Canada Bread Company Ltd. was fined $50 million by the Ontario Superior Court after pleading guilty for its role in a criminal price-fixing arrangement that raised the wholesale price of fresh commercial bread. The fine is the highest price-fixing fine imposed by a Canadian court to date. The full release is available online. Contact media-cb-bc@cb-bc.gc.ca.
The Competition Bureau, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada established the the Canadian Digital Regulators Forum to exchange best practices, conduct research, and collaborate on matters of common interest, such as artificial intelligence and data portability. The full release is available online. Contact media-cb-bc@cb-bc.gc.ca.
The Competition Bureau has entered into a consent agreement with Superior Plus Corp. to address competition concerns with its acquisition of Certarus Ltd. To resolve the bureau’s concerns, Superior has agreed to sell eight propane distribution hubs in Northern Ontario, including customer contracts and associated operating assets at each hub. The sale will be made to … Read more
The Competition Bureau published its wage-fixing and no-poaching enforcement guidelines. The guidelines provide businesses transparency and clarity on the Bureau’s enforcement approach to the new criminal provisions coming into force on June 23, 2023. The full release is available online. contact media-cb-bc@cb-bc.gc.ca.
The Competition Bureau presented its submission to Health Canada and the Expert Panel in response to their legislative review of the Cannabis Act. The Bureau makes the following three evidence-based recommendations to promote a more competitive legal industry: Review the cannabis licensing process and related regulatory compliance costs to ensure policies are minimally intrusive to competition, where possible. Review … Read more
The Competition Bureau is taking legal action against Cineplex for advertising movie tickets at a lower price than what many consumers actually have to pay. The bureau alleges that Cineplex is breaking the law by adding an additional fee that raises the price of its tickets purchased online. A bureau investigation found that many consumers … Read more
Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell issued a statement: “Today, many of Canada’s biggest businesses are the direct descendants of early monopolies in transportation, telecommunications and banking. Canadians are seeing the impact of increasingly concentrated sectors dominated by giant corporations […] The government of Canada has rightfully taken notice, and is taking action. It introduced initial improvements … Read more
The Competition Bureau has issued a request for information (RFI) to help gather facts about Royal Bank of Canada’s proposed acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada. The RFI – which highlights the areas of interest to the Bureau – invites market participants and Canadians to submit relevant information to assist the Bureau with its investigation. The Bureau encourages all … Read more
The Competition Bureau published its 2023-2024 Annual Plan: Driving competition forward for all Canadians. The full release is available online. Contact media-cb-bc@cb-bc.gc.ca.
The Competition Bureau announced that the filing fee for merger reviews is set to increase from $77,452.36 to $82,719.12 as a result of an annual adjustment set out in the Service Fees Act. The new filing fee comes into effect April 1, 2023. The full release is available online. Contact ic.media-cb-bc.ic@canada.ca.
