Dr. Amy Tan has worked as a family physician in Alberta for 16 years.
Tan, who practices at a teaching clinic and provides palliative care in Calgary, had planned to keep working in the province for many more — at least until her 11-year old son finished high school.
Tan said she loves her work in Calgary, but it couldn’t buffer her from the political fight — particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The dispute started in February when Health Minister Tyler Shandro tore up a master pay agreement with the Alberta Medical Association.
Total physician compensation remains flat at $5.4 billion in the government’s 2020-21 budget, but a new funding framework changes how doctors are paid.
Doctors have said it will force hundreds of clinics across the province, particularly in rural areas, to reduce staff or close.
2:04 42% of Alberta doctors considering leaving the province for work: survey
42% of Alberta doctors considering leaving the province for work: survey
Some changes were reversed during the pandemic, but a July survey by the medical association showed at least 40 per cent of physicians have considered moving out of the province.
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Shandro has called it questionable that doctors would leave for other provinces, where they would earn less money. His press secretary, Steve Buick, added this week that he doesn’t believe the “rhetoric” that doctors are leaving.
“There is no trend of overall losses of doctors,” Buick said.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta said it does its annual registration at the end of December, so it doesn’t have current statistics. Buick said Alberta Health has access to the college’s quarterly figures, which he said show the number of doctors working in Alberta hasn’t changed.
“Hundreds come and go every year,” he said. “Overall, we’ve had net gains.”
In 2019-20, he said, 382 doctors left Alberta and 644 started _ for a net gain of 262. The latest data through June shows the same trend of net increases, said Buick.
He also provided an Alberta Health Services risk assessment from Sept. 25 that showed 80 rural doctors had provided a notice of intent to leave, but said only 12 of them have given formal notice.
“We do not expect shortages overall or in any specific community, apart from the normal staffing challenges in smaller centres,” Buick said.
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Still, the Alberta College of Family Physicians said it’s hearing from an increasing number of doctors who are weighing their options.
“Physicians don’t feel like they are a valued part of the team,” said executive director Terri Potter. “They’ve been told publicly that they are greedy.
“Physicians are just feeling powerless.”
The advocacy organization, which represents about 5,200 family doctors, has started an online campaign to showcase the importance and value of their role.
Potter said some doctors have taken steps to get licences in other provinces and others have decided to retire two or three years early.
“There will be a lot of movement,” said Potter, who noted many who are leaving did their medical training in Alberta. “I really worry there will be a bit of brain drain.”
Dr. Cian Hackett, a family physician, moved to Sylvan Lake, and started working in Rimbey two years ago after graduating from the University of Alberta. He said he planned to stay in central Alberta until retirement.
“When the government changes started coming out, my wife and I talked about would we consider moving to a different province,” he said. “We decided for the time being to split our time between Alberta and Ontario.”
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Hackett said he and his wife, who’s a nurse, plan to move to Ontario after the pandemic ends.
“We don’t see an Alberta that matches our values — one that values public health care and education, vulnerable populations,” he said. “We’ve stopped seeing it as a place with an economic or moral future when we think of raising a family.”
Hackett said he’s not only concerned about the lack of stability for his practice without a master agreement, but also the government’s moves to reduce supervised drug consumption sites and review eligibility criteria for the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped.
“There’s no shortage of job opportunities — all of which pay well,” he said. “The government wants to make it about physician pay.
“At a certain point, it becomes about other things.”
Tan, who also did her training in Alberta, said the pandemic has been stressful enough for doctors and attacks from the government have made it worse.
“I only had so much fight in me left and I needed my bandwidth back to actually do the work, to contribute to society in the way I want to.”
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.
