The Paramount-Warner Bros. merger hits another obstacle, this time in Canada, with the Competition Bureau reviewing the $110 billion deal. Both have significant operations in Canada, but questions abound over what the Bureau could actually do. 👉 Read here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/paramount-...

Inside Canada's competition court with its former top judge: "Something had to be done," says Chief Justice Paul Crampton on outdated laws that handcuffed merger and abuse of dominance challenges. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/inside-can...

Competition is dying as big companies and private equity roll-up entire markets. But help has arrived in the form of employee-owned trusts. Check out their upsides, downsides and why government action on incentives is urgently needed. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/how-employ...

The CRTC is banning fees for activating, changing or cancelling internet and cellphone services, 17 months after first beginning the process www.canada.ca/en/radio-tel...

If there's one industry the government refuses to fix, it's airlines. Enter Gabor Lukacs, a one-man force who for almost 20 years has been getting passengers justice – and money. But who is he and why does he do it? 🎧 Check out his amazing story here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/canadas-on...

Is the CRTC going to ban telecom activation and service termination fees? They may be hinting as much in their preview of decisions coming next week:

Canada's Competition Bureau has scored a big win in its challenge of Google's dominance in advertising, with a judge rejecting the company's arguments that potential penalties would violate its constitutional rights. 👉 Read here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/competitio...

‘The concert ticket industry is broken,’ justice department says as Ticketmaster trial begins www.theguardian.com/business/202...

It's been a rough couple of weeks for Cineplex: theatre closures, poor financials, the CEO antagonizing Canadian film makers. It stands to get worse, which is why the future of film-going in Canada looks to be smaller and more indie. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/big-movie-...

SCOOP: Former Competition Bureau chief Matthew Boswell to join Norton Rose Fulbright www.theglobeandmail.com/business/eco...

Big thanks to @jordanhr.bsky.social for having me on the CanCon podcast to talk about Do Not Pass Go and Canada's problem with three companies in a trenchcoat. Check it out here: elbows-up.simplecast.com/episodes/how...

Your weekly competition news roundup: PM Carney blasted for ignoring oligopolies in his cost of living video while the CRTC touts lower telecom prices as household expenditures on services rise. 🤓 Read here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/weekly-rou...

A new NHL franchise in Hamilton – finally? New competition laws mean individuals, public interest groups and municipalities can finally challenge gate-keeping leagues for abuse of dominance, which means the table is set: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/could-comp...

“A new form of authoritarianism:” Jim Balsillie challenges Canada's political parties to implement strong privacy protections to stop surveillance pricing and the affordability crisis. 🎧 On this week's Do Not Pass Go podcast: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/balsillie-...

The Competition Bureau gets a court order for info related to its investigation into how Vancouver real estate agents are getting paid: www.canada.ca/en/competiti...

Finally got my beta access to Gander Social, the all-new, all-Canadian social app that's launching soon. It's pretty bare bones so far but looks elegant. My first post, of course:

Potash, natural gas and pipeline producers topped the list of federal lobbyist communications in January. Check out Do Not Pass Go's monthly snapshot on who's trying to influence who: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/potash-nat...

Based on pretty much every interaction I've had over the past few months, I'd like to propose a new coinage: the Maple Cheeto Law. Similar to Godwin's Law, it refers to how every conversation between Canadians - no matter the topic or even the length - will inevitably turn to Trump.

The Blue Jays begin spring training this week as part of Rogers' new undisputed Canadian sports empire. Veteran sports reporter David Shoalts explains why owning all Toronto's teams is bad news for fans - and their chances of winning. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/why-is-one...

Thanks to CBC Cost of Living for having me on this weekend to talk about Do Not Pass Go, monopolies and how corporate concentration erodes economic democracy by eliminating peoples' ability to vote with their dollars. 🎧 Listen here: www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

Caught, fined... and still "on sale?" Canadian Tire's flyer advertising strategy is raising questions about the information imbalance consumers have with large retailers, both online and off. 👀 Full story: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/caught-fin...

Canada has a golden opportunity to escape Enshittification and achieve true sovereignty by throwing off U.S.-imposed digital access controls, says Cory Doctorow. 🎧 Listen to the full interview, recorded live at @bakkaphoenix.bsky.social where he worked as a teen: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/americas-e...

Bad Toronto movie theatre news: Cineplex Beaches, a six-screen multiplex opened in 1999 under the Alliance Atlantis brand, is closing end of day Feb. 17.

It's your weekly competition news roundup: Europe declares war on Big Tech and Pepsi declares war on weight loss. Plus: Canadian government urged to take action on online scams and privacy www.donotpassgo.ca/p/weekly-rou...

