It’s a noticeably different Black Friday this year in the GTA as strict restrictions are in place amid a second wave of the novel coronavirus.
The hustle and bustle that typically occur on the biggest shopping day of the year are not visible today as many individuals are avoiding in-store shopping and staying home to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
And some shoppers simply can’t access their favourite brick and mortar stores in person as Toronto and Peel Region are currently under a provincial lockdown for at least 28 days.
The two hot spots entered the grey lockdown level of the province’s new COVID-19 response framework on Monday in an effort to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Lockdown restrictions include the closure of non-essential businesses, including many small businesses and malls, during the lucrative holiday season.
However, big box stores, like Walmart and Costo, that sell essential items such as groceries and medicine, are permitted to stay open during lockdown.
Although public health officials are urging residents to stay home as much as possible, shoppers were seen lining up outside of Walmart locations in Toronto Friday morning to get their hands on some of the store’s hottest Black Friday deals.
He also encouraged residents to shop online and support small businesses that are taking a hard hit during the pandemic.
“Nothing against the big box stores, they are what they are but I think this is a way we can help smaller, independent stores by purchasing online from them, many of them have an online presence, and by doing the curbside pickup, and we’re trying to make that much easier,” Tory told CP24 Friday morning.
The owner of Early Bird & Worm in Toronto’s Roncesvalles areas told CP24 that she’s providing customers a variety of shopping options so her business can stay afloat during the lockdown.
“This is the second lockdown and we’re trying to do as many orders to help the community as possible, by doing email orders, telephone orders. We’re doing local deliveries after my children go to sleep at night just to try and make ends meet,” she said.
Roncesvalles BIA representative Adam Langley said most small businesses in the neighbourhood are trying to cope with the restrictions and urged residents to remember to shop local.
“One of our mantras has been you can shop local, even if it’s online so a lot of our businesses during the first wave did pivot to online shopping and the ones that haven’t are still offering service,” Langley told CP24.
“I think the business owners are ready to fight for the business. They’re inside and they’re waiting to hear from you and they want to get you what you need for the holiday season.”
Meanwhile, Peel Regional Council passed a motion on Thursday that asks the province to immediately look at ways to address the inequity between businesses forced to close their doors and those allowed to stay open during the lockdown.
“Although the original wording of the motion was amended, I’m pleased that the intent remained- supporting small businesses,” Crombie said in a statement issued on Thursday. “What’s important to me is that we had consensus and presented a united front in defense of our small business community.”
Peel Region recorded its highest single-day COVID-19 case count on Thursday with 572 new infections, while Toronto recorded 356 cases.
The province logged more than 1,800 new cases and 20 more deaths on Friday.
GTA areas not in lockdown ask residents to stay in their region
With limited options for in-store Black Friday shopping in Toronto and Peel, officials in nearby York Region, which is in the red control level under the provincial COVID-19 response framework, are worried many shoppers might flock to the area to try snag a deal.
Under the control category, non-essential businesses, including malls, are allowed to remain open with certain restrictions.
On Friday morning, people were seen lining up outside of Vaughan Mills Mall before it opened at 8 a.m.
Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua is asking people to stay home and avoid shopping unless they need to pick up essential goods.
“We need to continue to be focused on the defeat of COVID-19 and its transmission. When people get up in the morning, the question they need to ask themselves is what can I do to reduce the transmission of COVID-19,” Bevilacqua told CP24.
Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti is echoing Bevilacqua’s remarks and is asking people not to travel outside of their regions to access in-store shopping elsewhere.
He also warned that enforcement officers will be patrolling the city this weekend to ensure businesses and residents are following the rules.
“We will be out there. There’s a coordinated effort this weekend between the Ministry of Labour, our bylaw officers and even York Regional Police when they all have to be called on,” Scarpitti told CP24.
Scarpitti added that Costco and T&T in Markham have recently been charged for overcrowding and issues with physical distancing at their stores. He said fines could range anywhere from $5,000 a day for an operator to $25,000 a day for a corporation.
Most job search advice is cookie-cutter. The advice you’re following is almost certainly the same advice other job seekers follow, making you just another candidate following the same script.
In today’s hyper-competitive job market, standing out is critical, a challenge most job seekers struggle with. Instead of relying on generic questions recommended by self-proclaimed career coaches, which often lead to a forgettable interview, ask unique, thought-provoking questions that’ll spark engaging conversations and leave a lasting impression.
Your level of interest in the company and the role.
Contributing to your employer’s success is essential.
You desire a cultural fit.
Here are the top four questions experts recommend candidates ask; hence, they’ve become cliché questions you should avoid asking:
“What are the key responsibilities of this position?”
