New Brunswick is announcing two more deaths related to COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the total number of people who have died of the disease in the province to 74.
The latest deaths involve a person in their 70s in the Moncton region (Zone 1) and a person in their 80s in the Fredericton region (Zone 3).
“I encourage all New Brunswickers to keep these people’s loved ones in their thoughts,” said Premier Blaine Higgs in a news release. “We must all follow the rules and stay within our single household this Thanksgiving weekend to slow the spread and prevent future tragedies from occurring.”
“I send my heartfelt sympathies to the loved ones of the people who have lost their lives to COVID-19,” added Dr. Jennifer Russell, chief medical officer of health. “As we spend time with the people in our single household this weekend, please take steps to protect the people closest to you. Wear a mask in indoor public spaces, wash your hands frequently and book an appointment to get fully vaccinated if you have not already done so.”
The province has reported 18 COVID-19 related deaths since Tuesday, Sept. 28.
73 NEW CASES SUNDAY
Health officials in New Brunswick are also reporting 73 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, along with 38 recoveries, as the total number of active cases in the province rises to 962.
According to health officials, 45 of Sunday’s 73 new cases, or 62 per cent, are not fully vaccinated. Fiftight een cases, or 11 per cent, are partially vaccinated, and 20 cases, or 27 per cent, are fully vaccinated.
The province says there are currently 53 people in hospital in New Brunswick due to COVID-19, with 22 in an intensive care unit. Of those currently in hospital, 42 are unvaccinated, three are partially vaccinated, and eight are fully vaccinated.
A senior’s advocate in the province says those hospitalization numbers are especially concerning.
“We’re all being punished for the people who are out being, should be, responsible this is an important occasion, Thanksgiving it’s just as important as Christmas, in fact it could be more important because sometimes at Christmas time we can’t get together because of the weather,” said Cecile Cassista, executive director of the New Brunswick Coalition for Seniors.
THANKSGIVING WEEKEND GATHERING LIMITS
New Brunswickers are being asked to limit their Thanksgiving weekend gatherings to the people living in their household.
Sunday was a busy day at Isaac Way’s restaurant in downtown Fredericton, with patrons flocking to enjoy a turkey dinner outside their household bubble, while staying within the province’s restrictions.
“It’s great for business most years thanksgiving weekend is pretty quiet, everybody goes home to families and has thanksgiving at home but this year with our regulations we’re able to welcome them into the restaurant it’s a lot busier, we have lots of reservations,” said Kristin Thurlow, Co-Owner/Manager of Isaac’s Way.
With everyone in a Thanksgiving holiday weekend lockdown, restaurants are one of the only ways people of separate households can gather.
“So I am actually living in Saint John at the moment so I had plans to come home to Fredericton to see my family and things changed obviously, with the new COVID protocols so we had to resort to brunch at a restaurant so we’re making that work,” said Shelby Harnish, who took advantage of the vaccination record screening to eat out.
Public health says all New Brunswickers, including those who are not covered by the circuit breaker, must not have gatherings anywhere other than a place at which the law requires proof of vaccination with anyone they do not currently live with during the Thanksgiving long weekend, between 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, and 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11.
“We’re pretty happy that the government has made regulations for everyone’s safety and having people able to gather in a place that has identification, vaccination records, and is controlled that people can get together,” added Thurlow.
Public health says the household can be extended to include caregivers for any of those people, plus any parent, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild of those people who requires support, along with any one additional person who lives alone at another address who requires support.
All businesses may remain open for regular operations but must follow measures listed under the mandatory order. This includes businesses that are not required to see proof of vaccination, such as hair salons, retail and grocery stores, and those that are required to request proof of vaccination, such as restaurants and entertainment venues. Children under 12 accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult will also be admitted.
COVID-19 CASE DATA
New Brunswick has had 5,160 cumulative cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
In total, 4,123 people have recovered and 74 people have died in the province from COVID-19.
Public health says a total of 489,917 COVID-19 tests have been processed since the start of the pandemic.
The number of cases are broken down by New Brunswick’s seven health zones:
Zone 1 – Moncton region: 1,445 confirmed cases (351 active cases)
Zone 2 – Saint John region: 476 confirmed cases (70 active cases)
Zone 3 – Fredericton region: 1,112 confirmed cases (215 active cases)
Zone 4 – Edmundston region: 1,233 confirmed cases (154 active case)
Zone 5 – Campbellton region: 506 confirmed cases (90 active cases)
Zone 6 – Bathurst region: 260 confirmed cases (50 active cases)
Zone 7 – Miramichi region: 128 confirmed cases (32 active cases)
Nineteen new cases were reported in the Moncton region (Zone 1) involving:
five people age 19 and under
two people in their 20s
two people in their 30s
four people in their 40s
two people in their 50s
one person in their 60s
one person in their 70s
one person in their 80s
one person age 90 and over
Thirteen cases are under investigation and six are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
Ten new cases were reported in the Saint John region (Zone 2) involving:
two people age 19 and under
two people in their 20s
two people in their 30s
two people in their 50s
two people in their 60s
Seven cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and three are under investigation.
Thirteen new cases were reported in the Fredericton region (Zone 3) involving:
three people age 19 and under
one person in their 20s
one person in their 40s
three people in their 50s
three people in their 60s
one person in their 70s
one person in their 80s
Eleven cases are under investigation and two are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
Eight new cases were reported in the Edmundston region (Zone 4) involving:
two people age 19 and under
one person in their 20s
one person in their 30s
four people in their 50s
Four cases are under investigation and four are contacts of previously confirmed cases.
Nineteen new cases were reported in the Campbellton region (Zone 5) involving:
four people age 19 and under
four people in their 20s
four people in their 30s
one person in their 40s
three people in their 50s
three people in their 60s
Fourteen cases are contacts of previously confirmed cases and five are under investigation.
Two new cases were reported in the Bathurst region (Zone 6), involving one person age 19 and under, and one person in their 40s. One case is under investigation and the other is a contact of a previously confirmed case.
VACCINE UPDATE
As of Sunday, 81.4 per cent of New Brunswickers age 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 90.6 per cent have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
In total, 1,197,985 vaccine doses have been administered in New Brunswick.
All eligible New Brunswickers can book their second dose appointments now for a date that is at least 28 days after their first dose.
POTENTIAL PUBLIC EXPOSURES
A full list of potential COVID-19 exposure notifications in New Brunswick can be found on the province’s website.
Anyone with symptoms of the virus, as well as anyone who has been at the site of a possible public exposure, is urged to request a test online or call Tele-Care at 811 to get an appointment.
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.