Scoop: Canadian Tire pleads guilty to false advertising in Quebec, will pay a $1.2 million fine. The company had engaged in "high-low" pricing, where it advertised regular product prices in flyers but rarely actually sold them at those prices: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/canadian-t...

Quebec is taking Canadian Tire to court for alleged false advertising of regular prices on products in flyers and online. Prosecutors have filed 74 statements of offence that the retailer violated the province's Consumer Protection Act. Exclusive story: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/canadian-t...

Beaches-East York MP (and esteemed Do Not Pass Go podcast guest) @beynate.bsky.social declares he's running for leader of the Ontario Liberals www.uncommons.ca/p/when-it-co...

There actually is a god!

Monopolies were vital in building Canada and keeping it independent from an aggressive neighbour. Former Conservative leader and PM candidate Erin o'Toole discusses the difficult balancing act between sovereignty and affordability. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/does-canad...

PM Carney raised the GST rebate this week to help Canadians with essential costs, but the buzz around public grocery stores is building. A new paper lays out the numbers for how they could work in Canada. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/can-public...

Michigan accuses oil companies of colluding to stifle renewables and EVs to protect their profits, driving up energy prices for consumers. Details here: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/c...

Not only has a monopoly taken over Banff and Jasper, what's worse is it's an American monopoly: Denver-based Pursuit Attractions. Critics want government intervention while Pursuit says it isn't doing anything wrong. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/the-quiet-...

Appeals court upholds Competitive Bureau's ruling against Cineplex junk fees, Cineplex plans to appeal further to the Supreme Court toronto.citynews.ca/2026/01/23/c...

Who's lobbying who? Last month, Big Concrete led the list of federal lobbyists, along with gold miners and a learning platform provider. Read all about it in the latest exciting instalment of the Lobby Report: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/concrete-g...

Breaking News: the federal government is cutting 24 jobs from the Competition Bureau, or 5% of its workforce, despite a recent declaration that it's going to be "hawkish" on competition and the affordability crisis. Full story: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/breaking-g...

PM Carney's speech declared a more honest approach to geopolitics, but domestic issues... Not so much. His government's recent approval of Anglo's takeover of Vancouver mining giant Teck is more meaningless optics www.donotpassgo.ca/p/from-minin...

Telecom complaints are exploding, reaching a new record again last year. Josée Bidal Thibault, new head of the CCTS, discusses how the affordability crisis is increasingly leading consumers to fight their service providers. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/telecom-co...

Big news: Canada's competition court rejects Google-Apple search deal case, the first brought by a private individual to argue against abuse of dominance on behalf of the public interest www.donotpassgo.ca/p/breaking-c...

Kurt Cobain would be shocked by concert ticket prices today. That's why so many legal actions are going against Live Nation/Ticketmaster, including a new major case in Canada that seeks to break the company up. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/could-cana...

Canada’s competition court is being asked to crack open Apple’s App Store. A consumer advocacy group says Apple’s tight control over apps and payments hurts competition, innovation and consumers, setting up a major test of new competition laws www.donotpassgo.ca/p/a-canadian...

Quebec Superior Court approves class action against Ticketmaster over service fees www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/art...

Cellphone plans could be getting more expensive after years of decline, data suggest www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/pe...

🚨 New social media on the horizon - and it’s Canadian! Gander Social aims to be kinder, calmer, community-first. 35,000+ users are already waiting. CEO Ben Waldman joins Do Not Pass Go to discuss why the world might actually need Gander. 🎧 Listen here: www.donotpassgo.ca/p/this-might...

The Revue Cinema in Toronto isn't just surviving despite competing against one of Canada's most dominant monopolies, it's thriving. Reinvention, creative risks, listening to its audience: These are lessons other small businesses can take to heart www.donotpassgo.ca/p/the-revue-...

Doug Ford got real mad about fans getting gouged by sky-high resale prices on World Series tickets, but unlike other countries and even Quebec, he's done nothing about it. My guest post for The Line: www.readtheline.ca/p/peter-nowa...

Deregulation is synonymous with big business, right? Maybe, but it's smothering small businesses in Canada (and kids trying to sell lemonade). It's time for some review and revision to get entrepreneurialism moving again. www.donotpassgo.ca/p/red-tape-o...

Over 4,700 Canadians Call for a Strong Competition Commissioner to Fight Monopolies openmedia.org/article/item...

In a Toronto Star op/ed today, I'm writing about the incredibly important case of a Toronto indie game developer taking on Google's search monopoly. It's the first to test new laws that let citizens sue for the public interest www.thestar.com/business/opi...

Rogers v. Rogers is a hilarious and mesmerizing one-man play that's about the lack competition and corporate power run amok in Canada. It's therapy for long-suffering consumers www.donotpassgo.ca/p/winning-ug...