Canada Bread fined a lot of dough in price-fixing scandal

Plus, a 360 review of Mark Saunders and the search for the Titan submarine [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the Competition Bureau’s price-fixing investigation, Mark Saunders’ race for mayor and the search for the Titan submarine. DON’T MISS John Rennison/Hamilton Spectator business [Canada Bread will pay a $50-million fine after admitting to price-fixing]( Marking a major development in the Competition Bureau's seven-year investigation into one of the biggest price-fixing scandals in Canadian history, Canada Bread has pleaded guilty to colluding with rival Weston Foods to set bread prices in 2007 and 2010-11. “Effectively, this was a fraud to the public,” and the company must pay a record-setting fine, Christine Dobby reports. [Here’s what we know about the first plea agreement in the investigation](. - Wait, what? The companies involved have since been sold to new owners. Back then, Canada Bread was controlled by Maple Leaf Foods, which was controlled by the McCain family. Weston Foods was a division of George Weston, who owns Loblaw Companies, and controlled by the Weston family. - Watch for: The Competition Bureau said it continues to investigate other companies, including Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Giant Tiger Stores and Maple Leaf Foods. - Meanwhile: Some Loblaws stores are now checking receipts as you leave — [make sure you know your rights](. Susan Kao Photo Illustration can they lead? [Mark Saunders is a tough leader who listens. Critics say he’s also made some bad calls]( Mayoral candidate and former police chief Mark Saunders is a polarizing figure, Francine Kopun writes. He’s been praised widely for his listening skills and determination to hear from a variety of sources, but one former colleague said he would ultimately “then find ways to do what he intended to do.” Assessments of Saunders’ time as police chief often vary depending on political lines. From the Star’s final 360 performance review of the leading mayoral candidates, [here’s how people around Saunders — and the city — responded to his time as police chief](. - Go deeper: Critics point to Saunders’s support of carding, which disproportionately targeted Black men, and his late response to the serial murders in the Gay Village. - Word from Saunders: Saunders believes that his work as a 38-year veteran of Toronto police — in major crimes, homicide and more — gave him the lived experience that a mayor with good judgement needs. - Bob Hepburn’s take: Local voter turnout has been dropping for decades. [Here’s why it’s crucial to vote on Monday](. - Undecided? [Use our tool to see which candidate is the best fit for you](. Supplied Photo/OceanGate search for the titan [“Banging noises” are giving hope, but for how long?]( Ships and state-of-the art rescue and recovery equipment are rushing to find the Titan submarine that went missing Sunday carrying five men, as Canadian surveillance aircraft picked up “banging noises” from the ocean. The American heading the effort, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick, insists the search remains a rescue mission, but oxygen on the submersible is set to run out. [Here’s what we know about the widespread efforts — from four countries and several private companies — as the clock ticks](. - Wait, what? Strange banging noises could be heard from the ocean from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with 30-minute intervals. Frederick said it’s important to take it as a sign of hope. - ICYMI: [Here’s what we know about the people on the vessel](. - More: When asked about the costs of the undertaking, Canada’s minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard said it’s “irrelevant.” WHAT ELSE Barrie council is [backing off on banning food and clothing distribution on city property]( — for now. “What is going to be happening in the future?” [The Canadian nuclear regulator says radiation is a homeowners’ problem](. Olivia Chow’s tax plan is under fire. [Here’s why her rivals’ attacks aren’t working](. With no Taylor Swift tour dates in Canada, an [MP has filed a “parliamentary grievance.”]( [The Halton school board is rejecting a “professionalism” policy]( aimed at addressing months-long controversy. Jordan Peterson is fighting in a Toronto court to [tweet whatever he wants without consequence or intervention](. Two people died after a massive fireball exploded from a crashed tanker truck in Pickering. [Here’s what we know about the shocking scene](. The union for Metro grocery workers has a strike mandate as it heads into talks about wages and benefits. [Take a closer look at the conversation](. A study has found most Canadians don’t trust companies’ environmental claims — [why do business leaders think they do?]( Human rights and 2SLGBTQ+ education is a no brainer, [but this move by TDSB sends a message that these rights are debatable](. Here’s how Stevie Nicks [wowed Toronto in a four-star show](. Festivals, fairs and fiesta: [What you can do in Toronto for Pride weekend](. GET THIS Cameron Tulk/The Star [Olivia Chow is retaining her lead in the polls. Use our interactive tools to track how the other mayoral candidates are doing and to see individual poll data.]( CLOSE-UP Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick PARLIAMENT HILL: Traditional dancer Odeshkun Thusky performs during a commemorative ceremony, Raising the Survivors’ Flag, on Wednesday. The ceremony is “in memory of the thousands of children who were sent to residential schools, of those who never returned, and in honour of the families whose lives were forever changed.” Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_187837). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. BEST OFFER OF THE YEAR Last chance to get unlimited access for $3.33/month for 12 months [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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