Loblaw Companies Limited

Who owns it

• George Weston Limited (company)52.6%sedar_filing · 2025-03-10

2 further ownership links are recorded, but not from a filing we can point you to, so they are not shown here.

What’s documented

• 2026-07-03lobbying3 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2026).source →
• 2026-06-01legalProceedingIn June 2026, settlement payments began reaching Canadian bank accounts from Loblaw Companies and George Weston Limited's $500 million bread price-fixing settlement. Eligible Canadians received either $49.11 or $24.11 depending on whether they participated in Loblaw's $25 gift card program in 2017. The settlement resolved claims that Loblaw, George Weston, and other bread producers secretly agreed to artificially inflate bread prices at wholesale and retail levels from late 2001 to 2015, adding at least $1.50 per loaf. Loblaw acknowledged participating in what officials described as an 'industry-wide price-fixing arrangement.'source →
• 2026-04-16otherIn April 2026, reports revealed that Loblaw-owned stores including FreshCo and Real Canadian Superstore began deploying body cameras on staff in response to rising shoplifting. Superstore has spent more than $12 million over five years on special duty police officers to patrol checkouts. Privacy experts and academics criticized the measures as heavy-handed, noting that roughly one-quarter of Canadians are food insecure, with disproportionately higher rates among Indigenous, Black, disabled, newcomer, and senior populations. Critics argue the surveillance treats hungry customers as suspects rather than addressing underlying causes of food insecurity.source →
• 2026-04-15otherA CBC News investigation published in April 2026 found that multiple Loblaw-owned and Sobeys-affiliated stores were overcharging consumers for underweight meat, despite claims the previous year that the grocery chains had rectified the problem. CBC investigators visited 17 stores across Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax over two months and documented 32 underweight meat products across seven stores including Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Farm Boy, and Real Atlantic Superstore. Prices were inflated anywhere from 2% to nearly 17% due to packaging weight being included in the price calculation, violating federal rules that require declared net weight to exclude packaging. Loblaw said the problem was limited to one product at a 'small number' of stores.source →
• 2026-04-15regulatoryActionA CBC News secret shopping investigation published April 15, 2026 found that Loblaw-owned and Sobeys-affiliated stores are still overcharging for underweight meat, despite both companies claiming to have addressed the problem a year earlier. CBC visited 17 stores in Toronto, Vancouver, and Halifax over two months, documenting 32 underweight meat products across seven stores including Real Canadian Superstore (Loblaw), Safeway, Thrifty Foods, and Farm Boy (Sobeys/Empire). Overcharges ranged from 2% to 16.7%. A former Canadian Food Inspection Agency inspector estimates the practice costs Canadian shoppers millions of dollars annually.source →
• 2026-04-14regulatoryActionA Loblaw-owned store was fined $10,000 in April 2026 for promoting imported food products as Canadian, the second such fine in the chain. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed the violation amid heightened consumer sensitivity around the Buy Canadian movement triggered by US tariffs. Sobeys-owned stores could face similar scrutiny. The federal government is reviewing fine limits for food labeling violations, with outcomes expected in the 2026 budget.source →
• 2026-01-10lobbyingUnion leaders criticized Telus for receiving lucrative federal and provincial government contracts and subsidies while cutting thousands of jobs; USW and CUPE lobbied the federal government to attach job-preservation conditions to telecom subsidiessource →
• 2026-01-09laborRelationsTelus offered voluntary severance packages to approximately 700 more employees across Canada in January 2026, totaling nearly 1,400 severance offers in under a year; customer complaints to the CCTS rose 62% in 2025 compared to 2024source →
• 2025-11-24lobbying6 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2025).source →
• 2025-08-01regulatoryActionVanguard was ordered to pay a $19.5 million civil penalty by the SEC for disclosure failures related to adviser compensation. Between August 2020 and December 2023, Vanguard tied parts of advisers' performance evaluations and bonuses to client enrollment and retention metrics in its Personal Advisor Services program, while marketing content downplayed or misstated these conflicts of interest.source →
• 2025-06-05regulatoryActionOn June 5, 2025, Canada's Competition Bureau announced it would monitor Loblaw's public commitment to eliminate restrictive covenants and exclusivity clauses (so-called property controls) in retail-grocery leases — a practice the Bureau had previously identified as restricting competition in the Canadian grocery market. The Bureau's March 2024 investigation into both Loblaw and Sobeys parent Empire continues with respect to other concerns.source →
• 2025-04-15regulatoryActionIn 2025 Canadian regulators fined another Loblaw store $10,000 for promoting imported food as Canadian-origin under the heightened "Buy Canadian" enforcement during US tariff disputes; reporting noted Sobeys could be next.source →
• 2025-02-01laborRelationsTelus offered voluntary severance packages to approximately 700 employees nationwide across network operations, engineering, and business solutions, continuing a restructuring that has eliminated roughly 3,300 jobs since 2023source →
• 2025-01-17regulatoryActionVanguard agreed to pay $106.41 million to settle SEC charges for misleading statements about capital gains distributions and tax consequences for retail investors holding Vanguard Investor Target Retirement Funds in taxable accounts. The SEC found Vanguard lowered minimum investment for Institutional TRFs from $100 million to $5 million in December 2020, triggering mass redemptions that generated unexpected taxable capital gains for remaining Investor TRF holders.source →
• 2025-01-09environmentalBlackRock withdrew from the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative on January 9, 2025, causing NZAM to temporarily suspend its activities pending a review. BlackRock stated that its participation in climate-focused groups had caused confusion about its investment practices and subjected the firm to legal inquiries from state officials. BlackRock had been among the founding members of NZAM and managed over $11 trillion in assets at the time of withdrawal.source →
• 2025-01-01regulatoryActionCanada's grocery code of conduct came into force January 1, 2025 with formal buy-in from five major grocers — Loblaw, Sobeys (Empire), Metro, Walmart Canada, and Costco — following years of negotiation and the threat of mandatory regulation if voluntary buy-in failed.source →
