International Women’s Day 2023 – #EmbraceEquity by embracing some great brands – founded by women.

At London Drugs, we love to support brands that make a difference. For International Women’s Day 2023, we have rounded up a selection of brands founded and/or led by women, from global empires, to local products and projects built from the ground up.

Lise Watier – The Canadian cosmetics icon who built a foundation for female empowerment  

Lise Watier is more than a brand name. She is a beauty business pioneer. Born in Montreal in 1942, Watier created a self-improvement and makeup course company and launched her own line of cosmetics in 1972. In 2009, Madame Watier founded the Lise Watier Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to empowering women and girls in need, raising over $1,000,000 in funds. In 2016, Lise Watier Cosmetics joined Groupe Marcelle Inc. to become the largest Canadian company in the beauty industry, distributing some 450 products across North America.

Shop Lise Watier Here 

 

Province Apothecary – From growing up with ezcema and allergies to growing a cross-Canada brand.  

Nova Scotian Julie Clark struggled with skin issues as a child. “I’ve had eczema all my life says the Province Apothecary founder, “It was my goal to make an all-natural product to heal my skin.”

Aa busy costume designer and stylist, Julie used her time off to experiment with oils, waxes and herbs—all in pursuit of healing her eczema. In 2010, Julie began studying Aromatherapy, Holistic Health, Herbal Medicine and Esthetics in Toronto, forming the foundation of her skincare expertise, and Province Apothecary was born.

Julie’s favourite ingredients include organic seaweed from Nova Scotia, organic sunflower oil from Ontario and glacial clay from British Columbia. Province Apothecary also donates a percentage of sales to Canadian Organic Growers, Canadian Honey Council and 1% for the Planet.

Peruse Province Apothecary Products 

 

Diva Cup – Changing the world, one period at a time 

Francine Chambers remembers how limited menstrual product options were when she was a young girl. So when her daughter became a teenager, she wanted to change things for the better. After years of perfecting the design, Francine and her daughter, co-founder and CEO, Carinne Chambers-Saini, brought DivaCup to market in 2003. Now the advocacy and education arm of the business helps donate approximately 15,000 Diva Cups annually to women around the world and launched the 2019 documentary Pandora’s Box to highlight women’s rights and basic human rights issues around menstruation.

In 2018, this Proudly Canadian brand also became a certified B Corp., helping empower even more for good for customers, the community and the planet.

Learn more about Diva Cup Menstrual Products 

 

Baby Gourmet – How two Canadian sisters went from the Farmer’s Market to global success  

In 2005, sisters’ Jennifer Carlson and Jill Vos began Baby Gourmet at their local Calgary Farmer’s Market with a belief that every parent deserves to feel good about how they nourish their baby. Today, they are proud leaders in innovation, quality, and taste, and Baby Gourmet is the number one organic baby food brand in Canada. Their commitment to providing delicious, nutrient-dense and safe food is unparalleled, sourcing only the best organic ingredients to develop baby’s palate. Every recipe starts in their own kitchen and is made to help babies develop a love of good food.

In addition to being Certified Organic, Baby Gourmet’s products became the first baby products in Canada to earn the esteemed Clean Label Project Purity Award, rating them amongst the top 1/3 of all North American baby food brands. By earning the Clean Label Project Purity Award, Baby Gourmet products were tested for over 400 chemicals of concern such as heavy metals, pesticide residues and plasticizers.

With a desire to grow with their consumers, Carlson and Vos launched a toddler and preschool line in 2022, Little Gourmet. This line of products was born out of the same desire to nourish busy toddlers and preschoolers with wholesome, organic snacks full of real ingredients and no refined sugar. Baby Gourmet is fueled by the passion to offer naturally healthy and clean food so parents feel confident their children are getting the nutrients they need, less of what they don’t need, and they are beginning their lives nourished by a planetary healthy diet.

