Commerce

Hudson’s Bay heads into last days of sale with lots of shoppers, little merchandise

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Hudson’s Bay heads into last days of sale with lots of shoppers, little merchandise

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Friday, May. 30, 2025

TORONTO - Hudson’s Bay headed into its last weekend of liquidation sales with its Toronto flagship teeming with shoppers looking for one last treasure from the department store.

Even before the Yonge Street location opened Friday, shoppers waited in front of its doors, exchanging hopes for what they’d find inside and strategizing how to beat the competition.

When they made it in, they found large swaths of the store had been emptied out, but plenty of deals still remained.

There were $10 Levi's jeans for men, $5 corsets for women and $15 pajama sets.

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Friday, May. 30, 2025

Judge wrestles with far-reaching remedy proposals in US antitrust case against Google

Michael Liedtke And Alan Suderman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Judge wrestles with far-reaching remedy proposals in US antitrust case against Google

Michael Liedtke And Alan Suderman, The Associated Press 5 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

WASHINGTON (AP) — The fate and fortunes of one of the world’s most powerful tech companies now sit in the hands of a U.S. judge wrestling with whether to impose far-reaching changes upon Google in the wake of its dominant search engine being declared an illegal monopoly.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta heard closing arguments Friday from Justice Department lawyers who argued that a radical shake-up is needed to promote a free and fair market. Their proposed remedies include a ban on Google paying to lock its search engine in as the default on smart devices and an order requiring the company to sell its Chrome browser.

Google’s legal team argued that only minor concessions are needed and urged Mehta not to unduly punish the company with a harsh ruling that could squelch future innovations. Google also argued that upheaval triggered by advances in artificial intelligence already is reshaping the search landscape, as conversational search options are rolling out from AI startups that are hoping to use the Department of Justice’s four-and-half-year-old case to gain the upper hand in the next technological frontier.

It was an argument that Mehta appeared to give serious consideration as he marveled at the speed at which the AI industry was growing. He also indicated he was still undecided on how much AI’s potential to shake up the search market should be incorporated in his forthcoming ruling. “This is what I’ve been struggling with,” Mehta said.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks at a Google I/O event in Mountain View, Calif., Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

‘Soup Nazi’ actor dips ladle for victims of Vancouver festival attack

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

‘Soup Nazi’ actor dips ladle for victims of Vancouver festival attack

The Canadian Press 3 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

VANCOUVER - "Soup Nazi" actor Larry Thomas, best known for his guest role as a strict soup seller on the sitcom "Seinfeld," will be picking up his ladle again to raise money for victims of last month's attack on Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival.

The Los Angeles-based actor said he will be serving at the Greens And Beans Deli in New Westminster, B.C., on Sunday as part of the restaurant's fundraising efforts.

Thomas said the April 26 attack that killed 11 people was a "terrible thing," prompting him to reprise his fundraising relationship with the deli that stretches back 20 years.

Leona Green, owner of the deli, first reached out to Thomas to ask him to serve soup at a fundraiser for the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

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Tuesday, Sep. 23, 2025

People hold a candlelight march during a vigil on the street where a vehicle-ramming attack occurred at the Filipino community's Lapu Lapu Day festival last week in Vancouver, on May 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Jim Irsay’s impact can be felt all around Indianapolis as city celebrates big sports weekend

Michael Marot, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Jim Irsay’s impact can be felt all around Indianapolis as city celebrates big sports weekend

Michael Marot, The Associated Press 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — When Mark Miles strolls around downtown Indianapolis, he sees Jim Irsay's influence everywhere.

From the trademark sports facilities to the towering J.W. Marriott hotel to the Pan Am Plaza currently under construction, he's not sure any of it could have happened without the assistance of the longtime Colts owner who helped this small Midwestern town shed its image as Indiana No Place and emerge as Indiana Some Place.

