Envision Family Eyecare
411 Lake Street L2N 4H5 Saint Catharines, ON, Canada

Effective December 26, 2020, Ontario is in a province wide lockdown. Optometrists have been classified as an essential service so we are remaining open to provide eyecare to you and your family. We will continue to meet and exceed all safety requirements set out by the College of Optometrists of Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Health and Niagara Region's Public Health Department.... Until further notice, the following precautions will be enforced for the health and safety of our staff and patients: - We are seeing patients BY APPOINTMENT ONLY (this includes visits for exams and choosing, picking up or having your glasses adjusted or repaired)/NO WALK INS - The scheduled patient must come to their appointment ALONE unless another person is necessary (translator, parent of child, caretaker). Siblings without an appointment will not be admitted. - FACE MASKS are required and must cover your nose, mouth and chin. Due to the close proximity required to practice optometry, we are unable to accept any face covering exceptions in our office. All patients over the age of 2 are required to wear a mask. - CANCELLATION POLICY - If you are unable to attend your appointment because you develop potential COVID-19 symptoms, you will not be penalized for cancelling within 24 hours. Late Cancellations and No Shows will be charged a $45 fee. Thank you for your cooperation. Together, we will beat COVID-19!

Your Sunday morning smile!! Seeing these moments in our office just makes our hearts sing! We start eye exams at six months old and OHIP covers it once a year until your little ones turn 20! Book your kids in for their annual check ups

Happy Thanksgiving to our entire Envision family! We are thankful to have each of you to entrust your family's eyecare to us. And thankful to you for nominating us in TWO categories in the St. Catharines Standard Readers Choice awards! If you haven't yet, please click below and vote for your favourite optometrist's office this year. VOTING ENDS TONIGHT!! https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca//envision-family-eyeca

Thank you to all of our World Sight Day supporters!! Listen below to see if you won a prize Optometry Giving Sight

It's today! It's today! HAPPY WORLD SIGHT DAY!!! Place your bids on the items below before 6 p.m. tonight. Did you miss ordering a World Sight Day Challenge Mask? We have limited quantities in stock! Message us to get yours

World Sight Day is TOMORROW! Have you had a chance to check out all the amazing silent auction donations from local entrepreneurs? Scoop yourself an LCBO gift card to fill all the wine glasses around your Thanksgiving table this weekend!

Take A Stand Warmer & Three Wax Bars Scentsy System donated by https://www.facebook.com/Jeannines-Scentsy-Corner-102843994869084 Value: $61 Starting Bid: $18 Minimum Increase: $2

World Sight Day is in 2 days! Have you had a chance to check out all the amazing silent auction donations from local entrepreneurs? Like this Thirty-One Rubi Mini and Wristlet donated by @From Bags to Riches: Organization Excellence by Emma. A handy and fashionable way to carry your cash, cards, makeup, mints, camera and more!

World Sight Day is only two weeks away! The current situation has made our regular fundraising efforts a little more difficult this year but we're not giving up! Optometry Giving Sight is still hard at work providing glasses in third world countries, building vision care centres and training locals to become eye care professionals. So our fundraising is going to be virtual this year! Flip through these incredible prizes, donated by some amazing local businesses and place your bid in the comment section on each picture. On October 8 - World Sight Day - at 6 p.m., the highest bidder will win the listed prize! Learn more about this amazing organizing by visiting their Facebook page or their website: https://www.givingsight.org/

TAKE THE CHALLENGE!! It's that time of year again! You would normally see us preparing for our annual World Sight Day fundraiser, balloons and streamers, games being set up... The current situation has made those kind of things a little more difficult but we're not giving up on our kids! Optometry Giving Sight is still hard at work providing glasses in third world countries, building vision care centres and training locals to become eye care professionals. So our fundraising ...is going to be virtual this year! FIRST UP - purchase a World Sight Day Challenge printed mask for $8! Message us with how many your family would like to support this incredible cause while keeping each other safe. Only available until SEPTEMBER 21, 2020. Learn more about this amazing organizing by visiting their Facebook page or their website: https://www.givingsight.org/ Watch our page for more donation opportunities as we ramp up to World Sight Day 2020.

The College of Optometrists of Ontario and the Government of Ontario has allowed us to reopen to provide you and your family eye care again. Providing optometry care does not allow for physical distancing. The College's guidance and recommendations were developed after careful review of infection prevention and control information from public health, specific recommendations related to COVID-19, and best practices for optometry. In addition, effective June 17, 2020, the St. C...atharines City Council passed By-Law No. 2020-97, requiring that all visitors and staff in enclosed public spaces to wear a face mask or covering at all times. Masks are required to enter our office for everyone's health and safety. If you unable to wear a mask, please contact our office prior to your appointment.

