London Drugs

London Drugs has become synonymous with giving back in this province during its more than 75 years in business. So when COVID-19 came to Canada, the Richmond-headquartered company knew the responsibility it shouldered in helping communities and people that were devastated by the virus.

“During the pandemic, it was very clear that there needed to be some leadership–government had so much to focus on, they couldn't do everything,” says president and COO Clint Mahlman. “People were hurting; there needed to be some gaps filled in the community response.”

To that end, the retail chain and its 10,000 or so employees across Western Canada launched several programs to help cushion the blow. They included an email help line for seniors, priority shopping hours for front-line workers, selling cookies across the country for Girl Guides of Canada, donating phones to seniors in care homes, sharing its shelves with local small businesses and donating computers to families in need for the school year.

There was also the Be Kind campaign, which encouraged customers to send handwritten cards to friends, families and neighbours and saw $20,000 donated to its own Stocking Stuffers for Seniors program and the Royal Canadian Legion's Poppy Trust Funds.

We do these things not because they're notable but because they're the right things to do,” Mahlman says. “It's nice to say that, in this day and age of massive international organizations like Amazon, Costco and Walmart, a local company can stand up for its own citizens and take care of them where we can, knowing that's not necessarily how those other business models work. We all have different philosophies on how to operate our businesses, and it's important that communities know we're there for them.”