• 2024-12-31lobbyingBlackRock Inc. spent $2.88 million on US federal lobbying in 2024 and made approximately $2.6 million in political contributions during the 2024 election cycle, according to disclosure data filed with the US Senate and recorded by OpenSecrets.source →
• 2024-12-31lobbyingVanguard Group spent $2,650,000 on federal lobbying in 2024. The company's PAC made $502,046 in political contributions during the 2024 election cycle, including $382,500 to federal candidates.source →
• 2024-11-07lobbying2 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2024).source →
• 2024-11-01legalProceedingTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in November 2024 against BlackRock Inc., Vanguard Group, and State Street Corporation, alleging that the three asset managers conspired through ESG-aligned investment practices and climate coalitions to restrict coal production in violation of federal antitrust law.source →
• 2024-11-01legalProceedingTexas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in November 2024 against Vanguard Group, BlackRock Inc., and State Street Corporation, alleging the three asset managers conspired through ESG-aligned investment practices and climate coalitions to restrict coal production in violation of federal antitrust law.source →
• 2024-09-01environmentalVanguard supported zero environmental and social shareholder proposals during the 2024 proxy season, including declining to support any of the resolutions flagged by Climate Action 100+ investors. Vanguard also supported none of ten votes against company directors flagged by the initiative. Vanguard stated proposals were either financially immaterial, overly prescriptive, or that the companies receiving them already had adequate governance practices.source →
• 2024-06-13regulatoryActionCompetition Bureau Canada announced in June 2024 that it had obtained court orders to advance investigations into Loblaw Companies' use of property controls (restrictive covenants on sold/leased properties limiting competing grocery operations).source →
• 2024-06-01environmentalAccording to urgewald's 2024 'Investing in Climate Chaos' report, BlackRock held approximately $263 billion in fossil fuel company bonds and shares, making it one of the two largest institutional fossil fuel investors worldwide. BlackRock's holdings included over $75 billion in tar sands producers, over $11 billion in companies building new coal power capacity, and approximately $37 billion in ExxonMobil alone.source →
• 2024-06-01environmentalUrgewald's 2024 'Investing in Climate Chaos' report identified Vanguard as the world's single largest institutional investor in fossil fuels, with approximately $413 billion in fossil fuel company bonds and shares. Vanguard declined to adopt any fossil fuel exclusion policy and consistently voted against climate-related resolutions at portfolio companies.source →
• 2024-02-13environmentalIn February 2024, BlackRock transferred its Climate Action 100+ membership from its US arm to BlackRock International, significantly reducing its participation in the investor initiative targeting major greenhouse gas emitters. During the 2024 proxy season, BlackRock voted in favour of only 2 of 20 shareholder resolutions flagged by Climate Action 100+ members.source →
• 2024-02-09lobbyingThe Ontario Lobbyist Registry shows six employees of Jenni Byrne + Associates registered as lobbyists for Loblaw Companies Limited. Byrne is a longtime Conservative strategist and former campaign manager for Pierre Poilievre. The arrangement drew political attention in early 2024.source →
• 2023-12-31lobbying4 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2023); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2023-06-01regulatoryActionVanguard was fined $800,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for problems with account statements related to money market funds in 2019 and 2020.source →
• 2022-12-07environmentalVanguard announced its withdrawal from the Net Zero Asset Managers (NZAM) initiative in December 2022, stating that membership had caused 'confusion about the views of individual investment firms.' Vanguard cited its index fund model — in which approximately 80% of client assets are invested passively in benchmark indices — as a key factor, and stated it would pursue its climate disclosure positions independently.source →
• 2022-11-08lobbying6 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2022); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2021-11-01lobbying4 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2021); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2020-10-26lobbying10 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2020); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2019-08-23lobbying7 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2019); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2018-11-15lobbying3 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2018); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2017-12-22lobbying12 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2017); subjects: Agriculture, Climate, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment….source →
• 2016-11-11lobbying20 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2016); subjects: Agriculture, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment, Fisheries….source →
• 2015-12-01lobbying7 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2015); subjects: Agriculture, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment, Fisheries….source →
• 2014-10-23lobbying8 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2014); subjects: Agriculture, Consumer Issues, Environment, Fisheries, Health….source →
• 2013-08-27lobbying9 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2013); subjects: Agriculture, Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Environment, Fisheries….source →
• 2012-11-14lobbying9 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2012); subjects: Agriculture, Consumer Issues, Environment, Fisheries, Health.source →
• 2011-08-22lobbying5 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2011); subjects: Agriculture, Fisheries, Health.source →
• 2010-08-09lobbying3 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2010); subjects: Agriculture.source →
• 2006-05-10lobbying3 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2006); subjects: Financial Institutions, Industry, International Trade.source →
• 2005-11-10lobbying3 federal lobbying registrations on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (2005); subjects: Financial Institutions, Industry, International Trade.source →
• 1996-04-01lobbying1 federal lobbying registration on file with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada (1996); subjects: Agriculture, Consumer Issues, Industry, Internal Trade, International Trade.source →

What we’ve classified so far

• environmental damage6
• political influence4
• monopoly abuse3
• worker exploitation2
• surveillance1
• misleading claims1

29 further documented actions have not been classified yet. These counts show what we have got to, not a total.