A member of our Envision family is taking great strides in the fight against cancer! Read her inspiring article about how her family has been touched by this disease and her plan to run "100 Miles for Sarah". Way to go Carrie!

We are open! We are so happy to officially be able to welcome our Envision family back to our office Your next visit will look a little different as we are taking all necessary precautions to keep you safe while you're getting your eyes checked. ALL visits to the office are now BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. This includes exams, picking up glasses or contacts, or choosing a new frame. When you arrive for your appointment, we're going to ask you to call us from the car so we can let y...ou in at your appointment time. We're also asking all patients to attend their appointments alone* so we can practice social distancing in the office. And we're asking all patients to bring a face mask and use the hand sanitizing station just inside our front door. Please email us at [email protected] or give us a call to set up your appointment. We will return all messages on a priority basis, we appreciate your patience as we get up and running again *Children, or adults requiring a translator, are allowed to be accompanied by one adult.

We are happy to announce that Premier Ford and the College of Optometrists of Ontario have given us permission to reopen our doors! We are currently in the process of putting all required health and safety measures in place to continue to stop the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring you receive the best eye care. We will be seeing all patients by appointment only. Please watch our Facebook page for announcements about our reopening processes and when we're ready to start accepting phone calls to book appointments. As always, if you experience an ocular emergency such as sudden vision loss or an eye injury, please contact our emergency line.

Many of us are spending a lot more time on our screens while we're stuck at home. To ease eye strain, don't forget to use the 20-20-20 rule! Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS) is a real thing and can be very uncomfortable but can be prevented! And if you do experience sudden vision loss, persistent ocular pain and an injury to the eye, don't hesitate to contact us!

Even when reaching new levels of quarantine boredom, don't forget about your eyes! This man put on his protective goggles before starting his watermelon and elastic experiment.

While our office remains closed for regular appointments and dispensing eyewear, we are still here to help! If you experience an ocular emergency - an eye injury or sudden vision loss - please contact our emergency line. For non-urgent questions, please leave a message on our voicemail or via email at [email protected] Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

In the midst of these crazy times, we wanted to share some happy news from our office. On March 31, 2020 at 10:36 p.m., Dr. Anjali Kapoor, her husband Dr. Josh Garcha and big brother Jai welcomed a healthy baby girl, weighing 6lbs 3oz. Say hello to Myra Garcha! Everyone is home safe and settling into life as a beautiful family of four.

Dispelling myths for contact wearers relating to COVID-19. Stay safe!

Learn how to protect your eyes from COVID-19. https://www.allaboutvision.com//coronavirus-cold-flu-pink/

In response to COVID-19 and as per the guidelines of the College of Optometrists of Ontario and Public Health Ontario - Santé publique Ontario, our office is closed for eye exams, and for ordering or picking up glasses or contacts until further notice. We are still available for optical emergencies, such as sudden vision loss or injury to the eye, and you can reach us by calling or texting our emergency line at 289-700-3009. You may leave non-urgent messages on our voicemail or in our email at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks. Thank you for working with us during this time. Stay tuned to your local media for how you and your family can stay safe.

Following the recommendations of the College of Optometrists of Ontario and Public Health Ontario, our office will be closed to the public until Monday March 30 to help contain the recent outbreak of COVID-19. If you have an appointment within the next two weeks, our staff will be contacting you to reschedule. For emergencies, please email us at [email protected] or call/text our emergency line at 289-700-3009. The safety of our Envision family is important to us. We wish you health and look forward to welcoming you back to our office soon.

We care about the health of our Envision Family so we are taking all necessary precautions to keep you safe. COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS) POLICY UPDATE In doing our part to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 we will not be treating patients with any of the following:... 1. Fever and/or onset of cough or flu-like symptoms. 2. Travelled outside of Canada/USA within the last 14 days. 3. Come in close contact with a person who has a confirmed or potential case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days. 4. Come in contact with a person with an acute respiratory illness, who has travelled outside of Canada within the last 14 days. 5. Tested Positive for the COVID-19 infection. If you have an appointment scheduled with us and fit any of the above criteria, please let us know as soon as possible and we will reschedule your appointment. There will be no fees associated with rescheduling or cancelling your appointment. Rest assured that we have always followed or exceeded the guidelines set out by Public Health and the College of Optometrists for infection control. Wishing health and happiness to you and your loved ones.

Wacky Wednesday!

