Leons Headlines Jan 28: Confirmed: as reported Monday, Peavey Mart will close all Canadian stores including Brandon with liquidation sales to begin immediately. MB also has stores in Winnipeg, Winkler, Steinbach and Swan River.
-NEW RBC Poll: Over half of people in MB & SK are financially strained, living paycheck to paycheck, struggling with rising costs & fearing financial ruin.
-MB launches a tariff hotline to assist businesses & workers with questions about US trade as preparations continue for President Trump’s proposed 25% tariff.
-MB conservation officers will join RCMP & Canada Border Services to patrol the US border.
-MB businesses hope for interprovincial barrier reduction with ‘Buy Canadian’ campaign. Often trade restrictions between provinces are greater than those for international trade.
-Man accused of assaulting a 67yr old with a baseball bat in downtown Brandon faces a new charge for breaching release conditions imposed just a day earlier, highlighting conflicting details about his prior release & arrest.
-RCMP warn about a phishing scam where scammers impersonate Mounties in texts claiming to be unable to deliver court documents and urging recipients to click a link to reschedule. Simply delete the message.
-At federal inquiry, Canada Post blames workers leaving early and union points to mismanagement.
-Chinese AI company “DeepSeek” unleashes a model that uses way less energy, shaking up US plans for AI power needs & causing big drops in energy stocks Monday.
-Jets visit Montreal tonight.
RETAIL in CANDA. Who’s the top 10 of those left? Here’s the top Canadian-owned retailers based on their market presence and sales: top Canadian-owned retailers based on their market presence and sales: (interesting how the top 3 are food companies.)
–NUMBER ONE IS…… George Weston Limited: Through its subsidiary, Loblaw Companies Limited, it operates numerous grocery and pharmacy stores across Canada, including Superstore, Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart.
-Empire Company Limited: This company owns Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, and Farm Boy, making it a major player in the Canadian grocery sector.
-Metro Inc.: Operating in Quebec and Ontario, Metro runs supermarkets under banners like Metro, Super C, and Food Basics.
-Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited: A diverse retailer offering automotive, hardware, sports, leisure, and home products through Canadian Tire stores, as well as apparel through Mark’s and sporting goods via Sport Chek.
-Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.: Known for its Circle K convenience stores, Couche-Tard has a significant presence in Canada and globally.
-Hudson’s Bay Company: Operating department stores under the Hudson’s Bay banner, it is one of Canada’s oldest retailers.
-Giant Tiger Stores Limited: A discount retailer offering family fashion, groceries, and household products across numerous Canadian locations.
-La Maison Simons: A Quebec-based fashion retailer known for its clothing, accessories, and home decor offerings.
-RONA Inc.: A retailer specializing in home improvement and construction products, operating under various banners across Canada.
-The North West Company: Operating retail stores in remote communities in northern Canada, Alaska, and other international locations, offering a range of products from groceries to general merchandise.
BUT THE TOP 10 changes a big when you ask about MONEY. Who’s doing BIG BUSINESS in Canada right now at retail. This is the top 10 in Canadian retail according to annual revenues:
#1 is Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.: PARENT company of Circle K convenience stores. Operating approximately 17,000 convenience stores globally, primarily under the Circle K banner, Couche-Tard reported sales of around €135 billion (~C$200 billion) in its recent bid to acquire 7-Eleven’s parent company.
-George Weston Limited: Through its subsidiary, Loblaw Companies Limited, it operates numerous grocery and pharmacy stores across Canada, including Loblaws and Shoppers Drug Mart.
-Empire Company Limited: This company owns Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, and Farm Boy, making it a major player in the Canadian grocery sector.
-Metro Inc.: Operating in Quebec and Ontario, Metro runs supermarkets under banners like Metro, Super C, and Food Basics.
-Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited: A diverse retailer offering automotive, hardware, sports, leisure, and home products through Canadian Tire stores, as well as apparel through Mark’s and sporting goods via Sport Chek.
-Hudson’s Bay Company: Operating department stores under the Hudson’s Bay banner, it is one of Canada’s oldest retailers.
-Dollarama Inc.: As Canada’s largest dollar-store chain, Dollarama reported net sales of C$1.56 billion in the third quarter of 2024, driven by demand for discounted products.
-Giant Tiger Stores Limited: A discount retailer offering family fashion, groceries, and household products across numerous Canadian locations.
-La Maison Simons: A Quebec-based fashion retailer known for its clothing, accessories, and home decor offerings.
-Home Hardware Stores Limited: An independent home improvement retailer with close to 1,100 stores across Canada, operating under various banners such as Home Hardware and Home Building Centre.
YAY. We can make comedy again! Roseanne Barr Plots Comeback With New Comedy Series. Roseanne Barr, fired by Disney in 2018, is planning a return to TV with a new comedy series about a family who “saves America” through guns, religion, petty crime, and alcoholism. The show is being labeled as part of a “Trump 2.0 effect,” aligning with themes of American conservatism.
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/roseanne-barr-new-comedy-series-saving-america-1236285811
Selena Gomez Responds After Being Slammed For Posting Herself Crying For “The Children”. Selena Gomez faced backlash for posting a video of herself crying over the U.S. government’s immigration policies. She expressed sorrow for the affected children, admitting that she felt helpless and uncertain about what actions she could take.
Baby to be made by just one person? A new breakthrough in fertility research could pave the way for babies to be conceived by just one person, dubbed the “holy grail” of fertility science. This development may soon allow for single-parent conception without the need for a second biological parent.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/holy-grail-fertility-research-could-34563712
It’s the Gulf of America now. Google says it will change Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’ in Maps app after government updates. Google announced it would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” in its Maps app following updates from the U.S. government. The change is set to reflect new geographical designations.
Are tattoos beautiful? What society really thinks about ink. While about 25% of people have tattoos, societal perceptions of body art are still mixed. Despite tattoos’ increasing popularity, there remains significant judgment around their aesthetic value and meaning.
https://studyfinds.org/are-tattoos-beautiful/
