WN George Weston Ltd

Only grocery retailer in the world to be nominated in 2012 BRAMPTON, ON, July 31, 2012 /CNW/ -  Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) is proud to announce that it has been nominated as a finalist for the 2012 Seafood Champion Award, which recognizes individuals and companies around the world for outstanding leadership in promoting environmentally responsible seafood. Seafood Choices established this prestigious global award in 2006 to honor the past and/or present contributions of those in the seafood industry who demonstrate a commitment to innovation that leads to change. Seafood Champion Award winners exemplify outstanding contributions in the context of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and advance the sustainable seafood movement above and beyond best practice. This year, Loblaw is the only retailer in the world to be nominated. Other nominees include marine conservation and seafood organizations, government representatives and chefs from around the world. "This nomination is a great honour and speaks to the level of commitment Loblaw has in ensuring our oceans remain healthy," said Paul Uys, vice president, sustainable seafood, Loblaw Companies Limited. "As Canada's largest purchaser of seafood, we have a responsibility to ensure our seafood products come from sustainable sources." Loblaw is widely recognized as a global leader in seafood sustainability and is committed to sourcing all of the seafood sold in its stores from sustainable sources by the end of 2013. As part of this goal, Loblaw collaborates with WWF Canada (the World Wildlife Fund), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), independent marine science advisors, government agencies and its many seafood vendors. The winner of the 2012 Seafood Champion Awards will be announced during an awards ceremony to be held on September 7th, during the 10th International Seafood Summit in Hong Kong. From September 13 to 26, 2012, Loblaw is introducing Oceans for Tomorrow, an in-store event aimed at educating and engaging customers about the importance of choosing sustainable seafood and Loblaw's commitment to keeping oceans healthy in select Loblaw banner stores across Canada. Visit www.oceansfortomorrow.ca for more information. Quotes: "WWF is committed to protecting Canada's Oceans to ensure their long-term health and sustainability," says Gerald Butts, president and ceo, WWF - Canada. "We can't achieve this alone. It takes leadership and partnership as demonstrated by Loblaw. We congratulate Loblaw on this important nomination and hope that other retailers will follow the strong example they have set." "Already the largest retail supplier in Canada of MSC-certified sustainable seafood products, Loblaw continues to work diligently with us and their vendors to further increase the number of MSC-certified offerings," said Kerry Coughlin, MSC regional director, Americas. "This shows a tremendous commitment to preserving our ocean resources, and the honor of being named a finalist for this award is well deserved by Loblaw." "All of our nominees have made great strides in the area of seafood sustainability," said Ned Daly, special projects advisor, Seafood Choices. "We applaud Loblaw along with fellow nominees for their passion and commitment as they help to set a standard that we hope others will follow." More information about Loblaw's corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments along with the Company's sustainable seafood commitment can be found online at www.loblaw.ca/csr, www.loblaw.ca/seafood, www.oceansfortomorrow.ca and on Facebook www.facebook.com/LoblawSustainableSeafood. For more information about Seafood Choices and the 10(th) annual Seafood Summit visit www.seafoodchoices.com. About Loblaw Companies Limited  Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited, is Canada's largest food retailer and a leading provider of drugstore, general merchandise and financial products and services. Loblaw is one of the largest private sector employers in Canada. With more than 1,000 corporate and franchised stores from coast to coast, Loblaw and its franchisees employ more than 135,000 full-time and part-time employees. Through its portfolio of store formats, Loblaw is committed to providing Canadians with a wide, growing and successful range of products and services to meet the everyday household demands of Canadian consumers. Loblaw is known for the quality, innovation and value of its food offering. It offers Canada's strongest control (private) label program, including the unique President's Choice(®), no name(® )and Joe Fresh(® )brands. In addition, the Company makes available to consumers President's Choice Financial(® )services and offers the PC(® )points loyalty program. Loblaw Companies Limited CONTACT: or to arrange an interview please contact:Loblaw Companies LimitedPublic Relations Department905-459-2500pr@loblaw.ca

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