WeightWatchers appears set to close dozens of Canadian locations Sunday
WeightWatchers appears set to close dozens of Canadian locations Sunday
This image shows the logo of WeightWatchers on a mobile phone, and the company's website, in New York, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
WW International appears set to close dozens of its roughly 118 WeightWatchers locations across Canada on March 26.
While the company has not formally announced the wave of closures, profiles for the affected locations on the WeightWatchers website note that the locations will close on Sunday while inviting members to register for virtual workshops. There are notices for 37 locations.
WeightWatchers is a fee-based weight loss program that employs meal plans, in-person and virtual workshops, a meal tracking app and a dietary "points budget" system to help clients lose weight. WW International also sells branded home goods, books and grocery items.
The company has operated since 1963 and has locations in each of Canada's 10 provinces, though none in the territories. Locations are apparently set to close in every province except Quebec.
The news came as a surprise to some long-time clients, like Liliane Guertin, who first saw it circulating in a private Facebook group last Wednesday.
During her usual weight loss workshop the following night, staff confirmed her location's final in-person session would take place March 23.
"Our meeting was on Thursday night and we were told this Thursday is the last day," Guertin told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Wednesday. "Apparently at the end of this week, these so-called studios will no longer exist."
She said staff at the location also told her they would be laid off as a result of the closure.
Guertin attends weekly workshops at a WeightWatchers location in Welland, Ont., and has been a WeightWatchers member on and off for 50 years. When she learned that many of the company's Canadian locations could close this month, she opted to cancel her membership rather than register for virtual workshops.
"I work every day online, I'm not interested in doing any more online," she said. "And as far as I was concerned, they had broken the contract, so I just wanted to cancel my membership."
Dow Jones Newswires reported in February that the company planned to reduce costs across its global business operations by laying off staff, centralizing global management and terminating leases in 2023.
Earlier this month, The Associated Press reported WeightWatchers is moving into the prescription drug weight loss business with the acquisition of Sequence, a telehealth provider that offers users access to diabetes and weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Trulicity.
WW International did not respond to a request for comment from CTVNews.ca by publishing time.
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
Chinese authorities have confirmed that human rights activist Dong Guangping has been held in a Chinese detention centre since October of last year, according to the man's family in Canada.
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a priest from a First Nation community who is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, and believe there may be more victims.
A B.C. high school teacher is facing a five-day suspension and course requirement after making multiple students feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their bodies—and it’s not the first time he’s been disciplined in the past decade.
Whether travelling by plane, train or automobile, francophone travellers are struggling to access services in their language, Canada's official languages commissioner said Tuesday.
Convicted murderer Daniel Jolivet, in prison for the past 30 years, has maintained his innocence since the day he was arrested. W5 reviews the evidence he painstakingly assembled while behind bars.
W5 Producer Shelley Ayres explains how she was in awe to meet what the Guinness Book of World Record's has named the World's Tallest Teenager, a 17-year-old from Quebec who plays for Team Canada.
CTV W5 investigates what authorities knew about plans to smuggle cocaine out of the Dominican Republic on a Toronto-bound Pivot Airlines flight. The airline's crew is demanding justice following their eight-month detention.
Gordie Sampson has written hit songs for some of the biggest names in country music, including Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. CTV W5 speaks with the Grammy winner from small-town Nova Scotia about his creative process.
A CTV W5 investigation reveals that a critical shortage of volunteer firefighters in this country is having a potentially deadly impact, especially in rural Canada.
Sandie Rinaldo tells the story of the largest Black military unit in Canadian history, whose members had to fight to serve for Canada in the First World War as they faced rampant racism at home.
A woman who allegedly fled the country following the fatal shooting of a man more than two years ago has been arrested for breaching her bail conditions, police say.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
Messages of support continue to come in following the death of an OPP officer and a school bus driver. Both were killed in a crash when their vehicles collided at Oxford Road 33 and Highway 59 northwest of Woodstock.
Messages of support continue to come in following the death of an OPP officer and a school bus driver. Both were killed in a crash when their vehicles collided at Oxford Road 33 and Highway 59 northwest of Woodstock.
Fin Pearson-Ross is becoming known for his cotton candy business along the Grand Bend strip, and the 11-year-old entrepreneur shows no signs of slowing down.
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
Some Quebec children may not be able to participate in summer camps this year because of funding cuts to a federal program, says the Quebec Camps Association (ACQ). Almost all summer camps have waitlists because they need more funds to hire more staff, it said Tuesday.
Whether travelling by plane, train or automobile, francophone travellers are struggling to access services in their language, Canada's official languages commissioner said Tuesday. Raymond Theberge said it's an ongoing struggle that has gotten worse in the last decade, especially as people begin travelling again.
