Canadian Grocery Stores Hit by Protests

Dan Palmer / Edmonton Sun 11dec00

A lobby group wants a national grocery store chain to make its Christmas wish come true by labelling products that are genetically modified.

During a protest yesterday outside the Superstore near 137 Avenue and 50 Street, the Council of Canadians handed out pamphlets to shoppers warning them about the evils of genetically-modified food.

"There's no long-term study about the health effects," said Len Douziech, chairman of the group's Edmonton chapter.

The group also protested Saturday outside the Superstore at 51 Avenue and Calgary Trail South.

Douziech and six other members of the group placed 1,200 pamphlets on vehicles in the grocery store's parking lot and handed another 60 out to consumers finishing their shopping.

About 30 of the 60 shoppers also filled out postcards to send to Galen Weston, chairman of Loblaws Companies Ltd., which owns Superstores. The cards urge the company to label products that are genetically modified and eventually rid their shelves of them across Canada.

Douziech said people should at least have a choice and know whether the products they're eating contain genetically modified material.

Local Superstore management wouldn't comment yesterday and said they didn't know the Council of Canadians had been in their parking lot until The Sun pointed them out.

Bill Cavers, an army cook shopping in the store yesterday, said labelling foods is a good idea.

"Everything else has a label," he said.

The council plans to protest at the remaining Edmonton Superstores sometime before Christmas.

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