Shop Baby Gourmet

 

Kicking Horse Coffee – A 100% Rocky Mountain-grown brand

Kicking Horse CEO, Elana Rosenfeld got her first entrepreneurial inspiration from her mother, who pioneered an organic food company. She combined that spirit with a taste for coffee culture picked up in Montreal, where Rosenfeld studied at McGill University. After graduation, she moved to Invermere to be close to the mountains and launched the Blue Dog Café. Unable to find decent coffee beans in the area, Rosenfeld and her then husband Leo Johnson started roasting their own in their garage. The rest is Rocky Mountain history, as she and Kicking Horse grew to earn awards as Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year”, Canada’s “Fairtrade Product of the Year” and one of the top 15 “Best Workplaces in Canada”.

In 2017 Kicking Horse Coffee was purchased by Italian conglomerate Lavazza, with Rosenfeld staying aboard as CEO. She’s successfully maintainerd the Rocky Mountain vibe of the brand ever since, living a lifestyle balanced by mountain biking, skiing and stand-up paddleboarding.

Get a taste of Kicking Horse Here 

 

Smart Sweets – A young woman helps kick sugar, in a multi-million dollar gummy bear success story

When Tara Bosch was growing up, she says she had an unhealthy relationship with food, affecting her self-esteem and body image. Yet she did not want to give up enjoying her favourite treats.

So she bought a gummy bear mould online and began recipe testing in her kitchen, on a quest to create the first candy that kicks sugar.

Starting as a 21-year-old female entrepreneur with $15,000 in startup capital, Bosch landed SmartSweets’ first retailer through pure persistence. Response to her product was immediately positive.

Dragon’s Den featured the SmartSweets in their season 12 premiere episode, where Bosch secured a deal for $100,000 for a 5% stake in the company. Since then, it has grown exponentially and in 2020, TPG Growth acquired SmartSweets for $360 million.

It’s validation that SmartSweets is addressing a large, urgent and valuable problem, with a sweet solution.

Get your SmartSweets Sugar-Free Kick Here 

 

Animal Crossing  – How a female influence succeeds in the gaming industry  

Video game culture has traditionally been dominated by men, but the approach to Animal Crossing was different. Not only did Nintendo want to make the game for both men and women; they wanted it to be made by men and women.

Aya Kyogoku was the first woman to ever direct a video game at Nintendo Entertainment, with Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Kyogoku brought legendary experience, as scriptwriter on titles from The Legend of Zelda series.

With the release of Animal Crossing New Horizons, she continued as the director of the game, and along with producer Katsuya Eguchi, hired a team that was half female.

The new game helped propelled Nintendo to a banner year in 2021, selling more than 13 million units in its first six weeks of release, while a survey of 1000 female gamers revealed that women find Animal Crossing: New Horizons the most inclusive video game to play.

Get Animal Crossing New Horizons Here 

London Drugs has partnered with Carlton Cards for a 3rd year to support the Legion Poppy Fund with the Be Kind Program

London Drugs is happy to bring back the Be Kind campaign again this year to help The Royal Canadian Legion with donations to its annual National Poppy Campaign. While poppy boxes will still appear at all London Drugs locations – as they do every year – we are hoping to help raise additional funds for Veterans through the Be Kind campaign in partnership with Carlton Cards.

BE KIND invites Canadians to send handwritten cards to friends, families, and neighbours, to show appreciation and brighten their day.

“People still need to be reminded they are not alone,” said Clint Mahlman, London Drugs President and Chief Operating Officer. “Whether that is sending love to a friend or family member or showing your appreciation to a Veteran whom you’ve never met, sending a personalized written message can be so meaningful – particularly when we are still social distancing many people continue to feel isolated.”

London Drugs has been a proud partner of The Royal Canadian Legion for decades with Legionnaires and volunteers once again being welcomed to collect poppy funds outside stores; poppy boxes and Veteran pins for sale inside stores; and donations being collected at cashier tills. This year, the BE KIND campaign will donate $2* for every pair of Carlton or Papyrus Greeting Cards sold between November 1 and 11 directly to the Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Trust Fund. Customers can visit any London Drugs store and pick out cards to give. (*Maximum donation $20,000)

“Our great partners are an integral part of our National Poppy Campaign each year,” says Bruce Julian, Dominion President, The Royal Canadian Legion. “We thank London Drugs wholeheartedly for their support and for helping to spread the message of Remembrance.”

