the industry and raise money for the Make-A-Wish charity. This year, an amazing $213,000 was raised (a 52% increase over last year) and since 2017, more than $915,000 has been raised for Make-A-Wish, representing nearly 100 wishes granted to critically ill children.

“The proceeds from this event are a significant annual backing from an essential industry in Canada,” says Meaghan Stovel McKnight, CEO, Make-A-Wish Canada.

But NCW is also about bringing politicians and community leaders into their local convenience stores to see first-hand just how integral convenience stores are to the communities in which they operate.

“Educating and engaging politicians on the issues impacting c-store businesses and our industry, are crucial to our future prosperity,” explains Jeff Brownlee, CICC’s VP communications and stakeholder relations. “Not only do we raise much needed funds for critically ill children, but politicians get to witness our front-line workers in action and gain a better appreciation for our role in supporting communities across Canada.”

A lot of time and effort goes into NCW, but the results are worth it, said Brownlee. “We frequently hear: ‘I had no idea this is what it takes to operate a convenience store,’ from decision makers.”

Greenergy Retail Canada

Greenergy Retail Canada is committed to supporting its female employees and the women living in the communities it serves. Because women’s health needs are often misdiagnosed, misrepresented, and misunderstood, the company partnered with the Women’s Health Collective Canada (WHCC) to raise awareness and funds for equity in women’s health research through unified advocacy across Canada. WHCC’s founding partners are Alberta Women’s Health Foundation, BC Women’s Health Foundation and Women’s College Hospital Foundation.

From September 13 to October 10, customers, retailers and employees at all Greenergy retail locations across Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia donate to support WHCC efforts.

“We wanted to support the vital work the WHCC is doing to bridge the gap between research and care to positively change the course of women’s health,” says Olga Pigeon, Greenergy’s marketing & convenience retail director.

“Every dollar raised during this campaign goes directly towards research in mental health. We have seen first-hand in our communities and front-line workers the ongoing impact of the pandemic and wanted to support the WHCC who are providing important support for mental health and wellbeing, ensuring that vital resources are available to those that need them.”

Guru Organic Energy

Between May and August 2022, the Guru Good Crew spruced up many riverbanks, hiking and bike trails in Quebec. Working with partner Organisation Bleue, a non-profit whose mission is to clean up the Saint-Lawrence River, the Guru team supported trail maintenance initiatives in Bromont, Sutton, and Avalanche, giving back to local mountain biking and hiking communities for the second summer in a row.

Guru crews have also helped clean up rivers during World Oceans Day in Montreal, Plastic Free July in Laval and cleaned up a beautiful public beach in Baie-Saint-Paul. The company believes that these initiatives create stronger links with local communities, and it plans to continue its efforts next year.

“We are very proud to receive the CSNC Impact Award, which confirms that we’re on the right track to become a good corporate citizen with respect to our employees, our communities and the environment,” says Guru’s vice-president of brands and insights, Amal Gayed.

“This is a responsibility that requires constant effort and attention to the events that affect us every day. We know there’s lots more to do, but it all starts with little steps.”

ITWAL Limited

ITWAL Limited is grateful to work with many suppliers with whom it has built strong relationships over the years. These suppliers are always looking for ways to give back to the community, and ITWAL was happy to help make that happen.

Through monetary and product donations, 14 of ITWAL’s supplier partners stepped up in 2022 to support National Convenience Week and Make-A-Wish Canada.

“It is a privilege for ITWAL to spearhead this initiative and have a hand in giving back to the community. We’re proud to be involved with National Convenience Week, as the convenience channel is critical to the success of our distributors,” says business development director Adam Ableman, who notes that ITWAL has been involved in collecting donations during National Convenience Week since 2019.

“Everything we do is intended to benefit our members and supplier partners, and is typically tied to driving awareness, distribution and sales growth. It’s extremely gratifying for us to have a role in supporting an organization whose purpose is to fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness.”

Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation

In 2020, Suncor funded the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation to support family caregivers. One in four Canadians care for loved ones dealing with serious health conditions, and many struggle to maintain their own wellbeing and finances—they become invisible patients themselves, needing support and compassion.

The CareMakers Foundation launched two grant streams in 2021, investing $1.7 million to Canadian charities providing direct support to family caregivers at the national, provincial and community levels. That same year, the Foundation raised almost $5000,000 through fundraising initiatives to re-invest into the program.

Working with thought leaders, practitioners and caregivers, the CareMakers Foundation developed various e-learning resources to raise awareness about issues caregivers face, while encouraging a national conversation.

 “The entire Petro-Canada team and extended family has rallied behind the creation of the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation—including our associates, vendors, employees and customers—and we’re proud to make a meaningful difference in the lives of family caregivers in Canada,” says Leila Fenc, director Petro-Canada Community Involvement and executive director of the Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation.

Petro-Canada Georgetown

With support from Suncor and A&W, the Petro-Canada Georgetown team blended business with selfless community involvement. Retailer Vinod Iddya motivated the team, infusing a sense of pride and competitiveness to raise funds and gathering food donations for the Georgetown Breadbasket, a community benefactor helping people in Georgetown, Ont. suffering from food insecurities.

Some of the initiatives that were especially gratifying to work on included the Annual Beer Fest, Burgers to Beat MS Day and The Coldest Night Walk, where the crew received lots of positive feedback from the clientele present at the events. The team also visited the local fire station, the Georgetown Hospital and the Police Division, delivering burgers, sides and root beer from its A&W restaurant. The Georgetown team have also organized bake sales and raffles to raise funds for research to fight MS, and they will be doing future events with the Petro-Canada CareMakers.

"Working with Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation and the MS Society has given me first-hand, in-depth insights into the struggles facing the resource-deficit and those ill of health,” says Iddya.

“It has broadened my perspective of our purpose as a business and as responsible citizens. To me, this Impact Award is an affirmation from peers, community and corporate alike that I'm on the right path, bringing together people, resources, time and effort to bear, in the service of others.”

Rabba Fine Foods

Started by Jack Rabba in 1967, Rabba’s roots in the GTA run deep. And Rabba Roots was developed to give thanks to the people in the community that have supported it for 55 years.

“The Rabba Roots Program is intended to support our communities' most vulnerable people, and stems from the “Here for You” promise made by our 24-hour locations,” says Rima Rabba, head of marketing at Rabba Fine Foods.

In the early days of the pandemic, Rabba donated 2,000 bottles of sanitizer to Peel Children’s Aid, and later worked with governments to secure millions of free rapid antigen tests to neighbourhoods around the GTA. Rabba donates regularly to Trillium Health Partners, The Mississauga Food Bank, Covenant House, Good Shepherd Ministries, St. Mary's Middle Eastern Festival and the list goes on.

“We have seen and heard from our various team members that they like to work with our company because we make a noticeable impact in the communities we serve,” says Rabba.

As a business founded by an immigrant, Rabba has always been particularly committed to helping other immigrant families. “Rabba has helped thousands of families establish themselves in Canada over many decades and continues to do so,” she says. “Rabba Fine Foods wants to give everybody a chance to build their lives in Canada without going through all of the hardships that Jack had to overcome. It is a core value of Rabba Fine Foods and something that the organization is very proud of.”