Dollarama Canada has recalled its Wooden Easy-Grab Puzzles for a choking hazard! The three-piece puzzle themes that are being recalled are the farm, garden, ocean (pictured above), and jungle themes. The China-manufactured puzzles have wooden knobs on them for easy pick up; however, Dollarama received a report of a knob detaching from the puzzle piece and have therefore issued the recall.
There have been approximately 23,952 puzzles sold in Canada between June 2015 and January 2016. There have been no reports of injuries but if you purchased one of these toys be sure to take the puzzle away and return it Dollarama for a refund (no receipt necessary). Keep in mind that the puzzle pieces with a metal peg at the back are not part of the recall.
The new, cheaper options for cable subscribers have been revealed this week, and many customers are less than thrilled with what their $25 (or thereabouts) will get them. What seemed like a godsend when it was announced last year has, in preliminary reviews, turned into a bit of a boondoggle—many people are finding that their bills will go up, not down, if they opt in to the new “basic” packages, as the most in-demand channels are frequently spread across multiple small bundles. And as the CBC pointed out, many critics of the new rules foresaw this problem before any plans were even announced:
Some critics of the new regime say consumers may end up paying more for fewer choices, depending on how the cable companies bundle and price individual channels or packages of channels.
And some specialty broadcasters worry they’ll be left out in the cold if their signals aren’t bundled with popular or must-have choices.
On top of that, the $25/month minimum plan does not include hardware, which for some providers is required technology. Rogers customers, for instance, will need to add a $12.95 monthly fee for rental of their “Nextbox”. Bell subscribers will have to meet a significant minimum monthly cost in order to have their $15/month PVR fee waived, though there is the option of purchasing the unit at a cost of $499.
Worse yet are the one-time installation fees and lengthy contracts, which will lock customers in to specific plans for up to 2 years. Some providers are even requiring a bundled internet package. All these costs add up to hefty final bills, and customers who were hoping these additional regulations would offer reasons to keep the cord un-cut are being forced to reconsider their options.
Cable companies won’t necessarily have to offer “pick-and-pay”, or a la carte options until December. Until then, there’s always Netflix, Hulu, and the old fashioned antenna.
When Heinz made its exit from Leamington, Ontario in 2013-14, a town that had come to depend upon and identify with the iconic ketchup brand felt as if their collective heart had been ripped out of their chest.
Back then, the plan was unclear: after a takeover of the entire H.J. Heinz Co. by an investment group led by eccentric billionaires Warren Buffet and Jorge Paulo Lemann, jobs would be ritually gutted month-by-month, wages slashed, and investments culled. Those employees that stuck around would hope to be hired on by the usurping company, but any futures there were far from guaranteed. Across the county, farmers assumed their years of service had come to and end; sadly, many of them were right on the money.
But in June of 2014, the Highbury Canco Corp. took over the old Heinz building, and they evidently weren’t satisfied with becoming caretakers of an undead operation. Highbury signed a contract with French’s and began production of a new product line. It was ketchup of course, but with a catch: those Leamington tomatoes that Heinz left behind would be front and center for French’s take on the classic condiment. Once again, a huge company was making a big investment in the local community; it just happened to be a different name on the bottle.
Canadians everywhere were quick to notice. A viral Facebook post from a construction worker in Orillia sparked an organic awareness campaign urging consumers to support local industry. Back in his hometown, stores couldn’t keep the French’s ketchup on the shelves.
For their part, French’s has already moved to capitalize on the wildfire success. They’ve tripled their tomato paste order from Highbury Canco already, and are in discussion to bring even more tomato production and manufacturing to the Leamington area with an expanded product line. Today, negotiations between farmers and purchasers on the price of tomatoes begin, and it couldn’t come at a better time for Ontario.
“We think that Leamington tomatoes are great quality,” said French’s president Elliott Penner, pledging to only use local tomatoes in their Canadian products.
StaminaFibre Canada is having their biggest Bedding Warehouse Sale ever! The sale starts on Thursday March 31st 2016 and runs for just 3 days. You will not want to miss this unique opportunity to save as much as 90% off retail price on luxurious pillows, duvets, memory foam mattresses, body pillows, throw cushions, pet beds, sheet sets etc.
The StaminaFibre 3 Day Bedding Warehouse Sale takes place at 310 Watline Avenue, Mississauga, ON. The closest intersection is Hurontario and Highway 401. This sale starts on March 31st and runs through April 2nd, 2016.
Tuesday is Discount Day at Via Rail Canada which means you can find some great deals on economy and sleeper class tickets. This Via Rail Deal ends tonight Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 11:59pm EST. Tickets are exchangeable for a 50% service charge (min $20) and are non-refundable.
