London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
The retailer now says personal data may have been compromised in the incident, marking a reversal from a previous statement indicating the company had no reason to believe any such personal information had been breached.
As the company entered the third day of store closures Tuesday, it released a statement saying investigators are "currently assessing the extent to which any data has been compromised in the incident," which forced the closure of all store locations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba over the weekend.
"In the event our investigation determines that personal information was impacted, we will notify affected individuals in accordance with privacy laws," the statement said.
When will London Drugs reopen?
London Drugs says it has temporarily disabled its telephone lines as part of its internal investigation into the attack, noting the phones will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so.
Pharmacy staff will remain at London Drugs locations to assist those customers with urgent medical needs, according to the company.
"We advise customers to visit their local store in-person during regular business hours for immediate support and until the phone lines are back in service," the statement said.
London Drugs president and chief operating officer Clint Mahlman called the closure a "very difficult time" for the company, saying in the statement that staff are "working around the clock to have all stores fully operational" when possible.
London Drugs has more than 80 stores across Western Canada. As of yet, the B.C.-based retailer has provided no timeline for when its stores may reopen.
The Canadian economy grew a modest 0.2 per cent in February, with early estimates for March indicating little change to the GDP, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday.
The February figures were a tick lower than analysts expected. The economy had a strong January, growing 0.5 per cent (downwardly revised from 0.6 per cent). That was largely thanks to a rebound in educational services after public sector strikes ended in Quebec.
"The start of 2024 looks eerily similar to 2023, when the economy started the year with a bang, only to stall after [the first quarter]," wrote BMO economist Benjamin Reitzes in a note.
The loss of momentum puts additional pressure on the Bank of Canada to start cutting interest rates in June, though a move on the central bank's part still largely depends on whether inflation continues to cool, Reitzes wrote.
WATCH | Canada's headline inflation ticked up to 2.9 per cent in March:
Canada's inflation rate ticks up to 2.9% in March
14 days ago
Duration 1:32
The consumer price index shows inflation was at 2.9% in March compared to the year before, a slight increase compared to February. Statistics Canada said gasoline prices, mortgage interest costs and rent contributed to the increased inflation rate.
StatsCan estimated that the economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.5 per cent in the first quarter.
Gains in transportation and warehousing
The economic expansion in February came as services-producing industries increased 0.2 per cent, helped by gains in transportation and warehousing.
Transportation and warehousing grew 1.4 per cent, a pace that the data agency said was the largest monthly growth rate since January 2023.
Rail transportation also contributed significantly to that sector's growth in February, eking out a 5.5 per cent gain as it rebounded from a January cold snap.
Meanwhile, air transportation grew 4.8 per cent as demand for international travel rose, with airlines adding more flights to Asia in the lead-up to the Lunar New Year — and pipeline transportation rose 1.6 per cent, offsetting January's decline.
Goods-producing industries were essentially unchanged as the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector grew and the utilities and manufacturing sectors contracted, according to StatsCan.
The public sector grew at a slower pace in February (0.2 per cent) after a 1.9 per cent increase the previous month.
Overall, the agency recorded growth in 12 out of 20 sectors.
London Drugs stores in Western Canada will remain temporarily closed until further notice.
The company announced the closures Monday, after what is called a “cybersecurity incident”.
In an updated news release Tuesday morning, London Drugs says it is working with third-party cybersecurity experts to bring operations back online in a safe and secure manner.
Investigators are trying to determine what, if any, data has been compromised. The company adds that in the event the investigation determines that personal information was impacted, it will notify those affect in accordance with privacy laws.
“Recognizing the impact these closures have had on our customers and employees across Western Canada, it remains our priority to continue working around the clock to have all stores fully operational,” says Clint Mahlman, COO and president, London Drugs. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and support during this very difficult time and will provide updates as available.”
As part of the investigation, phone lines have also been temporarily taken down.
In the interim, pharmacy staff are on-site at all London Drugs locations to support customers with urgent pharmacy needs. "We advise customers to visit their local store in-person during regular business hours for immediate support and until the phone lines are back in service,” says the news release.
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product rose 0.2 per cent in February.
The growth followed a 0.5 per cent gain in January.
Looking ahead, Statistics Canada says its advance estimate for March indicated that real GDP was essentially unchanged for the month.
The economic expansion in February came as services-producing industries increased 0.2 per cent helped by gains in transportation and warehousing.
Statistics Canada says goods-producing industries were essentially unchanged as the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector grew and the utilities and manufacturing sectors contracted.
Overall, 12 of 20 sectors increased in February.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.
