As part of Canada’s 150th anniversary, London Drugs is partnering with agencies across western Canada to help 150 refugee families get on their feet in their new country. The Welcoming 150 program seeks to help by encouraging London Drugs customers to donate items to the families in need.
Many of the families arrived in Canada in the last year or so, and are in the process of learning a new language and joining our country’s workforce. This is one of their extraordinary stories.
Moms sometimes get most of the credit for raising their kids, but Dads are important too. As Father’s Day approaches, we wanted to share some ideas for spending time with Pops on his special day and throughout the summer. Time to give your best guy some recognition.
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
On a foggy summer night, eleven people – ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter – depart Marth’s Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are the painter, Scott Burroughs, and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of a powerful media mogul’s family.
Was it by chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something more sinister at work? A storm of media attention brings Scott fame that quickly morphs into notoriety and accusation, and he scrambles to salvage truth from the wreckage. Amid trauma and chaos, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy grows and glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, morality, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.
We’re all aware of the natural beauty in Canada–it’s everywhere we look. Warmer weather is finally heading our way, along with spring flowers, sunshine, and finally putting the winter boots away! It’s the perfect time to take advantage of free entry to all National Parks for 2017, and make sure this year you really appreciate all that our beautiful country has to offer.
Let these stunning destinations in Canada tickle your travel fancy and offer you a much-needed dose of inspiration.
Until May 7, traipse through the fields of flowers at Abbotsford’s annual Tulip Festival. It’s full of colour and fresh air, with the mountains in the background–make sure your phone is charged so you can post a bunch of photos of this Instagram-worthy destination!
Make your way to the Alberta badlands to see the famous hoodoos. Hoodoos are a natural wonder, taking millions of years to form. Try a guided hike through the trail and remember, no climbing!
Catch a brilliant view of the Milky Way in a place undisturbed by light pollution. This Dark Sky Preserve in Saskatchewan covers 527 square kilometres, making it one of the largest and darkest in the world.
Hike the Berg Lake trail, a world-renowned backcountry trail, and find yourself face-to-face with the 150-foot Emperor Falls. The thundering natural feature will leave you utterly breathless.
Find this hidden sanctuary along the Gwendoline Hills Trail in beautiful British Columbia. Stop at the Manzanita Hut for a picnic lunch surrounded by manzanita bushes and arbutus trees.
If you thought Saskatchewan was all flat, think again! Visit this private pasture (the owner allows entry) and set your sights on the large natural Beechy Sandcastles, formed from the collapse of a natural gas pocket.
The legendary Skalsh Rock sits beside the sun-filled seawall in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. You’ll want to admire this iconic spot and learn about its history with the Indigenous Squamish people.
Relax in this remote geothermal hot springs located in Maquinna Provincial Park. You’ll take a water-taxi or float plane from Tofino to reach this destination nestled along the west coast.
This Manitoba waterfall was created from geological activity causing a rift in the landscape. Because of the continuous flow of water, Pisew Falls has its own micro-climate in its localized area. Be on the lookout for ferns dating back to the Ice Age!
Go on a camping adventure in Riding Mountain National Park, with 3000 km2 of rugged nature to explore. Or, walk the shores of Clear Lake if you’re looking for more hustle and bustle.
Greeting Gamers and welcome to April! They say that April showers bring May flowers, but they also provide a perfect excuse to stay in and play video games! This month sees the release of nine new games across PlayStation 4, XBOX One, and Nintendo Switch. Let’s take a closer look at each one.
It’s a new school year at Shujin Academy in Tokyo where you have been transferred after you assaulted a stalker. Through the course of the year you are granted access to the palace realm where you can interact and do battle with the psyches of others and help them rehabilitate their personas. Yes, this is a Japanese Role Playing Game and it’s super weird and critically acclaimed. Released in Japan back in September, the North American release date is slated for April 4th exclusively on PlayStation 4.
It can be discouraging setting your fitness New Year’s Resolutions and not being able to keep them by the time spring arrives. You feel motivated to start but somewhere along the way you lose energy, can’t keep up with your exercise routine and don’t have anyone to hold you accountable.
