The Health First Network (HFN) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The group—made up of 108 members, representing 147 independent health food stores across Canada—has a great deal to celebrate.

While in Montreal and Ottawa recently, I had the opportunity to visit some stores with three very good industry friends: my colleague Ellen Wheeler of Alive Publishing Group, and Joanne McDonald and Deb Larocque of Preferred Nutrition and Natural Factors. In total, it was 10 stores over a couple of days. These visits will result in larger feature stories on a couple of the stores later in the year.

Welcome to the captivating world of alive magazine, where wellness meets wisdom, and every issue is a symphony of natural health. If you’ve ever wondered what goes into the making of your favourite periodical—the one that graces your shelves and entices your customers—join me. It’s a journey filled with collaboration, research, and a sprinkle of editorial magic.

With multiple stores in Calgary and Edmonton, Amaranth is preparing for its 30th anniversary. Co-owner Brendan Klatt recently spoke with CNHR, reflecting on how Amaranth has been successful in steadily growing and strengthening its base in Alberta despite the increasingly competitive marketplace.

When Leah Langlois opened Stay Wild Natural Health in Pemberton, BC, seven years ago, the move aimed to address a lack of availability of natural health items in the area—but she also wanted it to be more than just a place to shop for quality natural health products. She wanted it to be a welcoming and comfortable community space for people to browse, learn, read, enjoy a nutritious meal, share ideas, and meet new people. Since then, along with her dedicated team, Leah has grown Stay Wild into just that: a community hub built around natural health.

Causeway Natural Health, located in Humboldt, Saskatchewan and co-owned by Cathy McAnally and Andy McAnally, may have faced many challenges in the first 10 years—a problem many natural health retailers are familiar with—but they never gave up hope that their store would make it.