Betty Crocker Canada is recalling its Super Moist Cake Mix Rainbow Bit because it was found to be contaminated with E. coli. The flavour chips were made with Wondra flour, which was recalled back on July 1, 2016. This recall was triggered by the company and there have been no reported illnesses from customers after consuming the cake mix; however, if you have this product in your home, you’re advised to return it to where you purchased it or throw it out.

As with all food contaminated with E. coli, it may not smell or look spoiled but it can give you symptoms including nausea, vomiting, mild to severe abdominal cramps, among others. If you are experiencing these symptoms, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Click here to read about this Betty Crocker Canada recall.

Ikea Canada is recalling Ikea brand dark chocolate bars from the marketplace because they may contain tree nuts and milk which are improperly declared on the label.

People with an allergy to tree nuts or milk should not consume the recalled products described below.

Recalled 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.

If you have an allergy to tree nuts or milk, do not consume the recalled products as they may cause a serious or life-threatening reaction.

Longo’s Canada is recalling its brand of Hot Red Thai Chili Peppers recalled due to a Salmonella contamination. These chili peppers were sold up to and including July 6, 2016. There have been no illnesses associated with eating these chili peppers.

If you previously purchased this product, you’re advised to throw it out or return it to the store. Food that is contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell bad but it can certainly make you sick with symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

Click here to read about this Longo’s Canada recall.

Walmart Canada is recalling its home brand Great Value Original Bagels because the bagels were made with sesame seeds and it was not properly noted on the packaging. These bagels were distributed in central and eastern Canadian in provinces including New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

If you are allergic to sesame seeds, you’re advised to return the bagels to your nearest Walmart Canada or throw them out.

Click here to read about this Walmart Canada recall.

With the lockout looking very possible for Friday, we have some information on changes you may see to online shopping during the mail disruption as well as some tips on how you can ship for less if needed.

Since a strike was possible earlier this week, many retailers have already switched to alternative methods of shipping.  From the major stores I checked out, UPS seems to be the most popular choice for retailers.  To limit the strain on their system, they offered discounts if retailers ship to UPS Access Points rather than your home.  You may need to pick up a parcel there so be aware that you may need to have proper ID for that address (useful if you ship to work as many of us will not have ID for that address).  You can sign up for a MyUPS account for free and they will email you before delivery.  For a small fee, you can change the address of a shipment or schedule it for another day.

If you have a PO Box as your mailing address, most couriers will not deliver so you may want to make arrangements to have orders shipped to a friend or family member.  Be aware that some retailers require your credit card to have the same address as your delivery address so this may not be an option.

We all know that courier shipping can be more expensive, so some retailers have temporarily increased their free shipping thresholds, while others have cancelled their usual free shipping days or coupons.  We may be used to faster shipping with couriers, but deals made with retailers for cheaper shipping may not guarantee next day deliveries so do not expect faster deliveries as many even say to expect delays.

Returns may also be an issue with more expensive shipping as some have to be done at your cost and you do not have access to the prices retailers do.  Look for return to store options if you think the item may not fit.

If you do need to ship during the lockout, check out SecureShip to get bulk pricing.  You will need to be able to print a shipping label but they are usually much cheaper than going to a UPS/Fedex/Purolator location.

Not online shopping, but people asked on the forum.  The “essential mail” that can be delivered on July 20th includes socio-economic cheques, such as child tax benefits, disability benefits, Old Age Security Pension, Canada Pension Plan benefits and veteran benefits.  They request that where possible, you sign up for direct deposit to guarantee on time payments.

While the Union did table a new deal (admittedly one they probably knew Canada Post would not accept) to stop a potential work stoppage yesterday, it looks like we will see a disruption in the mail as early as Friday.

Canada Post Corporation has issued 72 hour notice of a lockout.  While this does not guarantee mail disruption, both sides can still negotiate, it is likely that we will have no mail starting on Friday morning.  So you may want to double check how companies are mailing items if ordering online and pick up any parcels waiting for you at Canada Post locations.

Both sides have said their latest offers are final so it could be some time before they come to agreement, especially with the government wary of getting involved after the last back to work legislation was found unconstitutional.

They did come to an agreement that there would be up to two days delivery per month to ensure that pension and government assistance was delivered, but this does not include many government payments so you may want to check to see if you will receive payments on time should the lockout go ahead this week.