Here’s 4 ways to stay on a track with your fitness resolutions:
At the start, you’re motivated to make your health a priority but tend to overexert yourself. You’re willing to implement a new meal plan and exercise 4 times a week. Eating well and exercising multiple times a week are both realistic lifestyle changes, however, when you begin, it’s important to stay realistic.
Tip: Look at your current schedule and plan 1-2 fitness activities for the week. Once you feel comfortable and consistent with those days, add another class. This will allow you to ease into a new routine and make sustainable positive changes.
Doing an exercise routine that feels like a chore, limits your ability to achieve your goal. Exercise comes in many forms and can even include activities such as gardening, playing with your kids or going for a walk.
Tip: Brainstorm a list of activities that get you moving and you enjoy, or think you might enjoy, and schedule them in your calendar.
Not only should you set realistic goals and enjoy what you do, you should find the right support group or partner that will hold you accountable throughout the year. Kevin O’Connor, a competitive road runner and coach, relies on his support team to get through the rainy cooler months in Vancouver, BC. “Training through the colder months, I think it’s very important to find a group. If you can’t find a group then try and find a training partner so you know that when it’s cold, wet and miserable, someone’s going to be there and you’re accountable.”
Tip: Sign up for a weekly fitness group or pair up with a friend. Exercising with a group or friend will be more enjoyable and you can keep track of each other’s progress.
Increasing your physical activity may leave you feeling too sore to continue and increase your chances of giving up on your goals all together. Your recovery process is an important part of your fitness routine and should not be avoided. Stretching, hydrating, eating a balanced diet and supplementing with the right joint health product, allows you to regain your energy and support your joint health and mobility.
“As a running athlete, I find SierraSil Joint Formula14 and Pain Relief Topical Spray enables my recovery from the same hard workouts that I ran 17 years ago when I was at my peak. Taking SierraSil products has assisted greatly in my training with confidence after hard workouts and now I’m running almost as well as I was in 1994 and 1996.” – Kevin O’Connor
SierraSil, a clay-mineral that aids in easing joint and muscle aches, reduces delayed onset muscle soreness and calms inflammation. SierraSil has allowed many to get back to their regular physical activities without experiencing chronic pain and stiffness.
Tip: Pick up a bottle of Joint Formula14 at your nearest London Drugs to help you ease into your fitness routine.
For more advice on joint health products such as SierraSil, speak to a London Drugs pharmacist today.
At London Drugs, our Win a Dream contest in December granted the experience of a lifetime to five customers who signed up for our new loyalty program, LDExtras. Each of the five was the lucky winner of a $10,000 experience.
Here is a glimpse of one of our $10,000 experience winners, Donna, and her perfect Christmas winning shopping spree:
Donna in Richmond, BC; Siham in Vancouver, BC; and Adeline in Calgary, AB each chose a $10,000 London Drugs shopping spree. Susan in North Vancouver, BC and Shauna in Red Deer, AB each chose a $10,000 photography dream travel vacation to Machu Picchu. Both Susan and Shauna are now in the midst of planning their bucket list trips to one of the seven wonders of the world, and both winners are taking their daughters with them!
Every one of our winners has an interesting story to tell, whether it’s about being a longtime loyal London Drugs customer with personal relationships with staff in our stores; embarking on a shopping spree and having the opportunity to own a first-ever computer; or being a longtime photographer who jumped at the chance to visit the picturesque Machu Picchu!
When we notified our winners, most were in disbelief. Responses ranged from, “I never win anything!” to “Is this for real?!” There was shock, thankfulness and then utter excitement. And we at London Drugs couldn’t be more thrilled, ourselves.
The Launch of LDExtras
When we officially launched our new LDExtras loyalty program in the Fall of 2016, we knew we had to communicate the fact that LDExtras is not an ordinary points type program.
Unique to London Drugs, LDExtras rewards our customers with $5 gift vouchers when they accumulate 10 Visits* and on their birthday, along with special member surprises when our customers least expect it.
LDExtras is, after all, all about giving our customers Extras. We value our customers and we want to thank each one for shopping at London Drugs!
If you haven’t signed up for LDExtras, make sure you do! There are many more experiences and Extras to be unlocked, simply by being a member.
*A LDExtras Visit is earned when you spend $10 or more (before taxes) on eligible products each day at a London Drugs store or online at LondonDrugs.com.
