After another extremely successful event in 2022, the alive Executive Summit is back in February 2026, bringing together top-level decision makers from across North America for a one-of-a-kind experience.

CHFA NOW Toronto is back this September 19 to 21, and we’re gearing up for our biggest show yet! As Canada’s largest trade show dedicated to natural, organic, and wellness (NOW) products, this is the can’t-miss event that has the entire industry talking.

While attending the Health First Network (HFN) annual general meeting (AGM) in Montréal, Quebec, this past spring, I made it a point to try and connect with people I’d never met before. It was very encouraging to meet some first-time AGM retailer attendees, folks who in many cases are brand new to our industry.

Canada, the world’s fifth-largest organic market, remains at the forefront of environmentally responsible practices. According to a 2023 survey conducted by the Government of Canada on consumer perceptions of food, 87 percent of surveyed Canadians reported purchasing organic “sometimes” to “always.”

Organic Month is the perfect opportunity to connect with customers, support organic producers, and showcase a commitment to sustainability.

Nature’s Signature, a leading health and wellness retailer, opened its newest location in May 2025—inside the Metro grocery store—at 640 Mapleview Drive East, Barrie, Ontario.

This is the 18th store under the Nature’s Source and Nature’s Signature brands.

At CHFA, we’re always looking for ways to elevate the CHFA NOW experience for our growing community of retailers, manufacturers, brokers, and distributors both on and off the trade show floor. From our exclusive Retailer VIP program—offering sneak peeks into leading trends with access to events like our PITCH Breakfast—to the growing buzz of our new signature conference sessions, CHFA NOW keeps getting better.

Following a successful debut at CHFA NOW Vancouver 2024, the Retailer Roundtable—hosted by Bruce W. Cole, editor and founder of CNHR—returned to this year’s show and was met with an overwhelming response from retailers.

Each of us is different—but in many ways, we’re the same. That’s the tricky part when it comes to health and healing. We all need a personalized approach, but one that still speaks to our shared human experience.

The annual alive retailer dinner, held at Caffé La Tana in Vancouver, BC, in April 2025, was an opportunity for the team members from alive and CNHR magazines to acknowledge and thank store staff and owners for all they do for the members of their communities.

A big thanks to Kathleen Bird, a long-time industry member, and Ariella Turner, Assured Natural Distribution and Natural Factors, for once again bringing the CNHR editorial team to a few interesting stops in the Lower Mainland during CHFA week in Vancouver.

Did you know that mass market stores spend most of their marketing dollars on inside-the-store promotions, aka merchandising?

That said, merchandising actually starts outside the store. The store sign, lighting, parking, window displays, sandwich boards, entryway, posters, and such contribute to the feeling the prospective customer gets to either come in to shop or walk/drive by.

The third annual Prairie Naturals Men’s Health Gala was held on April 24, 2025, at the Vancouver Aquarium and was attended by industry professionals, the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMHF), over 150 retail partners from across Canada, and the media.

The Supplier Roundtable, held at CHFA NOW Vancouver 2025, was led by Suzie Yorke, Founder of 4X Better Chocolates, Love Good Fats, and Founders Helping Founders. The session brought up some timely and honest conversations about tariffs.

After a lengthy career in leading and managing long-term care and retirement residences in Ontario, Steven Golden made his initial venture into the natural health retailing industry in 2022, when he purchased L’Amie de la santé in Hawkesbury, Ontario.

The Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA) hosted its 2025 Organic Leadership Awards and Gala at Seasons in the Park restaurant in Vancouver, BC, on April 24, celebrating nine years of recognizing excellence in Canada’s organic sector.