Business

Michele Brynes, third-generation co-owner of the Dutch Bakery holds stollen that is a traditional holiday classic. (Ella Matte/News Staff)

Victoria bakery has ‘stollen’ hearts this holiday season

The Dutch Bakery is in high demand in December

Michele Brynes, third-generation co-owner of the Dutch Bakery holds stollen that is a traditional holiday classic. (Ella Matte/News Staff)
Mastermind GP Inc. is telling customers 18 of its stores are due to close as the company continues with the creditor protection process. The Toronto-based toy retailer says the stores closing include nine locations in Ontario, four in Alberta, two in New Brunswick and one each in B.C., Nova Scotia and Manitoba. A customer walks into Mastermind Toys store on Queen St. East in Toronto on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Donovan

Prince George store to close as deal reached to save Mastermind Toys

Firm’s other 5 B.C. locations expected to remain open under terms of a deal with 3 big retail names

Mastermind GP Inc. is telling customers 18 of its stores are due to close as the company continues with the creditor protection process. The Toronto-based toy retailer says the stores closing include nine locations in Ontario, four in Alberta, two in New Brunswick and one each in B.C., Nova Scotia and Manitoba. A customer walks into Mastermind Toys store on Queen St. East in Toronto on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Donovan
People leave the Walmart after shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. Walmart Canada says it will invest nearly $1 billion this fiscal year on a slew of projects meant to modernize the retail giant’s Canadian footprint. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Walmart Canada investing $1 billion in modernization, ‘store of the future’

Some of the chain’s stores will be altered to include larger produce areas

People leave the Walmart after shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mississauga, Ont., Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020. Walmart Canada says it will invest nearly $1 billion this fiscal year on a slew of projects meant to modernize the retail giant’s Canadian footprint. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The Tofino Distillery is excited to be releasing its new West Coast Whiskey after five years in the making. (Photo from tofinocraftdistillery.com)

Tofino Distillery ready to pour new West Coast Whiskey five years in the making

Tofino Distillery’s West Coast Whiskey arrives just in time to add a festive spirit to the season.

The Tofino Distillery is excited to be releasing its new West Coast Whiskey after five years in the making. (Photo from tofinocraftdistillery.com)
Comox Valley resident Monica Parkin recently took the TEDx stage in Denver Colorado. Photo by DemenisPhotography.com

Vancouver Islander reveals the secret shame of introverts in TEDx talk

Comox Valley public speaker Monica Parkin presents on TEDx stage in Denver, Colorado

  • Nov 29, 2023
Comox Valley resident Monica Parkin recently took the TEDx stage in Denver Colorado. Photo by DemenisPhotography.com
Sisters Georgia and Jamie Bullbrook shopping along Johnson Street. (Ella Matte/News Staff)

High rents have businesses questioning merits of downtown Victoria

Despite concerns, capital has one of the lowest vacancy rates in Canada at 11 per cent

Sisters Georgia and Jamie Bullbrook shopping along Johnson Street. (Ella Matte/News Staff)
Mastermind Toys, which sells items that include LEGO, has filed for creditor protection. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)

‘Deteriorating’: Mastermind toy store files for creditor protection

Mastermind has stores in Coquitlam, Langley, Abbotsford, Tsawwassen, Langford and Prince George

Mastermind Toys, which sells items that include LEGO, has filed for creditor protection. (Wolf Depner/News Staff)
Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — that it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Court document claims Meta knowingly designed its platforms to hook kids, reports say

Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids…

Facebook parent Meta Platforms deliberately engineered its social platforms to hook kids and knew — but never disclosed — that it had received millions of complaints about underage users on Instagram but only disabled a fraction of those accounts, according to a newly unsealed legal complaint described in reports from the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Cyber Monday –- a term coined back in 2005 by the National Retail Federation –- continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

Today’s Cyber Monday may be the biggest online shopping day of all-time

U.S. retail observers say Black Friday weekend trends look positive for the industry

Cyber Monday –- a term coined back in 2005 by the National Retail Federation –- continues to be the biggest online shopping day of the year, thanks to the deals and the hype the industry has created to fuel it. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)
Shoppers walk through Yorkdale Mall in search of Black Friday sales in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. This Black Friday, retailers are promising its usual wave of discounts, door crashers and sales timed to the holiday season. However, the annual shopping bonanza comes as Canadians are feeling particularly stressed about money. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin

Economy, sales shift lead to a quieter Black Friday for Canadians

Deloitte predicts the average Canadian shopper will spend $1,347 this holiday season

Shoppers walk through Yorkdale Mall in search of Black Friday sales in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 26, 2021. This Black Friday, retailers are promising its usual wave of discounts, door crashers and sales timed to the holiday season. However, the annual shopping bonanza comes as Canadians are feeling particularly stressed about money. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin
South Langley resident Patty Kiloh admired the scenery in the B.C. Cariboo region while taking part in the Xeni Gwet’in Youth Wagon Trip late last month. Submitted photo

