Broken escalators and a declining market: Experts predict big challenges for Chinese billionaire in executing her ambitious plan for 28 Hudson's Bay leases
While the Canadian retail icon sold its intellectual property for $30 million to Canadian Tire, it entered an agreement with Weihong Liu, chairwoman of shopping mall owner and operator Central Walk, to reassign 28 Hudson's Bay leases for the launch of 'a new modern department store concept.'
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Canada Standard
36 minutes ago
- Canada Standard
Top Free-Market Think Tank Unsure That Canada Needs More Pipelines
On the day that Prime Minister Mark Carney was flying to Washington for a high stakes meeting with United States' president Trump, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith delivered a speech demanding pre-approved oil corridors to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coasts under the barely veiled threat of separation of Alberta from Canada. Approving-and potentially paying for-additional oil pipelines out of western Canada has become a kind of loyalty test for federal politicians, writes Mitch Anderson for DeSmog. Smith and other industry surrogates seem to want Carney to demonstrate his fealty to the oil patch or face the prospect of a national unity crisis. Since oil pipelines are somehow being elevated to the importance of a Canadian sovereignty deal-breaker, it is worth asking: are they actually needed? Not according to the Macdonald Laurier Institute (MLI), one of Canada's most influential free-market think tanks. This pro-oil and gas organization stated in an April report that there is currently "sufficient pipeline capacity" for western Canadian oil, arguing that "Canadian oil prices are remarkably strong at the moment." That MLI is not a full-throated cheerleader of additional pipelines is illuminating in contrast to Smith's over-heated oil patch rhetoric. The think tank, after all, has received funding from the likes of Imperial Oil, Enbridge and a foundation founded by oil and gas billionaire Charles Koch. MLI is also a partner of Atlas Network , a U.S. organization that supports over 500 "free market" organizations around the world. MLI also threw cold water on Smith's arctic pipe dreams, stating in a 2024 opinion piece that "roads and seasonal ports in the Canadian North are incredibly expensive to build and maintain, and their use case is limited." MLI went on to predict that "Canadian oil and gas are very unlikely to be shipped and exported through northern ports" due to high costs, poor economics and short ice-free seasons. Other real world evidence demonstrates there is currently no credible business case for new Alberta oil pipelines. The newly completed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion was only 77% full during 2024 and is projected to have 16% excess capacity in 2025. Trans Mountain just downgraded its forecasts out to 2028 showing the massively expensive project still won't be fully utilized three years from now. View our latest digests The company recently confirmed it has no plans to build a third pipeline on their existing right-of-way to Vancouver and could add another 300,000 barrels per day of improvements to existing systems-if needed. Since none of these upgrades are underway, one can conclude that existing capacity will be sufficient for several years into the future. Enbridge is likewise not proposing any new pipelines out of Alberta, instead investing C $4 billion in upgrades on its systems that will add 345,000 barrels per day of capacity by 2028. Enbridge president and CEO Gregory Ebel stressed to investors this month that the company's focus is on " super permit light " incremental improvements, with no projected plans out to 2035 for additional pipelines from western Canada. There are exactly zero private sector players proposing new oil pipeline projects anywhere in Canada, despite the "build, baby build" mantra being repeated by Carney, who advocated during his election campaign for a pipeline to Quebec. The last such oil pipeline proposal was way back in 2014 with the Energy East pipeline project, which was abandoned by investors before the approval process was even completed due to plunging oil prices and far cheaper pipeline options. With private sector pipeline proponents nowhere to be found, does Smith then expect the public to pay for another pipeline in hopes that her rage-farming will finally cease? The eye-wateringly expensive Trans Mountain pipeline was only completed by Canadian taxpayers shelling out $34 billion, of which the public will likely be out of pocket over $18 billion even if it is finally sold to private investors. This massive Canadian subsidy in service of expanded fossil fuel extraction was hardly a nation-building project. When the most expensive infrastructure project in Canadian history finally became operational in May 2024 it did not even garner a photo op , and has seemingly resulted in only increased separatist vitriol from Alberta. Related: Seven Ways Fossil Fuel Subsidies Undermine Energy Security The unused TMX capacity after a year of operating further illustrates that just because a new pipeline is built is no guarantee that oil companies will choose to use it if cheaper tolls are available elsewhere. Despite relentless rhetoric about a "lost decade" due to hostile Ottawa energy policies, Alberta oil production increased by 40% since the federal Liberals came to power in 2015. Canadian oil and gas revenues exceeded $1.1 trillion between 2015 and 2022. The five biggest oil producers in Alberta enjoyed annual operating profits of $44.3 billion in 2021-22-a tenfold increase since 2015. So where did the money go? Those same five companies plowed $20 billion of record-breaking profits into dividends and stock buy-backs in 2022 - more than double the proportion paid out to investors in 2014. And since only 25% of those shareholders are Canadian and even fewer live in Alberta, the vast majority of that windfall is going elsewhere. Meanwhile the embers of ignorance so cynically fanned by Smith are already beginning to singe the fabric of our country. Several separatist parties are now racing to be the first to sacrifice our nation on the altar of ginned-up oil industry grievances. In the absence of a credible and costed business case, the public trolling by Alberta politicians around mythical pipelines is dangerous nonsense and needs to stop. This story originally appeared on DeSmog and is part of Covering Climate Now , a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story. Source: The Energy Mix