But the pilot project didn't quite catch on. Walmart tells CBC News that, currently, there's just one such location across Canada and the U.S. — in Sainte-Agathe-des-monts, a small town in Quebec.
Meanwhile, over the past eight months, the retail giant has removed all its self-checkout machines at six U.S. locations, joining several other big box chains that have ditched the machines in certain stores, including, recently, a Giant Tiger in Stratford, Ont.
It's a surprising shift in the predicted trajectory — instead of the all-self-checkout store becoming the norm, some retail outlets are returning to the traditional, all-cashier format.
"Stores anticipated that this technology would allow them to significantly reduce labour costs,"said Christopher Andrews, a sociologist and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy.
Instead of cutting costs, some stores discovered that self-checkout actually hurt their bottom line, largely due to theft, says Andrews.
"I think they're just losing so much [money] that it just becomes an economic liability."
Back in 2020, this Walmart Superstore in Fayetteville, Ark., piloted a cashierless format with 34 self-checkouts. (U.S. Walmart)
Machines need attendants
Two weeks ago, franchise owner Scott Savage removed the four self-checkout machines at his Giant Tiger discount store in Stratford, some 90 kilometres west of Hamilton.
He says, rather than theft, he made the change because many of his customers are seniors who dislike using the machines.
"The biggest complaint you have from everybody is, 'You don't pay me to work here,'" said Savage. "They would line up at my regular registers, and they would just prefer that service."
At least six Canadian Tire locations in Ontario have also scrapped self-checkout. Two of the stores' franchise owners, one in North Bay and one in Toronto, told CBC News they made the move because they felt it improved customer service.
Two weeks ago, franchise owner Scott Savage removed the four self-serve machines at his Giant Tiger in Stratford, Ont. He said rather than theft, customer feedback was the main reason for the change. (Jon Castell/CBC)
But Andrews says, along with theft, staffing requirements are often the main reasons why retailers abandon self-checkout. The machines require attendants to help customers — while also watching for thieves.
"What they found was that actually they couldn't eliminate a lot of the cashiers, because they needed the cashiers there, in part, to deter shoplifting," said Andrews, an associate professor at Drew University in Madison, N.J.
Self-checkout theft has more stores asking for receipts
10 months ago
Duration 2:03
Self-checkout theft is a growing problem for many Canadian stores, and some have started checking shoppers’ receipts to try and prevent it — despite backlash from customers.
The Retail Council of Canada says, in speaking with its members, it has assessed that self-checkout theft is on the rise.
"People love the self checkout, but at the same time, if there is no control, we've seen that theft has grown," said the council's CEO, Diane Brisebois.
She says she's told some of the culprits are organized gangs of thieves who neglect to scan pricey items.
"It could very well be three very expensive bottles of face cream, it can be specialized baby formula," Brisebois said. "They target merchandise that they know has high value on the street."
Diane Brisebois, CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, says that theft has risen in stores where there are no controls in place at self-checkout. (Mark Bochsler/CBC)
'Shrinkage' costs money
Earlier this month, CBC News asked Walmart if theft was a factor in ditching self-checkout from certain stores. A spokesperson said the chain considers "several factors."
But in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America last week, Walmart's CEO admitted that the retailer removed the machines from locations with the highest rates of disappearing merchandise (known as "shrink" in the industry).
"There are a few stores where we've made the decision that they'll come out of," said Doug McMillon. "We want to make sure that the checkout process is accurate. Retail shrinkage is a cost. So enabling us to lower that cost, we can keep prices down."
Major U.S. dollar store retailers, Dollar Tree and Five Below, also recently announced they were eliminating self-checkout in stores with the highest rates of disappearing merchandise.
"Although adoption rates for self-checkout have been high, we believe there is truly no substitute for an employee presence," said Dollar Tree's CEO Todd Vasos during an earnings call in March.
He said the retailer was removing the machines in 300 stores and scaling them back in thousands of others.
"We believe these actions have the potential to have a material and positive impact on shrink," said Vasos.
Leslie Clayton-Winget, who shops at Giant Tiger in Stratford, Ont., says she prefer interacting with a cashier rather than dealing with self-checkout. (Jon Castell/CBC News)
Back at Giant Tiger in Stratford, several customers told CBC News they were happy the store no longer has self-checkout.
"I like the person-to-person contact," said Leslie Clayton-Winget. "You can't say to a machine, 'Have a good day.'"
Another customer said she fears the technology will eliminate jobs. "I'd rather see the people stay employed than [me] doing self-checkout," said Angela Weber.
