Wellness in store

Workplace Wellness supports Canadian Tire store to make some healthy changes

Story and photo by Mark Evans

Ron Regnier always thought of himself as a “big guy” but four years ago at 38 years old he stepped on a scale and realized he was getting awfully close to weighing 300 pounds.

“That was my ‘aha’ moment, I went from being a big guy to being a fat guy,” says the now 42-year-old general manager of the Canadian Tire store in Grande Prairie.

He knew he needed to make some changes. He set a goal to be in better health when he turned 40 than he was when he turned 20. It wasn’t just about losing weight but it was adopting lifestyle changes so he could pass on to his kids and let him to live his life.

“I used to be too tired to do anything with my kids. I wanted to be able to go out and do things with my kids, not be the dad that sat at the back and didn’t do anything,” he says.

Two years ago when he hit his 40th birthday he weighed 15 pounds less than when he did when he was 20.

While Regnier was tackling his own weight challenge Alberta Health Services (AHS) had also recognized the need to launch a Public Health strategy in the community to address obesity. AHS’s participation on the Community Foundation of Northwest Alberta Vital Signs committee presented the opportunity to release a report in 2011 identifying obesity as a key health issue in Grande Prairie.

At the report release event AHS announced the launch of the Workplace Wellness program and Regnier decided this was something he wanted to pass along to his staff. He saw the junk food his staff were eating and knew making changes is not as simple as eating less and going the gym for most people.

He signed the Canadian Tire store up for the AHS pilot project of the program that assists employers with developing custom plans to improve the health of employees.

Investing in his staff’s health also made good business sense. Healthy employees mean fewer sick days, fewer workplace injuries and more engaged and loyal staff, he says.

AHS helped survey store staff to see what they needed to be healthier. One thing staff said was a better lunch area so the store invested in a $30,000 renovation that removed an old smoking room, added room for two refrigerators, a microwave, commercial toaster and a vending machine with healthier options than the usual pop and potato chips.

Workplace Wellness uses existing AHS services in the community to customize a program that is tailored specifically for the individual business, explains Garett Richardson, health promotion facilitator involved with the program. AHS services such as Public Health nursing, community dietitians, tobacco cessation and chronic disease management could all potentially be involved in the Workplace Wellness program.

Canadian Tire also made other changes providing health options such as sandwiches and wraps during staff functions. Payday pizza days became veggie and fruit tray day. The store also hosted AHS sessions and speakers to teach staff about reading nutrition labels and to confidentially take staff members’ weight and blood pressure.

Staff challenges, access to corporate gym memberships and offers of activities such as free yoga classes got staff more active and engaged in the project.

“We totally changed what we were doing to teach healthy habits,” he says. “We tried to have a lot of fun with it and I think the staff learned a lot.”

Staff member Tracy Davis was sceptical at first because she was not interested in a crash diet and exercise regime to drop a bunch of weight that likely wouldn’t stay off. When she found out she would learn about nutrition and active living she decided to give it a try.

“It was a gradual change, getting to know what you are eating. It made sense,” says Davis.

For example, she learned the amount of creamer she was adding to her couple of cups of coffee each day was adding an additional 500 calories a day, or 3,500 calories a week. She made some small changes and reduced the amount of creamer she used in her coffee cutting close to 2,000 calories a week from her diet.

“That was kind of a real wake up, I’m way more aware of what I eat,” she says.

Now she reads and compares labels when shopping, pays more attention to serving sizes and eats breakfasts more regularly.

Davis liked that her employer put in the extra effort to their staff. “It showed that they do care about our health,” she says.

“We wouldn’t have started without AHS,” says Regnier. “They were there to support the workplace initiatives. Because of AHS’s involvement we’ve implemented policies to make us a healthier workplace.”

The Workplace Wellness program is offered across the North Zone though the AHS Health Promotion program. Visit albertahealthservices.ca to find a health promotion team member near you who can assist or connect you with a team member who can assist.