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Alberta will not follow the lead of other Canadian provinces by introducing a vaccine passport, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Thursday.
Alberta will not follow the lead of other Canadian provinces by introducing a vaccine passport, Health Minister Tyler Shandro said Thursday.
In a Twitter thread, Shandro said Alberta will not budge on its opposition to policies that would require Albertans to provide proof of immunization against COVID-19 to access government or private services.
“To be clear, the Alberta government has not and will not mandate a so-called ‘vaccine passport’ for domestic use,” Shandro said.
Though Alberta continues to resist a vaccine mandate, the province is advising people they may access their proof of vaccination records online if required for other reasons, such as international travel.
The records are accessible through MyHealth Records (myhealth.alberta.ca/myhealthrecords). There, Albertans can view their COVID-19 immunization records as well as other immunizations they have had. They can print a copy of their vaccine record or take a screenshot of it.
Shandro said Albertans will also soon be able to print a smaller paper proof-of-vaccination card. He said more than 800,000 Albertans currently have accounts with MyHealth Records, with registrations surging, including 2,000 logged Wednesday. Immunization records provided by pharmacies, doctors or AHS at the time Albertans got their shot can also be used as proof.
Several Canadian provinces have announced they will require proof of immunization to access a range of non-essential services such as dining out or going to the gym, with British Columbia most recently unveiling its vaccine cards earlier this week.
Within Alberta, numerous private businesses have announced similar mandates, including the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp., which will require all fans and staff at Flames, Hitmen and Stampeders games to be fully immunized. Even municipalities, including the Town of Banff, have introduced mandatory vaccine policies for employees.
The United Conservative government has remained steadfast in its opposition to such policies, however, with the province even moving this spring to repeal legislation that gives the government power to make vaccines mandatory.
In a frequently-asked-questions page about proof of immunization posted Wednesday, the province said vaccine mandates imposed by private businesses or municipalities are not the government’s decision — and these policies “may be subject to legal challenges by individual Albertans.”
In other Canadian jurisdictions that have imposed vaccine mandates, data shows the policies have helped bolster immunization rates, according to Dr. Craig Jenne with the University of Calgary. In B.C., for example, vaccine registrations shot up more than 200 per cent the day after the passport was announced.
“Providing not only the requirement for vaccines for some elective activities in the community — not essential services — and then providing a government-supported proof of vaccine did in fact increase vaccine rates,” said Jenne, an infectious disease expert. He added any vaccine mandate must consider those who are medically unable to get the shot.
Alberta currently has the lowest immunization rates among all provinces for both first and second doses. In total, 66 per cent of Albertans have had at least one shot, and 58.8 per cent are fully immunized. For those age 12 and over who are eligible for the shot, 77.6 per cent are at least partially immunized, and 69.2 per cent have received both necessary doses.
The surging fourth wave of COVID-19 cases in Alberta indicates current vaccine coverage is insufficient to combat the extra-contagious Delta variant, Jenne said.
“Clearly, there’s not enough protection in the community to stop the spread of the virus,” he said. “There is much room for improvement, and we need to explore all options that will get that vaccine rate up to generate some level of community protection.”
A recent Angus Reid poll found a majority of Canadians support vaccine passports, with two-thirds agreeing immunization should be mandatory for large public events. That support was lowest in Alberta, but 52 per cent of Albertans polled were still in favour of a mandate.
Twitter: @jasonfherring
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.
Companies in this story: (TSX:GOOS)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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.
Companies in this story: (TSX:TD)
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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