London Drugs throws lifeline to local restaurants hit by COVID-19
It’s been a tough year for restaurants. They were open, then closed, then opened again for limited seating, then closed again with patio seating only, and now they are open again. It's enough to make your head spin and enough to give restaurant owners a migraine.
“We dropped about 65 per cent in sales,” said Ron Macgillivray, owner of Fable Diner in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood.
There are many similar stories. Paul Moran launched Wild Origins from Tofino in December 2020 just before COVID-19 shut everything down. His company forages for wild foods from the forests and sea, like seaweed and mushrooms, and it had been offering foraging tours with dining experiences featuring the gathered food.
“It has been challenging times for sure for us,” said Moran.
Now both Wild Origins and Fable Diner have been thrown a lifeline by London Drugs through the company’s Local Central program. It offers up shelf space to local businesses and in May began to include local restaurants too.
“We thought what another great way for us to be able to help support restaurants and offer up some shelf space,” said Edwin Chang, manger of Vancouver’s London Drugs at Broadway and Cambie streets.
Wild Origins' six packaged foods and Fable Diner’s hot sauces are now available on store shelves at several London Drugs locations.
So far, 17 local restaurants that have joined the program and the businesses get to keep all the profits.
“We do feel quite fortunate with the help that we’ve received from London Drugs being able to get our products into 14 stores,” said Moran.
“In times of the pandemic it’s a positive light for us,” added Macgillivray.
It is hoped they are not forced to close again but if they are, they are better prepared to handle the storm.
“We’re all in this together and I think it’s one of the best ways we’re going to get through this for sure,” said Chang.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.