New store offers healthy outlook on life

Marvin and Gladys Kublik stand in their new health food and vitamin shop on 100 Avenue. The store opened May 25. – Stephen Dafoe Photo

By Stephen Dafoe

Morinville – A new vitamin and health food store opened in downtown Morinville last week. Neighbors Vitamin Shop opened May 25 in the former Morinville Mirror office on 100 Avenue.

Owners Gladys and Marvin Kublik have spent the last 27 years of their married life farming beef cattle in Barrhead, but have decided to do something a little different in their retirement from farming. For the past four years Gladys has been working in a health food store in Barrhead and decided it was time to start one of her own. In looking for a location for their new shop, they were faced with two stores in Barrhead, two in Westlock and settled on Morinville because there were no health food stores in the community and because they were impressed with what they saw in the town.

“The people were friendly and it looked busy,” Marvin said. “The people looked busy and we had a good feeling about it.” But the trip to Morinville was not the first time the couple had been to the community. The Kubliks have visited Morinville in the past when their daughter was in high school and playing volleyball against MCHS.

But while the Kubliks were recently drawn to Morinville, Gladys was drawn to the idea of healthy living some time before she began working in a health food store four years ago. “I’ve had an interest for a long time,” she said. “It’s the sort of thing I wish I’d known more about when our kids were small.”

Now that she has acquired knowledge in the trade, she is eager to help others looking to lead healthier lives. Although quick to point out that the store will not diagnose people’s health problems, Gladys said they are prepared to provide people with what they need to take preventative measures.

“Health food is more preventative,” Gladys explained. “The medical system is where you go when you want something cured, operated on, fixed. That whole alternative medicine thing is to prevent you from getting to that situation. We’re not here to compete with the medical establishment; we’re here to promote good health.”

Neighbors Vitamin Shop’s shelves are stocked full of a wide variety of products and the Kubrik’s are willing and able to bring in items their customers may need. In addition to the vitamins and other herbal and natural products and supplements, the store is stocking an extensive line of gluten-free products – everything from bread, bagels and pizza crusts to oatmeal, pastas and sauces. The store also carries protein shake products, including a variety for those who are lactose intolerant. Additionally, the shop handles a line of environmentally-friendly cleaning products.

“We’re here to serve Morinville,” Gladys said of the couple’s commitment to looking after their customers. “We want to have a long-lasting relationship with the town and the people. We want to be part of the community.”

Neighbors Vitamin Shop is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Their website is located at www.neighborsvitaminshop.com.

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