Garth

Owner, CRO

Garth Owen is the co-owner of Surrey’s multi award winning Organic Grocer, celebrating 21 years in business in 2014

A passionate advocate of natural health, Owen has been involved with the Canadian Health Food Association serving a director of the Board for 3 years.

Garth has been involved in the development of Standards in Canada for both Organic and NHP sectors. Currently Garth is involved with the Mayne Island Conservancy and other local sustainability groups.

Parminder (DC)

Mulit-Lingual Doctor of Chiropractics

(Parminder can help you in Punjabi on the weekends.)

ਪੰਜਾਬੀਇੱਥੇਬੋਲਿਆ  /  Pajābī ithē bōli’ā

Fluent in both English and Punjabi; Parminder is a Chiropractic Doctor with over 15 years of experience in Natural Health.  Parminder attended the University of Winnipeg earning her Bachelor of Science.  She then went on to the National College of Chiropractics in Chicago, Illinois where she earned her doctorate.  She is currently a member in good standing with the British Columbia Chiropractic Association (BCCA) as well as the College of Chiropractors of British Columbia (CCBC).

Gagan

Multi-Lingual Grocery Representative

Gagan provides exceptional customer care at the front end of the store. Feel free to ask her for help whenever you see her – she’s happy to help you.

Gagan speaks 3 languages: English, Punjabi & Hindi

Hindi spoken here / हिंदीऔरपंजाबीयहाँबात की / Hindī aura pan̄jābī yahām̐ bāta kī

Punjabi spoken here / ਪੰਜਾਬੀਇੱਥੇਬੋਲਿਆ / Pajābī ithē bōli’ā

Lisa (RHN)

Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Aromatherapist, Enzyme Expert

Lisa has been working in the health and wellness industry since 2000. She is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and a fully certified aromatherapist. As a therapist, Lisa specializes in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions because she has so much personal experience with them! She loves working with complicated cases so – check in with Lisa when you don’t know what to do next!

Lisa trained as an aromatherapist through Kwantlen College in 2001, going on to become one of the first Registered Aromatherapist in North America in 2004. She also sat as a board member with both the BCAPA and the BCAOA during her time as a practising aromatherapist. In 2010 she graduated from CSNN, becoming a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, changing the focus of her career.

Lisa is a member in good standing of the CSNNAA:

Coco

Grocery Representative

Coco helps to receive incoming grocery stock at The Organic Grocer and to ensure that it is of the highest quality upon its arrival. She also provides exceptional customer care at the front end of the store. Feel free to ask Coco for help whenever you see her – she’s happy to help you.

Leslie 2

Grocery Representative

Leslie 2 (L2 for short!) provides exceptional customer care at the back end of the store. Feel free to ask her for help whenever you see her – she’s happy to help you.

Deb Foote

Owner, CFO

Deb’s history in the Organic sector started in 1979 when fresh out of high school she joined Northern de Lights Food Co-op in Terrace, where she got a taste of working in the retail food sector. In May of 1986, having relocated to the lower mainland, Deb joined Wild West Organic Harvest Co-op, a BC based distributor of organic produce and package foods. For twenty years, she held numerous positions in the company including bookkeeper, sales and marketing manager and purchasing manager.

Deb & Garth met as a result of their work, and in 1993 when an opportunity to establish a store at the newly redeveloped Surrey Public Market, they cobbled together some money and opened the Organic Grocer in the fall of that year.

Deb loves to get her hands dirty. She spends many hours in her garden and applies what she has learned over the years to her everyday life. Over recent years she has delved into gaining a deeper understanding of how the Organic Regulatory System functions, by taking the Basic Farm Inspector Training offered by the International Organic Inspectors Association.

Over the course of the last 30 plus years Deb has served as a director with the following organizations: Northern de Lights Food Co-op, Wild West Organic Harvest, CCEC Credit Union, The Canadian Federation of Worker Co-ops, Farm Folk City Folk, Pacific Agricultural Certification Society (PACS) and the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia (COABC), and the Organic Agriculture sector of Canada. More recently her focus has been on being involved in Community organizations on Mayne Island where she spends the bulk of her time.

Veer

Multi-Lingual Grocery Representative

Veer is always happy to help with any grocery or vitamin question, and is fluent in English, Punjabi and Hindi. She is usually at the front ready to ring you through at cash.

Hindi spoken here / हिंदीऔरपंजाबीयहाँबात की / Hindī aura pan̄jābī yahām̐ bāta kī

Punjabi spoken here / ਪੰਜਾਬੀਇੱਥੇਬੋਲਿਆ / Pajābī ithē bōli’ā

Shelley

Body Care Representative

Shelley provides exceptional customer care at the front end of the store. She has an excellent knowledge base with regards to skin care. Feel free to ask her for help whenever you see her – she’s happy to help you.

Jessica

Produce Manager

Jessica is our produce manager and the best person to talk to about your grocery, meat and dairy orders. Jessica co-ordinates all local and organic produce to help optimize your selection at the store and she’s super knowledgeable and fun to talk to too!

Jodi

Floor Manager & Organic Advisory Expert

Jodi is our Floor Manager and Organic Advisory Expert. Jodi handles inquiries regarding grocery, produce, meat and dairy products. She is our special order co-ordinator so check with her for any of your special order needs.

Leslie S

Vitamin & Grocery Representative

Leslie has moved from the grocery department into our vitamin department – and she’s a real asset when it comes to skin care! Her knowledge is excellent and she continues to learn every day – just like the rest of us!

As needed, Leslie still helps to receive incoming grocery stock at The Organic Grocer and to ensure that it is of the highest quality upon its arrival. She also provides exceptional customer care at the front end of the store. Feel free to ask Leslie for help whenever you see her – she’s happy to help you.

Rehana

Mulit-Lingual Vitamin Representative, Digestive Care Advisor

Fluent in three languages (English, Hindi and Punjabi), Rehana provides health and body care solutions for the whole family.  Rehana does our bread orders – so if you have a special bread order – you’ll want to talk to her.  She’s also a Digestive Care Adviser.

Rehana is in Sunday to Thursday to serve our customers in any of her three languages.

(Rehana can help you in Punjabi  or Hindi Sunday – Thursday.)

हिंदीऔरपंजाबीयहाँबात की   /   Hindī aura pan̄jābī yahām̐ bāta kī

ਪੰਜਾਬੀਇੱਥੇਬੋਲਿਆ   /   Pajābī ithē bōli’ā

Linda

Master Herbalist and Vitamin Department Manager

Linda is our vitamin department manager and has been with us since 1999.   As a Master Herbalist (training under Dr. Christopher, graduating from Dominion College of Herbology) Linda is our go-to girl for all things herbal!  She has also been vegetarian for over 40 years; raising her son from birth in the lifestyle.

Linda has attended the Acadia School of Massage in Seattle, Washington; The School of Accupressure in Montreal; The Alive Academy of Nutrition, Dominion Herbal College,and  Apprenticed with Dr. Christopher.  She offers us an amazing wealth of knowledge!

Linda can answer any of your questions about vegan supplements and supplementation as well as the vegetarian lifestyle – an amazing resource for you and for us!