Desire for light footprint feeds adventure tourism in Cariboo Chilcotin Coast

Back country tourism in the heart of B.C. needs front-country support and understanding: operator

South Langley resident Patty Kiloh admired the scenery in the B.C. Cariboo region while taking part in the Xeni Gwet’in Youth Wagon Trip late last month. Submitted photo
Penticton Rotary Club hosted chair of the BC Winegrowers Christa-Lee McWatters to speak on the state of the B.C. wine industry on Wednesday. The meeting was held at McWatters restaurant Orolo. (Monique Tamminga Western News)

Glass half full for future of climate-challenged B.C. wine industry

chair of BC Winegrowers Christa-Lee McWatters speaks about ‘unprecedented challenges’

Penticton Rotary Club hosted chair of the BC Winegrowers Christa-Lee McWatters to speak on the state of the B.C. wine industry on Wednesday. The meeting was held at McWatters restaurant Orolo. (Monique Tamminga Western News)
On Dec. 30, after 44 years at the intersection of Fraser Highway and Willowbrook Drive, the White Spot restaurant is closing to make way for a new SkyTrain station at the same location.(Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)

Closure of Langley’s last car hop restaurant triggers flood of memories

Willowbrook White Spot will be replaced by SkyTrain station

On Dec. 30, after 44 years at the intersection of Fraser Highway and Willowbrook Drive, the White Spot restaurant is closing to make way for a new SkyTrain station at the same location.(Dan Ferguson/Langley Advance Times)
A sign announces Black Friday specials on luggage sets inside a Macy's department store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Denver. Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Retailers pumped for Black Friday, not sure consumers feel the same way

Buying trends show dwindling resources in face of the economy leading to shopping pullback

A sign announces Black Friday specials on luggage sets inside a Macy's department store on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Denver. Retailers are kicking off the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season on Friday with a bevy of discounts and other enticements. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Teara Fraser, commercial pilot and owner of Iskwew Air, poses in front of her plane on the tarmac at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Tuesday, September 29, 2020.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

Indigenomics seeks to double $49M economic impact of Canada’s First Nations

‘Not only are we still here, we’re resilient, we’re powerful and we are ready to do business’

Teara Fraser, commercial pilot and owner of Iskwew Air, poses in front of her plane on the tarmac at Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, B.C., Tuesday, September 29, 2020.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward
Statistics Canada is expected to release its latest reading on inflation today. People shop in a grocery store in Montreal, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

Inflation dropped last month along with the cost of gasoline

Largest contributors still mortgage interest costs, food purchased from stores and rent

Statistics Canada is expected to release its latest reading on inflation today. People shop in a grocery store in Montreal, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Sam Altman participates in a discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in San Francisco. The board of ChatGPT-maker Open AI says it has pushed out Altman, its co-founder and CEO, and replaced him with an interim CEO(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

Microsoft hires Sam Altman and OpenAI’s new CEO vows to investigate his firing

Microsoft snapped up Sam Altman and another architect of OpenAI for a…

Sam Altman participates in a discussion during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, in San Francisco. The board of ChatGPT-maker Open AI says it has pushed out Altman, its co-founder and CEO, and replaced him with an interim CEO(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
The Canada Revenue Agency has denied or adjusted $458 million in funds disbursed to employers through a pandemic-era wage subsidy program as a result of a partially completed auditing process. A sign outside the Canada Revenue Agency is seen in Ottawa, Monday, May 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

$458M pandemic subsidy clawback ordered after partial CRA audit

Canada Revenue Agency recalculates $100B businesses wage subsidy program

The Canada Revenue Agency has denied or adjusted $458 million in funds disbursed to employers through a pandemic-era wage subsidy program as a result of a partially completed auditing process. A sign outside the Canada Revenue Agency is seen in Ottawa, Monday, May 10, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Salmon Arm’s 4AG Robotics (formerly TechBrew Robotics) has secured $17.5 million in financing to accelerate the development and deployment robotic solutions for mushroom harvesting. (TechBrew Robotics/Youtube image)

B.C. robotics firm secures $17.5M to revolutionize mushroom industry

Salmon Arm’s TechBrew Robotics rebranding to 4AG Robotics, developing robo-mushroom picker

Salmon Arm’s 4AG Robotics (formerly TechBrew Robotics) has secured $17.5 million in financing to accelerate the development and deployment robotic solutions for mushroom harvesting. (TechBrew Robotics/Youtube image)
A proposed sale would see Glencore aquire Teck Resources Ltd’s coal assets in the Elk Valley. File Photo.

‘Not our first rodeo’: Commitments key as B.C. reacts to $9B Teck coal sale

4 coal mines central to the purchase serve as the bedrock of the East Kootenay economy

A proposed sale would see Glencore aquire Teck Resources Ltd’s coal assets in the Elk Valley. File Photo.