Donations made during the National Poppy Campaign go directly into the Legion’s Poppy Trust Fund. The funds raised locally are used locally to help with a range of supports and services for Veterans and their families. It can include emergency funding, helping Veterans get off the streets, completing benefit applications or establishing and supporting programs to help tackle operational stress injuries.
Please visit https://legion.ca/ for more information.

Meet the Canadian Rebels Who Want to Transform the Ordinary into Moments of Joy.


“We were basically shaking our fists at the idea of Father Time sneaking up on us,” says CEO Eric Fallon,  “While we still couldn’t find the products we were looking for.”  That’s how the Rebel’s Refinery brand got started by Fallon and his two best friends, Elan Marks and Justin Maclean, in Toronto.

The team took matters into their own hands, deciding to start what would become a men’s grooming brand. They found their way onto the Canadian entrepreneurial television show Dragon’s Den.

“Kevin O’Leary was a ‘Dragon’ at the time and walked off within the first 10 minutes of our pitch,” Fallon recalls. They ended up landing a deal with another of the Dragons, Arlene Dickinson, and used the money to create their first shaped lip balm – the Skull.
The Rebel’s Refinery brand is literally built on creativity, from its innovative packaging to its quality raw materials and hand-picked essential oils.

“There is still nothing we love more than dropping new innovations and seeing if you all freak out!” says Fallon, “We want to see you smile and get excited whenever you hold one of our items. We used to think motorcycles and being edgy was cool (motorcycles still are – sorry Mom!), but now we understand that being happy is the new cool. That’s why our new tagline is transforming the ordinary into moments of joy.”

 

Look for rebellious products like Cactus, Ice Cream or Pineapple lip balms, Rehab Roller Under Eye Moisturizer and Dirty Boy Bamboo Face & Body Wipes at your local London Drugs. Then let your inner rebel share the Canadian joy!

Caprina – The Canadian brand that brought the moisturizing power of fresh goat’s milk soap from the farm to the mainstream.


When Canus Founder and President André Bearegard first started researching goat’s milk skin care products in the early 90’s, the rare and expensive milk was not only hard to find for beauty products, but also had a shelf life that was limited to just six months. With the help of research and development, the company has developed over the years a proven technique that transfers the hydrating properties of fresh goat’s milk to its skincare lines while increasing the products’ shelf life to 5 years.

Two decades later, Caprina is now one of Canada’s top selling soap lines.

Local farmers, local community.

“At our brand new facility in Drummondville Quebec, we work with fresh goat’s milk from local Canadian farmers,” says Beauregard, “For us it’s very important to be involved with our local community, giving farmers the opportunity to use their fresh milk to produce quality products.”

Looking for a better moisturizing soap? Canadian goats are ready to help.

Goat’s milk has long been considered one of nature’s most effective moisturizers.

“The secret is in its ‘bipolar’ molecular structure,” Beauregard says, “It cleanses without stripping away the natural moisture barriers of our skin.” This helps make Caprina products natural and gentle enough to use for the whole family.

Caprina products are also recommended by the Canadian Dermatology Review Panel, and recognized to be effective complements to skin therapy for people with psoriasis and eczema.

London Drugs is proud to carry a range of Caprina products, including bar soap, body wash, liquid hand soap and foam bath.

Report a Wildfire Phone Numbers: Western Canadian Provinces

Information from the public is crucial to ensuring wildfires are responded to as soon as possible. Below we’ve provided provincial wildfire phone numbers to keep in your phone, for quick references incase you spot a wildfire in your community, or while travelling within western Canadian provinces.

