Kim Umphrey, owner of Health Matters in Edmonton, shares her 22-year journey in the natural health industry. From early childhood visits to health food stores with her grandfather, to transformative learning at Udo Erasmus’ seminar, Kim’s passion for natural health grew into formal education—a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition—and eventually ownership of her own store. Health Matters is more than a shop: it’s a community hub where trained staff provide guidance, backed by ongoing education from manufacturers, naturopaths, and scientists. Kim explains how Health Canada’s strict rules limit what she and her staff can say, even when evidence supports simple solutions like magnesium for cramps or sleep. She highlights the challenges of rising costs, counterfeit risks from online shopping, and overbearing regulation, all of which threaten the survival of local health food stores.

Her story is both deeply personal and widely relevant: she describes the joy of helping people overcome challenges, the frustration of censorship, and the fear of losing her business to Health Canada’s proposed self-care framework. Despite this, Kim remains dedicated to empowering her community with knowledge, access to safe products, and a supportive environment. She calls on Ottawa to “step back” and let Canadians maintain access to natural remedies without being burdened by impossible regulations. For Kim, local health food stores are irreplaceable cultural resources that protect wellness, jobs, and community resilience.