Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Retail sales in Canada stumbled for the second month in a row after two straight months of gains, a sign of the rocky road ahead as Canada staggers out of the pandemic's economic recession.
The 2.1 per cent decline in retail sales in May came as many retailers continued to face closures amid the third wave of COVID-19, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
In a nod to the erratic economic situation, the federal agency provided an advance estimate for June retail sales, which it expects will climb 4.4 per cent as stores began to reopen.
“The decline in May sales numbers is not surprising given the ongoing shutdowns that were in place at the time, particularly in Ontario,” Retail Council of Canada spokeswoman Michelle Wasylyshen said in an email.
“The real test will be next month's numbers, which will show the effects of reopening.”
Sales decreased in eight of 11 subsectors in May, representing more than 65 per cent of the country's retail trade.
The biggest drop was recorded at building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers, which fell 11.3 per cent.
Sales in the clothing and clothing accessories category declined 11.2 per cent, with nearly a quarter shuttered for an average of six days during the month. Within the subsector, clothing stores saw an 11.6 per cent decrease in sales, falling to their lowest level since May 2020.
“Apparel sales have continued to languish throughout the pandemic and have been largely impacted by changes in consumer behaviour,” Wasylyshen with the retail council said. “We are hopeful that this sector will rebound in the months ahead as offices reopen and people return to work.”
Meanwhile, the motor vehicle and parts industry experienced a 2.4 per cent decrease in May.
Receipts rose 0.8 per cent at food and beverage stores and 0.9 per cent at businesses selling gasoline.
Statistics Canada said 5.6 per cent of retailers used to calculate its monthly numbers were closed at some point in May, compared with about 5 per cent the month before.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2021.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.