Whole Foods Has Changed Course & Will Let Canadian Employees Wear Poppies

The announcement was made by the minister of veteran affairs.
Whole Foods Has Changed Course & Will Let Canadian Employees Wear Poppies
Jonathan Weiss | Dreamstime Oasisamuel | Dreamstime
Contributor

It was a tumultuous day after news broke that a Whole Foods poppy ban in Canada would not allow employees to wear the Remembrance Day symbol, but now the company has reversed its decision. 

Canada’s Minister of Veterans Affairs Lawrence MacAulay made the announcement in a November 6 tweet.

In it, he issued a statement saying he spoke to the company's chief operating officer and that employees could now wear poppies on their uniforms.

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"The poppy represents those who've served, fought, and died for Canada, and it's deeply personal to everyone here," MacAulay said, "glad to hear they're changing course."

Whole Foods, which has 14 locations across Canada, originally said that wearing a poppy would be against the rules.

"With the exception of those items required by law, our dress code policy prohibits any additions to our standard uniform," a spokesperson told Narcity.

The ban on poppies prompted strong reactions from Canadian politicians, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford calling the decision, "disgusting and disgraceful."

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh also disagreed with the company, saying, "Canadians shouldn't lose the right to honour the sacrifices of veterans when they go to work."

CanadaNews
  • Colin Leggett
    Colin Leggett was a Contributing Editor with Narcity Canada. He wrote on the national news team for over a year and contributed to coverage of the 2019 Canadian Federal Election, as well as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Colin has a Bachelor's Degree in Communications and Cultural Theory from McMaster University, as well as a graduate certificate in Television Writing and Producing from Humber College. He is an avid consumer of politics and pop culture, having written about everything from food to television to Canada-U.S. relations.

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