The Home Depot Canada has a new list of workshops that are going on this month! The Home Depot Canada July 2016 FREE workshop include:

• Build an Ice Age Bowling Game, Saturday, July 9, 2016 10am – 12pm
• Install a Ceiling Fan (excluding Quebec), Wednesday, July 13, 2016 – 7pm – 8pm
• How to Tile Floors and Walls Quebec only, Wednesday, July 13, 2016 – 7pm – 8pm
• Build a Garden Pond, Saturday, July 16, 2016 – 10am – 11am
• Build a Wood Fence, Sunday, July 24, 2016 – 1pm – 2pm

To book your slot at a workshop, contact your local Home Depot location.

Click here to read more about these workshops at The Home Depot Canada.

Click here to get all Home Depot Canada online offers.

Good morning 🙂 Happy Canada Day!

As you have likely heard, July 2, 2016 is the official last day before the Canadian postal workers can stop working and enter into a lock-out or strike. So, if you have any last minute items that need to be mailed, you must do so by today, June 29, 2016! This is to ensure delivery by tomorrow, June 30, 2016. Today is the absolute last day to send anything and if you’re sending it anywhere other than locally, you will need to pay for the priority option.

• Expedited Parcel (Local)
• Xpresspost (Local)
• Priority (National, Regional & Local)

Click here to read more details via Canada Post.

Ikea Canada has issued another recall but this time the recalled items are the best-selling MALM dressers and chests! Approximately 6 million of these recalled furniture pieces have been sold in Canada since 2002. The recall was issued because many of the MALM-style dressers don’t meet the voluntary North America ASTM standard requirements on free-standing stability. Ikea issued a wall attachment last year to prevent furniture top-overs but clearly they’re either not being used or aren’t installed correctly.

“Ikea Canada takes its role as a responsible retailer very seriously and we want to raise the awareness of the hazard of furniture tip-over in Canadians’ homes,” said Stefan Sjöstrand, the Ikea Canada President.

Since 1989, six children in the US were killed by toppling dressers and drawers so clearly this recall is the best action that Ikea can take. If you have a recalled dresser you can bring it back to any Ikea location and get a refund; however, if you want to continue using it, you can get a free wall anchoring kit from any Ikea store.

Here is a full list of recalled chest of drawers:

• BRIMNES chest/2 drw 50×77 (all colours)
• BRIMNES chest/3 drw 78×95 (all colours)
• BRIMNES chest/4 drw 39×124 (all colours)
• BRIMNES chest/4 drw 78×124 (all colours)
• ASKVOLL chest/6 drawers 45×109 (all colours)
• BRUSALI chest of 3 drawers 80×93 (all colours)
• BRUSALI chest/4 drw 51×134 (all colours)
• BUSUNGE chest/2 drw 80×75 (all colours)
• BRUSALI chest of 6/drawers 80×117 (all colours)
• HEMNES chest/3 drw 108×95 (all colours)
• HURDAL chest/3 drw 109×93 (all colours)
• HEMNES chest/5 drw 57×130 (all colours)
• HURDAL chest/5 drw 56×137 (all colours)
• HEMNES chest/6 drw 108×130 (all colours, *except painted white*)
• IKEA PS 2012 chst 5 drwrs/1 dr 130x48x86 pine
• KOPPANG chest/3 drw 90×82 white
• KULLEN N chest/5 drw 70×112 black-brown
• MALM chest/3 drw 80×78 (all colours)
• MALM chest/4 drw 80×100 (all colours)
• MALM chest/5 drw 40×123 (all colours)
• MALM chest/6 drw 40×123 (all colours)
• MALM chest/6 drw 80×123 (all colours)
• MALM chest/6 drw 160×78 (all colours)
• NORNÄS chest 4 drwrs/2 comp 108×88 pine/grey
• STOCKHOLM chest/4 drw 49×107 walnut veneer
• STUVA frame 60x50x128 white
• STUVA frame 60x50x64 white
• SUNDVIK N chng tbl/chst of drwrs (all colours)
• TARVA chest of 4 drawers, 79×92 pine
• TARVA chest of 5 drawers, 39×127 pine
• TARVA chest of 5 drawers, 79×127 pine
• TARVA chest of 6 drawers, 155×92 pine
• TROGEN chest of drawers 100×108 light grey
• TRYSIL chest of 3 drawers, 75×77 dark brown/black
• TYSSEDAL chest/4 drw 67×102 white
• TYSSEDAL chest/4 drw 87×76 white
• TYSSEDAL chest/6 drw 127×89 white
• UNDREDAL chest of 4 drawers, 87×101 black
• UNDREDAL chest of 5 drawers, 67×122 black

Click here to read more details about this Ikea Canada recall.