So what does the future hold for self-checkout? Andrews predicts retailers will continue to search for solutions that will help them iron out the kinks.
But he warns that any new strategy could also have drawbacks.
"I think we'll continue to see them experiment," he said. "But I think we'll also continue to see these sort of unanticipated consequences."
But the pilot project didn't quite catch on. Walmart tells CBC News that, currently, there's just one such location across Canada and the U.S. — in Sainte-Agathe-des-monts, a small town in Quebec.
Meanwhile, over the past eight months, the retail giant has removed all its self-checkout machines at six U.S. locations, joining several other big box chains that have ditched the machines in certain stores, including, recently, a Giant Tiger in Stratford, Ont.
It's a surprising shift in the predicted trajectory — instead of the all-self-checkout store becoming the norm, some retail outlets are returning to the traditional, all-cashier format.
"Stores anticipated that this technology would allow them to significantly reduce labour costs,"said Christopher Andrews, a sociologist and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy.
Instead of cutting costs, some stores discovered that self-checkout actually hurt their bottom line, largely due to theft, says Andrews.
"I think they're just losing so much [money] that it just becomes an economic liability."
Back in 2020, this Walmart Superstore in Fayetteville, Ark., piloted a cashierless format with 34 self-checkouts. (U.S. Walmart)
Machines need attendants
Two weeks ago, franchise owner Scott Savage removed the four self-checkout machines at his Giant Tiger discount store in Stratford, some 90 kilometres west of Hamilton.
He says, rather than theft, he made the change because many of his customers are seniors who dislike using the machines.
"The biggest complaint you have from everybody is, 'You don't pay me to work here,'" said Savage. "They would line up at my regular registers, and they would just prefer that service."
At least six Canadian Tire locations in Ontario have also scrapped self-checkout. Two of the stores' franchise owners, one in North Bay and one in Toronto, told CBC News they made the move because they felt it improved customer service.
Two weeks ago, franchise owner Scott Savage removed the four self-serve machines at his Giant Tiger in Stratford, Ont. He said rather than theft, customer feedback was the main reason for the change. (Jon Castell/CBC)
But Andrews says, along with theft, staffing requirements are often the main reasons why retailers abandon self-checkout. The machines require attendants to help customers — while also watching for thieves.
"What they found was that actually they couldn't eliminate a lot of the cashiers, because they needed the cashiers there, in part, to deter shoplifting," said Andrews, an associate professor at Drew University in Madison, N.J.
Self-checkout theft has more stores asking for receipts
10 months ago
Duration 2:03
Self-checkout theft is a growing problem for many Canadian stores, and some have started checking shoppers’ receipts to try and prevent it — despite backlash from customers.
The Retail Council of Canada says, in speaking with its members, it has assessed that self-checkout theft is on the rise.
"People love the self checkout, but at the same time, if there is no control, we've seen that theft has grown," said the council's CEO, Diane Brisebois.
She says she's told some of the culprits are organized gangs of thieves who neglect to scan pricey items.
"It could very well be three very expensive bottles of face cream, it can be specialized baby formula," Brisebois said. "They target merchandise that they know has high value on the street."
Diane Brisebois, CEO of the Retail Council of Canada, says that theft has risen in stores where there are no controls in place at self-checkout. (Mark Bochsler/CBC)
'Shrinkage' costs money
Earlier this month, CBC News asked Walmart if theft was a factor in ditching self-checkout from certain stores. A spokesperson said the chain considers "several factors."
But in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America last week, Walmart's CEO admitted that the retailer removed the machines from locations with the highest rates of disappearing merchandise (known as "shrink" in the industry).
"There are a few stores where we've made the decision that they'll come out of," said Doug McMillon. "We want to make sure that the checkout process is accurate. Retail shrinkage is a cost. So enabling us to lower that cost, we can keep prices down."
Major U.S. dollar store retailers, Dollar Tree and Below Five, also recently announced they were eliminating self-checkout in stores with the highest rates of disappearing merchandise.
"Although adoption rates for self-checkout have been high, we believe there is truly no substitute for an employee presence," said Dollar Tree's CEO Todd Vasos during an earnings call in March.
He said the retailer was removing the machines in 300 stores and scaling them back in thousands of others.
"We believe these actions have the potential to have a material and positive impact on shrink," said Vasos.
Leslie Clayton-Winget, who shops at Giant Tiger in Stratford, Ont., says she prefer interacting with a cashier rather than dealing with self-checkout. (Jon Castell/CBC News)
Back at Giant Tiger in Stratford, several customers told CBC News they were happy the store no longer has self-checkout.
