Preferred celebrates 10 years in business in 2012

Preferred Nutrition is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the company will be inviting its retail partners, suppliers and consumers to join them throughout the year with special events, offers, contests and more. In a press release, the company said, "Preferred Nutrition has had the privilege of serving the health food industry for the past 10 years as a strong supporter of health food stores. It has been our goal to provide unique, high quality products to help create healthier, happier lives for consumers. Our hope is that the next 10 years will provide more opportunities to continue our strong ties with the health food store community and to provide products that will help consumers make educated and healthy choices. Please accept our thanks for your support over the past 10 years – we are all in this together!"

Calgary retailer wins an iPad from Preferred Nutrition

Kim Ryrie of Community Natural Foods in Calgary (centre) was the lucky winner of an iPad in the Preferred Nutrition CHFA East 2011 contest winner. Presenting Kim with her i-Pad is Preferred's western regional manager Linda Pedersen (left) of Health Sales Canada and Shelley Mehta, Preferred's business development manager.

Sangster's relocates to larger space

Sangster's Health Centres is looking for a new franchisee for its new Prince Albert, Saskatchewan store. Sangster's recently moved to a new larger location in the Cornerstone Shopping Centre in Prince Albert. The Sangster's store has been in Prince Albert for 17 years. However, the current franchisee is retiring, so Sangster's is searching for a new franchisee to welcome into the family.

In other Sangster's news, Jenn Heibein is taking on the newly formed education coordinator position at Sangster's. Jenn has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Guelph and has been with Sangster's for three years as the product development manager. With a strong passion for the industry, Jenn is taking on the endeavour of spreading natural health knowledge to both retailers and consumers, which Sangster's believes is key in this industry.

Sangster's is a family business which started in Yorkton, Sk. in 1971

New organic dulse

EDEN Foods has introduced Organic EDEN Whole Leaf Dulse. EDEN Dulse Palmaria palmate is wild hand-harvested near the mouth of the Bay of Fundy just off of Grand Manan, New Brunswick. This island is famous for dulse due to a unique growing environment. High cliffs on the west side shade the dulse beds from early sunlight. This results in the high quality dulse. The cold North Atlantic, morning shade, and vigorous, nurturing tidal flow creates ideal growing conditions for it. EDEN Dulse is certified organic and sustainably hand harvested. www.edenfoods.com

Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox

Are you taking calcium or vitamin D? This book could save your life!  Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox is a book written by Dr. Kate Rhéaume-Bleue.

Millions of people take vitamin D and calcium supplements for bone health. New research shows that this actually increases the risk of heart attack and stroke because the added calcium lodges itself in arteries. The secret to keeping bones strong and arteries clear is vitamin K2, a little-known supernutrient that humans once thrived on and that has been ignored by scientists for almost 70 years. To order this book, please ask your Natural Factors rep.

Dr. Roger Rogers

Dr. Roger Rogers: pioneer, InspireHealth co-founder

Dr. Roger Rogers, co-founder of InspireHealth and a pioneer of integrative medicine, passed away on November 22, 2011 at the age of 83. A practitioner of patient-centered medicine: Roger inspired, empowered and engaged his patients in their health. Recognizing early on in his career that patients themselves, could impact their health and survival as much as any medicine they took. Roger provided the inspiration that engaged his patients in their life-long pursuit of health.

Born in Vancouver in 1928, Dr. Rogers received his BA and BSW from UBC and practiced social work until he entered medicine in 1955. He interned at St. Paul's Hospital and operated a family practice in Vancouver for twenty five years, with an emphasis on prevention and a holistic approach to health.

Dr. Rogers was involved in founding and supporting the Association of Complementary & Integrative Physicians of BC (ACIPBC), and the Canadian Complementary Medical Association (CCMA). In 2002, Roger was inducted into the Canadian Health Food Association's Hall of Fame.

Recognized as a pioneer and leader in integrative cancer care – both nationally and internationally – Dr. Rogers was the grateful recipient of many awards and acknowledgements, culminating in the presentation of the Order of British Columbia in 2001. The Hecht Foundation created the Dr. Roger Rogers Prize in 2007, which awards a $250,000 prize biennially to a leader in complementary and alternative medicine.

A kind, compassionate human being; Roger dedicated himself to loving and caring for his patients, and his patients loved him in return.

Nutrition House opens three new Ontario stores

Nutrition House opens 3 new Ontario stores

Nutrition House has opened three new stores in Ontario: Humbertown Shopping Centre in Etobicoke franchised by Chester Listoria, Headon Forest Shopping Centre in Burlington franchised by Stephanie West, and Liberty Village Shopping Centre in Toronto franchised by Anthony Kim and Michael Chang.

Nutrition House also sold a corporate store located in the Southcentre Mall in Calgary, Alberta, franchised by Tiffany-Joy Robertson. And the Nutrition House in Fairview Pointe Claire in Pointe Claire, Quebec has changed owners. The new owner is Eva Agathengelou.