Toronto Star
2 hours ago
- Toronto Star
From a kitchen table to the world. How Diva Cup changed menstrual products — and became a pop culture darling
More than two decades ago a small family business in Kitchener changed the global conversation about menstrual products. Now, Diva International is looking to do the same for other aspects of feminine care. Prior to Diva's rise menstrual products were largely limited to disposable pads and tampons, which are bad for the environment and contain potentially harmful materials. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Though menstrual cups had existed since the 1930s, none had solved the design challenges that prevented them from competing with disposable alternatives. From a young age Francine Chambers believed that there was a healthier and more sustainable answer. After discovering one of the few cup options on the market, the entrepreneur secured the rights to be the Canadian distributor for a Cincinnati-based menstrual cup maker. Business There's a new ride-hailing service in town. Here's how Hopp plans to break Toronto's Uber-Lyft duopoly Hopp's general manager David Riggs says the app has outpaced expectations and is already Chambers spent more than a decade selling the product across Canada and around the world. But it wasn't until her daughter Carinne Chambers-Saini graduated with a business and economics degree from Laurier in 2001 that the pair began working on their own design. Through trial and error, the mother-daughter team discovered solutions to the traditional cup's design flaws. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Introducing a new category of menstrual products while competing with multinational incumbents, however, proved an uphill battle. 'We're in a category with a lot of stigma and taboo and discomfort, and most of the buyers we were talking to were grey-haired men,' company CEO Chambers-Saini says. 'Some could not make eye contact with us — their faces would turn red just saying some of those words.' Despite pushback from traditional retail gatekeepers, the product developed an organic following. After a decade, the company landed its first national retail partner, Shoppers Drug Mart, in 2013, fuelling a period of growth that would land Diva Cup on shelves around the world, in pop-culture and atop global entrepreneur and product innovation competitions. The rapid growth, however, proved too much for the small family-run business, which struggled with operational growing pains that were exacerbated by the pandemic. Now, the recently rebranded Diva International is ready for its next cycle, expanding from a single product to a new intimate care category consistent with its tradition of sustainability, innovation, health and safety. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The Star spoke to Chambers-Saini from her home in Kitchener about the company's rise from small family business to household brand, the challenges that came with its rapid ascent, and how Diva International is building a healthier and more sustainable future. Where did the idea for Diva Cup come from? My mom grew up in the Sixties with all brothers, and when she started getting her period she was devastated, because she could no longer do things with them. She remembers sitting on the beach watching her brothers play in the water, unable to join them, wearing this massive pad, thinking there had to be a better way. Business Why Square Canada's head is betting big on small business — and why cash is no longer king Square Canada's Go To Market Lead Steve Kelly says Trump tariffs and the economic fallout might She had dreamed of this cup back then, and when I was 14, she saw a classified ad for that exact product. She ended up calling the company, getting the product, and dedicated the next 10 years of her life to promoting it. Both of my parents are entrepreneurs, and they worked on the business together. My mom ended up selling the retail stores she owned to become a Canadian distributor, and my dad, who was a tech entrepreneur, helped her develop an online store all the way back in 1992. She dedicated her whole life to promoting menstrual cups around the world from our kitchen table. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW When did your family start its own business? I started using menstrual cups when I was 13, and by the time I graduated university I had a lot of experience with them. We had a lot of ideas on how to improve it, so we started to work on our own design. We found a company in Bolton called Silcotech, founded by Michael Maloney, an expert in design and tooling. We showed him our ideas and he helped us design a prototype, which completely failed, but we continued to work together on it. What made Diva Cup unique? It took us years of gathering feedback from my mom's customers to modernize the menstrual cup. The early versions were made of latex rubber and looked like mini toilet plungers. They even used the same hard rubber. Business How a high-tech vertical farm in Ontario could help reduce our need for U.S. produce With indoor farms for leafy greens near Guelph, Montreal, Calgary and Halifax, GoodLeaf CEO Andy We moved to a medical-grade silicone and made it more comfortable by smoothening out the hard edges around the rim. The biggest issue that nobody knew how to solve for at the time was that you need air holes to release the pressure to allow it to unfold and open properly, so we found a way to make the ventilation work. