Nova Scotia is reporting one new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, with 27 active cases in the province.
The new case is in the province’s central health zone and is a close contact of a previously reported case, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Wellness.
At a briefing this afternoon, the province also announced mandatory testing for rotational workers returning to Nova Scotia after working in another part of the country.
The high number of cases, especially in Alberta where many Nova Scotians work, is concerning, Premier Stephen McNeil said in Tuesday’s press briefing.
Currently, rotational workers are asked to get tested within the first two days of their return to Nova Scotia, and again about a week later.
“Not all rotational workers are complying, and that’s a problem,” he said.
Dr. Robert Strang said only about one-third of rotational workers are actually getting tested.
Effective Friday, COVID-19 testing will be mandatory for rotational workers who work outside Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Audits will be completed, and rotational workers will be contacted by phone to remind them of the need to get tested. Anyone who does not get tested will be fined $1,000.
Regardless of test results, rotational workers must complete their modified 14-day self-isolation.
Funding for universities
The province will be spending $25 million to help Nova Scotia universities manage the financial impact of the pandemic, according to a news release Tuesday from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education.
The funding is intended to help with revenue lost in 2020-2021 related to tuition and residence fees, and pandemic-related costs around curriculum development, information technology and increased cleaning.
The money will be doled out to 10 Nova Scotia universities based on information they provided to the province about expenses they incurred in response to the pandemic.
Dalhousie University will receive the largest portion of the funding, close to $9.5 million. The Atlantic School of Theology is getting the smallest chunk, about $218,000.
The funding is for university institutions only — Nova Scotia Community College is not listed among the recipients.
The province is urging students who have returned from outside the Atlantic provinces to book a COVID-19 test on the sixth, seventh or eighth day of their quarantine, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Any students experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 must complete a self-assessment online or call 811. Students still must complete their 14-day isolation period even with a negative test result.
Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., is one of 10 Nova Scotia universities that will receive funding from the province to help counter revenue loss in 2020-2021. (Elizabeth McMillan/CBC)
Multiple fines issued
Police in Halifax say they have issued tickets for failing to comply with the public health regulations in two separate incidents last weekend.
Halifax Regional Police said the first incident happened at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, after they received a report that a delivery driver from a Bedford restaurant was not wearing a mask while delivering orders to an apartment building.
Officers issued a $1,000 summary offence ticket to the man for violating the Health Protection Act, according to a news release sent out on Tuesday.
The current COVID regulations require people to wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth while in an indoor public space, which includes building lobbies.
Police responded to a separate incident at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday at a residence in Halifax.
There was a report of a social gathering that exceeded the gathering limits of 10 people. A police spokesperson, Const. John MacLeod, said there were approximately 20 people in the residence.
Officers issued tickets to three men, the residents of the home, and each were fined $1,000.
Robin MacLean, a nurse and clinical practice leader at the Valley Regional Hospital emergency department, was the first person in western zone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine was administered by nurse Cindi Mattinson on Tuesday. (Communications Nova Scotia)
Immunizations using the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine began in the western health zone on Tuesday, starting at the Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville.
Phase 1 vaccinations in the western zone will be limited to health-care workers and designated caregivers at long-term care facilities, according to a government spokesperson.
Ann Hicks was “absolutely delighted” to be the first Northwood resident immunized against COVID-19 on Monday. The executive director for Northwood’s long-term care program, Josie Ryan, says all residents at the Halifax facility should be vaccinated this week. 0:58
Atlantic Canada case numbers
The latest COVID-19 numbers from the Atlantic provinces are:
New Brunswick reported 17 new cases on Tuesday and 219 active cases. The province is also reporting two deaths, bringing the total to 11 since the start of the pandemic. Every zone of the province has been rolled back to orange-phase restrictions to deal with the growing number of cases.
Newfoundland and Labrador reported no new cases on Monday. There are five active cases in the province, with one person in hospital.
P.E.I. reported one new case on Tuesday — the person travelled outside of Atlantic Canada and is self-isolating. There are now eight active cases on the island.
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.
