ARVA FLOUR MILLS
Grievance Procedure
Public — for workers, customers, suppliers, and community members
Our commitment
Arva Flour Mills has been part of this community since 1819. We believe doing business well means being open to honest feedback — including concerns or complaints — from anyone affected by what we do.
If something we have done (or failed to do) has caused you a concern, we want to hear about it. This procedure tells you how to raise a concern, what we will do with it, and how quickly you can expect to hear back.
Who can raise a concern
Anyone may use this procedure, including:
• Our employees and team members
• Our retail customers, ecommerce customers, mill store guests, class participants, and Red River Cafe guests
• Our wholesale customers and partner accounts
• Our grain growers, co-packers, and other suppliers
• Members of the Arva and London-area community
• Any other member of the public affected by our operations
What we treat as a grievance
We treat your concern as a grievance — and respond through this procedure — when it relates to Arva Flour Mills' operations, products, conduct, or decisions; has affected (or may affect) you or a group you belong to; and is raised in good faith. Examples include safety concerns, unfair treatment, product quality complaints, environmental or community impact concerns, and ethical concerns about how we do business.
Some things are better handled through ordinary channels rather than the grievance procedure — for example, a routine refund or order issue (please contact customer service), a product suggestion or feature request (we'd still love to hear it), or a matter that falls outside what Arva Flour Mills controls. If your concern fits one of these, we will say so and point you to the right place.
How to raise a concern
Email: admin@arvaflourmills.com
Please include a description of the concern, when it happened, and any details that would help us understand and respond. If you would like a direct reply, please include your name and contact details. Anonymous concerns are accepted — we will review them, even if we cannot reply directly.
If you are a worker at Arva Flour Mills, you may also raise concerns in person with the General Manager (Dustin Blackall) or directly with the Owners (Mark or Jo-elle Rinker). A separate internal Speak-Up Policy describes worker-specific channels in more detail and protects workers from retaliation.
What happens when you raise a concern
|
Step |
What Happens |
Timeline |
|
1. You raise the concern |
Send an email to admin@arvaflourmills.com with a description of the concern. Include your name and contact details if you would like a response. Anonymous concerns are accepted; we will still review them, but we cannot respond directly. |
Any time |
|
2. We acknowledge |
We will acknowledge receipt of your concern and confirm we are looking into it. If you have provided your contact details, we will reply directly. |
Within 5 business days |
|
3. We investigate and respond |
The owner of Arva Flour Mills (or his designate) reviews the concern, gathers any information needed, and decides on a response or course of action. We will share an outcome or, if more time is needed, an update on progress. |
Resolution or update within 30 days |
|
4. We record and learn |
Every concern received is logged internally and reviewed by the Directors at least annually so that themes inform how we run the business. |
Ongoing |
If we decide your concern isn't a grievance
If, after reviewing your concern, we decide it should be handled through another channel rather than the grievance procedure, we will tell you in writing within 10 business days. We will explain why, point you to the right channel where one exists (for example customer service, or an external regulator), and invite you to come back to us if you believe we have misclassified your concern.
Confidentiality and non-retaliation
We take confidentiality seriously. Information you share will only be discussed with the people necessary to investigate and respond. Arva Flour Mills will not retaliate against anyone — worker, customer, supplier, or community member — for raising a concern in good faith.
If you are not satisfied with our response
If you have raised a concern with us and you are not satisfied with the response, you may:
• Reply to ask us to reconsider — your concern will be re-reviewed by the Directors (Mark and Jo-elle Rinker) together.
• Contact B Lab directly if your concern relates to our conduct as a Certified B Corporation (or applicant): complaints@bcorporation.net.
• Contact any regulator with jurisdiction over the matter — for example, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for food safety concerns, or the Ontario Ministry of Labour for employment standards concerns.
Review of this procedure
This procedure is reviewed and re-approved at least annually by the Directors of Arva Flour Mills.
Last reviewed: ______May 19______________, 2026
Approved by: The Directors of Arva Flour Mills