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CTV News
08-08-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘Extra focus on value': Pizza Pizza CEO discusses growth strategy as tariffs bite
Sorry, we're having trouble with this video. Please try again later. [5006/404] Pizza Pizza Ltd.'s CEO says the company is deploying several strategies to lower the cost for franchisees to operate their businesses amid the ongoing tariff war with the U.S. The company primarily uses Canadian food products to reduce the cost of import-related expenses, converts existing stores and refurbishes well-maintained ovens. It, however, typically purchases tomato sauce and ovens from the United States, which are subject to retaliatory tariffs. 'You're really looking at ovens from Italy or the United States, and so those are definitely something that you see a palpable cost increase,' Paul Goddard told BNN Bloomberg in a Friday interview. 'We have to think about, how do we best manage that and just get the best efficiencies we can, but it is a headwind.' Ottawa has imposed retaliatory duties on ovens and aluminum and steel parts on equipment while also slapping tariffs on American produce, according to the Department of Finance. Pizza Pizza Royalty Corp., the chain's publicly traded sister company, reported on Thursday that total sales for the second quarter increased 3.9 per cent to $161.4 million from $155.4 million the same time last year. Goddard highlighted the company's value perceived as a low-cost pizza chain winning customers over. 'I think even predating this sort of current extra focus on value, it's something that's core to our brand and something that people associate very much with our brand. Affordability, value for money,' said Goddard. 'I think it's more just an increased emphasis for us, even compared to prior days. So that's very much the case.' The company attempted to capitalize on trade war discussions by developing marketing campaigns aroundthe severity of tariffs on Canadian businesses and residents. Pizza Pizza has created a reverse tariff program where customers can receive 25 per cent off an order online or through the Pizza Pizza smartphone app and a fixed rate pizza offering an extra large pizza at a locked-in price inline with fixed rate mortgages. 'I think we just want to be top of mind, be very topical, very relevant, and not take ourselves too seriously. You have to be judicious, because some of these topics are very serious,' said Goddard. 'I mean, tariffs, obviously, are very serious but our 25 per cent reverse tariff cheeky campaign got a lot of attention. Same as the fixed rate mortgage type of approach, the fixed rate pizza that we offered and things like that. I think we're trying to point out that to people to show that, look, we hear you, we know that times are tough for you with probably less discretionary spending, but look over here.' Goddard highlighted the company's digital transformation stating that over 70 per cent of orders are made online through the website or app. He however said the phone number, 967-1111, is still an important part of Pizza Pizza'a marketing strategy, which also leverages data. 'On the back end, a lot of cloud-based services leverage consumer data, and we're able to target campaigns and things behind the scenes as well, in terms of how we do media buy, and just analyze what works and what doesn't,' said Goddard. 'There's continued investment there, and we're always promoting our organic delivery, which even was up this quarter in many ways thanks to our apps. Rather than using third party apps, which is a channel for us, we want to really drive people to use organic apps, because it's cheaper for them, and you have a pizza time guarantee, for instance, as well if you go through our organic app or website. That's something that we've seen grow this quarter, organic delivery, and that's because of our technology.'
