As the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, Canada’s health minister says requiring a vaccine passport to travel internationally is a “very live” issue as more Canadians receive shots and countries consider loosening border restrictions.
“It’s being discussed around the world. I’m a member of the G7 health ministers, we meet every couple weeks. This has been on our agenda,” Patty Hajdu said Sunday on Rosemary Barton Live.
She said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra is also discussing the concept with international partners.
Some jurisdictions are looking to use proof of immunization against COVID-19 as a way to allow travel within and between countries.
Last month, the World Health Organization ruled that national authorities should not require such certificates for travel because it’s still unclear how well vaccines minimize transmission of the virus, a point Hajdu herself acknowledged.
The concept has also drawn criticism for privacy and equity concerns.
“The intent is to co-ordinate,” Hajdu said. “You can imagine the confusion in international travel if there’s different certifications that are required.”
Tam ‘optimistic’ about pandemic’s future
Providing proof of immunity is one of several issues under consideration as countries turn to mapping out the next steps of their pandemic response.
In a separate interview, Canada’s chief public health officer said Sunday she’s increasingly optimistic about the future of the global health crisis — but cautions that some measures may stick around for months to come.
“I think we can be buoyant by that more optimistic outlook because it is a pretty tremendous thing that we have, which is several, not just one, but several, really great vaccines,” Dr. Theresa Tam told CBC chief political correspondent Rosemary Barton.
WATCH | What still worries Dr. Theresa Tam one year into the COVID-19 pandemic:
Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said in an interview on Rosemary Barton Live that the government is closely monitoring the new coronavirus variants and how vaccines respond to them. She says public health measures need to be in place to bring cases down. 9:33
“But with that sense of optimism comes … the need to just hang on in there for a bit longer, because I do think that if these vaccines are provided to as many people as possible, we can break the most severe consequences, the crisis phase of this pandemic.”
Canada has now approved four COVID-19 vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines are two-dose shots, while the newly authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only a single dose.
Masks, distancing not going away soon
When asked how long Canadians should expect to keep up with mask wearing and physical distancing amid the country’s vaccine rollout, Tam said such guidelines won’t disappear any time soon.
“These viruses come in invisible ways, and so we need to keep up those measures,” Tam said, adding that while approved vaccines are effective at staving off the most serious outcomes of COVID-19, there are still those who may not be fully protected.
“With that in mind, I think these habits are going to continue for some time. But we want to stop the more restrictive measures as soon as possible.”
A woman wears a face mask as she walks along a street in Montreal in February. Tam says mask wearing and other public health measures will likely continue in the months to come. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
Avoid comparing vaccines
The country’s inoculation campaign has picked up steam in recent weeks. On Friday, the federal government announced that manufacturer Pfizer had agreed to accelerate the delivery of 3.5 million doses of its vaccine.
Some provinces have also moved to delay the second dose of two-shot vaccines after new national recommendations were issued earlier this week.
While the delay would allow more Canadians to receive their first jab, differing efficacy percentages between shots has led to a degree of public hesitancy over which inoculation is best.
Like other public health experts, Tam cautioned against comparing the efficacy of different vaccines head-to-head.
“What is the fundamental fact about these vaccines is that they are all very effective when it comes to preventing serious outcomes, such as hospitalizations … really serious illness and many deaths as well,” she said, adding that the millions of people who have been vaccinated worldwide is evidence of that.
“I think people should feel very confident as they go in, to get whatever vaccine is being offered to them, that they are really great for that purpose.”
That’s advice Hajdu also backed on Sunday.
“Take the first vaccine that you’re offered,” she said. “It’s really, really important that you get protected from a really terrible case of COVID that could lead to your death.”
Hajdu says she could have done many things differently
The health minister was also asked about comments she made just over one year ago, in which she said banning travel between Canada and China would do little to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“The long-term implication of shutting down borders is one, they’re not very effective in controlling disease … in fact, they’re not effective at all,” Hajdu said in February of last year.
Hajdu said those statements came from international health regulations, which she said still indicate that border measures are not entirely effective at halting transmission.
“When I look back — as a new health minister following the advice of my department — of course, I think, there are many things I think I could have done differently,” Hajdu said.
“The story is not done yet. The research will be done for decades. I just hope I am alive when we get a full analysis of what worked well and what didn’t globally around the COVID-19 pandemic response.
For Tam, part of the story will end when she sees hospitalizations and deaths from the illness decline.
