UPDATE - August 2022 -----
In July of 2022 Sunnyside Natural Market was sold to Sagar Kothiya and Pruth Chavada. Below is a history of the market before that sale, as told by previous owners Patty Nowlin and Pat Guyn.
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In August of 1997, previous owners Linda Grandinetti and Scott Clements opened Sunnnyside Natural Market. Scott had operated The Eco Shop in the same location from 1991 until 1997. The Eco Shop specialized in environmental products such as recycled paper, refillable cleaning products, and health care items. The expansion into local and organic food in 1997 was a natural progression with the belief that food production and distribution can have significant environmental and social impacts on communities both locally and globally. In 2005, Pat and myself purchased the store from Scott and Linda.
One of our staff recently asked us, “What motivated you to buy Sunnyside Natural Market?” The path that led to our purchase of the store is really the culmination of both our family histories and personal life experience. Nine years ago, we were working corporate jobs, but were actively seeking a change in lifestyle. We had developed a keen passion for organic and local food and wanted to participate and contribute to Calgary’s thriving local food community. As well, both of us have strong familial links to farming and ranching in Alberta. We wanted to re- connect with this history. Ultimately, the biggest reason was that we had both experienced first-hand the Hippocratic Oath: let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.
