The Supreme Court of British Columbia has removed a ban on using reward programs for prescription products and services in the province. The ban was due to a bylaw from the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia and took effect in December 2013. The rewards programs involved include Air Miles and Club Thrifty Food Points.

Safeway Canada and Thrifty Foods, a Sobeys banner, filed a petition to overturn the bylaw, on the basis that loyalty programs help foster better pharmacist-patient relationships.

“We are delighted that as a result of our efforts, Safeway and Thrifty Foods’ pharmacy customers will once again be able to earn the rewards they enjoy to enrich their lives, help buy products and travel,” says Sandra Aylward, vice president of professional and regulatory affairs with Sobeys.

Ontario, Newfoundland and Quebec have similar bylaws in place, and Sobeys is encouraging the bylaw’s removal in Alberta by having a Queen’s Bench justice grant a stay on the ban until a judicial review hearing in 2015.

Sitara Hewitt, star of CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie, is the new spokesperson for Natural Calm, the bestselling magnesium supplement on the market and distributed by TOP Nutritionals in Canada.

Hewitt struggled with her health for years and notes that she was sick all the time. She turned to supplements to help her with this and found Natural Calm to be most effective. The highly absorbable, water-soluble magnesium is in ionic form so it is easy for the body to use right away. Hewitt has introduced Natural Calm to her family, as well, including her fitness expert husband Jesse Pavelka.

“It’s a product that helped me a lot with my stress and anxiety levels,” says Hewitt. “One I began my living well brand, I decided to let Natural Calm know how much I loved their products.”

Dale and Linda Bolton, the owners of TOP Nutritionals, were very impressed with Hewitt’s personality and her passion for the product that they decided to make her its spokesperson.

Aside from being an actress and spokesperson, Hewitt spends her time as a public wellness speaker and blogger. She also takes part in TOP Nutritional’s Organics 4 Orphans charity, a non-profit organization that helps poor communities through organic gardening and nutritional and natural medicine education and income generation. Hewitt is planning a trip to Kenya to visit some of the projects involved in the charity next February.

Lauren Keegan has joined the emerging consumer goods incubator greenspace brands (GSB) as its newly appointed director of sales.  With her experience in the Independent and Mass channels, Lauren brings a wealth of knowledge to the growing team at GSB.

The company is currently undergoing a resurgence in the industry as it develops its established brand of Life Choices Natural Foods. It also has plans to launch three new brands this year (Rolling Meadow Dairy, Holistic Choice Pet Food and Yamba Yogurt) with plans for several more in 2015.

Lauren’s passion for the health and wellness industry along with her personal goal of making a positive difference every day made her the perfect fit to lead the development of a best-in-class sales team at GSB.

George Weston Ltd. reports that it has lost $208 million, or $1.71 per share, in its second quarter this year after Loblaws Companies Ltd. took over Shoppers Drug Mart. At the same time last year, the company reported a profit of $97 million, or an increase of 68 cents per share.

Total sales for the company were listed at $10.59 billion, as compared to $7.52 billion year-over-year. That amount includes Shoppers Drug Mart’s results for the full quarter and includes accounting adjustments. George Weston says its adjusted earnings were $1.26 per share. Loblaw’s total sales rose by 37.1 per cent to $10.3 billion, which includes Shoppers Drug Mart’s sales of $2.6 billion.

Loblaw Companies and its president, Galen Weston, are looking to gain approval with customers who want a smaller store format, including more personalized product discounts and a large assortment of high quality fresh foods.

“Early indications across the board suggest that when we put the right proposition in front of the customer, price is not the biggest determinant of what they choose to buy,” says Weston.

According to him, customers are more willing to pay more for better food, even in the company’s discount chain, No Frills. “Customers seem to be trading up in fresh for what they perceive to be a significant improvement in quality,” he says.

The company’s Shoppers Optimum has over 10 million members, while its PC Plus program has over six million. These loyalty program encourage regular shoppers to save more by buying everyday products chosen for them based on their past purchases.

Walmart’s Bill Simon, the chief executive officer of its U.S. branch, is stepping down after four years in the role. He will be replaced with president and CEO of Walmart Asia, Greg Foran, effective August 9.

According to the company, Simon will still be available as a consultant for the next six months to promote a smooth transition. Foran will report to Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart Stores Inc.

“Greg is one of the most talented retailers I’ve ever met,” says McMillion. “His depth of knowledge and global experience will bring a fresh perspective to our business His passion for fresh food, experience in general merchandise and commitment to e-commerce will help us serve our customers even more effectively for years to come.”

Walmart Canada is looking to become irreplaceable amongst multicultural shoppers using its influence on social networks. The retail giant is currently using a Facebook campaign that was timed to coincide with Eid, the Muslim holiday, as it posts recipes and starts discussions that connect with its Muslim customers. While the company has posted celebratory messages for multicultural holidays in the past, this is the first time it is reaching out and trying to connect with customers by posting recipes.

According to Chrissy Gauld, the manager of local and ethnic marketing at Walmart Canada, using a recipe in a campaign demonstrates the wide variety of products the company can offer its ethnic consumers.

Walmart is also looking to social media and digital marketing “as a growing channel for all marketing and understanding the consumption habits of our multicultural customer,” says Gauld.

Health Canada has issued a recall of Earth Circle Organics and Harmonic Arts Botanical Dispensary Organic Carob Powder due to possible salmonella contamination.

These products have been sold in British Columbia and Alberta, and may have been sold in other provinces across the country, as well as online.

Salmonella can cause fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, and young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are especially susceptible. If these products are found, they should be thrown out or returned to the store from which they were purchased.

John Stephen, previously managing director at Sisu Vitamins, has joined Genuine Health as its new vice president of sales, effective July 28.

John has over 20 years of experience in the industry, including 19 years as vice president of sales at Natural Factors.

In his new role, John will be responsible for leading the Canadian sales team, driving growth in all channels and will work closely with the company’s marketing team to ensure its brand initiatives are realized, according to Beth Potter, publicist for Genuine Health.

Parissa Labs has recently moved into its new office space in North Vancouver, BC, which was designed by Helen Besharat for Besharat Friars Architects on behalf of the company to meet the highest eco-friendly standards. The facility was built from the ground up to meet LEED Gold Standards.

Parissa Labs’ new office was landscaped using mostly drought-tolerant native plants to promote biodiversity and water conservation. In fact, of the 4,777 drought-resistant plants used in the site’s landscaping, only 172 are non-native species. The location for the building was chosen in a tree protection zone to protect 80-year-old trees in the region and their roots. The building has a lower parking capacity and carpool spaces to encourage alternative transport, and the parking lot is also equipped with two preferred spaces for electric vehicles complete with charging stations.

The inside of the building is also incredibly eco-friendly by recirculating water from the company’s production to flush the building’s toilets, saving over 14,600 litres of water annually. All of the adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpets used in the building meet or exceed VOC content limits. Window sizes and locations were chosen to give 75 per cent of the office space natural daylight, while 90 per cent of the office space has an outdoor view.

The facility has won the Award of Excellence and Green/Energy Efficient Merit Award by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, as well as an honourable mention in the City of North Vancouver’s Design Excellence Award.