Feed The Dream: Empire Company Limited celebrates the supporters behind every Team Canada athlete's dream at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The Official Grocer of Team Canada celebrates the families and communities who feed every athlete's dream.
STELLARTON, NS, Jan. 8, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, Empire Company Limited ("Empire" or the "Company") (TSX: EMP.A), the Official Grocer of Team Canada, proudly unveils its Feed The Dream campaign, which celebrates Canadian pride, Team Canada athletes, their families and communities at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Through Feed The Dream, Empire's family of brands – Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, Foodland, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, and Voilà – will unite communities from coast to coast to cheer on Team Canada and celebrate the powerful connection between food, family and sport.
As Canada's Family Grocery Store, we have stood behind Canadians and their dreams since 1907. This year, Empire's Feed The Dream campaign will come to life by celebrating the people who stand behind every athlete's journey: their friends, families, and communities. In addition to supporting our athletes, the campaign also reflects the powerful rise in Canadian pride and will seek to unite the country and Feed The Dream of a nation. Canadians will experience the campaign through:
- Athlete Content: Inspiring short films and striking Team Sobeys athlete imagery that highlight the vital role nourishing support through food, people, and communities plays in the journey to the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
- Community Mobile Food Experience: A visit from the Feed The Dream Mobile Food Experience Trailer to Pictou County, Nova Scotia, featuring food sampling, giveaways and other activities to engage the local community.
- CBC Partnership: Custom Olympic and Paralympic coverage, in partnership with CBC, where Canadians can experience the excitement of Team Canada's journey in Milano Cortina, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes stories featuring the athletes and their biggest supporters.
- Team Canada Support: Continued support of Team Canada Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the lead up to and after the Milano Cortina Games as part of its Athlete Grocery Card program.
- Empire Teammate Engagement: Four Empire teammates will be selected through a company-wide contest to serve as correspondents for the Paralympic Games, traveling to Italy for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. From the heart of the action, they will deliver exciting behind-the-scenes highlights live from the Games. Teammates can also nominate a local community sports organization to win one of three donations worth $5,000 in value.
- Feed The Dream Prizes: The opportunity for Canadians to visit Sobeys.com for their chance to win a Feed Your Team prize package, complete with a limited-edition viewing kit, snacks and $100 grocery gift card to cheer on Team Canada. A contest featuring in-store and digital engagements also provides shoppers with the chance to win one of three grand prizes of 1 million Scene+ points.
"As Canada's family grocery store, we've stood behind Canadians and their dreams since 1907. With the surge of Canadian pride and unity over the past year, we broadened our Feed The Dream campaign to be about inspiring and feeding not only our athletes but the dreams of all Canadians," said Erika DeHaas, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Empire. "With our campaign creative, we worked to really capture this spirit by highlighting both our deep Canadian roots and our Team Canada partnership."
Empire is also thrilled to announce this year's remarkable "Team Sobeys" athletes, an inspiring group of Olympians and Paralympians who embody the resilience, excellence and heart of Canada. These athletes represent a diverse range of backgrounds, disciplines, and dreams, and will take the world stage at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, proudly carrying the Canadian flag. Team Sobeys is represented by:
- Blayre Turnbull, Ice Hockey (Stellarton, NS)
- Isabelle Weidemann, Long Track Speed Skating (Calgary, AB)
- Kalle Eriksson, Para Alpine Skiing (Kimberly, BC)
- Paul Poirier, Ice Dance Figure Skating (Toronto, ON)
- Piper Gilles, Ice Dance Figure Skating (Toronto, ON)
- Sarah Nurse, Ice Hockey (Hamilton, ON)
- Tyler Turner, Para Snowboard (Campbell River, BC)
"The support of partners like Sobeys, who understand what it takes for Canadian athletes to realize their Olympic dreams, is essential for Team Canada's success on the world stage. Our shared values are helping Feed The Dreams of not only Team Canada but the entire country who will be cheering on Canadian athletes this winter," said Jacquie Ryan, Chief Brand and Commercial Officer at the Canadian Olympic Committee and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
"Sobeys helps provide two critical ingredients towards the Canadian Paralympic Team's success – providing access to proper nutrition and helping rally the nation's support by shining a spotlight on the athletes," said Karen O'Neill, CEO, Canadian Paralympic Committee. "It takes a huge team to bring the dreams of Canada's Paralympians to life and we can't wait to celebrate them on the world stage."
This winter, Empire is connecting fans, families and communities through the power of food and sport as they cheer on Team Canada. Canadians can learn more about Feed The Dream, participate in contests and giveaways, and show their support for Team Sobeys athletes by visiting Sobeys.com.
ABOUT EMPIRE
Empire Company Limited (TSX: EMP.A) is a Canadian company headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Empire's key businesses are food retailing, through wholly-owned subsidiary Sobeys Inc., and related real estate. With approximately $31 billion in annual sales and $17 billion in assets, Empire and its subsidiaries, franchisees and affiliates employ approximately 129,000 people.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
The Canadian Olympic Committee believes sport has the power to transform Canada. Team Canada 2035 is our commitment to safe, inclusive, barrier free sport so more young people can play and stay in sport. We will achieve that through a relentless focus on Podium, Play and Planet, so the next generation of Canadian athletes can achieve their Olympic dreams. Learn more at olympic.ca.
ABOUT THE CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization in collaboration with 28 member sport organizations. We are deeply committed to harnessing the transformative power and impact of Paralympic sport. With a vision of fostering an inclusive world through Paralympic sport, we focus on two strategic priorities: elevating Canada's performance at the Games through excellence in preparation, and extending that impact nationwide with the power of Para sport. By celebrating the stories and successes of high-performance Para athletes, the Canadian Paralympic Committee aims to break barriers, create opportunity, and ensure more Canadians with a disability can engage in sports. For more insights, visit Paralympic.ca.
SOURCE Empire Company Limited
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Empire Media Contact: Karen White-Boswell, Director, External Communications, Sobeys Inc., [email protected], (416) 779-2319; Canadian Olympic Committee Media Contact: Peter Saltsman, Canadian Olympic Committee, [email protected], 647-382-6986; Canadian Paralympic Committee Media Contact: Nicole Watts, Senior Manager, Communications & PR, [email protected], 613-462-2700
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