So as Indy steps into a new role, the mega center of a jam-packed Memorial Day sports weekend, the longtime local sports executive is saddened Irsay won't be here to enjoy the results of his efforts. Irsay died Wednesday in his sleep at age 65.

“It's incredibly sad, it's a big ache in my heart," Miles said Thursday. “ He had such a huge heart. He cared so, so much about the people in this community. I don't care what day it was, it was going to be a horrible loss but this weekend is sort of emblematic of what he helped build and I'm sorry he missed it."

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Sunday, Sep. 21, 2025

FILE - Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay raises the Vince Lombardi trophy during a rally in Indianapolis, Monday, Feb. 5, 2007. The Colts defeated the Chicago Bears to win Super Bowl XLI. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Hot diggity dog! Wienermobiles put on riveting race in Wienie 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Hot diggity dog! Wienermobiles put on riveting race in Wienie 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Dave Skretta, The Associated Press 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Give the Borg-Wiener Trophy at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Wienermobile affectionately known as Slaw Dog.

In a down-to-the-wire race among the six iconic Wienermobiles that serve as goodwill ambassadors for Oscar Mayer, the hot dog-on-wheels representing the Southeast proved to be the big dog on Carb Day ahead of Sunday's running of the Indianapolis 500.

It made a dramatic pass of the Wienermobile repping Chicago at the finish line to win the inaugural Wienie 500 on Friday.

The margin was about a half a bun.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles head into the first turn as they compete in the Wienie 500 following the practice session for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Cohere asks U.S. court to toss complaint from media alleging copyright infringement

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Cohere asks U.S. court to toss complaint from media alleging copyright infringement

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

TORONTO - Cohere is asking a U.S. court to throw out complaints from media outlets that have accused the artificial intelligence company of infringing on their copyright.

In a dismissal motion filed in a New York court on Thursday, Cohere accused publishers including the Toronto Star, Condé Nast, McClatchy, Forbes Media and Guardian News of deliberately using its software to "manufacture a case."

The Toronto-based company said the outlets must have "stylized" prompts they entered into Cohere's software to elicit portions of their own work, which sometimes included inaccuracies.

It argued nothing in the complaint filed by the outlets suggests that any real customer has ever used the company's software to infringe on the publisher's copyright.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

A man uses a computer keyboard in Toronto in this Sunday, Oct. 9, 2023 photo illustration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

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Celebrating 50 years, Winnipeg's downtown Keg steakhouse takes pride in its endurance

David Sanderson 8 minute read Preview

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Celebrating 50 years, Winnipeg's downtown Keg steakhouse takes pride in its endurance

David Sanderson 8 minute read Friday, May. 23, 2025

The Keg Steakhouse + Bar at 115 Garry St. — commonly referred to as the Garry Street Keg, or simply Garry Street — turns 50 years old in June.

Gord Howard, the owner of Winnipeg’s three Keg restaurants including the downtown locale, intends to mark the milestone in some manner, though he admits it will be difficult to match the goings-on that occurred there 40 summers ago.

Howard was a manager at the Garry Street Keg in June 1985 when his then-supervisor Griffin Tripp suggested they throw a shindig to toast the popular dining spot’s 10th anniversary. The pair arranged to have Garry Street closed to vehicular traffic between Broadway and York Avenue to facilitate a daylong block party featuring live music and free Keg-size victuals. And because George Tidball, the chain’s founder, was flying in from Vancouver to attend, Tripp suggested they present their boss with a gift upon his arrival.

“George was a horseman originally from Alberta, so Griff thought it would be a good idea to get him a commemorative saddle,” Howard says, seated in the attractive 255-seat spot that, since the outset, has boasted brick walls, oak tables and well-situated fireplaces.

