In the news today: Deadlines near for Hudson’s Bay and its leases

By Canadian Press on April 30, 2025.

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed…

As deadlines near for Hudson’s Bay and its leases, there are glimmers of hope

Two deadlines that will determine the fate of Hudson’s Bay are coming this week, but hope may already be on the horizon. Anyone interested in buying Canada’s oldest company or assets like the rights to its iconic Stripes brand has until today at 5 p.m. to submit binding proposals. Hudson’s Bay and those overseeing the sale have not said whether any suitors have made a formal pitch for the business or its non-lease assets, but the company’s financial adviser Reflect Advisors has said there has been “a high level of interest.” Separate from that sales process is another for properties held by the department store chain or its sister Saks businesses. Binding bids for the leases are due Thursday.

It’s tax deadline day today, April 30

For most Canadians, today is the last day to file your taxes, which is especially important if you need to avoid late penalties and interest on amounts owing. The deadline for self-employed workers to file to the Canada Revenue Agency is June 16, though interest on any outstanding balances begins accruing after today. Late tax filers could see a five per cent penalty on their balance owing and an additional one per cent for each full month that they delay filing after the due date, to a maximum of 12 months. Tax experts say it’s still important to file your taxes on time even if you can’t pay the amount owing in order to avoid an even higher bill from late-filing fees.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

It has been 50 years since the fall of Saigon

Seventy-year-old Tan Hoang vowed he would never return to Vietnam after fleeing the country with his family on a makeshift wooden boat. He says officers in Vietnam remind him of the communist soldiers who once stormed and captured Saigon. The fall of Saigon 50 years ago today marked the end of the two-decade-long Vietnam War. Hoang said he plans to gather this afternoon with other Vietnamese Canadians at an Edmonton community centre for a sombre event marking the anniversary. Hoang and the others are a part of a large exodus of people from Vietnam referred to as the “boat people.”

Ontario eyeing teachers’ college change: documents

Documents obtained by The Canadian Press suggest the Ontario government is considering shortening the length of teachers’ college in order to address a worsening shortage of educators. A freedom-of-information request on teacher supply and demand came back with research the Ministry of Education conducted last year on the supply issue and the length of initial teacher education programs. Highlighted in the summary of the document on teachers’ college are findings that longer programs do not make better teachers. Ontario teachers’ college programs are typically two years, divided into four semesters, but that has not always been the case.

Telus tops watchdog’s tally of telecom complaints

A new report says Telus is now the most complained-about telecom service provider in Canada. The mid-year report by Canada’s telecom complaints watchdog says it handled almost 12,000 gripes from customers between August 2024 and this January. That’s up almost 12 per cent from the same reporting period a year earlier, as customers complained most about their wireless services and internet. The watchdog says it’s the first time since it was established in 2007 that Telus has topped the ranking, surpassing Rogers, which has held the title for two years.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2025.

The Canadian Press

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