Consumers Council of Canada

09/01/2026

What's new?

All the essential consumer protection news and policy analysis you’ve come to expect from the Council of Canadian Consumers, with new columns and expanded coverage of urgent issues aimed at engaging Canadian consumers.

In this issue

Canada’s new real-time rail payment system; Tarion at 50; food fraud; our latest CRTC interventions; and why some penalties can start to look like licensing fees.



https://consumerscouncil.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/THINK-CONSUMERS-SEPTEMBER-2026.pdf

08/24/2026

https://consumerscouncil.com/consumers-council-of-canada-statement-on-canada-us-trade-talks/

07/07/2026

Rogers’ move to acquire full ownership of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment represents a major consolidation of sports, media, and entertainment assets in Canada. From a consumer perspective, the Council notes that this transaction further concentrates control of professional sports content, distribution, and related media under a single telecommunications provider. With Rogers now owning the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, Scotiabank Arena, the Toronto Blue Jays, and Sportsnet, the company will hold unprecedented influence over pricing, access, and availability of sports programming for Canadian consumers.

The Council will be monitoring this development closely, particularly with respect to consumer choice, competition in sports broadcasting, and potential impacts on subscription costs. As Rogers integrates MLSE into a larger sports‑and‑media business, it will be important to ensure that consumers continue to have fair access to content, transparent pricing, and meaningful alternatives in the marketplace. The Council also notes Rogers’ intention to sell a minority stake in the consolidated business, and will assess how this may affect governance, accountability, and consumer outcomes.

The Consumers Council of Canada will continue to advocate for policies and regulatory oversight that protect consumers’ interests as this transaction moves toward league approval and final closing later this year.

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05/20/2026

The Consumers Council of Canada has released its final report for the Office of Consumer Affairs-funded initiative, Mobilizing Consumer Protection at the Grocery Store. The report examines the growing role of independent and alternative grocers in Canada’s grocery landscape, highlighting both the challenges they face and the opportunities they present for consumers seeking more choice, transparency, and trust.

Among the report’s key findings: Canadians continue to struggle with rising grocery prices and limited market transparency, while many consumers express strong trust in local and independent grocers. Nearly 8 in 10 survey respondents said they trust independent stores more than major grocers when it comes to honest product claims. At the same time, consumers identified affordability, accessibility, and clearer information about “local” and “Canadian” products as critical priorities.

The report also explores unit pricing standards, electronic shelf labels, grocery supply challenges, online retail, and the increasing number of Canadians seeking alternatives outside traditional grocery retail channels.

An important contribution to ongoing discussions about competition, consumer protection, and the future of food retail in Canada.

02/02/2026

New research shows that agentic AI could help people compare options, save time, and make more informed decisions, from shopping to travel to everyday payments.

But for consumers, the benefits only work if the basics are right:

- Accurate information
- Strong privacy protections
- Clear, easy-to-understand explanations
- Consumers stay in control

AI should empower people - not confuse them or put their data at risk. With the right safeguards, AI can improve transparency and choice for Canadians.

At the Consumers Council of Canada, we support innovation that puts consumers first.

Agentic AI is poised to transform the way Canadians live, shop and manage their finances, yet most remain unaware of its potential.

01/30/2026

Inside the issue:
The New Face of Competition
What are the most important characteristics Canada’s next Commissioner of Competition should have to deliver better outcomes for consumers?

Beware
Annual Food Fraud Report at a Glance

Trendy
Complaints Up, Awareness of CCTS Down in Most Recent Annual Report

Action
The RECO Reno

Views
How Trade Talks Could Spur Dairy Reform

Recently Published
The Cult of Aldi

The Revolving Door
Whitehurst Retires After 16 Years Leading Consumers Council

Research
Money Walks the Talk

Chasers
Red Tape Reduction Consultation

Consumer Agenda
Single Use Plastic Prohibition”

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https://www.loomio.com/d/ZuNtgAQC/new-issue-of-think-consumers-now-available?utm_campaign=new_discussion&utm_medium=email

01/16/2026

Inside the November 2025 Issue:
Scams Seize Canadian and Global Attention

It’s likely a co-incidence, but soon after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s name and voice was used in online advertising, the government got more serious about fraud.

