Hi Everyone,

The Covid-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly with increased warnings from government about the risk to our personal communities. For us, that community includes 2,500 stores and 190,000 colleagues serving millions of Canadians. There are all kinds of rumours flying around about cases in our stores and that is likely to continue. My commitment to you is to use this and other local communication channels to give you the latest and most accurate information about what is happening in our stores.

Today, we have our first confirmed case, in a single store, where a colleague from our Real Canadian Superstore on Gibb St. in Oshawa, Ontario, tested positive. As you’d expect, we are staying close to the situation and to his family.

We know you’re relying on us to continue to serve you, even as COVID-19 spreads in your communities. So, I’d like you to know how we will respond if colleagues test positive.

These are our steps:

1. We will immediately work with local public health authorities to investigate the colleague’s recent shifts and direct contacts. To keep our stores safe, we will partner with public health to identify and support any colleagues who should self-isolate. They will be instructed to stay home and we will pay them in full.

2. Our teams will deep-clean the store based on the advice of public health, over and above our new, daily cleaning protocols put in place at the start of COVID-19.

3. We will close immediately if we are informed of a colleague testing positive. We know communities consider us an essential service right now, but we ask for your patience as we will remain closed for as long as it takes to deep-clean, or on the advice of public health.

4. We will be completely transparent by communicating directly to customers who have recently shopped in the affected store. For example, in the current case, we have talked to all colleagues, posted a notice to local social media, and emailed thousands of individual customers who used their PC Optimum account in that particular location.

At this time, health authorities continue to assure us that the risk of grocery shopping is low, but we must all take care. We‘re counting on you to help by giving our colleagues and each other lots of space.

Stay safe and be kind,

Galen Weston