A wildfire in northwest Halifax has destroyed more than 150 homes and about 50 other structures, the municipality’s executive director of public safety said Tuesday at a news conference.
New Brunswick residents who were forced to leave their homes in the south of the province this week because of a raging wildfire are being told it's safe to return.
Manitoba RCMP have arrested a priest from a First Nation community who is accused of sexually assaulting an 8-year-old girl, and believe there may be more victims.
The number of crimes in Winnipeg increased by more than 25 per cent in 2022, which includes a record number of homicides, a spike in the use of bear spray as a weapon, and an uptick in property crimes.
An Elections Alberta official says a change in how advance “vote anywhere” ballots are counted likely contributed to a delay in publishing the results in Monday's provincial election.
Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party won the election last night but the Alberta NDP made some inroads in Calgary, the city where most of the month-long campaign was fought.
Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party won the election last night but the Alberta NDP made some inroads in Calgary, the city where most of the month-long campaign was fought.
A B.C. high school teacher is facing a five-day suspension and course requirement after making multiple students feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about their bodies—and it’s not the first time he’s been disciplined in the past decade.
Embattled B.C. housing provider Atira Women’s Resource Society has named an interim CEO, a move the board says is part of its work to rebuild trust following a damning report and the former leader's resignation earlier this month.
A group of women’s health providers at Surrey Memorial Hospital is the latest working on the frontline to raise alarms about British Columbia’s deteriorating healthcare system.
Federal Liberals say they continue to have confidence in David Johnston's work as foreign interference special rapporteur, despite opposition MPs calling for him to step down after recommending against a public inquiry. During debate, opposition MPs spoke about being targeted by China, while at committee former federal security officials voiced support for an inquiry.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet have been congratulating Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her election win, saying they have “every interest to collaborate,” after she called out the federal government’s energy policies in her victory speech.
Conservative MP Erin O'Toole says Canada's spy agency has told him he was the target of Chinese interference intended to to discredit him and promote false narratives about his policies while party leader.
A raccoon in Maine was euthanized and tested for rabies after a woman brought it into a pet store for a nail trim and some customers kissed it, state wildlife authorities said.
Three national health organizations want Canada's premiers to push for initiatives to reduce smoking during settlement negotiations with major tobacco companies, years after provinces sued to recoup health-care costs.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to hear a bid by child pornography victims to overcome a legal shield for internet companies in a case involving a lawsuit accusing Reddit Inc of violating federal law by failing to rid the discussion website of this illegal content.
China launched a new three-person crew for its orbiting space station on Tuesday, with an eye to putting astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade.
The United Arab Emirates unveiled plans Monday to send a spaceship to explore the solar system's main asteroid belt, the latest space project by the oil-rich nation after it launched the successful Hope spacecraft to Mars in 2020.
Quebec actor Michel Cote, who captivated audiences with his roles in the theatre piece 'Broue' and films such as 'Cruising Bar' and C.R.A.Z.Y.,' has died at 72.
George Maharis, a stage-trained actor with rough-hewn good looks who became an icon to American youth in the 1960s as he cruised the country in a Corvette convertible in the hit television series 'Route 66,' has died.
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered Texas prison where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley.
Authors discuss their new book, 'Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies,' which aims to demystify the process of delivering honest apologies.
Animated movies are often a child’s first exposure to media and film. And the representation of people of color in media influences how they feel about race as they mature, a study by the non-profit Common Sense has found.
The Philadelphia 76ers went all-in with their NBA championship pursuit on Monday, selecting veteran Nick Nurse as their new coach to try to win the franchise's first title since 1983.
Two-time major championship winner John Daly has confirmed he will play in the 2023 Shaw Charity Classic from Aug. 14-20, the tournament announced Tuesday.
Fernando Alonso has five podiums in six races in a remarkable season for Aston Martin, yet still feels he's no closer to catching Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The two-time Formula One champions now head to a race with special significance for both of them.
Formula One champion Max Verstappen's lights-to-flag victory at the Monaco Grand gave the Red Bull driver his fourth victory of the season and a record 39th overall for the team as he extended his championship lead to 39 points over teammate Sergio Perez on Sunday.
A Tennessee company is refusing demands from U.S. regulators to recall millions of vehicles due to airbag inflators that can explode and shoot shrapnel into drivers. While cases are rare, there has been at least one death in Canada, where officials lack the authority to demand a similarly sweeping recall.
This image shows the logo of WeightWatchers on a mobile phone, and the company's website, in New York, Tuesday, March 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