Cision Canada
07-08-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
PIZZA PIZZA ROYALTY CORP. ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER 2025 RESULTS
TORONTO, Aug. 7, 2025 /CNW/ - Pizza Pizza Royalty Corp. (the "Company") (TSX: PZA), which indirectly owns the Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 Rights and Marks, released financial results today for the three months ("Quarter") and six months ("Period") ended June 30, 2025. Second Quarter highlights: Same store sales (2) increased 2.1% Royalty Pool sales increased 3.9% Adjusted earnings per share (5) increased 1.3% Year to Date highlights: Same store sales (2) increased 1.6% Royalty Pool sales increased 2.8% Adjusted earnings per share (5) increased 0.2% Restaurant network increased by 3 net locations "Our strong second quarter performance highlights our ongoing commitment to growth, supported by menu innovation and strategic sports partnerships," said Paul Goddard, President and CEO of Pizza Pizza Limited. "Despite headwinds in the broader quick service landscape, our momentum continued this quarter and our marketing initiatives drove growth in both transactions and check." SALES Royalty Pool System Sales for the Quarter increased 3.9% to $161.4 million from $155.4 million in the same quarter last year. By brand, sales from the 694 Pizza Pizza restaurants in the Royalty Pool increased 4.1% to $139.3 million for the Quarter compared to $133.8 million in the same quarter last year. Sales from the 100 Pizza 73 restaurants increased 2.4% to $22.0 million for the Quarter compared to $21.5 million in the same quarter last year. Royalty Pool System Sales for the Period increased 2.8% to $312.7 million from $304.3 million in the same period last year. By brand, sales from the 694 Pizza Pizza restaurants in the Royalty Pool increased 2.7% to $269.2 million for the Period compared to $262.1 million in the same period last year. Sales from the 100 Pizza 73 restaurants increased 3.3% to $43.5 million for the Period compared to $42.1 million in the same period last year. For the Quarter and Period, the increase in Royalty Pool System Sales is driven by the same store sales and new restaurants added to the Royalty Pool on January 1, 2025. Additionally, while the number of restaurants in the Pizza 73 Royalty Pool remains less than 2019 when there were 104 restaurants, the negative impact on Royalty Pool System Sales due to prior year restaurant closures has been mitigated by the Make-Whole Carryover Amount. See "Same Store Sales Growth", and "Restaurants Added to the Royalty Pool". The Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 restaurants are subject to seasonal variations in their business. System Sales for the quarter ended March 31 have generally been the lowest. System Sales for the quarter ended December 31 have generally been the highest relative to other quarters. SAME STORE SALES GROWTH ("SSSG") SSSG, the key driver of yield growth for shareholders of the Company, increased 2.1% (2024 – decreased 3.9%) for the Quarter, and increased 1.6% for the Period (2024 – decreased 1.3%). SSSG is driven by the change in the customer check and customer traffic, both of which are affected by changes in pricing and sales mix. During the Quarter and Period, at both brands, restaurant traffic and average customer check increased. MONTHLY DIVIDENDS AND WORKING CAPITAL RESERVE The Company's dividends remained unchanged in the Quarter and Period. The Company declared shareholder dividends of $5.7 million, or $0.2325 per share, for the Quarter and the prior year comparable quarter, and $11.4 million, or $0.4650 per share, for the Period and the prior year comparable period. The payout ratio is 108% for the Quarter and was 112% for the Period. The Company's policy is to distribute all available cash in order to maximize returns to shareholders over time, after allowing for reasonable reserves. Despite seasonal variations inherent to the restaurant industry, the Company's policy is to make equal dividend payments to shareholders on a monthly basis in order to smooth out income to shareholders. After the reduction in the monthly dividend in April 2020, and the eight subsequent increases, including the most recent increase in November 2023, any further change will be implemented with a view to maintaining the continuity of consistent monthly distributions. It is expected that future dividends will continue to be funded entirely by cash flow from operations and the cash reserve. The Company's working capital reserve is $4.8 million at June 30, 2025, which is a decrease of $1.3 million in the Period due to the 112% payout ratio. System sales for the quarter ended March 31 have generally been the softest and historically results in a payout ratio over 100%. The reserve is available to stabilize dividends and fund other expenditures in the event of short-to-medium-term variability in System Sales and, thus, the Company's royalty income. The Company has historically targeted a payout ratio at or near 100% on an annualized basis. EARNINGS PER SHARE ("EPS") Fully-diluted basic EPS increased 1.3% to $0.236 for the Quarter compared to the prior year comparable quarter. As compared to basic EPS, the Company considers adjusted EPS (5) to be a more meaningful indicator of the Company's operating performance and, therefore, presents fully diluted, adjusted EPS. The adjusted EPS for the Quarter increased 1.3% to $0.241 when compared to the same period of 2024, and was comparable at $0.47 for the Period RESTAURANT DEVELOPMENT As previously announced, the number of restaurants in the Company's Royalty Pool increased by 20 net locations to 794 on the January 1, 2025 Adjustment Date, and consists of 694 Pizza Pizza restaurants and 100 Pizza 73 restaurants. The number of restaurants in the Royalty Pool will remain unchanged through 2025. During the Quarter, Pizza Pizza Limited ("PPL") opened three traditional and five