Small businesses are the heart of our communities, and the backbone of our economy. This week we celebrate the resilience of our local small businesses which continue to need our support as we enter the second wave of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been checking in with small business owners across Canada over the last few months to hear directly from them about their challenges and successes. On Thursday, the Prime Minister joined Oakville North-Burlington MP Pam Damoff virtually to drop in on one of Oakville North-Burlington’s own local businesses, BestLifeRewarded Innovations.

BestLifeRewarded was founded by entrepreneurs Susanne Cookson and Cynthia Hastings-James in 2010 to improve the health of Canadians by helping employers provide resources, programs and rewards centered around overall well-being and wellness. Organizations with robust wellness programs have higher levels of engagement and reap higher rewards than those that don’t. They assist over 5 million Canadians nationwide with their physical, financial and mental well-being. BestLifeRewarded was the winner of the 2018 Mid-Sized Business Award at the 24th annual Oakville Awards for Business Excellence and the Canadian HR Reporter’s 2020 Readers’ Choice Award in the Top Wellness Programs category. In 2019, BestLifeRewarded received $100,000 from the federal government’s Women Entrepreneurship Fund, which helped the company boost its global expansion and continue to highlight Canadian innovation on the global stage.

Strong proven wellness systems can make a big difference in a company’s bottom line. The Prime Minister heard from BestLifeRewarded about their unique, Canadian approach to wellness, and efforts to expand the company’s reach. They also shared their thoughts on how best to support Canadian business like theirs, and the Prime Minister agreed that supporting and enhancing health and wellness programs in Canadian businesses is a key part of building back a strong economy and workforce.

Quotes

"Small businesses create good middle-class jobs, shape our communities, and are key drivers of the Canadian economy. BestLifeRewarded Innovations, which provides employers resources and programs to help their workers stay physically and mentally healthy, is an example of the small businesses that we need to continue to support and help grow, as we all deal with the impacts of COVID-19. Through important measures like the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, and increasing funding for the Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy, we're providing the assistance that businesses need to keep their workers on the payroll and their doors open. Together, we will beat this virus and build a stronger, more resilient Canada."
Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada

“BestLifeRewarded is a great example of the many successful small businesses that keep Oakville North-Burlington competitive. I am inspired by their entrepreneurial spirit and their efforts to improve the lives and health of Canadians in our community and across the country through a unique, proprietary technology platform that motives people to embrace the benefits of healthy living. Our small businesses are some of the most innovative in the country and I encourage everyone in Oakville North-Burlington to support our local businesses as they rebound, recover and build back better from the pandemic.”
Pam Damoff
Member of Parliament for Oakville North-Burlington

“Over the past 10 years, BestLifeRewarded Innovations has created the recognized gold standard program for health behaviour change. We are tremendously proud of the recognition by Prime Minister Trudeau and MP Damoff for the significant impact we’ve made on the health of Canadians and our economy. We look forward to continuing to support the physical, financial and mental well-being of our members as we navigate the pandemic. Science-based wellness programming is critical for driving tangible results.”
Cynthia Hastings-James
Co-founder, BestLifeRewarded Innovations