In the news today: Canadian grocers keep mum on pricing plans and N.B. throne speech

By The Canadian Press on October 17, 2023.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to
bring you up to speed on what you need to know today…

Champagne says he wishes grocers would share plans

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he wishes Canadian grocers would be more forthcoming with the public about their plans to stabilize prices.

Earlier this month, Champagne announced that major Canadian grocers – Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco – submitted initial plans to the federal government for how they will stabilize prices in the face of high inflation.

The Liberal government summoned the heads of the companies to meet in Ottawa last month, demanding that they present such a plan by Thanksgiving or face potential tax measures.

At the announcement on Oct. 5, Champagne said that those plans included discounts, price freezes and price-matching campaigns. He didn’t divulge many details at the time, saying he wanted the grocers to compete with one another.

But in an interview with The Canadian Press on Monday, Champagne said he wishes the grocers were willing to be more open.

The Canadian Press reached out to the grocers last week to request more details on their pledges to the federal government. Loblaw and Costco did not respond and Metro declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Walmart said the company promised to continue offering “everyday low prices,” which refers to its strategy of offering low prices on a regular basis, rather than on promotion only.

N.B. throne speech today amid election uncertainty

The New Brunswick legislature is scheduled to begin its fall session at 11 a.m. amid uncertainty about whether the premier will call an early election.

The calendar says the legislature will be prorogued and a new session will open this afternoon with a throne speech.

Progressive Conservative Premier Blaine Higgs has been besieged by internal turmoil since June when six members of his party voted against the government on a motion related to the province’s policy on gender identity in schools.

Election speculation has hummed all summer as Higgs has kept the province on the precipice, saying the rebel Tories could make it difficult for him to govern.

Green and Liberal party leaders have said Higgs could use the throne speech as a poison pill to upend his government and trigger an early election.

StatCan to release September inflation reading

Statistics Canada is set to release its September inflation reading this morning.

Progress on getting inflation down has stalled in recent months as underlying price pressures remain broad in the economy.

Canada’s inflation rate accelerated for two consecutive months, reaching four per cent in August.

RBC Economics says it expects the annual inflation rate edged down to 3.8 per cent last month and that it will continue falling moving forward.

The commercial bank also expects food inflation, which has been a major concern for families, to continue trending downward.

Residents’ testimony nearly done in convoy trial

The trial for two “Freedom Convoy” organizers is set to wrap up hearing testimony from downtown Ottawa residents today.

Paul Jorgenson began his evidence Monday in the criminal trial of Tamara Lich and Chris Barber, who face charges related to their role in organizing the weeks-long protest against COVID-19 public health restrictions.

He described his desperation to leave downtown Ottawa during the protest, even though his car was blocked in by trucks and other vehicles.

So far, all five resident witnesses have described a scene of overwhelming noise from blaring truck horns and engines, and the persistent smell of diesel fumes during the protest.

The Crown is expected to wrap up its questions for Jorgenson before he is cross-examined by the defence.

Trial of man accused in London attack continues

The trial of an Ontario man accused of killing four members of a Muslim family in an alleged act of terrorism is set to hear more evidence from the defence today.

Nathaniel Veltman is accused of deliberately hitting the Afzaal family with his truck in June 2021 while they were out for a walk in London, Ont.

He has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.

The 22-year-old has been testifying in his own defence and he told the jury on Monday that he drove to Toronto a day before the attack to explore the possibility of targeting Muslims in that city.

Veltman said he was feeling an urge to commit an act of violence but panicked once he got to Toronto and headed back to his apartment in London.

Opioid overdose deaths rose among homeless: study

A new study says people experiencing homelessness make up a growing proportion of opioid overdose deaths in Ontario.

It found that about one in six people killed by opioid overdoses in 2021 were homeless, compared to one in 14 people back in 2017.

Lead author Richard Booth of Western University says the increase is shocking and shows the importance of housing as a health and social intervention.

The researchers say a poisoned drug supply and disruptions to services during the COVID-19 pandemic are likely factors in the rise of deaths.

The study was published on Tuesday in the journal Addiction.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2023

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