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW We added ridges on the outside at the bottom to allow easier, no-slip removal, and the overall shape was slightly longer and narrower, with a shorter stem. How did you introduce this new product to the market? We were selling online mostly, and at consumer trade shows, because retail buyers wouldn't even look at us. Tampons and pads bring customers into the store every month, and we were threatening that. And honestly, a lot of people we talked to were completely freaked out and thought it was disgusting. One retail buyer literally told us nobody would ever buy this, and we should give up, but we knew better, because it had already changed our lives. We were working around the clock, dedicated to getting this out there, no matter how much time it took. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW When did the tide start turning? It was through a series of serendipitous events that sealed the deal with our first national retailer. In early 2012 a Carnival Cruises boat sank, and they decided to give up their billboard in Times Square. The sales rep happened to be a woman in Hamilton who reached out to us to offer an incredible deal on the ad space because she loved our product. Business L'Oréal Canada CEO on how the 'lipstick effect' drives the 'essential' beauty business 'Sometimes people look at beauty as a little bit superficial,' says L'Oréal Canada CEO An It was a huge investment for us, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. That digital ad ran four times every hour, twenty-four hours a day, for a whole year. That was before we had significant distribution in New York, so it was a big risk. We had been trying to reach a buyer at Shoppers for several years, and they kept saying no, but then they got a new buyer. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW She had seen our banner in Times Square and agreed to give us a meeting. That buyer took a risk because our budgets were nothing compared to the multinational conglomerates that spent hundreds of millions a year advertising pads and tampons, but women were tired of what was out there and interested in trying something new. When we started out nobody really cared about sustainability — nobody was carrying reusable water bottles and grocery bags or talking about health and wellness — but by then the conversation had changed. When did you feel like you had made it? Pretty soon after Shoppers we got into major American retailers, like CVS, and before you knew it, we were in 60,000 stores across the United States. We were featured on a Larry King show about sustainable innovation, and we started seeing the Diva Cup in pop culture. The first time was in 2014 in the Adam Sandler movie Blended, and since then it's been mentioned in Modern Family, Amy Schumer had a whole bit about Diva Cups; people send us Diva Cup songs, poetry and artwork. In 2016 we won two EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards — one in the sustainable products category, and another for being an industry disrupter — and we kept winning awards after that. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Our growth quickly became exponential, in the hundreds of percentages each year, and we were no longer this scrappy underdog. At one point we were selling in 38 countries, and we were spreading ourselves too thin. Between 2016 and 2020 we were really struggling to manage all the business we had won. What was the breaking point? In 2020 we faced a lot of different challenges, from the growing pains of a rapidly scaling business to new competitors, and then the pandemic hit. Ironically, we were selling online in the beginning, but when we signed deals with retailers, they required that we shut down our online sales, because they didn't want to compete. So, when COVID happened, many of our competitors were strong on eCommerce, and we weren't. After that we started to lose our retail base and decided to take a step back and work on strengthening our brand. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW What changes did you make? In 2022 we rebranded from Diva Cup to Diva International — makers of Diva Cup — and changed our logo for the first time. That has really helped us solidify our position as our consumers' care partners through all different cycles of life. I'm in my late '40s and into another period where things change in a women's body, and there aren't a lot of resources; a lot of the products that are out there are full of toxic chemicals and perfumes that I don't want to put in my body. We've introduced new innovations in the menstrual care category with the Diva Disc and Diva Underwear, but vulva care is our first expansion into the wellness category. One in four women experience vulva dryness and itching, so we developed a line of products that are safe to use, including a daily moisturizing wash, a cleanser, a refresher — which is an on-the-go cleaning spray — and a lubricator. We've created this legacy around leading conversation on menstrual care, breaking stigmas, and pushing for equity, so this really makes sense as the next evolution for Diva.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Hard to look at the bright side'
