Federal subsidies for wages and rent will be extended at current levels until June 5, a move Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said will cost about $16-billion. The 12-week extension had previously been announced but it was not clear until Wednesday whether the size of the subsidies would be maintained. The Minister’s latest cost estimate is in line with a provisional costing that the government released as part of the fall economic update in November.

The minister leading an investigation into the Canadian grocery sector says he is now certain something must be done to ease tensions between the major supermarket chains and their suppliers. The federal, provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture - who meet semi-annually to discuss national food chain issues - launched a working group late last year in response to food producers' outrage over grocers charging higher fees and fines during the pandemic.

With the office vacancy rate in downtown Calgary expected to eclipse 30 per cent in the coming months, the city has a big-time problem on its hands. After much studying and soul searching, can it finally uncover a big-time solution?

The first Costco Business Centre  in Ottawa opened its doors on Thursday,  showing off over 2,000 unique items that you can't find at any plain old regular Costco. The 123,000-square-foot facility at 1900 Cyrville Rd. is the third of its kind  in Canada, although two new locations are scheduled to open in Edmonton and St. Catharines later this year.

Federated Co-operatives Ltd. is eyeing a digital future, even as its 2020 annual report shows surging demand for groceries and home improvement supplies couldn't offset the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the energy industry. The company's annual report, covering the period from November 2019 to October 2020, was released this week.

A COVID-19 outbreak at the Prairie Pride Natural Foods Inc. poultry-processing plant in Saskatoon has drawn calls from the Opposition NDP for the provincial government to deploy rapid testing capacity in response. The president of UFCW Local 1400, which represents plant workers, has also called for deep cleaning of the facility and a slowdown of production.

A pork processing plant in central Alberta has announced it has been given the green light to gradually reopen after a COVID-19 outbreak forced it to shut down for two weeks. The Olymel facility in Red Deer, Alta., shut down Feb. 15 because of the outbreak that claimed three lives and infected 515 employees

MONTREAL ,  Feb. 24, 2021  /CNW/ - Foodtastic Inc. ("Foodtastic") is pleased to announce that it has secured a  $50 million  investment from Restaurant Royalty Partners ("RRP"), a joint venture between funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. ("Oaktree"), majority owned by Brookfield Asset Management Inc.  ( TSX:  BAM.A),  and JHR Capital LLC ("JHR Capital").

The president of a union local representing workers at a Saskatoon chicken processing plant renewed calls for more to be done about a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. Saskatchewan NDP labour critic Carla Beck demanded on Tuesday that the province deploy some of its stockpile of rapid tests to Prairie Pride Natural Foods Inc., where an outbreak was declared Feb. 19.

George Weston Ltd. reported its fourth-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as it was hit by one-time charges. The company, which operates through Loblaw, Choice Properties and Weston Foods, says it earned a profit available to common shareholders of $289 million or $1.88 per diluted share for the quarter ended Dec. 31.

Windsor’s Hiram Walker Distillery was named 2021 Distillery of the Year at the Canadian Whisky Awards. In it’s 11th year, the Canadian Whisky Awards recognize the best Canadian whiskies. Using a blind tasting, judges chose Canada’s oldest whisky, Canadian Club Chronicles, a 43-year-old distilled spirit that sells for $320, as Canadian Whisky of the Year, Connoisseur Whiskey of the Year Domestic Market and Best Blended Whisky.

London restaurant owners say the move Monday to the orange zone of the province’s framework is a lifeline that will help them weather the economic storm brought on by COVID-19. “It’s going to be a huge difference,” Adam Winkler, owner of Winks Eatery on Richmond Row, said Monday. “We can survive now.”

Walmart Inc. just took one step closer to being JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s biggest nightmare. By luring a pair of senior bankers from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. to run its fledgling financial technology startup, the world's largest retailer is gaining even more heft as it seeks to become a one-stop shop for consumers' financial needs. The move struck fear on Wall Street, which has been begging regulators to halt recent efforts by retailers and startups to begin offering core banking products...

Costco (COST) has always led the way in retail when it comes to paying its workers, so it's no shock to see it step on the gas further to widen its competitive edge versus rivals. This week, Costco plans to raise the starting wage to $16 an hour for U.S. workers. The decision was first revealed by Costco CEO Craig Jelinek in testimony to the U.S. Senate Budget Committee last week. Costco raised its starting pay to $15 an hour in 2019. More than half of Costco's hourly workers in the U.S.

Danone said on Sunday it was taking a first step towards selling off its stake in its Chinese dairy partner as the French food group faces pressure from shareholders to improve its performance and governance. Danone said in a statement that following a review of its portfolio it had reached an agreement to convert its indirect stake in China Mengniu Dairy Company Limited into a 9.8% direct holding in the Hong Kong-listed group.

Bars and restaurants may still be limited to take out and delivery only in Toronto but they could be just a few months away from packed patios and a much needed revenue boost. The first registration window for Toronto's CafeTO program opened this morning, providing a glimmer of hope for a sector of the economy that has been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic.

BEIJING — Tim Hortons China has completed a new fundraising round from Sequoia Capital China, Tencent Holdings and Eastern Bell Capital, and plans to add more than 200 shops to its network this year, the coffee chain operator said on Friday. The Toronto-based firm, which competes with Starbucks Corp and Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee in China, did not disclose how much cash it had raised, but said the funds would be channeled into building more outlets as well as its digital infrastructure and brand.