If you’re thinking about getting a new roof in Ottawa, more folks are going with metal roofing. It lasts longer and works great. Metal roofing Ottawa isn’t just for barns anymore; they look good and hold up well in our crazy Canadian weather. One reason people pick metal is that it can last way longer than regular asphalt shingles.
If looking at affordable metal roofing in Ottawa, the price might seem high at first, but it’s worth it in the long run. Companies such as MRoof do great work at competitive prices, which is a good deal. A big plus is that many companies take care of everything, offering comprehensive packages with installation included. It means you do not have to worry about finding different people for the job and can be sure it’s done right. Check out MRoof’s metal roofing Ottawa page to find out more about what they offer and how they do things.
So, what makes a metal roof Ottawa so smart? Let’s check out the main reasons.
Unmatched Durability and Weather Resistance
Ottawa weather can be brutal on buildings. Think heavy snow, freezing and thawing, and summer storms; your roof’s got to hold up. Metal excels in this arena as it is snow and ice resistant.
Significant Energy and Cost Savings
Besides being tough, metal roofs are an energy efficient roof option. They bounce back a lot of sunlight, which keeps your house cooler in the summer. Expect lower AC bills. In the winter, they help keep the heat in too.
The financial benefits are clear:
1. Lower energy bills throughout the year.
2. Increased property value due to the roof’s longevity and appeal.
3. Potential insurance discounts in some areas for having a fire-resistant roof material.
4. Minimal repair costs over its decades of service.
Ottawa’s weather presents a real challenge for any building material. From heavy snow loads and freeze-thaw cycles to summer storms, your roof needs to withstand it all.
Versatility in Application and Style
Metal roofs are a popular pick for commercial buildings and homes because they last and can cover big areas. For houses, you can find them in lots of styles, colors, and finishes to match any design.
So, getting a metal roof in Ottawa is a smart move for worry-free, money-saving, long-term value. If you get it from a good place like MRoof, which has good stuff, fair prices, and does the whole install, it’s even easier to decide. If you want a roof that can handle snow, ice, and time, a metal roof in Ottawa is the way to go.
Toronto is one of the best cities in Canada for shopping. From high-end boutiques to quirky vintage finds, luxury fashion to lively street markets, the city offers something for every shopper. If you’re visiting or new to Toronto, knowing where to go can make all the difference. Whether looking for luxury, bargains, or unique local flavor, these are the best retail shops and areas to check out.
Meanwhile if you want to explore card game online, visit GZone today.
Malls & Major Shopping Centers
Toronto’s vast array of shopping malls provides plentiful options under one roof. Ideal when you want diversity, comfort, and a mix of brands.
Toronto Eaton Centre This is arguably the most iconic mall in Toronto, located right downtown. With over 250 retailers, including mainstream global brands (Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo), tech shops, fashion boutiques, and a huge food court, Eaton Centre offers a complete shopping experience.
Yorkdale Shopping Centre If you are after luxury and premium brands, Yorkdale is Toronto’s high-end destination. With flagship stores, designer labels, and carefully curated boutiques, it’s where fashion lovers go. The mall also has excellent transit access and periodic airport-style design updates.
Sherway Gardens This mall strikes a balance between luxury and more accessible brands. Located in the west end, it features upscale fashion, home goods, and seasonal promotions. For shoppers driving in from outside downtown, Sherway offers ample parking and a more relaxed environment than downtown malls.
CF Shops at Don Mills An open-air shopping complex that blends retail with community and design. With stores like Anthropologie and Structube, along with good dining options, this is a great mall for fashion, home decor, and relaxed browsing.
Luxury & Designer Retail Districts
If you’re chasing luxury, bespoke fashion, or designers, these districts are must-visits.
Bloor-Yorkville / Mink Mile Perhaps Toronto’s premier luxury shopping zone. High fashion brands, designer boutiques, and spectacular store windows line Bloor Street and surrounding Yorkville Village. Labels like Gucci, Prada, Hermès, Chanel, and local high fashion labels make their homes here. Walking around Yorkville gives you a mix of elegance, art galleries, fine dining, and exclusive boutiques.
Queen Street West For trendy, artsy, and independent style, Queen Street West is a go-to. You’ll find flagship stores, vintage clothing shops, galleries, and local designer spots. Whether you want something avant-garde or just unique, the boutiques here tend to be creative and fashion-forward.