Click here to view all the recalled chests and drawers from Ikea Canada.

Real Canadian Superstore Canada has an awesome 1-Day promotion available today only! TheReal Canadian Superstore Canada promotion includes:

• NO Tax on purchase of garden centre, home, electronics, toys, Joe Fresh apparel

The Real Canadian Superstore Canada offer is valid today only, Saturday, June 25, 2016.

Click here to view Real Canadian Superstore Canada weekly flyers.

IKEA Canada is recalling its PATRULL Safety Gates due to a safety hazard. The company received reports of the gates opening unexpectedly and children falling down the stairs causing injury. The products being recalled are the PATRULL safety gate, PATRULL FAST and PATRULL KLÄMMA.

Although there have been no reports of injury in Canada, if you have this item in your home, immediately stop using it and bring it back to your local IKEA store or call IKEA Customer Service toll-free, 1-800-661-9807 for a full refund. Don’t worry about the refund because a receipt isn’t required.

Click here to read about this IKEA Canada recall.

Bolthouse Farms Canada is voluntarily recalling 6 different protein beverages and a variety of butters due to a possible spoilage! The spoilage may affect the drinks by giving them a lumpy appearance along with unpleasant tastes and odours. There have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of these drinks; however, if you bought them, you’re advised to return it for a refund.

The products affected are listed above, which includes the protein drinks and butters. The recall affects Protein PLUS Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, Blended Coffee, Strawberry, Coconut and Banana Honey Almond Butter varieties with best by dates between June 20, 2016 and September 18, 2016.

Click here to read about this Bolthouse Farms Canada recall.

With both sides far from agreement on the latest round of talks, it is looking more and more likely that there may be a disruption to the postal service as early as July 2nd so you may want to rethink some of those online orders from outside of Canada or retailers who can be slow to ship packages within Canada.

Major customers were sent a notice of the possibility some time ago, so both sides have been ready for the possibility with Manitoba even making alternative arrangements to get essential and government mail (like welfare cheques, health cards and more) delivered to pickup points starting on Monday.

Agreements have been reached between the two side ahead of previous potential work stoppages to deliver government payments to seniors and people with low incomes but so far, this is not the case this time although they have said they will start segregating any live animals and other perishable packages ahead of the potential work stoppage to ensure they are delivered.

While the talks are mainly confidential, it seems that guaranteed pensions and the future of Canada Post are the major issues.   Unlike some previous potential disruptions, this one will impact both urban and rural customers.

Unconfirmed rumours include Purolator asking their employees to not take holidays starting on July 2nd and some Canada Post facilities not accepting mail even earlier than this to ensure all mail is delivered and not stuck in warehouses.  According to letters sent to businesses

• Regular letter mail should be delivered to Canada Post before June 23 but there are no service guarantees – so if you are a coupon trader, get those sent out ASAP
• Regular parcels should be accepted at a postal office already for national service, by June 22 for delivery within province and June 27 for local service.
• Xpresspost and Priority parcels have until June 28 or 29 to be picked up or dropped off to Canada Post.
• Any letters or parcels within the system during a potential work stoppage will be secured and delivered as soon as possible once work resumes.

If you have a Shoppers Drug Mart branded account or credit card with RBC, be sure to read the letter they just sent or insert in your statements as they are ending their partnership this year.

The move is not a surprise, since Loblaws took over Shoppers Drug Mart, the move to PC Banking was probably going to happen at some point.  But RBC holds the accounts, and unless you tell them otherwise, will convert them to regular RBC accounts later this year.  If you have a banking account, it will be converted to a no-limit banking account while the Shoppers Drug Mart branded credit card will be converted to a cash-back card.  Fees for these accounts may differ from your Optimum banking accounts, so be sure to check to see if that is an account you still want  without the bonus of more Optimum points.

You can continue to use your cards until the end of September and points will be transferred to your Optimum accounts as usual.  They will not contact you to ask if you want to transfer your account to their regular ones, it is up to you to contact them and say you do not want the new card.  But they do have a bonus on the cash-back credit card if you switch.

It will be interesting to see if PC offer an Optimum branded card after the September 30th deadline or if they will offer the regular PC accounts to Shoppers Drug Mart customers which may signal a move to PC Plus at Shoppers.