"I like the person-to-person contact," said Leslie Clayton-Winget. "You can't say to a machine, 'Have a good day.'"
Another customer said she fears the technology will eliminate jobs. "I'd rather see the people stay employed than [me] doing self-checkout," said Angela Weber.
So what does the future hold for self-checkout? Andrews predicts retailers will continue to search for solutions that will help them iron out the kinks.
But he warns that any new strategy could also have drawbacks.
"I think we'll continue to see them experiment," he said. "But I think we'll also continue to see these sort of unanticipated consequences."
Dozens of London Drugs stores across Western Canada remained closed Monday following what the company described as a "cybersecurity incident" over the weekend.
The company abruptly closed all 78 locations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba after detecting the cyberattack on Sunday.
London Drugs cited an "abundance of caution" for the decision to shutter stores on Sunday, and provided a statement reiterating that reason for the ongoing closures on Monday morning.
"At this time, we have no reason to believe that customer or employee data has been impacted," the company wrote.
A public relations firm representing the pharmacy and retail chain could not provide any further information on the cyberattack, or give an estimated timeline for reopening.
London Drugs has promised pharmacists will continue working throughout the closures to help customers with urgent needs, and recommended that customers "phone their local store's pharmacy to make arrangements."
CTV News was unable to reach anyone at two Vancouver London Drugs locations that were scheduled to open at 8 a.m. Monday, but an employee on the company's toll-free customer service line suggested workers would be waiting by store entrances to allow people inside to access pharmacy services.
The company's automated prescription request system was also unavailable as of Monday morning.
No details on the nature of the cyberattack have been shared with the public, but the statement from London Drugs described the company as a "victim" of an undisclosed incident.
"Upon discovering the incident, London Drugs immediately undertook countermeasures to protect its network and data, including retaining leading third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, remediation and to conduct a forensic investigation," the statement added.
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused and we want to assure you that this incident is the utmost priority for us at London Drugs."
London Drugs has experienced an operational issue that has led to stores across Western Canada being closed until further notice. Pharmacists are standing by to support with urgent pharmacy needs. We advise customers to phone their local store's pharmacy to make arrangements.
A London Drugs store is shown In Vancouver on Wednesday Oct. 18, 2023. Retail and pharmacy chain London Drugs says in a post on social media that it has closed all of its stores in Western Canada temporarily due to what it called an "operational issue." THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nono Shen
Retail and pharmacy chain London Drugs has closed all of its stores in Western Canada temporarily due to what is says was a "cybersecurity incident".
The company says the store closures were done out of an abundance of caution.
“On April 28, 2024, London Drugs discovered that it was the victim of a cybersecurity incident. Out of an abundance of caution, London Drugs is closing all stores across Western Canada until further notice.
"Upon discovering the incident, London Drugs immediately undertook countermeasures to protect its network and data, including retaining leading third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, remediation and to conduct a forensic investigation," read an email statement from the retailer.
London Drugs adds that at this time, it has no reason to believe that customer or employee data has been impacted.
During the closure, pharmacists will be able to help with urgent needs. In those cases, it suggests customers call their local store's pharmacy and make the necessary arrangements.
London Drugs has more than 80 stores across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and B.C.
London Drugs stores across Western Canada have closed until further notice due to a “cybersecurity incident.”
According to the company, the incident was discovered on Sunday morning and all retail outlets were closed.
“London Drugs immediately undertook countermeasures to protect its network and data, including retaining leading third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, remediation and to conduct a forensic investigation,” a company statement read.
An employee outside a store in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood of Vancouver told arriving customers that all the computers were down at that location, though some appeared to be allowed in to pick up prescriptions.
The online store at londondrugs.com appeared to be fully operational as of Sunday afternoon.
The company said that it did not believe any data related to customers or employees had been impacted.
Pharmacists are still handling emergency prescription fills and customers can call branches.
The B.C.-based company has 80 stores employing more than 8,000 people from Manitoba to Vancouver Island.
London Drugs stores across Western Canada are closed until further notice due to an “operational issue” Sunday.
London Drugs has experienced an operational issue that has led to stores across Western Canada being closed until further notice. Pharmacists are standing by to support with urgent pharmacy needs. We advise customers to phone their local store's pharmacy to make arrangements.
The Canadian retail and pharmacy chain didn’t elaborate further, but says pharmacists are able to help with “urgent pharmacy needs.”
Customers are asked to call their local pharmacy to make arrangements.
A photo from the entrance of the London Drugs at Broadway and Cambie in Vancouver says the store is down due to a system error, and the store is unable to process transactions of any kind.
