P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison says she is concerned about a growing number of COVID-19 cases in the eastern Kings region of P.E.I. and the fact that some cannot be linked to travel.
This region includes Mount Stewart, Morell, St. Peters and the Souris areas.
To determine the extent of transmission, Morrison said public health will open a pop-up testing clinic at the Souris Hospital Wednesday from 12 to 3 p.m. and Thursday from 10 to 3 p.m.
Morrison is recommending testing for all children five to 11 and anyone involved in organized sports regardless of symptoms, as well as anyone in eastern Kings with symptoms. Anyone who has been tested in the last 48 hours will not need to be retested, she said.
“There appears to be community transmission in that region of the province,” she said.
There is also one new public exposure, at the Eastern Kings Sportsplex last Saturday Dec. 4, from 8:45 to 10:15 a.m.
Morrison also announced five new cases. One of the cases is in their 50s, one is in their 20s, and three cases are under the age of 12. Three are close contacts of previously-announced cases and two are under investigation.
There are currently 23 active cases of COVID-19 in P.E.I. and there have been 397 cases since the pandemic began.
As of Saturday, Dec. 4, 94.8 per cent of Islanders 12 and up have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 91.4 per cent are fully vaccinated with at least two doses, she said.
“The vaccine rollout for children aged five to 11 is going well with 15.4 per cent of children in this age group receiving their first dose.”
Temporary health measures
New temporary health measures were announced last week in response the omicron variant, and Morrison announced a tightening of those rules.
Until early January those arriving from outside the country must be tested on arrival and on day four after arrival — people who are not tested on their fourth day will now face enforcement measures, she said. International travellers must also receive three negative COVID tests prior to entering a long-term care facility.
Cases of COVID-19 detected in students of École La-Belle-Cloche in Rollo Bay led to lineups for testing in the Souris region Monday. (Steve Bruce/CBC)
Children under 12 cannot travel interprovincially for sports tournaments, arts or culture events and P.E.I. cannot host these tournaments for kids in that age group.
“These measures are temporary, providing additional layers of protection to further safeguard the health and safety of Islanders. Especially prior to the Christmas and holiday season.”
Since mid-November, Morrison said there have been 69 reported cases of COVID-19 on the Island. That accounts for 17 per cent of the Island’s total case count.
“We have been struggling to get the COVID-19 situation here on P.E.I. under control,” she said. “This is not the situation we want to be in as we enter the holiday season. COVID-19 is circulating in the province, this virus continues to spread and move when people move.”
As a result, Morrison is advising against holiday levees, and is urging caution for anyone holding gatherings.
Cases have been mounting
The last several days have seen daily announcements of new cases of COVID-19 on P.E.I., with three new cases on Monday, including one involving a student at Eastern Kings Early Learning Academy in Souris.
Sunday the CPHO reported two new cases linked to École La-Belle-Cloche in Rollo Bay, which closed the school for the week. On Tuesday, Morrison said there were now six cases related to the outbreak. A testing clinic has been set up at the school, and work is underway to resume classes online on Wednesday.
Morrison announced five new cases Saturday, one of whom is a student at École La-Belle-Cloche.
P.E.I. has 23 active COVID-19 cases and has seen a total of 397 confirmed cases. There have been two hospitalizations and no deaths.
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.
