The coalition aims to support Paralympic athletes leading into the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games and beyond.

"We are so pleased to welcome the Empire family of grocery brands to the Canadian Paralympic Committee family and we're honored to have Empire brands serve as our Official Grocer," said Karen O'Neill, chief executive of CPC.

"This important grocery card programme will provide immense support to Paralympic athletes across the country on their journey to the Games and is a fantastic way to kick off our partnership."

Empire's brands Sobeys, IGA, Les Marchés Tradition, Marché Bonichoix, Rachelle Béry, Safeway, Foodland, Thrifty Foods and Voila will celebrate inclusivity in sport while also providing Canada's Paralympic athletes with access to healthy food.

"Like the Canadian Paralympic Committee, we strongly believe sport is a place for everyone and this new partnership further reinforces our commitment to Canadian athletes and our ongoing journey to prioritise celebrating and embedding diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of the business," said Erika DeHaas, vice-president of marketing communications at Sobeys Inc.

"We know our high-performance athletes rely on the support of their families, their communities and their sponsors as they prepare to compete on the world stage and we are proud to stand with them on their journey to Beijing this winter."

Alpine skiers Mollie Jepson and Frédérique Turgeon have been selected as Empire brand ambassadors alongside Nordic skier Mark Arendz.