A sign at the entrance of a London Drugs in Broadway and Cambie in Vancouver on Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Cole Schisler, CityNews image)
“We currently have no ETA, however, IT is working hard to resolve the issue,” the sign reads.
There are 52 stores in B.C., 21 stores in Alberta, five in Saskatchewan, and one in Manitoba.
It’s unclear how many of the 79 stores are affected.
CityNews has reached out to London Drugs for more information.
The world’s largest mining company has a problem. Australia’s BHP has set out its intention to snap up the rival miner Anglo American in a multibillion-pound deal that would reshape the global industry. Its proposed £31bn takeover plan has already been rebuffed as a lowball offer that undervalues the company. But Anglo’s deep roots in South Africa could be a far more sensitive issue to address.
Africa’s most advanced economy was built on mining. For more than 150 years since the first discovery of diamonds, gold and coal, the industry has remained South Africa’s economic lifeblood. Today it is the world’s fifth largest producer of coal and diamonds and the 10th largest producer of gold.
As a result, Anglo American has held a role at the centre of South Africa’s fortunes, affording the company enormous soft power in the country’s economic and political development. In return, South Africa’s government is Anglo’s largest shareholder, with a 7% stake held via its Public Investment Corporation. A takeover would in effect strip South Africa of a 100-year bond with one of the world’s biggest companies.
“Nobody here views this deal favourably,” said James Lorimer, the shadow minister for mining and natural resources. “Anglo American’s business here was once the jewel in the crown of South Africa’s economy. Under this deal it could be sold off for parts from someone else’s company.”
BHP has made clear that its interest lies in copper. Anglo American’s vast copper reserves in Chile and Peru would make BHP the world’s largest producer of copper at a time when it has never been more profitable.
It is in the extraction of copper – a vital building block in the development of renewable energy projects and electric vehicles – that the mining industry can see a clear path ahead into a low-carbon future.
By contrast, South Africa’s assets are considered a risk rather than a reward. BHP plans to exclude shares in Anglo’s Kumba Iron Ore and its Amplats platinum businesses to reduce its exposure to the South African market, which it exited in 2015 by spinning out the mining company South32. Its subsidiary De Beers, the world’s largest diamond miner, has revealed a slump in production as luxury spending slips and lab-grown diamond alternatives begin to erode its market share.
BHP’s reluctance to forge fresh ties with South Africa appears mutual, if comments made by Gwede Mantashe, the country’s mining minister, are anything to go by. Mantashe, an ANC veteran and former trade union leader, told the Financial Times that he was opposed to the deal because South Africa’s previous experience with BHP was “not positive”. The company “never did much for South Africa”, he said.
Anglo occupies a unique position within the country: it was built on the backs of cheap black labour during decades of institutionalised racial oppression, but its founders also acted as a driving force behind the dismantling of the apartheid state.
Today it uses its considerable lobbying power to urge the government to overhaul its floundering public services, for example by pushing for investment to put an end to rolling electricity blackouts, in an attempt to salvage the country’s economic growth. It has spent more than $6bn (£4.8bn) in the country in the past five years, including investments in South Africa’s underfunded education system – De Beers has for decades sponsored students through university scholarships.
“So many of us have grown up with the idea of ‘rapacious’ mining companies,” Lorimer said. “But in many ways these large listed companies make for better corporate citizens. As big international companies leave South Africa, we run the risk of attracting piratical players who are after profit and not much else.”
Anglo was founded in 1917 by Ernest Oppenheimer, a German immigrant to London who first moved to Johannesburg at the turn of the century as a young diamond broker. He used £1m from UK and US investors to establish Anglo American and within 40 years it was the world’s largest producer of gold, while its twin, De Beers, commanded 90% of the world’s diamond trade.
At the height of Anglo’s industrial power the business magnate also played a role in nudging South Africa’s apartheid government towards constitutional reform. Shortly before his death he offered discreet financial backing to the 156 anti-apartheid activists, including Nelson Mandela, who faced South Africa’s 1956 Treason Trials.
His son, Harry Oppenheimer, assumed leadership of the company and took up his father’s brand of pragmatic liberalism in the late 1950s. He backed proposals for constitutional reform that would water down the ruling National party’s agenda of racial oppression – but he stopped short of supporting the ANC-led liberation movement’s calls for universal franchise.
Still, the company was “indelibly connected” to South Africa’s political reformation, according to Michael Cardo, the author of a biography of Harry Oppenheimer and South Africa’s former shadow minister of employment until his resignation from politics in February.