If you’re a TD Canada Trust client it’s time to move to a new bank. Starting March 1st, 2016 TD Bank is drastically raising some of its fees. The fee increases apply to both personal and business TD Accounts.
TD Bank customers take note that a number of new fees will be increasing effective March 1, 2016:
Fee for holding a post-dated cheque to be deposited in-branch: $5 (previously $0.00)
Transfer fee – for the transfer of a TD Canada Trust Tax-Free Savings Account to another financial institution: $75.00 plus tax (previously $0.00)
NSF fee – where there are insufficient funds in your account for a payment on a TD credit product: Applicable (previously Not Applicable)
Business accounts are getting tons of fee increases as well.
If you don’t want to pay high fees consider exploring different banks like Scotiabank’s budget bank: Tangerine. They often run promotions and bonuses when you open a new account, you have access to Scotiabank ATMs, free email money transfers, cheque deposits by picture, competitive interest rates, and more!
As soon as tomorrow, Uber patrons could be staring at the harsh reality of returning to the world of yellow cabs and public transportation. That is, if the absurdly popular ride-sharing app’s executives don’t get their way.
According to The Globe and Mail, Uber GM Ramit Kar took to the steps of the Alberta legislature this weekend to rally supporters in opposition of a change to Edmonton’s bylaws that would require Uber drivers to procure commercial driver’s licenses and other increased documentation. These regulations don’t make sense for Uber drivers, the company says, since riding in an Uber is essentially the same as carpooling with a friend.
But the city and its embattled taxi drivers vehemently disagree, in particular citing concern for passengers in the event of an accident or emergency. The Class 4 commercial licenses proscribed by the bylaws would be issued only to drivers with provincially-vetted insurance and city-inspected vehicles. Perhaps most importantly in light of the tragic shootings in Michigan, background checks performed by local police would also be mandatory.
While those measures may go a long way to appeasing riders, they’re unlikely to inspire taxi companies to bury the hatchet with ride-sharing apps anytime soon. The bitter clash between old and new has led to protests and strikesaround the world, some of which quickly turned to violence.
“We hope to continue to see you on the road,” Kar said to allied supporters, and regardless of what happens on Tuesday, they probably will, sooner or later.
If you collect Starbucks Reward stars, they are making some major changes to the reward program starting on April 1st. No longer will you have to annoy the baristas paying for your items individually for the extra stars as they will reward your stars based on the amount spent.
Currently you earn a star for each visit (or payment if you pay for each item separately). Starting in April, you will earn 2 stars for every $1 spent on drinks, food, mugs, accessories and more. When you get to 125 stars, compared to the 12 current stars, you will be able to redeem for a free reward – but only if you are a Gold member which means you need to earn 300 stars to be able to redeem anything.
To help Gold members, they will surprise you with a monthly double star day where you will earn 4 stars for every $1 spent and we will still receive bonus star offers in-store and personalized card offers.
If you are currently at the welcome level, they will upgrade you to Green level as the welcome level will no longer exist. Green and Gold members will keep their current status and any stars you currently have in your account will be multiplied by 11 when the new program takes effect in April.
Shutterfly has a new HOT weekend online promotion! Relive the fun with 101 FREE Prints for every cute face and little moment with this Shutterfly promotion! Choose from 4×4 or 4×6 prints with coupon code WINTERGIFT atcheckout!
This Shutterfly offer is valid from today, Saturday, February 20 until Monday, February 22, 2016 only. If you can order only 99 prints, you will pay $2.00 less for shipping and then shipping will be $5.99 instead of $7.99.
You may also want to try code SHIP39 to get free shipping with purchase of $39 although we’re not sure if this works in Canada.
It’s Back 🙂 Join Play Day Family Event at Toys R Us Canada for for the exciting games, Make and Takes, Demos, Giveaways and more for FREE! This Toys R Us Play Day event is valid in-store only today, Saturday February 20, 2016 from 11:00am to 1pm. All giveaways are available while supplies supplies last). No purchase is necessary. Play Day activities may vary by store. This Toys R Us Play Day family event is recommended for ages 2+
The Fine Print: Play Day Family Event at Toys R Us Canada includes:
BUILD WITH MEGA BLOKS FIRST BUILDERS:
Choose from a MOOSE or a HEART and build your creation to take home with you. One (1) build per child.
HASBRO GAMES:
Beat cabin fever and play Avengers Trouble, Frozen Jenga, or Guess Who? Make it a family event and play against one another!