In total, Nutrition House has 62 stores across Canada, and now three American-based stores in Atlanta, Georgia franchised by Ray and Norma Curby.

Vita Health's John Holtmann

Vita Health's John Holtmann

We could fill all the pages of this issue to pay proper tribute to John Holtmann. Suffice to say if you knew John – if he was a friend or colleague – you'll agree.

John passed away on December 3 with his family by his side after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 61. Over 500 people (standing room only) attended his service in Winnipeg, which was a testament to how much John was loved and respected by all who knew him.

John is probably best known to many as the owner of the award-winning Vita Health Fresh Market retail stores in Winnipeg, although prior to that, he spent almost 30 years in various positions with Vita Health Products, a manufacturing company founded by his father-in-law, G. W. Seier. John joined the company in 1970 as a summer job.

In the late 90's, after all of Vita Health's retail and manufacturing interests were sold to Leiner, the Holtmann family purchased the retail portion back and John embarked on a new career path, turning a chain of supplement-focused stores into a food-focused business. He derived great pleasure and satisfaction from guiding and growing the business, teaching and mentoring his young team. And he was very proud to have his son Mathew join him in the business.

Industry-wide influence

Along with overseeing the growth and changes at Vita Health, John was very active in the industry. He played a key role in the formation of the United Health Merchants – now known as the Health First Network – in 1999, helping to pull retailers from all parts of the country under the UHM umbrella. And he also spent time as a director of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), even serving a term as the board's chair.

I recall the great sense of pride John exhibited when he had the opportunity to play host to the HFN annual meeting in Winnipeg in 2009. It was fitting given his important role in the group's formation 10 years earlier. He was proud to show visitors his stores, meet his team and tour them through his hometown.

In 2010, John received one of our industry's highest honours when he was elected into the CHFA Hall of Fame. In the spring of 2011, John announced his retirement from Vita Health – the same year the company was celebrating its 75th anniversary – and dozens of industry friends, colleagues and family made the trip to Winnipeg to surprise John with a dinner to recognize his many contributions to the industry.

John loved people. He had friends everywhere. It didn't matter if you were a supplier or a competitive retailer. I recall being in Winnipeg two years ago visiting a small health food store. The owner told me it was the norm for John to occasionally pop in, see how things were going and wish them well.

John's influence on the natural health industry and the many people he worked with and knew will be felt for decades to come. • Bruce W. Cole

 

CHFA calls for creation of new natural health products act

CHFA visits Parliament Hill, calls for creation of new natural health products act

The Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) hosted its second annual Natural Health Products Awareness Day on Parliament Hill on November 15. CHFA members and staff attended strategic private meetings with Members of Parliament (MPs), distributed Educational Awareness Day kits, conducted a press conference, and participated in various media interviews, including an appearance on CTV Morning Live by CHFA president Helen Sherrard.

"The purpose of these activities was to promote CHFA's key message that the time is now for Parliament to create the new Natural Health Products Act," explained Helen. "We continue to educate MPs on the important role NHPs play in our economy and in the lives of millions of Canadians."?

In addition to MP meetings, CHFA staff secured a key meeting with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) where Helen and Carl Carter – CHFA's director of Regulatory Affairs & Policy Development – spoke with Phil Harwood, PMO Policy Advisor. Meetings were also held with the Office of the Leader of the Official Opposition (New Democratic Party of Canada) and the Office of the Liberal Leader. To round out the meetings, Helen and Carl, along with CHFA board chair, Matthew James and government relations oversight committee chair Matt Breech met with David Lee, director, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Modernization.

The day of meetings was concluded with a CHFA evening reception to further support MP engagement efforts. The reception was attended by 32 MPs and Senators. CHFA reports it is pleased with the quality of conversations held and believes its message of creating the new Natural Health Products Act was well received. CHFA continues to work with MPs both in Ottawa and in member ridings and looks forward to its next bilateral meeting in January of 2012.

The association also released the results of a national Ipsos Reid Omnibus survey that clearly indicates the public is in support of the creation of an Act specifically for NHPs, with seven in 10 Canadians supporting this initiative. •

Boucher Institute opening a retail natural dispensary

The Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine has announced it is opening a retail outlet: Boucher Naturals - Natural Health Products, Dispensary, Books & More. It is the newest addition to the New Westminster, BC-based graduate-level naturopathic medical college.

Currently under construction, this street-level retail space will feature a fully-stocked natural dispensary, a comprehensive range of natural health products for purchase, as well as a wide selection of healthy snacks and juices.

Managing the store will be William (Bill) Reynolds, the former executive director of the Canadian Health Food Association. He brings nearly 40 years of experience in the natural products industry, ranging from managing retail spaces to the importation, manufacturing and distribution of natural health products in Canada.

The 1,400 square foot retail space is set to open its doors in early December 2011. Its dispensary will serve the Boucher Naturopathic Medical Clinic, located on the third floor of the Boucher Centre, while the retail space will feature the highest-quality natural health products and offer educational services, such as lectures and seminars, to the public. For more info, please go to www.binm.org. •