“Anglo is enmeshed with the history of South Africa in the 20th century – its industrial-economic development as well as its political evolution from a white supremacist state to a non-racial democracy,” he said.
“It would be a matter of some consequence if this deal went through. It would be a significant loss for South Africa which could diminish its status as a major mining player on the world stage. It would speak to the state of South Africa today. The government could well see this deal as a massive blow to the dignity and self-worth of the country. It’s politically significant and speaks to South Africa’s status on the world stage.”
With South Africa just weeks away from what is expected to be the closest democratic election in its history, the loss would be keenly political, too. Lorimer, who is part of the Democratic Alliance, said the deal exemplified the collapse of the economy under the ANC. “We used to have a world-leading mining industry, but now nobody wants to invest here,” he said.
Whether they know it yet or not, one lucky lottery player in Canada just became an overnight millionaire.
The Lotto 6/49 draw took place on Saturday, April 27, with a $38 million Gold Ball jackpot. No one won the top prize, but someone will take home the $1 million White Ball prize after matching the number 30114405-01. According to PlayNow, the ticket was purchased in Western Canada.
The winning numbers in the Classic Draw for the $5 million prize were 03, 06, 18, 26, 36, 42, and bonus number 17, but no one won this time. However, two people will split the Classic Draw second prize after matching five of the six numbers and the bonus number, and each one will receive $101,454.10. The tickets were sold in Western Canada and Burnaby, BC.
The Lotto 6/49 Extra winning numbers were 33, 37, 54, and 89, but no one won the $500,000 prize. Similarly, no one matched the Encore number, winning 3914487 for the $1 million prize.
The next Lotto 6/49 draw is set for Wednesday, May 1, and the jackpot is now at $40 million.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.
Canadian consumers fed up with the high cost of groceries are gearing up to send a message with their wallets. A planned boycott of Loblaw and its affiliated stores is gaining traction, while a petition calling for an investigation into the company for alleged profiteering is nearing 100,000 signatures. Abigail Bimman reports on the frustration and the planned action.
Grocery prices have skyrocketed throughout the country, and now people are turning to alternative grocery stores to protest the price hikes.
A crowdsourced platform, Altgrocery.ca, has rounded up alternative grocery stores in BC where people can buy their food from local vendors.
The platform hopes to facilitate “the discovery of independent grocers, bakeries, country markets, international stores, and local farmers’ markets in Canada.”
It lists local stores on an interactive map throughout the province, including places in Vancouver, Victoria, and Powell River. Some of the 193 locations listed include Persia Foods Ethnic Markets, Kim’s Mart, Fruiticana, and more.
altgrocery.ca
Many people are turning to local stores such as the ones listed amid the increasing cost of groceries. In particular, a mass group has formed on Reddit to boycott Loblaws this May.
The subreddit, Loblaws is Out of Control, is protesting the chain store because of customers’ frustration at the continuous price hikes. Over 53,000 members are involved in the online community and are gearing up for a month-long boycott of the store.
“Seeing groceries — an essential that nobody can avoid paying for — rise beyond the rate of inflation is really upsetting a lot of people,” the creator of the subreddit told Daily Hive in March.
“Because Loblaw is one of the most prolific grocers in the country, many people have placed most of that frustration onto Loblaws.”
The page has instead encouraged people to participate in “Local Grocer Day,” which will focus on supporting and buying from the local vendors within the community.
A new study finds that one in five Canadians believe they have fallen ill as a result of eating unsafe food because they didn’t want to throw it out.
More than half of 9,000 people surveyed by Dalhousie’s Agri-Food Analytics Lab say they are willing to eat food that was close to or past its best-before date.
“Fifty-eight per cent are actually more enticed to eat a product that is close or past its best-before date, more so than last year, as a result of higher food prices,” Sylvain Charlebois, the director of the analytics lab tells CityNews. “That’s certainly one number that surprised us. It’s much higher than expected.”
It’s important to remember that a best-before date isn’t an expiry date. Food past the best-before date can still be edible but won’t necessarily keep freshness, taste or nutritional value. But Charlebois says it’s still a risk, one that more Canadians are taking. He says a positive take might be that Canadians are producing less food waste, but given the affordability crisis, it reflects that some people don’t have money for fresher food.
“Statistics Canada came out with new numbers this week on retail sales and if you look at food sales per capita, it’s still down at $243 per capita,” says Charlebois. “That’s the lowest it’s been in many, many years.”
