Posts By: Brent White

Big $ for Travelling Nurses

Posted by & filed under Auditing, Student life.

Description: The Auditor General of New Brunswick, Paul Martin, has decided that his Office will examine contracts for travel nurses paid for by the taxpayer. The contracts came under scrutiny after a national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, published an article on the use of high-cost travelling nurses in a number of provinces during the… Read more »

Are Campus Vending Machines Watching You?

Posted by & filed under Data security, Student life.

Description: The University of Waterloo has asked for all 29 vending machines from Swiss company Invenda be removed from campus following word that the machines have a type of facial analysis capability. The matter came to light when one of the vending machines displayed an error message relating to “facial recognition,” prompting student responses on… Read more »

“Junk Fees” from Cineplex

Posted by & filed under Financial Statement Analysis, Student life.

Description: This past week saw Canada’s Competition Tribunal holding hearings on Cineplex’s so-called “junk fees.” The Tribunal is looking at whether or not Cineplex can continue to charge movie-goers a $1.50 fee for purchasing a ticket online; or, will it declare that the fee meets the definition of a harmful business practice under the Competition… Read more »

Subway Cuts the Mustard

Posted by & filed under Financial Accounting, Marketing & Strategy, Student life.

Description: Subway restaurants in Canada may have given a whole new meaning to the phrase “cut the mustard” as disappointed sandwich consumers are finding their favourite condiment is disappearing from the popular franchise. Dalhousie University’s Sylvain Charlebois notes that demand for the flavourful yellow topping has been declining while other sauces and marinades helped push… Read more »

Lynx Airlines Shuts Down

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Student life.

Description: Low-cost carrier Lynx Airlines announced it would be shutting down February 26. Lynx informed its passengers travelling on later dates that they should seek refunds through their credit card provider rather than from Lynx. The discount airline got off the ground in 2022, but it blames such forces as inflation, high fuel cost, exchange… Read more »

Heroes to Zeroes

Posted by & filed under Ethics, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Marketing & Strategy.

Description: Heroes to Zeroes – that’s the message of the sign carried by Gig Workers United’s Brice Sopher during a demonstration by Uber and Lyft drivers at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square, part of a coordinated Valentine’s Day effort in Canada, America, and the United Kingdom. The workers are looking for better wages and benefits following… Read more »

30 Seconds = $7 Million

Posted by & filed under Accounting Careers.

Description: Interest was high in both the play on the field and in the advertisements between the action when the Super Bowl took place last Sunday. CNN rated the winners and losers among the commercials for the big game. With 30 seconds of commercial time costing advertisers $7 million – and additional millions for production… Read more »

Protect Your Points

Posted by & filed under Fraud, Internal control, Student life.

Description: Cyber thieves stole over 84,000 Scene+ points from Rosalind Ashe, $100 at a time. April Canavan of Vancouver found herself $1,000 short of PC Optimum points after she was targeted by fraudsters. These unfortunate Canadians are victims of data theft in action as criminals enter into individual accounts through “brute force” attacks or information… Read more »