Veteran TSN sportscaster Darren Dutchyshen has died
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
In addition to hiking prices and shrinking product sizes, some food companies have also been quietly downgrading ingredients to reduce manufacturing costs.
The practice has been dubbed "skimpflation" and it has already joined inflation and “shrinkflation” in grocery stores across Canada.
"Skimpflation is when a manufacturer reformulates its product with cheaper ingredients," American consumer lawyer Edgar Dworsky told CTV News from Boston. "In skimpflation, you are getting less for your money."
Dworsky tracks stealthy product changes. He points to toilet paper as an example of so-called skimpflation.
"Do you ever notice if it's getting thinner?" said Dworsky, who posts his findings on the U.S. website www.consumerworld.org. "That's one way manufacturers are kind of skimping on the product, using less paper pulp."
Skimpflation can be difficult to catch because there are no specific laws requiring companies to disclose changes. Like shrinkflation, which is when you pay the same price for a smaller product, some say the practice helps keep consumer prices down amid inflation.
"The whole idea behind managing these things behind the scenes as a brand is to make sure that your products remain affordable," Jeff Doucette, general manager at shopping information app Field Agent Canada told CTV News from Calgary.
Skimpflation is already happening in Canada, according to Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University.
"Food manufacturers have used the skimpflation approach for many years," Charlebois told CTV News from Halifax. "Companies will reformulate products in order to save money."
Charlebois gives the example of a granola bar brand that changed its first ingredient from "milk chocolate" to something called "chocolatey coating," which includes cheaper ingredients like palm oil.
"Cocoa prices are at a 44-year high right now," Charlebois, who is also the director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab, said. "That has really forced companies to use different sources of chocolate-flavoured ingredients."
Veteran TSN broadcaster Darren 'Dutch' Dutchyshen, one of Canada’s best-known sports journalists, has died. He was 57. His family says 'he passed as he was surrounded by his closest loved ones.'
A Montreal father who kidnapped his daughter who has autism and lied to police when they asked where she was should serve three years in prison, a Crown prosecutor said.
Police are alleging that Ontario’s so-called ‘Crypto King’ Aiden Pleterski was soliciting investments as recently as February – almost two years after he was petitioned into bankruptcy for allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
To give Canadians a break on their summer road trips, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to suspend all gas and diesel taxes from Victoria Day to Labour Day.
Many Canadians found a message from the Canada Revenue Agency this week as they received their first direct deposit for the Canada Carbon Rebate.
A medical examiner says a Massachusetts teen who participated in a spicy tortilla chip challenge died from ingesting a substance 'with a high capsaicin concentration.'
Auto technology has evolved and many newer cars use wireless key fobs and push-button starters instead of traditional metal keys. But that technology also makes things easier for thieves.
Scientists from the University of Western Australia and Kelpsie Geociences in the U.K. say they were surprised to discover an underwater camera caught video of a rare deep-sea squid.
Although a global workers' treaty has been in force in Canada since January, an employment lawyer believes it won't do anything more to protect employees from violence and harassment.
Members of Piapot First Nation, students from the University of Winnipeg and various other professionals are learning new techniques that will hopefully be used for ground searches of potential unmarked grave sites in the future.
ALS patient Mathew Brown said he’s hopeful for future ALS patients after news this week of research at Western University of a potential cure for ALS.
When Adam Kirschner wrote 'Slap Shot,' he never imagined the song would be embraced by his favourite team.
A team is ready to help an entangled North Atlantic right whale in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
A $200 reward is being offered by a North Vancouver family for the safe return of their beloved chicken, Snowflake.
Two daughters and a mother were reunited online 40 years later thanks to a DNA kit and a Zoom connection despite living on three separate continents and speaking different languages.
Mother's Day can be a difficult occasion for those who have lost or are estranged from their mom.
YES Theatre Young Company opened its acclaimed kids’ show, One Small Step, at Sudbury Theatre Centre on Saturday.
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.