Food Banks Canada says they’re not surprised by the study. Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey, which was released Friday, shows a similar situation. Statscan found 23 per cent – or nearly nine million Canadians – lived in food insecure households in 2022, an increase of almost 1.8 million people from the previous year. It marked the second consecutive year of increases since the pandemic began.
Food Banks Canada’s own figures also show sharp increases in food bank usage.
“We are seeing that people are struggling. We’re seeing that through increased visits, we’re seeing that through increased need,” said Richard Matern, the director of research at Food Banks Canada.
“This confirms what we saw a year ago, when food bank usage reached its highest levels. We saw two million visits in a month alone last year and that was the highest we’ve ever seen, which was a 30 per cent increase from a year before, and an almost 80 per cent increase from before the pandemic.”
Justin Trudeau joined federal ministers in calling out Air Canada after the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations was forced to part with her ceremonial headdress case on a flight Wednesday.
At a press conference on Friday, Trudeau called the airline’s treatment of AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak “unacceptable” after it made her take her headdress out of its ceremonial case before storing the case in the baggage compartment in a plastic bag.
The Federal Reserve's cautious approach to interest rate policy over the past year has translated to an ethos of constantly following the data. But with Friday's PCE reading showing that March prices increased more than Wall Street expected, it's likely officials will "wait and see" for yet another batch of economic data.
"When it comes to inflation, the Fed can't catch a break," analysts at Bank of America Global Research said in a note Friday. "At next week's May FOMC meeting, we think the Fed will take a wait-and-see approach to cuts while giving policy more time to work."
The core PCE index, which strips out the cost of food and energy and is closely watched by the Federal Reserve, rose 2.8% over the prior year in March. That was above estimates for 2.7% and unchanged from the annual increase seen in February.
The latest in a string of hotter-than-expected reports has cooled expectations of an imminent rate cut. Fed chair Jerome Powell has emphasized that the central bank won't cut rates until officials are confident of inflation's decline.
Still, some analysts, like many investors, are undeterred by the idea of higher-for-longer interest rates.
"We’re still optimistic on the market, however, as we believe that rate cuts aren’t necessary for the bull market to continue," said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Independent Advisor Alliance, in a note on Friday. "Instead, continued economic expansion and growth in corporate profits – which are already seeing from the largest companies in the market – are what will propel stock prices to new highs.
He added: "Just be aware that volatility around the election, geopolitical events and even future inflation data is likely; it’s not going to be a smooth ride this year."
Canada’s largest airline has apologized to a prominent First Nations chief after her ceremonial headdress was removed from the plane’s cabin, wrapped in a plastic bag and moved to the baggage hold.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the assembly of First Nations, was flying domestically on Wednesday when she said her headdress was taken by airline staff.
“Air Canada needs a protocol for First Peoples so that we are not harassed for our sacred items,” she wrote on Facebook, posting images of staff removing the headdress from the cabin of the plane. “Our headdresses don’t belong in garbage bags by airlines,” she added. “Thank you to the kind Canadians on the plane who stuck up for me and tried to help.”
Air Canada said in a statement it had reached out to Woodhouse Nepinak to “better understand and apologize” for the incident, adding that the company “understands the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance”.
Woodhouse Nepinak, who previous served as regional chief of Manitoba’s Assembly of First Nations, received the headdress during a ceremony by the Blackfoot Confederacy of the Piikani Nation in Alberta.
It was transferred to her in recognition of her national leadership and work on a settlement on Indigenous child welfare, the Assembly of First Nations said in a statement. The AFN added that the eagle feathers that make up her headdress have been “blessed to help support leadership in their travels and challenges”.
Politicians swiftly condemned Air Canada’s actions, with Canada’s former justice minister David Lametti calling the incident “shameful” and “ridiculous”.
“It can’t simply be placed in checked luggage,” he said in statement.
“I have been on numerous flights where larger pieces of ordinary luggage were placed safely in the cabin. Their refusal in this case is simply shocking.”
Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation described the incident as “shameful” and called on the country’s flagship carrier to “ensure all members of your team are aware and follow all protocols on handling sacred items”.
Canada’s largest airline has apologized to a prominent First Nations chief after her ceremonial headdress was removed from the plane’s cabin, wrapped in a plastic bag and moved to the baggage hold.
Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, national chief of the assembly of First Nations, was flying domestically on Wednesday when she said her headdress was taken by airline staff.
“Air Canada needs a protocol for First Peoples so that we are not harassed for our sacred items,” she wrote on Facebook, posting images of staff removing the headdress from the cabin of the plane. “Our headdresses don’t belong in garbage bags by airlines,” she added. “Thank you to the kind Canadians on the plane who stuck up for me and tried to help.”
