Abuse Of Dominance - October 2015

The Competition Bureau of Canada has entered into a consent agreement with Empire Company Limited, parent of major grocery chains including Sobeys and Safeway, restricting the company's use of property controls that limit competition. This agreement prohibits Empire from enforcing certain restrictive covenants and exclusivity clauses that prevent other grocers from operating nearby, despite Empire's earlier voluntary commitments. The Bureau's action signals heightened regulatory scrutiny of property control

More particularly, the Plaintiff had argued that the drip pricing provision in subsection 52(1.3) of the Competition Act requires “all-inclusive pricing” and forbids all forms of “fragmented or segmented pricing,” and that Ticketmaster’s partitioned price representations are thus prohibited as a criminal conduct and amount to false or misleading representations covered by the criminal misleading advertising provision in section 52

This comprehensive guide examines the pre-merger notification requirements under Canada's Competition Act, providing essential information for parties considering transactions that may trigger mandatory filing obligations. The guide outlines the thresholds, procedures, and compliance considerations that businesses must navigate when planning mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian market.

Minimum advertised pricing (MAP) policies have come under the Competition Bureau’s microscope. The Bureau announced on September 28, 2026, that it has launched an investigation into whether MAP policies in the grocery sector are limiting competition among grocers and keeping lower prices out of reach for consumers.

To address these concerns, Sherwin-Willaims is required under the consent agreement to sell Valspar's assets related to industrial wood coatings in Canada and the U.S. to Axalta Coating Systems Ltd....

Loblaw Companies Limited agreed to sell 18 retail stores and 9 pharmacies, as well as to abide by certain behavioural restrictions, in order to receive Competition Bureau approval of its acquisition of Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation. Loblaw entered into a consent agreement with the Bureau on March 21, following the Bureau’s review of the proposed acquisition.

On September 24, 2026, the Competition Bureau (Bureau) announced it had entered into a consent agreement with Kalibrate Canada Inc. (Kalibrate) to address concerns regarding Kalibrate’s collection and distribution of detailed retail fuel data through its Kalibrate Market Intelligence product (KMI). More broadly, the matter signals the Bureau’s willingness to challenge information-sharing arrangements under multiple provisions of the Competition Act (Act), including through abuse of dominance where the intermediary itself is alleged to be dominant.

In today's enforcement climate, it is critical that businesses adopt and adhere to a competition law compliance policy that accords with the Competition Bureau's 2015 bulletin on Corporate Compliance Programs.

The September 2026 issue of Blakes Competitive Edge examines recent developments in Canadian competition and foreign investment law, including the Competition Bureau's application to block a major food industry acquisition and new national security reviews under the Investment Canada Act.

McKesson's other proposed acquisition of Uniprix will also be reviewed by the Bureau.

Canada and Germany are making unprecedented investments in AI infrastructure and safety research, while major players like Cohere, OpenAI, and Bell position themselves in a rapidly evolving landscape of technology sovereignty. How will these strategic moves reshape the global AI race and what do they mean for businesses navigating data residency, vendor relationships, and emerging regulatory frameworks?

Christopher Anderson and Michael Kandev are featured legal professionals at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, a prominent law firm. Their professional backgrounds and expertise are highlighted through biographical information and imagery from the firm's Toronto office.

Yesterday, the Federal Government announced changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act to exempt various projects funded under the Building Canada Plan from federal environmental assessment ("EA") requirements.

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP provides legal services and expertise across multiple practice areas. The firm offers insights, career opportunities, and maintains offices to serve clients with professional legal counsel and representation.

Quebec has dramatically increased minimum environmental fines for designated industrial activities by a factor of ten, with penalties now reaching up to $300,000 per day for contaminant releases. These changes, effective August 13, 2026, apply to nine categories of industrial operations including aluminum smelters, mines, cement plants, and chemical facilities, with fines doubling on first recidivism and tripling thereafter.

The Government of Canada introduced Bill C-29, An Act to establish the Financial Crimes Agency and to make consequential amendments to certain Acts and regulations (Bill), on April 27, 2026.

This comprehensive guide examines the pre-merger notification requirements under Canada's Competition Act, providing essential information for parties considering transactions that may trigger mandatory filing obligations. The guide outlines the thresholds, procedures, and compliance considerations that businesses must navigate when planning mergers and acquisitions in the Canadian market.

Davies' Investment Canada Act guide provides foreign investors with essential information about national security reviews and net benefit assessments when establishing or acquiring Canadian businesses. The comprehensive resource outlines review processes, timing considerations, and regulatory requirements that non-Canadian entities must navigate when investing in Canada.

Today, the OPA announced 40 new contracts for over 870 MW of renewable energy under the Feed-in Tariff Program.

Canada's proposed Privacy and Consumer Data Act introduces sweeping changes to private sector privacy regulation, including a new enforcement body with unprecedented penalty powers, mandatory cross-border transfer assessments, and enhanced protections for children's data. Organizations operating in Canada face a fundamental shift from PIPEDA's principles-based approach to a prescriptive compliance regime with significant financial and legal consequences.