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New Brunswickers driving to Maine for cheap gas

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The tradition of Canadians crossing the border to buy cheap gas is hardly new, but new carbon regulations have made the price discrepancy even wider.

An increase of 8.9 cents a litre to a maximum price of 174.1 per litre for regular self serve in New Brunswick overnight didn’t go unnoticed by Canadian drivers at Calais, Maine, gas stations on Friday, where fuel cost considerably less.

One Calais gas station was selling regular unleaded gasoline for $1.25 a litre Canadian.

Several New Brunswickers fuelling up in Calais told CTV News they would’ve been getting gas stateside on Friday regardless of any price change or new clean fuel regulations coming into effect.

“As long as I’m living here, I’ll always come over for gas,” said St. Stephen resident Candy Scott, at a Calais gas pump on Friday. “It’s always much cheaper.”

St. Stephen resident June Kinney said the new carbon regulations would only encourage her to fill her vehicle up at Calais gas stations each and every time.

“You got to stick to your budget and save where you can,” said Kinney. “Getting gas over here is one of those ways.”

Dan McTeague, president of Canadians for Affordable Energy, said the growing price gap along the New Brunswick-Maine border would likely prompt more people from non-border areas to think about the worthiness of a specific trip for fuel.

“The price last week was a difference of about 20 cents a litre, and it’s now about 40 cents a litre,” said McTeague. “That’s probably going to incentivize a lot of people to go fill up (in Maine). And it won’t be a one day affair. It looks like this is going to be a long term issue.”

“I think it’s pretty clear that if you’re going to save as much money as you can, you may also be going to the U.S. to buy other products that may also be cheaper.”

Mark Chase lives about 20 minutes away from the St. Stephen-Calais border, and said making a special U.S. trip for gas wasn’t something he had ever considered until recently.

“With the price difference, it’s worth it, simple,” said Chase. “It’s only a short drive and it’s a good way to save money.”

Michael Haley travelled from New Brunswick to Maine on Friday for a road trip. Haley wasn’t sure if travelling to the states for cheaper fuel would become a regular occurrence, but certainly planned to fill his vehicle up before heading home.

“I’d be daft not to,” he said.

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Roots sees room for expansion in activewear, reports $5.2M Q2 loss and sales drop

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TORONTO – Roots Corp. may have built its brand on all things comfy and cosy, but its CEO says activewear is now “really becoming a core part” of the brand.

The category, which at Roots spans leggings, tracksuits, sports bras and bike shorts, has seen such sustained double-digit growth that Meghan Roach plans to make it a key part of the business’ future.

“It’s an area … you will see us continue to expand upon,” she told analysts on a Friday call.

The Toronto-based retailer’s push into activewear has taken shape over many years and included several turns as the official designer and supplier of Team Canada’s Olympic uniform.

But consumers have had plenty of choice when it comes to workout gear and other apparel suited to their sporting needs. On top of the slew of athletic brands like Nike and Adidas, shoppers have also gravitated toward Lululemon Athletica Inc., Alo and Vuori, ramping up competition in the activewear category.

Roach feels Roots’ toehold in the category stems from the fit, feel and following its merchandise has cultivated.

“Our product really resonates with (shoppers) because you can wear it through multiple different use cases and occasions,” she said.

“We’ve been seeing customers come back again and again for some of these core products in our activewear collection.”

Her remarks came the same day as Roots revealed it lost $5.2 million in its latest quarter compared with a loss of $5.3 million in the same quarter last year.

The company said the second-quarter loss amounted to 13 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 3, the same as a year earlier.

In presenting the results, Roach reminded analysts that the first half of the year is usually “seasonally small,” representing just 30 per cent of the company’s annual sales.

Sales for the second quarter totalled $47.7 million, down from $49.4 million in the same quarter last year.

The move lower came as direct-to-consumer sales amounted to $36.4 million, down from $37.1 million a year earlier, as comparable sales edged down 0.2 per cent.

The numbers reflect the fact that Roots continued to grapple with inventory challenges in the company’s Cooper fleece line that first cropped up in its previous quarter.

Roots recently began to use artificial intelligence to assist with daily inventory replenishments and said more tools helping with allocation will go live in the next quarter.

Beyond that time period, the company intends to keep exploring AI and renovate more of its stores.

It will also re-evaluate its design ranks.

Roots announced Friday that chief product officer Karuna Scheinfeld has stepped down.

Rather than fill the role, the company plans to hire senior level design talent with international experience in the outdoor and activewear sectors who will take on tasks previously done by the chief product officer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ROOT)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Talks on today over HandyDART strike affecting vulnerable people in Metro Vancouver

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, are set to resume today as a strike that has stopped most services drags into a second week.

No timeline has been set for the length of the negotiations, but Joe McCann, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they are willing to stay there as long as it takes, even if talks drag on all night.

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people unable to navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last Tuesday, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

Hundreds of drivers rallied outside TransLink’s head office earlier this week, calling for the transportation provider to intervene in the dispute with Transdev, which was contracted to oversee HandyDART service.

Transdev said earlier this week that it will provide a reply to the union’s latest proposal on Thursday.

A statement from the company said it “strongly believes” that their employees deserve fair wages, and that a fair contract “must balance the needs of their employees, clients and taxpayers.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Transat AT reports $39.9M Q3 loss compared with $57.3M profit a year earlier

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MONTREAL – Travel company Transat AT Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year earlier as its revenue edged lower.

The parent company of Air Transat says it lost $39.9 million or $1.03 per diluted share in its quarter ended July 31.

The result compared with a profit of $57.3 million or $1.49 per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue in what was the company’s third quarter totalled $736.2 million, down from $746.3 million in the same quarter last year.

On an adjusted basis, Transat says it lost $1.10 per share in its latest quarter compared with an adjusted profit of $1.10 per share a year earlier.

Transat chief executive Annick Guérard says demand for leisure travel remains healthy, as evidenced by higher traffic, but consumers are increasingly price conscious given the current economic uncertainty.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:TRZ)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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