non-traditional Pizza Pizza restaurants, and closed one traditional and four non-traditional Pizza Pizza restaurants. Additionally, at the Pizza 73 brand, PPL opened one traditional restaurant and closed one traditional restaurant. During the Period, PPL opened five traditional and seven non-traditional Pizza Pizza restaurants, and closed two traditional and eight non-traditional Pizza Pizza restaurants. PPL also opened two traditional Pizza 73 restaurants, and closed one Pizza 73 traditional restaurant. PPL management expects to grow its traditional restaurant network by 2% to 3% and continue its renovation program through 2025. Readers should note that the number of restaurants added to the Royalty Pool each year may differ from the number of restaurant openings and closings reported by PPL on an annual basis as the years for which they are reported differ slightly. CREDIT FACILITY On March 20, 2025, the Company's existing credit facility was extended for three years with a new maturity date of April 24, 2028. Mandatory repayment remains interest-only until the loan matures. The new facility bears interest at Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average ("CORRA") rate plus a credit spread of 1.00% to 1.50%, depending on the level of certain financial ratios. Additionally, on April 3, 2025, the Partnership entered into a three-year forward swap arrangement commencing April 24, 2025. With the new swap and credit spread, the interest rate increased to 3.51%, comprised of a fixed rate of 2.51% plus a credit spread currently set at 1.0%. The credit facility includes affirmative and negative covenants customary for agreements of this nature, and as at June 30, 2025 all covenants have been met. The Partnership is required to maintain a funded debt-to-EBITDA ratio not to exceed 2.5:1.0 on a four quarter rolling average and an interest coverage ratio of minimum 3:1. The debt-to-EBITDA ratio for the last four-quarter rolling average is 1.19:1 and the interest coverage ratio is 29.47:1 (December 31, 2024 – 1.20:1). The Partnership is presently making interest-only payments on the non-revolving credit facility. As the debt-to-EBITDA level changes, the credit spread will change as follows. SELECTED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS The following tables set out selected financial information and other data of the Company and should be read in conjunction with the June 30, 2025 unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company ("Financial Statements"). Readers should note that the 2025 results are not directly comparable to the 2024 results due to there being 794 restaurants in the 2025 Royalty Pool compared to 774 restaurants in the 2024 Royalty Pool. (in thousands of dollars, except number of restaurants, days in the year, per share amounts, and noted otherwise) Three months ended June 30, 2025 Three months ended June 30, 2024 Six months ended June 30, 2025 Six months ended June 30, 2024 Restaurants in Royalty Pool (1) 794 774 794 774 Same store sales growth (2) 2.1 % -3.9 % 1.6 % -1.3 % Days in the Period 91 91 181 182 System Sales reported by Pizza Pizza restaurants in the Royalty Pool (6) $ 139,347 $ 133,839 $ 269,167 $ 262,123 System Sales reported by Pizza 73 restaurants in the Royalty Pool (6) 22,035 21,517 43,538 42,129 Total System Sales $ 161,382 $ 155,356 $ 312,705 $ 304,252 Royalty – 6% on Pizza Pizza System Sales $ 8,361 $ 8,030 $ 16,150 $ 15,727 Royalty – 9% on Pizza 73 System Sales 1,983 1,937 3,919 3,792 Royalty – International operations 4 - 8 Royalty income $ 10,348 $ 9,967 $ 20,077 $ 19,519 Interest paid on borrowings (3) (5) (392) (319) (709) (638) Administrative expenses (283) (194) (435) (321) Interest income 61 103 129 224 Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited (5) $ 9,734 $ 9,557 $ 19,062 $ 18,784 Distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares (4) (2,726) (2,584) (5,486) (5,456) Current income tax expense (1,707) (1,712) (3,363) (3,358) Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends (5) $ 5,301 $ 5,261 $ 10,213 $ 9,970 Add back: Distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares (4) 2,726 2,584 5,486 5,456 Adjusted earnings from operations (5) $ 8,027 $ 7,845 $ 15,699 $ 15,426 Adjusted earnings per share (5) $ 0.241 $ 0.238 $ 0.470 $ 0.469 Basic earnings per share $ 0.236 $ 0.233 $ 0.469 $ 0.468 Dividends declared by the Company $ 5,724 $ 5,724 $ 11,448 $ 11,448 Dividend per share $ 0.2325 $ 0.2325 $ 0.465 $ 0.465 Payout ratio (5) 108 % 109 % 112 % 115 % June 30, 2025 December 31, 2024 Working capital (5) (7) $ 4,786 $ (40,908) Total assets $ 379,115 $ 373,745 Total liabilities $ 76,086 $ 75,527 (1) The number of restaurants for which the Pizza Pizza Royalty Limited Partnership (the "Partnership") earns a royalty ("Royalty Pool"), as defined in the amended and restated Pizza Pizza license and royalty agreement (the "Pizza Pizza License and Royalty Agreement") and the amended and restated Pizza 73 license and royalty agreement (the "Pizza 73 License and Royalty Agreement") (together, the "License and Royalty Agreements"). For the 2025 fiscal year, the Royalty Pool includes 694 Pizza Pizza restaurants and 100 Pizza 73 restaurants. The number of restaurants added to the Royalty Pool each year may differ from the number of restaurant openings and closings reported by Pizza Pizza Limited ("PPL") on an annual basis as the periods for which they are reported differ slightly (see "Royalty Pool Adjustments"). (2) Same store sales growth ("SSSG") is a supplementary financial measure under NI 52-112 and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. SSSG means the change in Period's gross sales of a particular Pizza Pizza or Pizza 73 restaurant as compared to sales in the previous comparative Period, where the restaurant has been open at least 13 months. Additionally, for a Pizza 73 restaurant whose restaurant territory was adjusted due to an additional restaurant, the