Air Canada said in a statement it had reached out to Woodhouse Nepinak to “better understand and apologize” for the incident, adding that the company “understands the importance of accommodating customers with items and symbols of sacred cultural significance”.
Woodhouse Nepinak, who previous served as regional chief of Manitoba’s Assembly of First Nations, received the headdress during a ceremony by the Blackfoot Confederacy of the Piikani Nation in Alberta.
It was transferred to her in recognition of her national leadership and work on a settlement on Indigenous child welfare, the Assembly of First Nations said in a statement. The AFN added that the eagle feathers that make up her headdress have been “blessed to help support leadership in their travels and challenges”.
Politicians swiftly condemned Air Canada’s actions, with Canada’s former justice minister David Lametti calling the incident “shameful” and “ridiculous”.
“It can’t simply be placed in checked luggage,” he said in statement.
“I have been on numerous flights where larger pieces of ordinary luggage were placed safely in the cabin. Their refusal in this case is simply shocking.”
Alvin Fiddler, grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation described the incident as “shameful” and called on the country’s flagship carrier to “ensure all members of your team are aware and follow all protocols on handling sacred items”.
Hourly benzene readings as high as 191.3 ug/m3 were detected at noon on April 25, by a real-time air monitor on the First Nation’s northern border. Wind direction indicated the high levels appeared to be connected to a plant shutdown underway at INEOS Styrolution, a chemical manufacturer. The manufacturer is addressing a mechanical issue, it told Global News last week.
Ontario takes action against chemical plant after First Nation members fall ill
The data from the air monitor has not yet been verified. Ontario’s environment ministry has set the annual average limit for benzene at 0.45 ug/m3. The province has not set an hourly limit.
In a press release, Chief Christopher Plain urged any community members who feel unsafe at home “due to the ongoing and excessive discharge” from the facility to contact the band office. An administrator will help members to arrange alternative housing, according to the statement.
On social media late Thursday, many community members expressed concern and confusion as to whether they needed to evacuate.
“While declaring a local state of emergency is a serious measure, Aamjiwnaang is doing so in order to … ensure we have adequate resources at our disposal in the event that further action is required,” according to the notice.
Jada Henry, a resident of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, said she helped a friend on the north side of the community evacuate their home tonight.
Her family is also wrestling with the difficult decision to leave the home she shares with her family, which include her young niece and nine-year old nephew.
“My heart is really hurting for my community,” Henry told Global News. “We’ve considered maybe tomorrow night we should evacuate our home, to keep them safe.”
Residents of Ontario First Nation sickened after high benzene levels detected
The state of emergency followed a community-wide alert from INEOS earlier on Wednesday, warning that there could be “temporary spikes” in benzene levels during some stages of the plant’s shutdown.
“Ensuring the health and safety of our employees and community is paramount,” the company stated in a community alert issued April 20, adding that operations will resume after it addresses the issue.
The company did not specify whether the shutdown is related to spikes in benzene levels detected last week, reaching 115 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic metre) on April 16, according to unverified real-time data. Dozens of the First Nation’s residents reported feeling ill, and an unknown number were hospitalized.
Multiple sources within the First Nation told Global News they were not aware of any planned shutdown scheduled for this month.
Before declaring the state of emergency, the First Nation’s leadership issued alerts to its members earlier on Wednesday afternoon to stay away from the northern border. For the past three weeks, air monitors between the First Nation and the INEOS plant have been detecting spikes as high as 150 ug/m3 per hour.
Ontario health review links Sarnia-area air pollution to increased cancer risk
Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued a provincial order last Thursday against INEOS, giving the chemical manufacturer a week to create a written plan to address the high levels, two weeks to implement new procedures to warn the public about high levels of these toxic emissions, and less than a month to complete an investigation into the apparent source of the chemical leak.
In the order, the province stated that INEOS is a “primary source” of the high benzene levels.
At the federal level, Environment Canada has an open enforcement file related to the INEOS facility under the Environmental Emergencies regulations, Global News has learned.
David R. MacDonald, the operations manager and interim site director for INEOS Styrolution, stated on April 18 that the company was “carefully reviewing” concerns raised by Aamjiwnaang First Nation regarding benzene readings from the INEOS site.
“The site works closely with the (Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks) to ensure we stay within the prescribed emissions limits,” MacDonald wrote in an email.
INEOS did not immediately respond to Global News’ request for comment on the state of emergency, nor did Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment.
Canada’s Toxic Secret: A troubling trend of leaks and spills in the Sarnia area