Report a Wildfire

To report a wildfire or irresponsible behaviour:
  • In B.C. call 1 800 663-5555 or *5555 from a cell phone.
  • In Alberta call 310-FIRE.
  • In Saskatchewan call 1-800-667-9660.
  • In Manitoba call 1-800-782-0076.

When reporting a wildfire, any information you can provide is helpful, however, you can expect the emergency call-taker to ask for details about the fire, such as:

  • Location i.e. Where is the fire? How far up the hillside?
  • Size e.g. Metres? Hectares? Size of a house? Size of a football field?
  • Rate of spread i.e. How quickly is the fire spreading?
  • Fuel i.e. What is burning? Grass, bushes, trees?
  • Smoke/flames i.e. What colour is the smoke? Are flames visible?
  • Threat i.e. Are there any people or buildings at risk?
  • Action i.e. Is anyone fighting the fire?

Air Quality

The Ministry of Environment to monitors air quality impact due to wildfires across the province.  For the most up to date conditions and a list of active advisories for BC, please visit: www.bcairquality.ca

Pedro’s Organic– how one farmer inspired a passion for great coffee from Canadian roots to farms around the world

The story of this Canadian brand began with a single farmer in South America. Born into a coffee-growing family, Pedro learned about coffee from the ground up – literally. He saw first-hand the effects of spraying chemicals on the coffee trees – on birds, insects and workers. That’s why he decided to dedicate his energies to organic production and standing up for the rights of his fellow farmers.

After hearing this story of passion and commitment, founders Bill Szeremeta and Rama Dehgan were deeply inspired – that’s when Pedro’s Organic Coffee was born.

Famous in Canadian foodservice, now available on local shelves

For over 30 years, Pedro’s has been recognized for excellence in the foodservice industry, serving hotels, restaurant chains, coffee bars, golf courses and ski resorts throughout Canada. Now this family-owned and operated Canadian brand is available in stores and London Drugs is proud to be one of Pedro’s most dedicated retailers. Choose from exotic varieties such as Equator Blend and Rainforest Espresso, perfect served hot or over ice.

Pedro’s takes their Canadian values right through the whole supply chain

“The direction we’re headed is simple,” says Bill Szeremeta, Owner of Pedro’s Organic Coffee, “We want a safe future in a protected environment. We set a high standard for ourselves and use our family values as a compass. Pedro’s Organic Coffee is proud to be a Canadian company that supports the local economy by utilizing the resources and tools around us.”

The team at Pedro’s never forgets their namesake – and that Pedro represents all the hard-working, trusted farmers who grow their high-quality organic coffee beans. It’s a recipe that leads to great results all the way to your morning cup. “Be passionate about the work you’re doing. It will be a long and challenging road,” Szeremeta says, “But if you truly believe in the product, it will pay off in the end.” We’ll toast to that.

Sports Medicine products designed for Canadians, by Canadians.

Whether it’s hockey, curling, skiing or hiking, Canadians like their sports. For over 20 years, Trainer’s Choice has been focused on helping Canadians perform at their best and stay healthy at the same time. “Many Canadians suffer from nagging injuries with constant pain and do not seek treatment,” says Trainers Choice founder and president, Rick Schaly. “We look to find solutions that will supplement their treatment options.”

The roots of Trainer’s Choice extend back 20 years to a thriving small town sports medicine clinic. Since then, the brand has expanded to dominate its market niche as the frontrunner in the Canadian Sports Medicine Product and Appliance industry. Trainers Choice connects with Canadian orthopaedic surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, athletic therapists, and sports medicine doctors, to design functional, supportive, and comfortable products, from knee stabilizers to wrist braces, lumbar supports and more.

Rick Schaly, President of Trainers Choice, explains the unique role the company’s Canadian roots play in their product development. “The field testing is unique where designers themselves test products in their Canadian practice,” Schlay says, “We also put them on athletes and industry professionals for serious situational testing.” Relationships with the Toronto Rock Lacrosse team and the Hamilton Tie Cats show just how effective the Trainers Choice approach has been. So whatever Canadian activity you pursue, if you are looking for sports medicine support, the choice is clear.

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