Most likely, the job description answers this question. Therefore, asking this question indicates you didn’t read the job description. If you require clarification, ask, “How many outbound calls will I be required to make daily?” “What will be my monthly revenue target?”
“What does a typical day look like?”
Although it’s important to understand day-to-day expectations, this question tends to elicit vague responses and rarely leads to a deeper conversation. Don’t focus on what your day will look like; instead, focus on being clear on the results you need to deliver. Nobody I know has ever been fired for not following a “typical day.” However, I know several people who were fired for failing to meet expectations. Before accepting a job offer, ensure you’re capable of meeting the employer’s expectations.
“How would you describe the company culture?”
Asking this question screams, “I read somewhere to ask this question.” There are much better ways to research a company’s culture, such as speaking to current and former employees, reading online reviews and news articles. Furthermore, since your interviewer works for the company, they’re presumably comfortable with the culture. Do you expect your interviewer to give you the brutal truth? “Be careful of Craig; get on his bad side, and he’ll make your life miserable.” “Bob is close to retirement. I give him lots of slack, which the rest of the team needs to pick up.”
Truism: No matter how much due diligence you do, only when you start working for the employer will you experience and, therefore, know their culture firsthand.
“What opportunities are there for professional development?”
When asked this question, I immediately think the candidate cares more about gaining than contributing, a showstopper. Managing your career is your responsibility, not your employer’s.
Cliché questions don’t impress hiring managers, nor will they differentiate you from your competition. To transform your interaction with your interviewer from a Q&A session into a dynamic discussion, ask unique, insightful questions.
Here are my four go-to questions—I have many more—to accomplish this:
“Describe your management style. How will you manage me?”
This question gives your interviewer the opportunity to talk about themselves, which we all love doing. As well, being in sync with my boss is extremely important to me. The management style of who’ll be my boss is a determining factor in whether or not I’ll accept the job.
“What is the one thing I should never do that’ll piss you off and possibly damage our working relationship beyond repair?”
This question also allows me to determine whether I and my to-be boss would be in sync. Sometimes I ask, “What are your pet peeves?”
“When I join the team, what would be the most important contribution you’d want to see from me in the first six months?”
Setting myself up for failure is the last thing I want. As I mentioned, focus on the results you need to produce and timelines. How realistic are the expectations? It’s never about the question; it’s about what you want to know. It’s important to know whether you’ll be able to meet or even exceed your new boss’s expectations.
“If I wanted to sell you on an idea or suggestion, what do you need to know?”
Years ago, a candidate asked me this question. I was impressed he wasn’t looking just to put in time; he was looking for how he could be a contributing employee. Every time I ask this question, it leads to an in-depth discussion.
Other questions I’ve asked:
“What keeps you up at night?”
“If you were to leave this company, who would follow?”
“How do you handle an employee making a mistake?”
“If you were to give a Ted Talk, what topic would you talk about?”
“What are three highly valued skills at [company] that I should master to advance?”
“What are the informal expectations of the role?”
“What is one misconception people have about you [or the company]?”
Your questions reveal a great deal about your motivations, drive to make a meaningful impact on the business, and a chance to morph the questioning into a conversation. Cliché questions don’t lead to meaningful discussions, whereas unique, thought-provoking questions do and, in turn, make you memorable.
Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers “unsweetened” job search advice. You can send Nick your questions to artoffindingwork@gmail.com.
CALGARY – Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. reported a third-quarter profit of $2.27 billion, down from $2.34 billion in the same quarter last year.
The company says the profit amounted to $1.06 per diluted share for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 compared with $1.06 per diluted share a year earlier.
Product sales totalled $10.40 billion, down from $11.76 billion in the same quarter last year.
Daily production for the quarter averaged 1,363,086 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 1,393,614 a year ago.
On an adjusted basis, Canadian Natural says it earned 97 cents per diluted share for the quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.30 per diluted share in the same quarter last year.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 90 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
CALGARY – Cenovus Energy Inc. reported its third-quarter profit fell compared with a year as its revenue edged lower.
The company says it earned $820 million or 42 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, down from $1.86 billion or 97 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $14.25 billion, down from $14.58 billion in the same quarter last year.
Total upstream production in the quarter amounted to 771,300 barrels of oil equivalent per day, down from 797,000 a year earlier.
Total downstream throughput was 642,900 barrels per day compared with 664,300 in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Cenovus says its funds flow amounted to $1.05 per diluted share in its latest quarter, down from adjusted funds flow of $1.81 per diluted share a year earlier.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 31, 2024.
