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Budgets/Spending/Market Size

  • Atlantic provinces' appeal for delay in federal Clean Fuel Standard goes unheeded

    A last-minute push by the Atlantic provinces to have Ottawa delay and further study its proposed new Clean Fuel Standard was not reflected in draft regulations published Friday.

  • Legal tobacco sales spiked during COVID-19 restrictions: Study

    A new study is highlighting the extent of the illegal cigarette market in Canada and the cost to provincial treasuries in foregone tax revenue.
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  • OLG gives operators a major incentive to promote new Plinko game

    Retailers in Ontario will earn 30% sales commission for every pack of $5 Plinko tickets activated from January 4 to March 31, 2021. This is an increase of 22% over the regular commission of 8%.The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation says the move is a way to "thank all our retailers and support you for your hard work through this challenging time due to the pandemic."It's also a strategy to drive customer awareness and sales growth of this new lottery game, which launches in the new year.Retailers will earn $105 per pack activated vs $28 based on regular commission of 8%: The promotion is slated to last three months.This fall, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association petitioned the provincial government to recognize and reward the key role that c-store operators play in driving revenue for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation by increasing lottery commissions across the board by 2%.As the cost of doing business for c-stores continues to increase—not to mention the added financial and related challenges brought on by the pandemic—the OCSA argues that this is an ideal opportunity for the province to support the channel and small business owners.  C-stores account for 76% of Ontario lottery sales for OLG.

  • 'It can no longer be free to pollute:' Updated climate plan includes carbon tax hikes

    The federal government has released a $15-billion plan to meet its climate change commitments that includes steady increases to its carbon tax in each of the next 10 years.
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  • Alberta says oil and gas industry to save money with new pollution rules

    Alberta has reached a deal with the federal government to establish its own rules to restrict a potent form of carbon pollution, saying Thursday the move would save the oil and gas industry money.

  • 'Bleak' drilling forecast calls for even fewer Canadian oil and gas wells in 2021

    The Petroleum Services Association of Canada says it expects another "bleak'' year for Canadian oil and gas drilling in 2021.

  • Liberals revamp rent relief for businesses as second wave threatens job gains

    The Trudeau Liberals sought Friday to get ahead of growing economic concerns linked to rising COVID-19 case counts, vowing new and revamped business supports to keep workers on payrolls and maintain job gains threatened by the pandemic's second wave.The government plans to provide direct rent support to commercial tenants at a projected cost of $2.2 billion through the end of the year, rather than flowing the money through landlords who were not keen on a previous version of the program.A wage subsidy program will cover up to 65% of eligible costs through December, costing the treasury $6 billion over that time, and $11 billion more to a well-used loan program by providing an added $20,000, half of which would be forgivable.Even though many businesses have reopened, a number are not at full capacity while others worry about surviving a second wave.

  • With trick or treating in doubt, experts say Halloween sales could be weak

    A Halloween night that falls on both a Saturday and a full moon would normally be ideal for spooky festivities, driving up sales of candy, costumes and decorations.But with cases of COVID-19 on the rise, experts expect retailers to see soft demand for Halloween supplies as plans are scaled back and trick-or-treating is questioned altogether.They add that sales related to the spooky celebration may also serve as an indicator for what retailers can expect this Christmas, the largest shopping season of the year.Farla Efros, president of HRC Retail Advisory, says Halloween is a significant portion of business for many retailers and candy makers.She says the lack of gatherings, office parties and trick-or-treating could lead to soft sales for retailers from grocers to specialty Halloween pop-up stores.Retail analyst Bruce Winder says families and friends might plan their own ``bubble Halloween'' like a backyard celebration or scary movie night.He says while people will still buy some candy, decorations and costumes, it likely won't be as profitable a season as usual for retailers and candy manufacturers.
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