March 18, 2020

Coronavirus is impacting the lives of our customers and Sunterra team members in a scope and significance that could never be imagined or anticipated. In addition to the severity of the virus from a health perspective, measures being taken to prevent the spread of the virus have far reaching consequences for all of us – our families, friends, children, grandparents and grandchildren in every community. The circumstances we face are personal to everyone. Emotions and perspectives change daily.

At Sunterra, along with our partners in the food industry, we feel that we have a very significant role to play in the community during this crisis. Food has always been a great source of health, daily enjoyment and connection to family and friends. In Canada, we are truly fortunate to have an agriculture and food industry that is incredibly safe, dependable and affordable. Now more than ever, these benefits and characteristics are critically important in order that we can carry on our lives (albeit in a very different way for the time being).

Our primary purpose is to improve the lives of our immediate Sunterra family (our team members and their families) as well as our extended Sunterra family (our customers and the communities in which we operate). 

Our Immediate Sunterra Family (Our Team Members)

Our attention is on our team members and their families to help maintain their good health and support them away from work if they become ill. In addition to this, we can help our team members significantly by providing stable employment and adapting as best we can to their personal circumstances during this challenging time.

Our Extended Sunterra Family (Our Customers and the Communities in Which We Operate)

• We are entirely focused on the health of our customers. You can trust that our team is working diligently to maintain the safety of our food and our markets. We are evaluating and implementing measures in real-time out of an abundance of caution.

• We want our food and people to continue to be a source of enjoyment and connection in our community and within your family and friends.

• We are open and will continue to be open at our West Market Square, Lendrum, Britannia, Kensington Road and Keynote locations! Not only this, but we are opening an hour earlier at our four largest markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays to accommodate seniors and immuno-suppressed customers. With most office workers working from home in the Calgary and Edmonton city cores, we have decided to temporarily close our Commerce Place, Bankers Hall and TC Energy locations. 

• We are working hard to maintain the abundance and availability of all our food items. Sunterra is very well positioned to accomplish this, with fresh and cured meat from our own farms, baked goods made in our own bakeries and delicious prepared foods from our own kitchens. This not only improves the availability and freshness of our products, but also allows us to maintain affordable pricing. Our direct partnerships with local suppliers and producers support this goal.

• For those customers that need it or wish to take advantage of it, we are increasing the capacity of our online grocery shopping services. This convenient service allows you to shop online for a vast assortment of fresh, prepared and non-perishable grocery items. Your order will be shopped by one of our team members and can be picked up at your local Sunterra Market for free! You can also receive your order via home delivery for an $8 fee within the city limits of Calgary or Edmonton.

There is no doubt that the circumstances we are facing are very complex, challenging and changing each day. You can trust that Sunterra is doing everything we can to provide you with safe, convenient shopping options and food that you can enjoy. In a time where we are being asked to create distance and isolation, please understand that we truly care about you and all those around us.

Sincerely, 

Sunterra is owned by the Price family and is based in Alberta with eight locations in Edmonton and Calgary. Our farming business is based out of Acme, Alberta and we have fresh and cured meat operations in Acme and Trochu, Alberta. Our business is built on very strong core values of honesty, integrity, pride, care, people and community. We care deeply for our customers, our hard-working team members and our communities. These values were instilled by our founders more than 50 years ago, and I am proud to say these values are alive and strong within our Sunterra family of nearly 1,000 team members.