Empire and CPC announce partnership focused on celebrating inclusivity in Canadian sport

Stellarton, NS/Ottawa, ON – Empire Company Limited (“Empire” or the “Company”) (TSX:EMP.A) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) are proud to announce a partnership that will support Paralympic athletes and their ambitious goals leading into the Beijing 2022 Games and beyond. Through this new, long-term partnership, Empire’s family of brands will be recognized as the Official Grocer of the Canadian Paralympic Team.

Empire’s banner brands Sobeys, IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Marché Bonichoix, Rachelle Béry, Safeway, Foodland, Thrifty Foods and Voilà will celebrate inclusivity in sport, providing access to healthy food to Canada’s Paralympic athletes on their journey to represent Canada on the biggest international stage. 

“Like the Canadian Paralympic Committee, we strongly believe sport is a place for everyone and this new partnership further reinforces our commitment to Canadian athletes and our ongoing journey to prioritize celebrating and embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of the business,” said Erika DeHaas, Vice President of Marketing Communications at Sobeys Inc. “We know our high-performance athletes rely on the support of their families, their communities and their sponsors as they prepare to compete on the world stage and we are proud to stand with them on their journey to Beijing this winter.”

Empire will also provide grocery cards to qualified athletes to redeem for nutritious food at Empire’s banner brands, including Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland and Thrifty Foods helping to fuel their rigorous training and preparation leading up to the Beijing Games. 

“We are so pleased to welcome the Empire family of grocery brands to the Canadian Paralympic Committee family and we’re honoured to have Empire brands serve as our Official Grocer,” said Karen O’Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. “This important grocery card program will provide immense support to Paralympic athletes across the country on their journey to the Games and is a fantastic way to kick off our partnership.”

Empire has selected a diverse group of Paralympic athletes, representative of the communities the retailer serves coast to coast, to act as brand ambassadors as part of Team Empire. These athletes include:

•    Mark Arendz, Para Nordic Skiing – Hartsville, PEI
•    Mollie Jepsen, Para Alpine Skiing – Vancouver, BC
•    Frédérique Turgeon, Para Alpine Skiing – Montreal, QC

Beginning in 2022, Canadians can join in and support Canadian Paralympic athletes through Empire’s multi-channel marketing campaign ahead of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.