In the news today: StatCan to release February GDP report today

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

StatCan to release February GDP report today

Statistics Canada is set to release its February gross domestic product report today.

Along with that GDP report will be a preliminary estimate for the country’s economic growth over the first three months of 2024.

So far, Canada has averted a recession many economists feared would happen after the Bank of Canada began its aggressive rate-hiking cycle.

Strong population growth has helped bolster the economy, even as high interest rates slow consumer demand and business investment.

The Bank of Canada will be monitoring today’s figures as it tries to gauge when may it be appropriate to start lowering interest rates.

Here’s what else we’re watching…

NDP says grocery task force lacks promised teeth

The federal Liberal government says the task force it created to monitor and investigate grocery retailers’ practices has not conducted any probes and has no mandate to take enforcement action.

Last fall, the government announced a new grocery task force to monitor grocers’ work on stabilizing food prices and investigate practices such as shrinkflation.

The federal budget also says the task force is investigating price inflation practices in the grocery sector.

However, when NDP MP Alistair MacGregor asked the government about the task force’s work, he was told it has not conducted any investigations because its mandate does not include enforcement action.

This comes amid heightened scrutiny on the grocery sector after a bout of high food inflation, with pressure on the government to take action.

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Ontario agriculture law found unconstitutional

Animal advocates are celebrating after parts of a controversial Ontario agriculture law that made it illegal to get a job on a farm under false pretenses to expose conditions inside were deemed unconstitutional.

Justice Markus Koehnen struck down parts of Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, earlier this month after advocacy group Animal Justice, along with an activist and a journalist, launched a Charter challenge in 2021.

They argued the new law infringed on their freedom of expression because they could not tell the outside world what was happening inside a farm if they gained access to the property through a false pretence.

Ontario argued the legislation was aimed at “protecting animal safety, biosecurity, and the safety of farmers as well as preventing economic harm that can arise from threats to animal safety and biosecurity.”

The Ministry of the Attorney General said it is reviewing the decision and has not yet decided if it will appeal.

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More testimony for judge alone in Skibicki case

Lawyers return to court today to hash out a pretrial argument in the case of a Winnipeg man accused of killing four women.

Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki are arguing for a trial by judge alone, saying two years of publicity may sway the jury panel that was picked last week.

The court is slated to hear testimony from Dr. Christine Ruva, a U.S.-based psychologist and professor whose online biography notes her exploration of the effects of pretrial publicity on jurors’ perceptions.

Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, Rebecca Contois and a fourth unidentified woman Indigenous leaders have named Buffalo Woman.

The jury won’t be called in to begin hearing evidence until next week.

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Shake Shack to open first Canadian location

Shake Shack is set to open its first Canadian location in Toronto.

The popular American fast-food company’s first Canadian location will take over the northeast corner of Yonge-Dundas Square with a 5,500 square-foot space.

Shake Shack Canada’s business director Billy Richmond said the Toronto location will open early this summer, with most offerings at the restaurant being recognizable to those who have tasted Shake Shack in other countries.

That means Canadian diners will be able to get their hands on Shake Shack’s burgers, crinkle-cut fries and handspun milkshakes.

Though Shake Shack has yet to settle on prices for its Canadian store, its debut in Canada as several other fast food chains plot expansions in the country. Inspire Brands will bring sandwich chain Jimmy John’s to Canada soon, while Redberry Restaurants is plotting to open more than 300 Jersey Mike’s locations in the country by 2034.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.

The Canadian Press