BusinessYour chance to get a piece of a $500-million class action settlement, following a years-long bread price fixing scheme will soon expire. Applications must be in by Dec. 12 Nick Logan · CBC News · Posted: Nov 14, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 5 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Applications for claims in the bread price-fixing class-action settlement have been open since September, but the deadline for submissions is Dec. 12. (Doug Ives/The Canadian Press)Your chance to get a piece of a $500-million class action settlement, following a years-long bread price fixing scheme will soon expire. If you bought packaged bread from one of Canada’s major grocery stores between 2001 and 2021 — and the odds are that many Canadians did — then you’re eligible to apply for a slice of the settlement that grocery giant Loblaw and its parent company George Weston Ltd. agreed to pay. Claimants have until Dec. 12 to apply.Each claimant could get a minimum of $50, according to Verita, an independent administrator for the settlement. But it could be $100 or more, says Jay Strosberg of Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP, the law firm that filed the class-action suit in Ontario.”This is a wonderful opportunity for Canadians to get some money back,” he told CBC News.The final amount, he says, depends on how many people submit claims by the deadline.Verita says that more than 1.4 million — not including Quebec, which is being handled separately — have already applied since the process opened on Sept. 11. Here’s what you need to know:WATCH | How Canada’s bread price-fixing scheme worked (2023):Breaking down the Canada Bread price-fixing scandal | About ThatCanada Bread must pay a $50 million fine for being part of a scheme to fix the price of bread in Canada over 14 years. It’s the highest fine the Competition Bureau has ever levied. Andrew Chang explains how the scheme worked, and why this may only be the beginning.Am I eligible? If you bought packaged bread — including bagged bread, buns, rolls, bagels, naan, English muffins, wraps, pita and tortillas — for personal use between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2021 you are eligible.There are two different online claims submissions forms: one for residents of Quebec and another those in the rest of Canada. You don’t need receipts to prove your purchase, but will be asked for your most recent packaged bread purchase and where you bought it. There’s no limit on how many people in a single household can apply. But you must be 18 years old when you apply and have resided in Canada on Dec. 31, 2021. WATCH | Loblaw, George Weston Ltd. pay out $500M:Loblaw and parent company agree to $500M price-fixing settlement Loblaw and its parent company, George Weston Ltd., have agreed to pay out $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit linked to a bread price-fixing scheme. The company also acknowledged the impact of a recent boycott. When will I get the money? The claims are to be distributed between six to 12 months after the deadline, deposited directly into your bank account via Interac e-transfer or by cheque.Strosberg says there could also be more money distributed if there are further settlements, because the class action is ongoing. Other grocers were also named in the suit, though, he says, none are currently in negotiations to settle.What happens to my information?The information you submit will be retained by the administrators. Strosberg says that’s for both auditing and compliance purposes — and the possibility of further settlements. He says any personal information will eventually be destroyed. WATCH | Here’s how you can get some bread money:How you can get money from the Loblaw bread-fixing settlementWant a piece of the $500-million bread price-fixing settlement? The claims process is now open for Canadians seeking their share in the class-action lawsuit related to the alleged industry-wide price fixing of bread. Here’s how you can get some of that bread money.How do they know a claim is real? That is a problem, says Strosberg. But the big concern isn’t a matter one or two extra claims from a single household: it’s bots. He says there have been millions of fraudulent claims submitted by bots. The administrators, he says, are using “sophisticated software” to monitor how many claims are coming from certain IP addresses, the unique numerical identifier assigned to any device connected to the internet.But otherwise, he says, they’re taking Canadians at their word and encouraging as many people as possible to submit claims.”[Bread is] a staple of the household of every Canadian,” he said. “Everyone was impacted.”WATCH | Halifax grocery stores focus of federal competition probe:Investigation examines ability of new grocery stores to open in HRMThe federal study looks into property controls, which are legal instruments that can block competitors from setting up stores in certain places. While the investigation focuses on Halifax, it has relevance for the rest of Canada. Shaina Luck has the story.ABOUT THE AUTHORNick Logan is a senior writer with CBC based in Vancouver. He is a multi-platform reporter and producer, with a particular focus on international news. You can reach out to him at nick.logan@cbc.ca.With files from Natalie Stechyson and The Canadian Press
You could get at least $50 from the bread price-fixing settlement. But the deadline is coming up
