Competition Law And Foreign Investment: Three Key Regulatory Issues (Video Content)

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.

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....

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.

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.

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

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

Canadian Tire affiliate FGL Sports’ acquisition of Pro Hockey Life Sporting Goods Inc. is unlikely to substantially lessen or prevent competition in the retail market for hockey equipment, the Competition Bureau has concluded.

Burger King’s purchase of Tim Hortons is unlikely to harm competition because there are many competitors in the fast food industry and low barriers for entry by new competitors.

Although only the OTC joint venture was notifiable under Part IX of the Competition Act, the Bureau conducted a full analysis on all three parts of the proposed transaction.

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

British Columbia's snap election on October 24, 2026, brings unprecedented compliance challenges for businesses seeking to engage in policy discussions. With some of Canada's strictest lobbying rules, stringent election financing laws, and new foreign influence regulations all converging during the campaign period, organizations must navigate a complex web of registration requirements, spending caps, and reporting obligations while avoiding significant legal and reputational risks.

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), on behalf of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), recently granted ZED Network Inc.

Canada has announced C$27.6-billion in counter-tariffs on U.S. imports, effective September 8, 2026, targeting over 700 product classifications across steel, aluminum, dairy, electronics, and other sectors. The measures represent a dollar-for-dollar response to U.S. Section 338 tariffs, with rates ranging from 15% to 50% depending on the product category. The government has also introduced a C$7.5-billion support package for affected Canadian workers and businesses.

Le 29 août 2026, Environnement et Changement climatique Canada a publié deux avis obligeant certaines entreprises ayant fabriqué, importé ou utilisé 200 substances spécifiques en 2025 à déclarer des renseignements détaillés. Ces exigences de déclaration s'appliquent largement aux importateurs, fabricants et utilisateurs de produits contenant ces substances, avec des seuils quantitatifs et des échéances strictes à respecter.

The issue of whether compensation should be paid to Canadian local over-the-air (OTA) television stations by the broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) (e.g., cable, direct-to-home satellite) that distribute the television stations’ programs has been the subject of discussion for many years and, more recently, was the subject of a proceeding before the industry’s regulatory body, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC, the Commission).

Canadian M&A activity rose once again in 2016, surpassing a record-breaking 2015 to become the most active year in Canadian deal-making history.

On July 24, 2007, the Competition Bureau announced that it would not challenge the merger of Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and Bowater Incorporated. The Bureau considered the competitive impact of the transaction on the markets for softwood lumber, market pulp, wood chips, roundwood/logs, newsprint, and uncoated groundwood paper

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.

Blakes' Competition and Foreign Investment groups provide a comprehensive overview of recent developments in Canadian competition law and foreign investment, including the Competition Bureau's activities, merger reviews, and key regulatory updates. The newsletter highlights significant enforcement actions, including the Bureau's challenge to Nortera Food Inc.'s proposed acquisition and the federal government's national security reviews of foreign investments.

Ontario's Ministry of Energy and Mines has proposed exempting electricity transmission projects procured by the Independent Electricity System Operator from the traditional leave to construct approval requirement. This regulatory change could significantly streamline the development timeline for bulk system transmission infrastructure, including the pending Toronto Third Line procurement, while maintaining environmental assessment and Indigenous consultation requirements.