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Most Canadians feel 2022 was worse than 2021, poll suggests

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Many Canadians will be saying “good riddance” to 2022 as it draws to a close, a new poll suggests, with more people comparing it unfavourably to 2021 than saying it was a better year.

Polling firm Leger asked Canadians at the beginning of December what their impressions were of the past year and how their outlook was shaping up for 2023.

It found that 31 per cent of respondents felt this year was worse for them than last year and only 21 per cent said it was better. Another 46 per cent said it was about the same, and three per cent said they didn’t know or preferred not to answer.

A total of 1,526 Canadians participated in the web survey from Dec. 9 to Dec. 11. It cannot be assigned a margin of error because online polls are not considered truly random samples.

Christian Bourque, executive vice president of Leger, noted that 2021 had been a pandemic year when “you basically couldn’t do much.”

“Everybody would have thought 2022 would have been better, right?” he said in an interview.

While the past year saw the lifting of widespread COVID-19 restrictions and millions returning to more-normal routines and schedules, Bourque said concerns about inflation and the cost of living were the chief reasons that led people to have a gloomier outlook.

“I think there’s probably a level of angst in the Canadian public that we haven’t seen for a while,” he said.

He added that those most likely to have a negative view of 2022 were people 55 and older, who may be on fixed incomes and wondering how they will make ends meet, and those living in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia, places hit by major weather disasters.

High inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine early this year remain top of mind for Canadians as they think about what could come in 2023, the poll suggests.

When asked which events they were most worried about, 86 per cent of respondents cited a combination of higher inflation, interest rates and prices, while 81 per cent said they feared economic recession.

Results show 72 per cent of respondents expressed concern about the war in Ukraine expanding, and 68 per cent felt worried about “catastrophic” weather events due to climate change.

When it comes to COVID-19, the poll suggests far fewer Canadians are worried about the virus, with just over half, or 52 per cent, saying they were anxious about a resurgence.

More people, 57 per cent, were concerned about the spread of another, different virus.

While the “Freedom Convoy” protests staged in Ottawa and at several United States border crossings last winter proved to a defining moment for the country in 2022, not many Canadians appear concerned that 2023 could bring more civil disobedience.

Only 35 per cent of respondents said they felt worried about such activity near where they live, according to the poll.

Unsurprisingly, the poll suggests those most worried about prices and the economy are supporters of the Conservative Party of Canada, whose leader, Pierre Poilievre, has made both his primary focus.

It also shows that more federal Liberal and New Democrat supporters are nervous about the war in Ukraine and climate change-related weather disasters than are Tory voters.

In terms of how Canadians are thinking about 2023, the poll suggests the country is feeling more optimistic. It says 34 per cent of respondents said they feel it will be better than 2022, compared to 22 per cent who said they think it will be worse.

Another 40 per cent said they feel the new year will be about the same, and four per cent didn’t provide an answer or didn’t know.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 24, 2022.

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Cineplex reports $24.7M Q3 loss on Competition Tribunal penalty

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TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.

The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.

The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.

The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.

Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.

Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CGX)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Restaurant Brands reports US$357M Q3 net income, down from US$364M a year ago

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TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.

The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.

Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.

On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:QSR)

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Electric and gas utility Fortis reports $420M Q3 profit, up from $394M a year ago

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ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.

The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.

Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.

Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.

The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:FTS)

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