For the first time, Mike Holmes has spoken publicly about a lawsuit that alleges houses in a “Holmes Approved Homes” development in Meaford, Ont., were built with defects.
The celebrity contractor and popular TV host posted a statement on his Facebook page four days after CBC News reported on an update on the lawsuit. The suit was launched in 2021 by Tarion, a consumer protection organization for new-home buyers in Ontario.
Holmes said he was “deeply disappointed” by “news reports” about the lawsuit and that “only some” of the statements his company, the Holmes Group, provided to the media “were used, and even those were taken out of context.”
Holmes said his company had no access to the development’s houses during construction, so it was unable to “assist in verifying or identifying potential problems.”
Holmes also said he continues to stand proudly by his record, and that he and his company “will not be deterred in our mission to help homeowners Make It Right.”
Mike Holmes posted this statement on his Facebook page in response to CBC News’s story last week about a lawsuit involving a “Holmes Approved Homes” housing development in Meaford, Ont. (Mike Holmes/Facebook)
Tarion’s $8-million lawsuit targets the Holmes Group and more than a dozen other parties involved in the development, called TerraceWood. The suit alleges that between 2015 and 2019, 14 TerraceWood houses were built with flaws, including major structural problems.
Tarion says the builder, Third Line Homes, failed to fix the defects, so Tarion has been paying for all the repairs.
WATCH | Why some ‘Holmes Approved Homes’ are being demolished:
Why some Mike ‘Holmes Approved Homes’ are now being demolished
12 days ago
Duration 8:47
CBC News has learned two homes in a Meaford, Ont., development promoted by celebrity contractor Mike Holmes have been demolished because of alleged defects. CBC News’s Sophia Harris breaks down what went wrong and Holmes’s company’s response.
Tarion recently decided demolition was a more reasonable option for three of the houses. Two have already been torn down.
In its lawsuit, Tarion claims the Holmes Group failed to do additional house inspections for homeowners who had commissioned them and misrepresented the builder, Third Line Homes, as competent.
In his post, Holmes said he and the Holmes Group “do not deny we advertised our inspection services” to homebuyers. However, he says, the company inspected no TerraceWood houses, because no one bought the “Holmes Approved Homes” inspection package.
Holmes did not explicitly respond to details in the CBC News report about his endorsement of the “Holmes Approved Homes” project in ads and the involvement of two of his other companies. One of those companies bought and later sold a TerraceWood house with alleged defects, and the other company lent money to Third Line Homes, via private mortgages.
Holmes also did not address comments from homeowners who said they thought they were automatically buying “Holmes Approved Homes,” and didn’t know the Holmes inspections cost extra.
He also didn’t respond to homeowners who complained that, after problems surfaced in TerraceWood, Holmes never returned to help “make it right.”
Mike Holmes endorsed TerraceWood on a billboard, in a promotional YouTube video, on social media and in this 2015 print ad. (Third Line Homes/Pinterest)
Allegations of misrepresentation
Holmes said in his post that he’s confident the courts “will provide an appropriate forum to present our compelling evidence.”
He did not say how the Holmes Group will address Tarion’s allegation that the company misrepresented Third Line Homes, as “a competent, expert, reliable builder when that was not accurate.”
Paul and Mary-Jo Osborn, principals with Third Line Homes, and the Municipality of Meaford, which inspected the houses, are also defendants in the lawsuit.
Both parties deny any wrongdoing and argue Tarion’s decision to condemn three homes was unwarranted.
The Osborns also claim it was Tarion that caused problems by excluding Third Line Homes from dealing with homeowners’ complaints about defects.
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.