sales used to derive the Step-Out Payment (calculated as the difference between the average monthly Pizza 73 Royalty payment attributable to that Adjusted Restaurant in the 12 months immediately preceding the month in which the territory reduction occurs, less the Pizza 73 Royalty payment attributable to the restaurant in the current month) may be added to sales to arrive at SSSG. SSSG does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS Accounting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB"). See "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures". (3) The Company, indirectly through the Partnership, incurs interest expense on the $47 million outstanding bank loan. Interest expense also includes amortization of loan fees. See "Interest Expense". (4) Represents the distribution to PPL from the Partnership on Class B and Class D Units of the Partnership held by PPL directly and indirectly through a wholly-owned subsidiary. The Class B and D Units are exchangeable into common shares of the Company ("Shares") based on the value of the Class B Exchange Multiplier and the Class D Exchange Multiplier at the time of exchange as defined in the License and Royalty Agreements, respectively, and represent 26.2% of the fully diluted Shares at June 30, 2025 (December 31, 2024 – 25.2%). During the quarter ended March 31, 2025, as a result of the final calculation of the Exchangeable Class B and Class D Share entitlements related to the January 1, 2024 Adjustment to the Royalty Pool, PPL was paid a distribution on additional Exchangeable Shares as if such Shares were outstanding as of January 1, 2024. Included in the three months ended March 31, 2025, is the payment of $34 in distributions to PPL pursuant to the true-up calculation (March 31, 2024 - PPL received $288). (5) "Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited", "Adjusted earnings from operations", "Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends", "Adjusted earnings per Share", "Interest paid on borrowings", "Payout Ratio", and "Working Capital" are non-GAAP financial measures under NI 52-112. They do not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. See "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures" and "Interest Expense". (6) System Sales (as defined in the License and Royalty Agreements) reported by Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 restaurants include the gross sales of Pizza Pizza company-owned, jointly-controlled and franchised restaurants, and the monthly Make-Whole Payment, excluding sales and goods and service tax or similar amounts levied by any governmental or administrative authority. System Sales do not represent the consolidated operating results of the Company but are used to calculate the royalties payable to the Partnership as presented above. (7) Working capital for 2024 includes the reclassification of the $47 million credit facility to current liabilities, see "Working Capital". Excluding the reclassification, working capital would be $6.1 million. A copy of the Company's interim consolidated financial statements and related Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") will be available at and after the market closes on August 7, 2025. As previously announced, the Company will host a conference call to discuss the results. The details of the conference call are as follows: Date: August 7, 2025 Time: 5:30 p.m. ET Call-in number: 416-945-7677 / 888-699-1199 Recording call in number: 289-819-1450 / 888-660-6345 Available until midnight, August 21, 2025 Conference ID: 57961# A recording of the call will also be available on the Company's website at FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements in this report, including information regarding the Company's dividend policy, its ability to meet covenants and other financial obligations, and their ability to achieve their business objectives, constitute "forward-looking" statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. When used in this report, such statements include such words as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "plan", and other similar terminology in conjunction with a discussion of future events or operating or financial performance. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating and financial performance and speak only as of the date of this MD&A. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any such forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. The following are some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or underlying such forward-looking statements: changes in national and local business and economic conditions including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (such as customers' ability and willingness to visit restaurants and their perception of health and food safety issues, discretionary spending patterns and supply chain limitations, and the related financial impact on PPL and its franchisees and restaurant operators), impacts of legislation and governmental regulation, accounting policies and practices, competition, changes in demographic trends and changing consumer preferences, and the results of operations and financial condition of PPL. