Canada Bread is accusing Maple Leaf Foods of using it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged bread price-fixing scheme that’s the subject of two class-action lawsuits and an ongoing Competition Bureau investigation. In filings in an Ontario court as part of one of the class action cases, Canada Bread alleges Maple Leaf […]

Canada Bread says Maple Leaf used it as a ‘shield’ in bread price-fixing case

Canada Bread is accusing Maple Leaf Foods of using it as a “shield” to avoid liability in the alleged bread price-fixing scheme that’s the subject of two class-action lawsuits and an ongoing Competition Bureau investigation. In filings in an Ontario court as part of one of the class action cases, Canada Bread alleges Maple Leaf […]

Maple Leaf did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In its amended statement of defence and crossclaim filed Thursday, Canada Bread said Maple Leaf selected and appointed the members of Canada Bread’s board, installed one of its senior officers to run the company, and agreed to provide legal and compliance services. Therefore, Canada Bread argued that Maple Leaf knew or ought to have known of any anticompetitive conduct, making it “vicariously and contractually liable.” In June 2023, Maple Leaf told The Canadian Press that it was not aware of any wrongdoing by Canada Bread or its senior leadership during the time it was a shareholder. “We have acted ethically and lawfully at all times. We are not aware of and have never engaged in inappropriate or anticompetitive activity, and we will defend ourselves vigorously against any allegation to the contrary,” Maple Leaf said at the time. In July, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and George Weston Ltd. said they had agreed to pay $500 million to settle the two class-action lawsuits _ in Ontario and Quebec — regarding the alleged bread price-fixing scheme.