This year’s hampers and the people who worked to ensure their delivery are seen in this photo. Courtesy Photo

CHESTERVILLE – Mike Dean Local Grocer was one of 17 businesses across Canada to receive the 2025 Impact Award, in the community division, from Canadian Grocer. In addition to Mike Dean Local Grocer recipients include: Blind Bay Village Grocer; Calgary Co-op; Carlton Cards; Coke Canada Bottling; Conagra Brands Canada; Danone Canada; Farm Boy; Freson Bros.; General Mills Canada; Kraft Heinz Canada; Kruger Products (Kruger Big Assist); Kruger Products (Cashmere Collection); Lactalis Canada; Save-On-Foods; Tru Earth and Vince’s Market.

Canada Grocer is a grocery industry publication, with information on its website describing this award as celebrating “Canadian grocery retail and CPG businesses that are going above and beyond to make the world a better place.”

“We are quite happy with winning a national award” said Gordon Dean, son of founder Mike Dean and wife Nancy, who currently owns and operates Mike Dean Local Grocer. He mentioned how it is an accomplishment for the company which is one of less than 100 companies who own and operate grocery stores across Canada.

Mike Dean’s Local Grocery has grocery stores in Chesterville, Sharbot Lake, Bourget, Campbell’s Bay and Notre-Dame-de-la Salette, and had its start almost 50 years ago when Mike Dean purchased Laflamme’s Grocery in Chesterville. Information on the business’ website notes how in addition to the grocery stores, the business has “an online sales channel, a central warehouse, and provides grocery and logistics services to Canada’s Far North”.

Gordon explained the business was honoured with this award for its role in the food hamper program to the Far North. He explained about 6,000 hampers are sent to northern Canada as part of a partnership with Arctic Fresh, an Inuit operated online retail store in Nunavut. The hampers are generally shipped early in the new year with the departure dependent on the availability of air transport. “The annual hamper delivery goes to 17 small hamlets and communities in the Qikiqtaaluk Region covering an area of over a million square kilometers of Baffin, Cornwallis, and Ellesmere Islands.” he explained

He mentioned the shipment is a result of months of preparation, with Gordon facilitating the purchase of goods, planning which products and the timetable of transport and Dean’s warehouse manager coordinating the logistical movement of the food hampers such as co-ordinating the packing and transportation details.

Gordon mentioned the important role played by staff members in ensuring that the work is completed on schedule, mentioning how “we have to thank the team members who work together to make this a success.” The award will be presented at an industry function in Toronto during October 2025.

Congratulations to the Dean family and company staff for their continued work in our local communities and beyond.