“That is really important. We have to monitor to make sure … that the vaccine’s effectiveness continues,” she told Barton. “So I think that is where we will arrive at a good place, and we need the world to be around us there as well.”
TORONTO – Canada Goose Holdings Inc. says it has signed a deal that will result in the creation of its first eyewear collection.
The deal announced on Thursday by the Toronto-based luxury apparel company comes in the form of an exclusive, long-term global licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear Inc.
The terms and value of the agreement were not disclosed, but Marchon produces eyewear for brands including Lacoste, Nike, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Longchamp and Zeiss.
Marchon plans to roll out both sunglasses and optical wear under the Canada Goose name next spring, starting in North America.
Canada Goose says the eyewear will be sold through optical retailers, department stores, Canada Goose shops and its website.
Canada Goose CEO Dani Reiss told The Canadian Press in August that he envisioned his company eventually expanding into eyewear and luggage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Almost seven years since news broke of an alleged conspiracy to fix the price of packaged bread across Canada, the saga isn’t over: the Competition Bureau continues to investigate the companies that may have been involved, and two class-action lawsuits continue to work their way through the courts.
Here’s a timeline of key events in the bread price-fixing case.
Oct. 31, 2017: The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating allegations of bread price-fixing and that it was granted search warrants in the case. Several grocers confirm they are co-operating in the probe.
Dec. 19, 2017: Loblaw and George Weston say they participated in an “industry-wide price-fixing arrangement” to raise the price of packaged bread. The companies say they have been co-operating in the Competition Bureau’s investigation since March 2015, when they self-reported to the bureau upon discovering anti-competitive behaviour, and are receiving immunity from prosecution. They announce they are offering $25 gift cards to customers amid the ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing.
Jan. 31, 2018: In court documents, the Competition Bureau says at least $1.50 was added to the price of a loaf of bread between about 2001 and 2016.
Dec. 20, 2019: A class-action lawsuit in a Quebec court against multiple grocers and food companies is certified against a number of companies allegedly involved in bread price-fixing, including Loblaw, George Weston, Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Canada Bread and Giant Tiger (which have all denied involvement, except for Loblaw and George Weston, which later settled with the plaintiffs).
Dec. 31, 2021: A class-action lawsuit in an Ontario court covering all Canadian residents except those in Quebec who bought packaged bread from a company named in the suit is certified against roughly the same group of companies.
June 21, 2023: Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. is fined $50 million after pleading guilty to four counts of price-fixing under the Competition Act as part of the Competition Bureau’s ongoing investigation.
Oct. 25 2023: Canada Bread files a statement of defence in the Ontario class action denying participating in the alleged conspiracy and saying any anti-competitive behaviour it participated in was at the direction and to the benefit of its then-majority owner Maple Leaf Foods, which is not a defendant in the case (neither is its current owner Grupo Bimbo). Maple Leaf calls Canada Bread’s accusations “baseless.”
Dec. 20, 2023: Metro files new documents in the Ontario class action accusing Loblaw and its parent company George Weston of conspiring to implicate it in the alleged scheme, denying involvement. Sobeys has made a similar claim. The two companies deny the allegations.
July 25, 2024: Loblaw and George Weston say they agreed to pay a combined $500 million to settle both the Ontario and Quebec class-action lawsuits. Loblaw’s share of the settlement includes a $96-million credit for the gift cards it gave out years earlier.
Sept. 12, 2024: Canada Bread files new documents in Ontario court as part of the class action, claiming Maple Leaf used it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged scheme. Maple Leaf was a majority shareholder of Canada Bread until 2014, and the company claims it’s liable for any price-fixing activity. Maple Leaf refutes the claims.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
Companies in this story: (TSX:L, TSX:MFI, TSX:MRU, TSX:EMP.A, TSX:WN)
TORONTO – TD Bank Group, which is mired in a money laundering scandal in the U.S., says chief executive Bharat Masrani will retire next year.
Masrani, who will retire officially on April 10, 2025, says the bank’s, “anti-money laundering challenges,” took place on his watch and he takes full responsibility.
The bank named Raymond Chun, TD’s group head, Canadian personal banking, as his successor.
As part of a transition plan, Chun will become chief operating officer on Nov. 1 before taking over the top job when Masrani steps down at the bank’s annual meeting next year.
TD also announced that Riaz Ahmed, group head, wholesale banking and president and CEO of TD Securities, will retire at the end of January 2025.
TD has taken billions in charges related to ongoing U.S. investigations into the failure of its anti-money laundering program.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