Beware

The Persistent Pistachio Problem

Trendy

CFPB Headed For Financial Starvation

Action

The Federal Budget in Brief

Views

Anti-Fraud Push a Solid Start That Needs Teeth

Recently Published

The Shopping Experience at Major Grocers

The Revolving Door

Boswell Stepping Down Early

Research

Federally Funded Consumer Research Projects

Standard Stuff

Canada’s First Plain Language Standards

Chasers

Less Patriotic Grocery Shopping in Canada

Consumer Agenda

New Competition Bureau Merger Guidelines

Deep Dive

Much more always exists to be learned about the subjects covered in Think Consumers. If you have time for a Deep Dive or two, there’s always more to learn relevant to consumer protection and empowerment.
.. and much more.

01/13/2026

Consumers Council of Canada has filed an application for permission to sue Live Nation and Ticketmaster in the Canadian Competition Tribunal. The group seeks: to force Live Nation to divest itself of Ticketmaster; orders voiding terms in their contracts with artists, venues, and others; and substantial compensation for Canadian consumers, artists, and venues.

The claim, which can be found here, alleges that Live Nation forces artists and venues to accept anticompetitive exclusive promotion, exclusive ticketing, and radius clauses. Artists who refuse lose access to all the largest venues. Venues that refuse lose access to all the most popular artists. This squeezes the profit margins of artists and venues and increases ticketing fees, thus driving up costs for fans.

“Canadian consumers have had enough,” says Don Mercer, President of the CCC and former Deputy Commissioner of the Competition Bureau. “Going to see your favourite musician perform live used to be something that ordinary Canadians could easily afford to do. Now it’s become a luxury item for many because of the stranglehold Live Nation and Ticketmaster have.”

In the United States, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has brought a case similar to this one.

Collectively, these cases address a long history of antitrust issues, from Pearl Jam's complaint to the U.S. DOJ in 1994 alleging that Ticketmaster had monopolized the concert-ticket market, to Ticketmaster’s merger with Live Nation in 2010, to breaches of the consent order raised by the US DOJ in 2020, to the Taylor Swift Eras Tour controversy in 2022.

As of June 2025, affected parties and consumer groups can now ask for permission from the Canadian Competition Tribunal to bring cases like this forward. Previously, such cases were only initiated by the Commissioner of Competition. Mr. Mercer explains, “This change finally gives consumers the opportunity to step forward and demand compensation for monopolistic and other conduct. It is no coincidence that our case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster is one of the first to be brought under this new regime.”

Established in 1994, Consumers Council of Canada is the country’s leading consumer advocate and has a long history of making submissions on competition law and consumer protection, researching the effects of vertical integration on consumers, and speaking for consumers.

The case impacts artists, venue owners, agents, managers, promoters, and ticketers and fans. If you fall into any of those categories and would like to discuss your experience with Live Nation or Ticketmaster, we want to hear from you. Please reach out in confidence to legal counsel, David Sterns at [email protected].

Media contact: Neil Hartung – [email protected]

01/13/2026

Concert ticket prices have spiralled out of control, and consumers are paying the price. The Consumers Council of Canada is taking action by asking the Competition Tribunal to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster under Canada’s new competition laws. This landmark case puts consumer fairness, affordability, and choice front and centre, and signals that it is time to challenge dominance that harms fans, artists, and venues alike.

Listen to Neil Hartung and Peter Novak discuss this topic on the Podcast linked below

https://www.donotpassgo.ca/p/could-canadians-break-up-ticketmaster

12/13/2025

November 30th marked the 60th anniversary of “Unsafe at Any Speed,” a book, written by Ralph Nader, which cast a bright spotlight on automobile defects, transformed auto and highway safety laws, saved millions of lives and, in many ways, helped launch the modern consumer movement.

Nader pioneered a model for modern-day consumer advocates: one in which people can champion the public interest. All of this involves working within the system to make the system work better to improve our health, our safety and the quality of our lives. The Consumers Council of Canada is proud to carry this tradition forward in Canada.