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other information included in the foregoing MD&A, the PPL financial statements for the period ended June 29, 2025 and the related MD&A and the Company's Annual Information Form. Exhibit One: Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Measures The Company's earnings, as presented under IFRS includes non-cash items, such as deferred tax, that do not affect the Company's business operations or its ability to pay dividends to shareholders. The Company believes its earnings are not the only, or most meaningful, measurement of the Company's ability to pay dividends or measure the rate at which the Company is paying out its earnings. Therefore, the Company reports the following non-IFRS measures: Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and PPL; Adjusted earnings from operations; Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends; Adjusted earnings per share ("EPS"); Payout Ratio; and Working Capital. The Company believes that the above noted measures provide investors with more meaningful information regarding the amount of cash that the Company has generated to pay dividends, and, together with Interest Paid on Borrowings and SSSG, help illustrate the Company's operating performance and highlight trends in the Company's business. These measures are also frequently used by analysts, investors, and other interested parties in the evaluation of issuers in the Company's sector, particularly those with a royalty-based model. The adjustments to net earnings as recorded under IFRS relate to non-cash items included in earnings and cash payments accounted for on the statement of financial position. Investors are cautioned, however, that this should not be construed as an alternative to net earnings as a measure of profitability. The method of calculating the Company's NI 52-112 non-IFRS financial measures: Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited, Adjusted earnings from operations, Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends, Adjusted EPS, Payout Ratio, Working Capital and SSSG for the purposes of this MD&A may differ from that used by other issuers and, accordingly, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures used by other issuers. The table below reconciles the following to "Earnings for the period before income taxes" which is the most directly comparable measure calculated in accordance with IFRS: Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited; Adjusted earnings from operations; and Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends. (in thousands of dollars, except number of shares) Q2 2025 Q1 2025 Q4 2024 Q3 2024 Earnings for the period before income taxes 9,734 9,328 9,840 9,566 Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited 9,734 9,328 9,840 9,566 Current income tax expense (1,707) (1,656) (1,767) (1,714) Adjusted earnings from operations 8,027 7,672 8,073 7,852 Less: Distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares (2,726) (2,760) (2,584) (2,584) Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends 5,301 4,912 5,489 5,268 Weighted average Shares – diluted 33,353,588 33,353,588 32,908,631 32,908,631 (in thousands of dollars, except number of shares) Q2 2024 Q1 2024 Q4 2023 Q3 2023 Earnings for the period before income taxes 9,557 9,227 10,084 10,080 Adjusted earnings available for distribution to the Company and Pizza Pizza Limited 9,557 9,227 10,084 10,080 Current income tax expense (1,712) (1,646) (1,834) (1,833) Adjusted earnings from operations 7,845 7,581 8,250 8,247 Less: Distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares (2,584) (2,872) (2,370) (2,316) Adjusted earnings available for shareholder dividends 5,261 4,709 5,880 5,931 Weighted average Shares – diluted 32,908,631 32,908,631 32,337,580 32,337,580 The Basic EPS and the Adjusted EPS calculations are based on fully diluted weighted average shares, and both include PPL's Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares since they are exchangeable into and economically equivalent to the Shares. See "Adjusted EPS". Adjusted EPS is calculated by dividing Adjusted earnings from operations, as explained above, by the fully diluted weighted average shares. Adjusted EPS for the Quarter increased 1.3% to $0.241 when compared to the same period of 2024, and was comparable at $0.470 for the Period. Payout Ratio is a non-IFRS financial measure that does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and therefore may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. The Company presents the Payout Ratio to illustrate the earnings being returned to shareholders. The Company's Payout Ratio is calculated by dividing the dividends declared to shareholders by the adjusted earnings from operations, after paying the distribution on Class B and Class D Exchangeable Shares, in that same period. Working Capital is defined as total current assets less total current liabilities. The Company views working capital as a measure for assessing overall liquidity and its ability to stabilize dividends and fund unusual expenditures in the event of short- to medium-term variability in Royalty Pool System Sales. In 2024, the borrowings of $47.0 million were reclassified to current liabilities as the facility was scheduled to come due in April 2025. On March 20, 2025, the Company renewed its facility for a three-year term and maturity is now April 2028. Excluding the impact of the borrowings in 2024, the working capital reserve would have been $6.1 million as at December 31, 2024. The use of the working capital during the Period relates to the payout ratio of 112%. SSSG is a key indicator used by the Company to measure performance against internal targets and prior period results. SSSG is commonly used by financial analysts and investors to compare PPL to other QSR brands. SSSG is defined as the change in period gross sales of Pizza Pizza and Pizza 73 restaurants as compared to sales in the previous comparative period, where the restaurant has been open at least 13 months. Additionally, for a Pizza 73 restaurant whose restaurant territory was adjusted due to an additional restaurant, the sales used to derive the Step-Out Payment may be added to sales to arrive at SSSG (as defined in footnote 2 on page 3). It is a key performance indicator for the Company as this measure excludes sales fluctuations due to store closings, permanent relocations and chain expansion. The following table calculates SSSG by reconciling Royalty Pool System Sales, based on calendar periods, to PPL's 13-week sales reporting period used in calculating same store sales. SOURCE Pizza Pizza Royalty Corp.
