On Thursday, indoor social gatherings will again be allowed, large outdoor gatherings can take place and some businesses, such as live music venues and nightclubs, will be able to reopen their doors. There will no longer be capacity limits.
ATU Local 569 President Steve Bradshaw said there are still some questions about whether those masking rules apply to transit centres and other transit properties, but he is on board with the targeted public health measure.
“It’s become clear to us that masks are probably the second-most effective barrier to transmission of the virus, behind only vaccinations,” he said.
Bradshaw said operators have never been tasked with mask enforcement, saying that is a matter for peace and bylaw officers.
COVID-19 case numbers have plummeted in the province in recent weeks, thanks in large part to vaccinations.
Dr. Sean van Diepen, a professor of critical care medicine at the University of Alberta, said case numbers and hospitalization numbers are “really encouraging right now.”
“The clear downturn in the number of cases has really lowered the risk for transmission within the community, so I think it’s a really good time to start moving back on some of the health-care measures,” he said, adding it would be important to be nimble and reinstitute measures if more cases of the Delta or Delta Plus variant are identified.
Van Diepen had two pieces of advice for Albertans as they prepare for reopening: don’t be lulled into a sense of security because of the low numbers if you only have one dose of vaccine, and do what you can to minimize your risk.
“Little things like continuing masking in the indoors if possible, especially with people who may be at intermediate or higher risk of the COVID(-19) variant. I’m going to continue to wear a mask indoors and people can make that decision.”
He said his family is slowly adapting to the new normal, meeting with friends in small groups outside instead of having indoor gatherings and not travelling outside of the city just yet.
Alberta Health Services said a number of COVID-19 units in the Edmonton have closed and been returned to their original use.
Dr. Neeja Bakshi, a COVID-19 unit physician at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, said the unit there will be shutting down in the coming days.
“We wanted to make sure we were maximizing the space for all patients that were coming in,” she said.
“There’s a little bit of apprehension, but I do think that with vaccination rates and where we’re going right now, it is the right move.”
However, Bakshi said she is concerned about the removal of the mask mandate.
“We don’t have everybody vaccinated yet and we know even with the second dose of vaccine, you require two weeks before you’re considered fully immunized,” she said.
“We don’t know who’s vaccinated. We don’t know who could potentially be carrying the variant.”
Bakshi recommends Albertans do a point-of-care assessment to determine what they are comfortable with as the province reopens.
“I’m hopeful most Albertans will continue to do things that seem common sense: washing your hands all the time, wearing a mask in a crowded place – I still think that’s a really good thing as we saw we didn’t have any influenza in the fall (and) we had really low rates of respiratory illnesses in children, and masking was the thing that helped with that,” she said.
“I think as we move into this next phase and turn to reopening, everybody is going to go at their own pace.”
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.
