Good morning! Welcome back to Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news concerning retailers.

Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

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Start Date: 2025-04-13
End Date: 2025-04-19

Top Headlines

Main Stories

Nova Scotia's Free Trade Act Gains Support from Ontario and P.E.I.

Ontario and P.E.I. have introduced legislation matching Nova Scotia's Free Trade and Labour Mobility Act, aiming to remove interprovincial trade barriers and streamline goods and services exchange.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: news.novascotia.ca

Michelle Rempel Garner Critiques Food Packaging Costs

MP Michelle Rempel Garner criticized costs added to food packaging, stating they primarily benefit wealthy grocers like Loblaws, according to her tweet dated April 18, 2025.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

Canadian Food Inspection Agency Addresses Vegemite Compliance

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced that Vegemite sold by a licensed importer did not meet Canadian regulations for vitamin fortification and bilingual labeling. The importer voluntarily removed the product from shelves, and CFIA is working with Health Canada and other stakeholders to allow Vegemite sales with revised labeling in the short term. A health risk assessment indicated low risk from the added vitamins in suggested serving sizes.

Sources: Announcements: www.canada.ca

Provincial Announcements

Ontario and New Brunswick Sign Trade and Labour Mobility MOU

New Brunswick and Ontario signed a memorandum of understanding to improve trade and labour mobility, focusing on direct-to-consumer alcohol sales and interprovincial labour mobility.

Sources: Provincial Announcement: www2.gnb.ca

Public Officials' Social Media

Greg McLean Comments on Rising Food Costs

MP Greg McLean addressed the rising costs of nutritious staples, linking it to increased food bank usage and highlighting cost of living as the primary election issue.

Sources: Social Media: x.com

What We're Reading This Week

• Q4 Earnings Review: Specialty retail stocks led by Sportsman's Warehouse show significant earnings in Q4.
• Alkaline Water Distribution: Alkaline Water Company secures national distribution agreement with major wholesale grocery distributor.