Calgary Co-op Celebrates Milestone 65th Anniversary with New Food Store Grand Opening in Sage Hill

With humble roots, Calgary Co-op has been built on loyalty, trust and a commitment to local producers and vendors

Ken Keelor, CEO and Patricia McLeod, Calgary Co-op Board Chair, officially open Sage Hill.

November 26, 2021 – CALGARY – Calgary Co-operative Association Limited (Calgary Co-op) is pleased to officially celebrate their 65th anniversary of business. Since inception, Calgary Co-op has been known for supporting local and helping to positively shape the local community. To celebrate this achievement, Calgary Co-op celebrated the grand opening of their 24th food store location in Sage Hill.

One of North America’s largest co-operatives, Calgary Co-op has been community-minded since day one. Their first location was established by Calgary and area farmers and ranchers who wanted to serve Calgarians with fresh, local food. Today, Calgary Co-op serves more than 440,000 members across its service area in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, High River, Okotoks and Strathmore, and employs more than 3,850 team members.

Calgary Co-op offers products and services through its food centres, gas stations, pharmacies, car washes, commercial cardlocks, home health care centres, cannabis dispensaries and wine, spirits and beer stores, as well as Community Natural Foods. Calgary Co-op is proud of its three private brands: Cal & Gary’s, Founders & Farmers, and Only Alberta Meat.

In 2020 alone, the Calgary Co-op Foundation proudly contributed more than $2.2M to help address food security, food banks and charities in the community.

According to Ken Keelor, CEO of Calgary Co-op, “Celebrating the opening of a new food centre with our team is the perfect way to celebrate 65 years of business. Calgary Co-op has seen many changes over the decades, but our values and community-minded approach remains the same. I would like to acknowledge and congratulate the dedication of our employees and members who continuously show commitment and loyalty to our brand.”
The new Sage Hill food store location is a state-of-the-art grocery store with self-checkout, streamlined bakery, sushi services and a robust natural choice selection.

The first Calgary Co-op location opened in downtown Calgary in 1956

Over the years, Calgary Co-op has continued to transform its business to meet the needs of the community. In the past, some stores carried a variety of items, including clothing, furniture, large and small appliances, beds, and even electric racecars.

Longtime Calgarians may recall other services that appeared at Calgary Co-op locations over the years, including:
• A building materials warehouse
• Social gatherings at Calgary Co-op cafeterias
• Used book exchange programs
• VHS rentals
• A haunted house in the Deer Valley Garden Centre during Halloween

Today, with more than 440,000 members, 3,850 employees, assets of $627 million and annual sales of $1.2 billion, Calgary Co-op has been recognized as one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers and is committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience through inspired team members.

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About Calgary Co-op
Owned by members, Calgary Co-op is one of the largest retail co-operatives in North America. Our locations in Calgary, Airdrie, Cochrane, High River, Okotoks and Strathmore include: food centres, pharmacies, gas stations, car washes, commercial cardlocks, home health care centres, wine, spirits and beer locations, and cannabis.
With over 440,000 members, 3,850 employees, assets of $627 million and annual sales of $1.2 billion, Calgary Co-op was recognized as one of Alberta’s Top 75 Employers of 2020 and is committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience through inspired team members. For more information, please visit www.calgarycoop.com.

Media Contacts:

Sage Pullen McIntosh
Director of Communications, Calgary Co-op
spullenmcintosh@calgarycoop.com
(403) 219-6025 Ext 6105

Paula Worthington
paula@worthingtonpr.com
(403) 585-2429

FINAL- 65th Anniversary Press Release – Co-op – November 26 2021

Source: westerngrocer.com

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