Markets, Indie Shops & Unique Finds
Sometimes, the charm is in the smaller shops, markets, and local flavor. These spots are perfect for souvenirs, local art, food, or just exploring off the beaten path.
Kensington Market Very bohemian, colorful, multicultural, and full of personality. Vintage clothing, artisanal products, specialty food shops, and street vendors make this a fun place to discover unique items. Great for vintage, quirky gifts, and people-watching.
St. Lawrence Market More food-oriented, but also with shops selling crafts, kitchen goods, local produce, art, and jewelry. It’s a great place if you want to mix shopping with tasting local flavors. Great for gifts or artisan wares.
The PATH Toronto’s underground network of pedestrian walkways connects office buildings, malls, and shops. With over 1,200 stores and services, it’s perfect for shopping during bad weather. It includes many smaller boutique shops, fashion, accessories, and transit-friendly options.
Leslieville If you want an indie, hipster vibe, Leslieville is a neighborhood that offers boutique fashion, antiques, galleries, cafés, and more. It’s less mall, more strolling, and more discovery. For local designs, vintage pieces, and relaxed shopping, Leslieville is ideal.
Specialty & Niche Retailers
While malls and districts cover broad options, Toronto has several shops that are known for specializing in niche areas.
Gotstyle Ready-to-wear menswear (and now womenswear) with a strong emphasis on tailored design, fashion, and customer experience. A well-known name in Toronto for quality menswear and curated items.
Independent vintage & curated shops Found in Queen Street West, Parkdale, Kensington, and beyond. These shops may specialize in vintage clothing, rare records, antiques, or handmade jewelry. If you enjoy browsing and collecting unique items, these will be among your favorites. As people often comment online, “Queen St. West … vintage” is a frequent phrase.
What Makes These Shops & Areas Stand Out
To help you choose where to go based on what matters to you, here are the features that make these areas great:
Variety of brands—from luxury to affordable, from global chains to indie boutiques.
Accessibility—Easy to reach by public transit, parking availability, or walkability.
Atmosphere – Malls offer climate control and convenience; markets and streets provide character and discovery.
Food & Amenities – Many of these areas double as social or food hubs—cafés, restaurants, live events.
Seasonal and special events—Holiday markets, designer pop-ups, and outdoor seasonal street fairs add extra value.
Tips for Smart Shopping in Toronto
Pick your timing: Weekdays are less busy. The holiday season is busy but offers better sales.
Believe in sales & outlets: Malls like Yorkdale and Sherway often have luxury sales; outlets (like Toronto Premium Outlets) are good for deals.
Explore side streets: Sometimes, the best curated boutiques or vintage shops are off the main drags.
Use public transit/PATH: Especially downtown, PATH helps avoid cold in winter or heat in summer.
Watch for local brands & Canadian designers: Toronto has many hidden gems—local fashion, accessories, and artisans. Supporting them gets you unique items.
Why Toronto Is a Top Retail Destination
Toronto’s shopping scene stands out in Canada and internationally because of:
Cultural diversity: Influences from many ethnic communities create vibrant retail offerings—everything from Asian design and Afro-Caribbean fashion to South Asian stores and European style.
Blend of luxury and accessibility: You can spend on high-end brands but also enjoy affordable plus-size, sustainable fashion, or vintage pieces.
Large population & frequent tourists: High foot traffic supports many niche or boutique shops.
Shopping districts with character: Areas like Kensington, Yorkville, and Queen Street West aren’t just about stores—they’re about ambiance, public art, street food, and experiences.
Final Thoughts
If you’re in Toronto and want the best retail experience, mix and match: try one big mall for breadth, one luxury district for style, and one market or indie area for character. Each of these types will give you something different.
To sum up, the top retail shops and areas of Toronto you shouldn’t miss include:
Toronto Eaton Centre – all-rounder mall central downtown
Yorkdale Shopping Centre & Sherway Gardens – for high-end and luxury
Bloor-Yorkville / Mink Mile – designer boutiques and exclusive fashion
Queen Street West & Leslieville – for trendy, indie, vintage
Kensington Market & St. Lawrence Market – food + artisan shopping
The PATH—practical, weatherproof shopping core
Toronto’s retail scene is rich, varied, and always evolving. For tourists or locals, there’s always something new to discover.
