Dean Camfferman, owner of Surrey Natural Foods in British Columbia, shares his journey from teaching at a local college to running one of the longest-standing health food stores in Canada. Founded in 1975 and celebrating 50 years, Surrey Natural Foods has been under Dean’s leadership since 2011. His personal health struggles with extreme fatigue in his 40s, and his discoveries with deep breathing, vitamin D, and natural nutrition, inspired him to dedicate his life to natural health. Now, Dean runs a community-focused store where education, quality, and relationships with staff, suppliers, and customers define the work.

In this interview, Dean reflects on his transformation into a passionate researcher, logging more than 15,000 hours into studying natural health. He emphasizes the vital role of local health food stores in providing not just supplements, vitamins, and herbs, but also trusted advice and personalized support that cannot be found in big-box chains or online retailers. Dean warns that increasing regulation by Health Canada has driven up costs, eliminated key multi-ingredient products, and threatens access for Canadians. His message to Ottawa: natural products are nutrients, not drugs, and Canadians must have fair regulations that protect both access and affordability.