Saskatchewan's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 24
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SASKATCHEWAN’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
Wellness is at the heart of Saskatchewan Blue Cross
F
or Brianne Archambault,
delivering to the local
food bank the fresh
tomatoes, peppers and
carrots that she and her
colleagues at Saskatchewan Blue
Cross grew on a rooftop garden
was one of the best aspects of her
job last year.
“It was amazing,” says
Archambault, team lead, corporate
services and facilities. “I grew up
on a farm, so I’ve always been
super passionate about food
security and sustainability. It was
super rewarding to be able to
bring those values into work and
be encouraged.”
We have a culture
rooted in compassion,
collaboration and
purpose.
— Kelly Wilson
President and CEO
When some employees
determined last year that they
wanted to turn space on the
well-used rooftop patio at the
company’s Saskatoon office into
a food garden, Archambault ran
with the idea. Along with close to
a dozen colleagues from different
departments (and with support
from the company’s leadership
team), she purchased 12 raised
planters — some as big as four
feet square — and planted them
with vegetables and herbs.
The group also installed a
simple irrigation system and
worked together to tend to — and
then — harvest the vegetables
Employees at Saskatchewan Blue Cross volunteer during the BHP Enchanted Forest Holiday Light Display.
for the Saskatoon Food Bank and
Learning Centre.
“The garden was a really handson way to promote the company’s
commitment to wellness and
well-being,” Archambault says.
A trusted, not-for-profit health
benefits provider that has been
operating in the province since
1946, Saskatchewan Blue Cross is
celebrating its 80th anniversary
this year. Driven by a mission to
empower communities on their
journey to whole health and
wellness, the organization’s team
puts its members, partners and
communities at the heart of its
operations, says Kelly Wilson,
president and CEO.
“We have a culture rooted in
compassion, collaboration and
purpose,” says Wilson. “Our team
members are the heartbeat of our
organization. They have a passion
for community and a dedication to
wellness.”
Saskatchewan Blue Cross
encourages and supports its
nearly 280 employees (who
work primarily in Regina and
Saskatoon) to give back to the
community by providing them
with seven and a half hours
of social responsibility leave.
They volunteer regularly for
organizations such as Ronald
McDonald House Canada, the
United Way and BHP Enchanted
Forest Holiday Light Display, and
participate in initiatives like the
rooftop garden.
Each time Archambault
dropped off a wide variety of
tomatoes, peppers, carrots and
herbs to the Saskatoon Food
Bank last year, she not only
witnessed their appreciation for
the fresh produce, but she says
she experienced gratitude for the
opportunity to collaborate with
colleagues to help community
members in need.
As a bonus, an instructor
from the food bank came to her
Saskatoon office last fall to lead
a tutorial on turning their fresh
produce into delicious, healthy
foods such as salsa. “The garden
was wellness in action, literally
soil to table,” says Archambault,