Lost sales, higher prices and material shortages have recently hit Manitoba businesses reliant on steel and aluminum — and it could get worse. U.S. President Donald Trump announced last week he'd raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 per cent, a doubling of the current levy. As of Monday afternoon, the change is proposed to begin Wednesday. Current tariffs already have a 'deep and profound' impact across the supply chain, said Catherine Cobden, president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Steel in various forms wait to be shipped to customers. Premier Wab Kinew and Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson speak flanked by employees and in front of a giant Canadian flag hanging in one of the buildings at the Gerdau Manitoba Steel Mill, 27 Main St., Selkirk, Thursday morning. Reporter: Gabrielle Piche 250327 - Thursday, March 27, 2025. Gerdau SA's Selkirk steel plant is a CSPA member. A majority of the company's steel is exported to the United States; it employs upwards of 500 Manitobans. Gerdau previously directed a reporter to the CSPA for comment. Across Canada, steel shipments to the United States dropped roughly 30 per cent in April, Cobden said. Twenty-five per cent tariffs came into effect in March. 'This will close the market for Canadian exports to the United States,' Cobden said of the prospect of a 50 per cent levy. Selkirk Mayor Larry Johansson considers himself an 'optimistic kind of mayor.' '(But) it's hard to look at the bright side when they raise the tariffs another 25 per cent,' he said. For now, he's clocked activity in Gerdau's lot — plenty of semi-trucks. Gerdau employees haven't been laid off to date, the United Steelworkers confirmed. A 50 per cent tariff would be a 'massive challenge' to Gerdau and similar mills, said Scott Lunny, a United Steelworkers director. 'Who pays the price for that, often, is workers.' 'There's customers I supply in the U.S. that, when he does things like this, they just stop buying and wait six weeks.'– Richard Bobrowski, Imperial Steel owner Meantime, Imperial Steel hasn't laid off staff, despite recording a 25 per cent drop in sales year-over-year. The Winnipeg company, which makes thin-wall steel tubing, exported roughly 70 per cent of its products to the U.S. in 2024. 'You get going for a few weeks, and all of a sudden the president of the United States makes a statement,' said Richard Bobrowski, Imperial Steel owner. 'There's customers I supply in the U.S. that, when he does things like this, they just stop buying and wait six weeks.' American clients are sourcing within their home country more, Bobrowski added. Imperial Steel struggles to give consistent pricing — between tariff changes and recent steel price fluctuations — and U.S. customers are hesitant to sign on, wondering what change could occur before a shipment arrives. Imperial Steel currently splits the 25 per cent import tariff with its American patrons. It made a decision Monday: it won't swallow more than 12.5 per cent of a 50 per cent tariff. 'Which will then stress our company's ability to compete,' Bobrowski said. 'That's when the government has got to get involved.' The Manitoba government tabbed $300 million for tariff-impacted businesses and farmers in its Budget 2025 contingency plan. The funding hasn't yet been used. Evolution Wheel has avoided tariffs on both sides of the border, said owner Derek Hird. The Winnipeg-based construction-grade solid tire maker imports steel from the United States; it's exempt from Canada's reciprocal tariffs because of a carve-out for manufacturers. The company mainly ships south of the border. But the turnaround time has lengthened — Evolution Wheel hasn't been able to source the specific steel it needs. 'Companies … are just buying up huge amounts of stock, and there's no supply,' Hird said. 'You're … fighting for scraps on what's available in the market right now.' 'Companies … are just buying up huge amounts of stock, and there's no supply,' Hird said. 'You're … fighting for scraps on what's available in the market right now.'– Evolution Wheel owner Derek Hird Supply chain issues have resulted in lost sales, Hird added. Meantime, he's paying more for the steel he purchases. So, too, is Northern Steel Buildings, a steel shop enterprise in Morden. It gets steel from Canada and the United States, and it pays Canada's 25 per cent reciprocal tariff. The tariffed products can be cheaper than Canadian steel, said general manager Rick Friesen. That won't be the case if a 50 per cent fee comes online on Canada's side. 'If the Canadian government decides to retaliate … I think that will hinder the Canadian economy and growth,' Friesen said. The economic uncertainty is damaging, said Chuck Davidson, president of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. 'We continue to … move the goalposts at the whim of the (U.S.) president.' If businesses feel further tariff effects, government assistance could be needed, he added. The Canadian Steel Producers Association is calling for Ottawa to implement tariffs to incentivize domestic steel use. Local producers compete with unfairly traded international steel that retails cheaper, Cobden asserted. Manitoba is among the jurisdictions pledging to use more Canadian steel. In March, Premier Wab Kinew declared government infrastructure projects requiring steel would source Canadian. These announcements are appreciated, Cobden said, but the projects might be too late to mitigate the damage of a 50 per cent tariff. 'If the Canadian government decides to retaliate … I think that will hinder the Canadian economy and growth.'– Northern Steel Buildings general manager Rick Friesen However such a levy isn't a given, said Gary Mar, Canada West Foundation president. 'I think the best idea is to … wait and see what the president actually does first.' Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. He believes Americans will push back against tariffs as they feel pain in their pocketbooks. The impact hasn't reached its peak, Mar stated, noting hundreds of U.S. politicians will run for office again next year. Meantime, Manitoba companies are attempting to dodge tariffs. Northern Steel Buildings is consulting agencies about a reciprocal tariff exemption. It's heard of other companies being successful, Friesen said. Eascan Automation in Winnipeg, which creates robots, is tapping Canadian companies to bulk order aluminum goods from Europe for direct shipment into Canada. The goal is tricky because Eascan orders custom parts and its supplier distribution centres are in the United States, said chief executive Camila Bellon. Canada exported $20 billion worth of steel and iron to the U.S. last year and $4.1 billion in aluminum, per Natural Resources Canada data. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
