‘We are a family here’: Safeway staff say goodbye after 54 years

Holding back tears, Heather Padden hands out hamburgers and hotdogs to some of the customers she has known for over a decade.

Padden has worked at Vernon’s downtown Safeway for 13 years. Those who shop there know her by her distinctive voice and the love and care she displays for each and every one of the customers that come through her till.

“I love my customers. They are my people, they are my family, so after 13 years I know them all by name, I know what they like, I know what they smoke you know. I pack up their little groceries. I know how they like everything done.”

“They’ve become my little kids. My kids are the joy of my day because they all know Heather’s going to have a little treat at the till for them,” said Padden.

And the care the staff have for their customers extends to each other. Ask many of the employees at the store and the word family often comes up.

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“We are a family here, and that’s the sad part,“ said employee Shinder Klair.

“We feel like our family is getting separated,” added 29-year employee Madeleine Pelletier.

On Thursday, store isles were lined with photographs of staff members celebrating Halloween, Christmas, and retirements through their 54 years of business.

Balloons were hung and cake was cut to say thank-you to all the customers who supported them.

In June, Sobey’s announced the closure of the downtown Safeway and stated that it will be rebranded as a FreshCo in the spring of 2020.

The switch over has meant a transition for the all the employees who will be officially off the job as of November 24.

“Employees have all had several options and some have chosen to go over to the old store, some have chosen to take a severance and as some have chosen to continue to stay and work with the new company FreshCo,” explained store manager Sean Watson.

For Heather Padden, she still does not know what she will do once the store closes, but she is holding out hope she can continue to serve customers like she has for so many years.

“I would like to work at Butcher Boys, but I have to wait until I finish my time before I can look ahead. But in looking ahead, that’s my dream, my next dream job,” she said.