CFIG celebrates Life Member and Life Partner Award winners
The Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers (CFIG) celebrates Jamie Nelson (Pattison Food Group), Doug Lovsin (Freson Bros.) and Brooke and Linda Kynoch (Safety Mart Foods and Scotch Creek Market) as the recipients of its Life Member Awards in the Industry Builder, Independent Grocer and Life Partners Designation categories, respectively.
The association’s Life Member designation honours individuals who have made a significant contribution to the food industry. The Life Partners Award recognizes “exceptional” partners that have made a lasting impact on the independent grocery industry.
Announced at Grocery Innovations Canada in Toronto last October, the award recipients will be officially recognized at the Grocery & Specialty Foods dinner gala on April 21 in Vancouver.
Jamie Nelson received CFIG’s Life Member Award in the Industry Builder category. Nelson’s career started as a part-time clerk at Mission Overwaitea Foods in B.C.
Throughout his career, he helped support the launch and growth of the Save-on-Foods brand in Edmonton. Today, as president of Pattison Food Group, he leads the group's strategic direction.
Nelson was named Pattison Food Group’s Store Leader of the Year in 1997 and Business Leader of the Year in 2009. In 2023, he received the Golden Pencil Award. He has served as a CFIG board member and board chair.
Read: How Pattison Food Group is setting itself up for the future
Doug Lovsin has received CFIG’s Life Member Award in the Independent Grocer category.
Lovsin began his career in grocery at a young age, watching his father run a food store. At 22, he was running his first store in Hanna, Alta.
As president of Freson Bros., Lovsin, along with his brother, oversees the family business that has grown to 16 locations, plus the newly opened Mother Dough Bread company. Lovsin has served as a CFIG board member.
Brooke and Linda Kynoch are the recipients of the Life Partner Designation. Brooke started in the grocery business in 1977 as a produce clerk and Linda started at Safety Mart in 1995. Brooke also served on the CFIG board for four years.
Throughout their careers, they both shared there have been many meaningful milestones, including the purchase of shares in Safety Mart Chase in 1989, and in 2001, Brooke and Linda became sole owners. They purchased Scotch Creek Market in 2019.