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
3rd pizzeria fire of the summer in Hawkesbury
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have opened an arson investigation into a third pizzeria fire in just over a month in Hawkesbury, Ont. The first two happened early June 30 at the Pizza Pizza and Salvatoré, about 400 metres apart on Main Street E. in the town near the Quebec border. Both were closed at the time, and there were no injuries. There was another fire late Monday night at Pizza Mike Express on James Street, about 100 metres south of the Pizza Pizza. OPP said in a news release Wednesday that witnesses reported seeing two tall, thin men in black sweaters start the fire and walk away. "There is no chance this is an accidental fire," said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson in an interview with Radio-Canada on Thursday. Police can't say the three fires are connected based on their investigations so far, he said, nor have they confirmed a motive.
CBC
07-08-2025
- CBC
3rd pizzeria fire of the summer in Hawkesbury
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have opened an arson investigation into a third pizzeria fire in just over a month in Hawkesbury, Ont. The first two happened early June 30 at the Pizza Pizza and Salvatoré, about 400 metres apart on Main Street E. in the town near the Quebec border. Both were closed at the time, and there were no injuries. There was another fire late Monday night at Pizza Mike Express on James Street, about 100 metres south of the Pizza Pizza. OPP said in a news release Wednesday that witnesses reported seeing two tall, thin men in black sweaters start the fire and walk away. "There is no chance this is an accidental fire," said OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson in an interview with Radio-Canada on Thursday. Police can't say the three fires are connected based on their investigations so far, he said, nor have they confirmed a motive.
Global News
11-07-2025
- Global News
Two teen girls charged in Oshawa, Ont., swarming, 11-year-old also a suspect: police
Two girls, aged 13 and 14, have been charged with assault after an alleged swarming attack in Oshawa, Ont., last week while three other youths, including an 11-year-old, are considered suspects, police said Friday. But Durham Region police said there's 'no evidence' at this time that hate was an aggravating factor in the alleged attack on a Muslim woman whose hijab was ripped off. In a press release Friday, police said officers responded to a report of an assault at a Pizza Pizza restaurant shortly after midnight on July 2. They alleged one of the suspects jumped behind the counter and tried to take something and the victim tried to stop them before being swarmed and kicked repeatedly by others in the group. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Two teenage girls have been charged with assault causing bodily harm, while an 11-year-old boy has been identified as a suspect but he cannot be charged due to his age, police said. They are also searching for a 13-year-old boy wanted for assault and an unidentified female suspect between the ages of 12 to 15. Story continues below advertisement Police initially said that all potential motives, including the possibility the attack was hate-motivated, would be examined. 'The investigation remains ongoing and at this time, there is no evidence to indicate that hate was an aggravating factor in this assault,' police said Friday. Last week, advocates in the Muslim community said the alleged attack has left people anxious and frightened amid a rise in Islamophobic incidents. The victim's daughter also said her mother was 'deeply shaken' and the family is concerned about her safety. Omar Khamisa, the chief operating officer of the National Council of Canadian Muslims, said he was heartbroken and angry to hear about the incident, adding his organization is seeing a rise in reported hate crimes against Muslims. Khamisa called on elected officials to acknowledge the gravity of the issue and take measures to address it. 'It's time for the words to become actions now,' he said. 'We cannot keep waiting for the next attack before we make and move for change.' The National Council of Canadian Muslims did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday after police announced charges in the case. Durham police said hate crime is not a 'stand-alone' charge in Canada and determining whether hate played a role in a crime requires consultation with the Crown attorney's office.
