EDMONTON —
Two days after Alberta recorded a record number of daily COVID-19 cases, Premier Jason Kenney was focused on highlighting more recent data that he said shows public health restrictions are working.
“It looks like we’ve flattened the curve. Not time yet to celebrate but the important thing is we’ve stopped the growth,” said Kenney, who was visibly pleased to see lower than usual case numbers for the second straight day.
Speaking to CTV News Edmonton anchor Geoff Hastings during a half-hour long year-end interview, the premier answered a range of mostly pandemic-related questions, including about his government’s handling of the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, unflattering poll numbers and Alberta’s vaccine rollout.
THE UP-AND-DOWN CURVE
The day of the interview, Wednesday, Dec. 16, Alberta announced 1,270 new cases of COVID-19.
The day before, it was 1,338. The positivity rate was 7.3 per cent after reaching double digits in early December. It was a pair of encouraging days following a Monday that saw the province announce 1,887 new cases, a single-day record (note: Monday’s number was later reconciled to 1,865). The week before fluctuated, averaging 1,658 cases per day.
For Kenney, it’s a sign that public health restrictions, the most stringent of which were introduced eight days before the interview, have been effective. But it’s the restrictions Kenney announced Nov. 24, which included a ban on indoor social gatherings, that he said is leading to the recent decrease in cases.
“We’re heading in the right direction, based on the policies that we adopted in November,” he said.
Kenney has faced widespread criticism, including from Alberta physicians, for not adopting stricter measures sooner. Doctors said the delay caused a preventable increase in COVID-19-related hospital and intensive care admissions — the latter of which have surged nearly 500 per cent since November 1.
On Dec. 7, the day before the newest measures were announced, Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw said she found steadily rising COVID-19 numbers “extremely troubling” and that the Nov. 24 measures were “unlikely to be sufficient to bend the curve downwards.”
Nine days after those comments, Kenney, who acknowledges the criticism he has received, said he believes his government acted in a timely fashion.
“I think the current plateauing of numbers confirms that we did,” said Kenney.
The next day, Alberta recorded 1,571 cases, an increase from the day before.
SLIPPING POPULARITY
Asked about recent polls that show his popularity second lowest among premiers in Canada, Kenney said he does not get distracted by polling and that he believed the numbers are a result of a “complex public opinion environment.”
“In most of the provinces you’ve got people who are pro restriction,” said Kenney.
“Here we’ve got a very large chunk of the population who are opposed to any of the restrictive measures that we’ve taken.”
Asked if he would do anything differently regarding the pandemic response plan, Kenney mentioned two things:
The premier regrets classifying businesses as ‘essential’ and ‘non-essential’ back in March, saying it was a mistake that only benefitted large box stores. Kenney has publicly expressed this regret on multiple occasions.
That was the premier’s immediate response when asked whether he will be receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
“But I’ll take my turn, when it comes up, probably, with the general population,” he said.
Currently, Alberta is projecting to vaccinate the general population in the fall, but the ability to procure the requisite doses is in the hands of the federal government.
Still, Kenney is optimistic the timeline will move up.
“There is a good chance that we’ll be able to accelerate the vaccine program. There are a number of other vaccines that are in development and undergoing trials. If they succeed, and they are then approved by Health Canada, we’ll be getting more vaccines, more quickly.”
Kenney said a group of “hardcore anti-vaxxers” is telling him to take the vaccine immediately to prove it’s not dangerous, something he is not willing to jump the queue to do.
“I think it’s important for those who are skeptical to know that we’re not going to coerce people into taking the vaccine,” he said.
“So, we’ll be changing the law in February to remove the power of mandatory vaccination, just to try to relieve some of the political pressure coming from folks who are against vaccines.”
2021
Staring down a projected $21.8-billion deficit due to what Kenney calls the “triple whammy” of the pandemic, global economic factors, and a decline in energy prices, the premier is still feeling optimistic about next year.
“There’s going to be a lot of pent up energy, a lot of savings, and people are going to want to go out there and spend and support those businesses that have been struggling,” Kenney predicted.
“And I really believe you’re going to see, especially in the latter half of 2021, a strong recovery in our economy.”
Kenney believes the continued vaccine rollout will trigger a “psychological shift” in behaviours as we head towards the fall of 2021.
“I think the vaccines showing up now before Christmas shows people that the end is within sight.”
Watch the full interview with Premier Kenney later this month on CTV News and CTVNewsEdmonton.ca.
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.