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Friday, May. 23, 2025

Ruth Bonneville / Free Press
Scott Stephen, director of ops for local Kegs, says while the Garry Street location is part of a chain, it’s always had its own distinctive character.
Ruth Bonneville / Free Press INTERSECTION - The Keg Photo of Scott Stephen, irector of operations for the Winnipeg Kegs, in the front lounge area of the Garry Street Keg. What: This is for an Intersection piece on the 50th anniversary of the Garry Street Keg. The downtown restaurant opened in June 1975 in a former Hudson’s Bay Livery stable; Gord Howard, who owns the three Winnipeg Kegs, started working there a year later and has been with the company ever since. Scott Stephen, who worked as a server is the director of operations for the Winnipeg Kegs. See story by Dave. May 21st, 2025

Forgotten Flavours Artisan Bakery fills Pennyloaf void on Corydon

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Preview

Forgotten Flavours Artisan Bakery fills Pennyloaf void on Corydon

Gabrielle Piché 5 minute read Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

After nearly a year, the smell of fresh bread will once again fill a Corydon Avenue bakery.

The sign out front no longer reads “Pennyloaf Bakery,” and the staff inside are no longer employed by former clothing mogul and entrepreneur Pepper Foster.

Instead, an emblem for Forgotten Flavours Artisan Bakery faces passersby. Owners Chris and Maria Holbrow busy themselves inside 858 Corydon Ave., preparing for the Winnipeg shop’s first day open Tuesday.

“We’re trying to complement the space and ensure that we can fill a void that was very sad to see go,” Chris Holbrow said. “We have a great product to offer.”

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Monday, Nov. 18, 2024

Flour & Flower plants roots with Waterloo Street location as demand for unique cakes, cookies decorated with edible flowers grows

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Preview

Flour & Flower plants roots with Waterloo Street location as demand for unique cakes, cookies decorated with edible flowers grows

Gabrielle Piché 4 minute read Saturday, Sep. 30, 2023

Rachel Nedelec’s baking has reached the Grammys and Australia, an international fashion house and at least one yoga studio.

Next week, Flour & Flower will have a permanent home — its first brick-and-mortar bakery.

“I said, ‘I want it, I need it, this is my space,’” Nedelec recounted, laughing.

She and her real estate agent had heard the spot at 530 Waterloo St. was coming available. It was déjà vu: Nedelec first toured the site in early 2020, when her business was not yet half a year old.

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Saturday, Sep. 30, 2023

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Rachel Nedelec, owner of Flour & Flower bakery, is opening her first storefront location on Waterloo Street next week. The company’s creations were included in Grammy Awards gift bags this year.

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Crave introduces ad tiers, including $9.99 plan

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Preview

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Crave introduces ad tiers, including $9.99 plan

The Canadian Press 2 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

TORONTO - Crave is introducing two ad-supported tiers that each shave $5 or $10 off the monthly subscription fee.

Bell Media says its new Crave Basic with Ads costs $9.99/month, while Crave Standard with Ads costs $14.99/month. An unchanged ad-free option remains at $19.99/month, and is renamed Crave Premium Ad-Free.

Viewers can watch most shows and movies, including HBO and Max originals, on the ad-supported plans. About one per cent of titles won't be available due to licensing restrictions.

Ads will be 15 or 30 seconds long, totalling about five minutes per hour, and appear before and during some episodes and films.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

The Crave app is seen on a phone in Toronto on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019. Crave is introducing two ad-supported tiers that each shave $5 or $10 off the monthly subscription fee. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

Low-cost Temu goes head-to-head with Amazon

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Preview

Low-cost Temu goes head-to-head with Amazon

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press 6 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

It started with a video of a postal worker sorting a mountain of orange packages from Temu.

Rachael D'Amore hadn't heard of the online shopping site, but after watching the video she found good reviews, affordable products and free shipping on most orders — what she called "a unicorn in Canada these days."

"I had to double check the URL to make sure that I wasn't on the U.S. site," she said.

Temu also offered a $5 credit if an order took longer than 12 days to arrive — a quasi-insurance policy that gave D'Amore the confidence to place a $30 order for seven items, including an 89-cent necklace, earrings for $1.78 and hair clips for $3.59.

