Canadian Retailer - Spring 2015 - 13

retail Council of Canada's (RCC) Grocery Division has

"One thing I've learned is how close govbeen focused on pushing for changes that reduce the cost of ernment and grocers are on so many issues,"
government regulations, protect the grocery industry's repu- he says. On matters of public safety, the
tation and harmonize regulations across Canada.
quality of goods and consumer prices, gro"We're working against a patchwork of regulations that add to cers and governments tend to want the same
the cost of business," says Dave Wilkes, Senior Vice-President, outcomes. "The problem is that the people
Government Relations and Grocery Division at RCC.
speak different languages. I try to act as the
Nationally, the Grocery Division has been focused on translator," he says.
issues like food safety, health and wellness, and sustainabilAnd RCC's Grocery Division staff are not
ity, areas where Wilkes says retailers will see tangible differ- just simply acting as translators. They are
ences in how government monitors business.
consistently communicating with officials
Among the success of the
at all levels of government right across the
IMPACT ON FOOD SAFETy
past year, RCC worked with
country, advocating for improved conditions
the Government of Canada
for retailers with respect to regulated requireHarmonized food
to develop a process to manments that are passed down. Examples of this
handling regulations;
age food recalls. Under the
advocacy is evident in Atlantic Canada where
updated protocols to
new system, consumers will
Jim Cormier leads the association's efforts.
receive the most accurate
He says unharmonious regulations have
manage food recalls;
and up-to-date information
been a big challenge on the east coast, and
made sense of reguwhen a recall occurs. RCC
the successes RCC has won for members have
lations on tenderized
also contributed to a govbeen significant. He points to a recent decision
beef; updated Food
ernment program designed
by the Halifax Regional Council to abandon a
to help consumers make
plan to add a 36 per cent tipping fee on waste
Wise program.
better choices about a baland to restrict the transport of Halifax waste
anced diet. This was the first time the industry collaborated to outside municipalities. The fight against the
in such a program.
tipping fee took 12 months, but in the end the
Wilkes attributes the success the Grocery Division has regulation was structured in a sensible fashseen in part to RCC's model of advocacy. The association con- ion for retailers and their businesses.
sults with members and employs a team of
subject matter experts and government reIMPACT ON HEAlTH AND WEllNESS
lations professionals across the country to
Contributed to a new program to educate conalert policymakers to legislation that won't
get the desired outcome.
sumers on healthy eating; responded to provincial
"It's a very powerful model and is one
regulations on food labeling and demanded they
that gets results," says Wilkes, noting that
meet unique environment in retail.
the focus that the Grocery Division has on
grocery-related issues often serves to educate policymakers about issues affecting all retailers, from
"It's a huge win," says Cormier. "It allows for high
steep credit card rates to outmoded import regulations. "We environmental standards and cost savings."
all benefit from this approach," he says.
RCC's representation in Atlantic Canada
has also brought other impressive wins for
Many changes
grocers and retailers. In New Brunswick,
RCC has offices in Ottawa and in the regions to keep the RCC secured changes to the provincial drug
retail agenda close to policymakers. In Ottawa, Jason Mc- plan that removed taxes that would have
Linton, Senior Director, Federal Government Relations at proven prohibitive for many retailers. It was
RCC, speaks for retailers to the federal government.
also pivotal in convincing the province's govMcLinton arrived at RCC nearly three years ago after a ernment to stop enforcing a regulation which
fifteen-year stint in the federal public service where he wrote mandated the use of `Packaged On' labeling
regulations affecting Canadian retailers. The approach RCC for perishable products prepared `in store',
takes to advocacy, he explains, moves governments away harmonizing this requirement with the rest
from prescriptive regulations that restrict innovation. "The of the country. In Newfoundland, RCC fought
goal should be to measure success of policy on how a retailer successfully to return secret ballot voting to
achieves the outcome," he says.
unions. In Nova Scotia, RCC opposed against

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Canadian Retailer - Spring 2015

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