Description: It’s probably not the news you wanted to hear as you wind down the winter term at university and get ready to travel back home for the summer break: WestJet’s pilots’ union is set for a strike vote. Bernard Lewall, a union representative, is frustrated by the results of the last six months of… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Student life
Rogers-Shaw Merger Approved
Description: The Government of Canada has approved Rogers takeover of Shaw. The move grants Rogers an even greater share of Canada’s cable and media business. But Rogers mobile phone business will see only limited gains as it picks up the smaller prize, Shaw Mobile, which operates primarily in Alberta and BC. The larger portion of… Read more »
Good Times at Dollarama
Description: Inflationary times have been good times for Dollarama. The rising cost of living has driven customers Dollarama’s way in a search of savings, pushing sales figures about 17 percent higher than in the previous fiscal year. Profits are also up, prompting the discount retailer to pump up the quarterly dividend to its shareholders. Date:… Read more »
Gordon Moore Dies
Description: Intel co-founder Gordon Moore has died at age 94. In 1965 Moore made a famous prediction that became known as Moore’s Law: essentially, it states that the capacity of computer chips would double every 12 months or so. His rule was expanded to a broader range of technology, sparking the notion that the next… Read more »
Here Comes Shake Shack
Description: Canada will be getting its first Shake Shack in 2024. The American burger joint has targeted Toronto for its entry into our Canadian market, but it has said it plans to have 35 stores here by 2035. The fast food market in Canada reports growing sales, with the number up 9% in 2022 and… Read more »
Blackberry Sells Patents
Description: Blackberry, that Canadian company once known for its namesake phones, is now rebranded as a software and messaging security organization. Consistent with this outlook, Blackberry has sold-off patents it no longer considers part of its core business for the tidy sum of $900 million. Part of the compensation is based on future royalties of… Read more »
Canadians Interest Payments up 45%
Description: Canadians are paying 45% more in interest costs than they were last year at this time. With the Bank of Canada raising interest rates to help control inflation, Canadians are facing financial risks unknown to them since the 1990s. The Bank of Canada is keeping an eye on households falling behind on their debt,… Read more »
Head West for the Summer!
Description: If you ever thought of heading west for a summer job in tourist locations like Banff, Canmore or Lake Louise, this might be the year for you. Worker shortages have employers scrambling to meet their staff needs in the hospitality industry in these Rocky Mountain resort areas. Wages are heading up to help attract… Read more »
Air Miles Takeover
Description: The Air Miles customer rewards program has been purchased by Bank of Montreal, following financial problems that resulted in Air Miles parent company, LoyaltyOne, entering creditor protection. Losing the Sobeys grocery chain as a program participant in 2022 was a major blow to Air Miles. But a few years earlier, in 2016, Air Miles… Read more »
Tip Amounts Rising?
Description: Are tip amounts in Canada rising? Some customers are perhaps experiencing sticker shock when their servers hand them a payment unit with tip option buttons of 20%, 25%, or even 30% after tax, when the traditional standard has been 15% pre-taxes. In the face of this ‘tip fatigue,” some restaurants, such as Folke’s in… Read more »