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

A person navigates the Temu website on a smartphone in Toronto, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Temu launched in Canada in early February, the same month it aired a Super Bowl ad with the tagline

Dove is the latest company to raise people's ire with a tone-deaf ad

Doug Speirs 10 minute read Preview

Dove is the latest company to raise people's ire with a tone-deaf ad

Doug Speirs 10 minute read Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017

Talk about getting under people’s skin.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past week, you’ll know skin-care giant Dove sparked a firestorm with a Facebook ad that depicts a black woman transforming into a white woman after using its body wash.

Dove quickly pulled the offending video clip after outraged social media users branded it racist and said it reminded them of soap ads from the 19th or early 20th century that showed black people scrubbing their skin to become white.

In the three-second video, posted on Dove’s U.S. Facebook page late last week, a young black woman smiles as she peels off her dark brown shirt to reveal a white woman in a beige shirt, who then lifts her own top to reveal another woman.

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Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017

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À la pêche aux entreprises

Valentin Cueff de La Liberté pour le Winnipeg Free Press 5 minute read Preview

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À la pêche aux entreprises

Valentin Cueff de La Liberté pour le Winnipeg Free Press 5 minute read Saturday, May. 6, 2017

Alt Hotel, la boulangerie Le Croissant, l’Épi de blé, Thermëa Spa. Qu’ont ces lieux de Winnipeg en commun? Ce sont des compagnies nées dans d’autres contrées francophones, qui ont posé leur valise dans la capitale manitobaine. Entreprises familiales ou grosses sociétés, toutes ont été “séduites” par Mariette Mulaire et son équipe pour venir s’installer dans la province.

Pour Mulaire, le premier défi est souvent de faire connaître le Manitoba en dehors du Canada. “Vous venez d’où?””De Winnipeg.” “C’est où, ça?” “Au Canada.” “Ah, au Québec?” “Pas tout à fait…”

La présidente-directrice générale du WTC a l’habitude d’avoir ce type d’échanges, notamment quand elle se déplace en France pour des forums économiques. “Pour les entreprises, le Manitoba est une alternative qui est mal connue, ou méconnue. Il faut éduquer les gens.”

À l’origine, il y avait l’Agence nationale et internationale du Manitoba (ANIM). Née en 2007, cet organisme avait pour but “d’utiliser le bilinguisme au Manitoba pour aller chercher les marchés francophones.” Mulaire en était la PDG. Elle travaillait de paire avec Michel Simard et Annie Girard pour attirer des investisseurs dans la province, ainsi qu’avec Brigitte Léger dans le dossier de l’immigration économique francophone.

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Saturday, May. 6, 2017

Valentin Cueff photo
Mariette Mulaire, présidente du WTC Winnipeg, va à la pêche aux entreprises francophones pour amener de l’investissement dans la province.

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Ad another thing: sounding the alarm about advertising’s ill effects on society

By Jen Zoratti 6 minute read Preview

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Ad another thing: sounding the alarm about advertising’s ill effects on society

By Jen Zoratti 6 minute read Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013

Jean Kilbourne was an adbuster long before there was anything close to resembling Adbusters.

When the acclaimed feminist scholar, author, filmmaker and media literacy pioneer, who speaks Thursday at 7:30 p.m., at the University of Winnipeg's Convocation Hall, began tearing advertisements out of magazines and posting them on her refrigerator back in 1968, she didn't know she would start a movement, let alone a respected field of study.

At the time, she just wanted to open people's eyes. She assembled the ads she collected into a slideshow presentation that she took to college campuses in the 1970s. She had one goal: tell anyone who would listen about the damaging effect ads were having on women.

"I was the first person to start talking about the image of women in advertising," Kilbourne, 70, recalls. "(The ads) were outrageous and no one was paying attention to them."

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Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013

November 28, 2025