Look at your work or private insurance card! Does it have this symbol on it? We can now bill directly for you! Our office loves to save you extra work by billing directly to your benefits as often as we can! Eye exams, glasses, contact lenses - let us do your paperwork! The following insurance companies allow direct billing from our office:... Canada Life, Canadian Construction Workers Union, Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance, CINUP, ClaimSecure, Cowan, Desjardins, Empire Life, First Canadian, GMS Carrier 49, GMS Carrier 50, Green Shield Canada, GroupHEALTH, GroupSource, Industrial Alliance, Johnson Inc, Johnston Group Inc, LiUNA Local 183, LiUNA Local 506, Manion, *Manulife Financial, Maximum Benefit, NexgenRx Inc, SSQ Insurance, *Sun Life Financial, TELUS AdjudiCare *Some exceptions apply See more

Contact us today to set up your and your family's routine eye exams! Call 289-362-4333 or email us at [email protected]

A Weekend Message from Victoria: Tonight I am attempting to make homemade onion rings (shallot rings) and only minutes in, my eyes are burning, tears are pouring down my face and I'm running to the closet to steal my husband's ski goggles for protection! And it got me thinking, why do onions do this to our eyes? TheTakeout.com sums it up nicely:... "...the two ingredients needed to turn on the water worksthe sulfoxides and the enzymesare produced independently and stored separately within the plant; only when an animal bites or a cook chops do the cell walls rupture, bringing the ingredients together. Once the chemical reaction starts, the onion produces the irritant as fast as it can, and the gas begins to bubble out. As the fumes rise and accumulate near your face, your eyes go on the defensiveMake tears! Flush the invaders!" There are ways around this painful way of cooking. A sharp knife lessens the rupturing so less gas is released; refrigerating or soaking your onions in cold water before chopping; chewing gum has been known to help too; and of course the always dependable grabbing a pair of goggles. Keep your eyes safe everyone! And if burning or stinging persists past the time you're cooking, call your optometrist right away

It's our year Envision family!!! The first time all of us with glasses will see 2020! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Our office is now closed for the Christmas holidays. We will reopen Monday December 30, 2019 at 10 a.m. From our family to yours, wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Looking for that last minute Christmas gift? Come by before 2:30 p.m. today to pick up a gift card in the denomination of your choosing! The lucky recipient can put it towards a new pair of glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses!

Our end of year appointments are filling up! There's not much time left to use your 2019 benefits on a comprehensive eye exam and a brand new pair of glasses. Call today to set up your eye exam

Christmas is coming! We're shopping for friends, we're shopping for family, but don't forget those less fortunate. We're taking part in the Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold 's Shining Star program for Christmas. Come on by our office and be a star for only $2! All donations will be going to help give someone a bit of a happier Christmas this year.

Attention Empire Life clients... WE CAN NOW DIRECT-BILL YOUR EYE EXAM AND GLASSES! This exciting development just came into effect this week so call today to set up your next appointment and leave your debit card at home!

We are so honoured to receive Gold in the St. Catharines Standard Readers' Choice awards in THREE categories!! A big thank you to the Standard for this opportunity and of course, to you! Our amazing patients, our Envision family, for voting for us and trusting us with your family's eye care. We will continue to strive to give you a wonderful experience and offer "quality eyecare and stylish eyewear!" #stcatharinesstandard #readerschoice2019 #bestopticalstore #bestoptometryservices #bestoptometrist

Black suit with the black Ray Bans on Here come the (wo)Men In Black! Happy Halloween

It's almost Halloween!! Bring the kids by to Trick or Treat today or tomorrow, 10 am to 6 pm. *All treats are peanut-free

Happy National Cat Day!! In honour of the occasion, here is a special video from People Magazine of A Child's Eyes Employee of the Month, Truffles the Glasses-Wearing Kitty

This is a very exciting time in the world of optometry! Pioneer researcher Dr. Stéphanie Cherqui performed the very first genetically modified autologous stem cell transplant on 20-year-old cystinosis patient Jordan Janz of Alberta. Cystinosis is a rare, currently incurable disease that causes the body's cells to crystallize and die in organs such as the kidneys, liver, muscles, brain and eyes. Thanks to Dr. Cherqui, we may soon be a world without cystinosis! Learn more about Dr. Cherqui, Jordan and the incredible families - including local Cystinosis Warrior Abbi's Road - of the Cystinosis Research Foundation here:

Did you know... When you come for an eye exam, your optometrist is checking for more than refractive errors (near- or far-sightedness). Your eye doctor checks the overall health of your eyes, looking for optical conditions that often have no early symptoms, as well as other conditions throughout your body that affect your eyes. Book a regular eye exam to stay healthy!