PIXEL CREATION WITH QIXELS:
Build a Qixel design, blast it with water from the Fuse Blaster, let it dry and learn how to create your own pixel world of monsters, warriors, bugs and more. Try this product in-store and see the unique creations up close!
SKYLANDERS SUPERCHARGERS:
Receive a FREE Skylanders Giants figure and a Skylanders Superchargers poster. PLUS save up to $45 on Skylanders Superchargers (items) with our one day exclusive offers.
SHOPKINS STATION:
Become the ultimate Shopkins fan and receive a giveaway of Shopkins foil bags and Season 4 posters. One (1) sample and poster per child. Max. 50 per store. While quantities last.
EXCLUSIVE MEGA BLOKS AMERICAN GIRL SNEAK PEEK:
Receive an exclusive sneak peek of one of the Mega Bloks American Girl building sets and pick up a free magnet giveaway!
Freshpoint Vancouver, Ltd. is recalling Del Monte and Sysco Imperial Fresh brand cantaloupes from the marketplace due to possible Salmonella contamination. The distribution of these items is Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba and possibly national. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is recalling these three products:
What you should do: Check to see if you have recalled products in your home. Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased. Consumers who are unsure if they have the affected cantaloupes are advised to check with their retailer.
Despite the recall, there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these cantaloupes.
Many of us were worried about the future of SnapSaves when Groupon bought it and it looks like some of those fears have come true. Groupon announced today that they are ending the product cashback system and will use the app instead to offer coupons from their website for specific retailers.
If you have at least $20 in your account, you need to cash out by the end of the month. If your balance is under $20, they will round it up to the nearest $5 and pay you in GrouponBucks to be used by September 1st on a Groupon offer. They will also automatically make a Groupon account for you using the email account in your Snap account if you do not have a Groupon account under that email. To opt out, check for an email from them and click the Opt Out link by February 29th.
Do you have enough to cash out? What do you think of these changes?
Pfizer has recalled 124 lots of Advil liquid products for infants and children! Health Canada is informing Canadians that Pfizer Consumer Healthcare has initiated a voluntary recall of 124 lots of Advil liquid products for infants and children because of a potential risk of inconsistences in dosing of the product. “Clumps” of Ibuprofen may form in the bottle and lead to higher or lower doses that are given to infants and children if it is not shaken well before each use.
Lower doses may not be adequate in reducing the fever, leading to other health issues which could include, in rare instances, convulsions, the alert said. Although unlikely, higher doses may lead to vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, ringing in the ears’ and decreased breathing rates.
Children’s Advil Fever from Colds or Flu DIN 02328437
Children’s AdvilDIN 02232297
Advil Pediatric Drops Fever from Colds or Flu DIN 02328445
It is recommended from Health Canada and Pfizer that consumers stop using the affected products and return them to a pharmacy. Parents who have given their children these products and are concerned should consult their doctor, Health Canada said.
Here is some news that will be exciting to some people. Not too far back there was talk of a survey that asked people what they thought of the idea of being able to exchange their Shoppers Optimum points for PC Plus points. Some people thought it would be a fantastic option, and others had mixed feelings. For some of you, this option will now be a reality.
We have heard that people are currently receiving emails inviting them to exchange their Shoppers Optimum points for PC Plus points. I know very few details at the moment, as I myself have not received the email, nor has anyone that I have asked. However, I do know that the conversion rate is 40 PC Plus points for every 70 Shoppers Optimum points. So to put this simply, if you normally redeem 8000 points for $10 at Shoppers Drug Mart, that same 8000 points converted to PC Plus points would become approximately 4,560 points, worth $4.56.
Even though there is far more selection in terms of redeeming points PC Plus versus Optimum, that loss in value of points would prevent me from exchanging them! Would you be interested in exchanging your points?
Struggling for years now, Sears Canada has decided to downsize once again. Back in 2012, Sears sold three stores in Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa back to the landlord for $170 million. In the summer of 2013, the company announced that it also sold leases at the Yorkdale and Square One malls back to the landlord for $191 million. Later that same year, Sears Canada announced the closure of another five stores including its flagship in the Toronto Eaton Centre (pictured above on its last day), 3 other stores in Ontario, and one in Richmond, BC.
In an effort to cut costs, Sears Canada will be focusing more on mall-based department stores as a destination for home products instead of the full-fledged stores. Brandon Stranzl, the executive chairman of Sears Canada, is determined to turn around its core business and focus on luring younger consumers with new styles and new store layouts. He, along with Carrie Kirkman, Sears’ newest president, will attempt to improve the state of some of Sears’ stores.
Sears Canada currently has 8 outlet locations, 40 home stores, and 95 traditional full-sized department stores.