The story of GrowME began with a single question on a quiet beach: “Could businesses grow faster if they had the right tools, the right strategy, and the right story?” That question followed Tarek Mohajer, GrowME’s CEO, back to Calgary, where it became the spark for an agency built to move ideas, brands, and businesses forward. It started in a tiny office, with a modest budget and a couple of people on the team, but nothing outweighed the goal: to turn ambition into measurable growth and give businesses the power to reach further than they imagined.
Over the next decade, GrowME Marketing grew beside the city around it. Tech companies, builders and construction firms, e-commerce brands, and professional service businesses needed to be seen, found and chosen, and GrowME made it happen.
Today, GrowME Marketing agency is a full-service digital marketing and advertising agency based in downtown Calgary, located one minute from the Calgary Tower. With 40+ professionals on the team, hundreds of clients across North America, and accolades from industry leaders, GrowME has become a force in shaping brands that grow.
The Three Forces Every Successful Business Depends On
A business can offer brilliance. It can hold expertise, talent, legacy, and potential. None of it matters until people know who you are, can find you, and trust you enough to choose you. GrowME’s work centers around three forces that decide whether a business grows or disappears inside the noise.
Advertising: The First Spark
Advertising is often the first moment a business earns someone’s attention, and that moment is crucial. GrowME approaches it as an exercise in intention rather than volume. Campaigns are built with a clear understanding of when people make decisions, what motivates them, and how to present an idea at the exact point where interest can become movement.
Whether it’s generating demand for a new Calgary development, giving a tech founder the reach they need to introduce something unfamiliar, or helping a brand break through crowded online spaces, GrowME turns attention into action through performance-driven strategy and creative built for results.
SEO: The Underground Power Line of Growth
GrowME treats SEO as the foundation of digital credibility. The approach is rooted in structure: an organized site, intelligent content, and a footprint that signals reliability to both people and algorithms. By preparing content for large language models, ChatGPT, and AI recommendation systems, GrowME ensures brands surface where people are asking, evaluating, and deciding.
When this foundation is in place, businesses stop chasing visibility and start holding it. Local service companies become the answer to common questions. National e-commerce brands find consistency across markets. Professional services gain the authority that earns trust before any conversation begins.
The strength of SEO is not its flash but its endurance. It turns a business into something stable, discoverable, and chosen on purpose.
Web Design: Where Trust Is Won or Lost
A website is the only place where a business controls the entire experience. It is the room customers step into before they ever speak to a human being. GrowME’s design team builds websites that people want to stay in, explore and take action.
“Every decision behind the design is intentional. Structure supports comprehension. Navigation follows a logic that feels natural rather than forced. Content is organized so that the most important ideas surface without effort, while visuals reinforce meaning,” says Jules Mercado, Art Director at GrowME.
This level of clarity serves many types of companies. Developers rely on it to present new communities with accuracy and transparency. Retailers use it to streamline the path from discovery to purchase. Businesses with technical or multifaceted services benefit from layouts that turn complexity into something understandable. When a website is built with this kind of discipline, trust forms quickly and visitors progress toward action without hesitation.
The System That Holds Everything Together
The Growth Marketing System is the core of GrowME’s work, a proprietary framework built to turn ambition into growth. It organizes complexity without losing energy. Strategy flows into creative, creative informs execution, and execution feeds insight. The system watches, learns, and evolves with each campaign, shaping growth that feels inevitable rather than forced.
For Calgary businesses and clients across North America, it turns marketing into a force that moves as one. Campaigns reach audiences with uncanny timing. Search lifts brands into view where they cannot be overlooked. Websites invite trust, spark curiosity, and compel action. As a result, ideas take shape, investments compound, and growth emerges as something measurable and unstoppable.
A Calgary Agency Built on Belief and Relentless Work
GrowME’s story is not about luck or timing. It’s a reminder that hard work, vision and collaboration of like-minded people can turn into a force that transforms businesses and communities alike.
The agency has grown into one of Calgary’s most trusted partners for advertising, SEO, and web design. Its work has been recognized by Forbes, honoured locally for seven consecutive years, and used by companies that shape the skyline, the tech scene, the trades, and the retail corridors of Calgary and beyond.
What began as a question on a beach has become one of the country’s most effective engines for growth. If you are ready to work with a Calgary agency built on clarity, strategy, and measurable results, GrowME is ready to lead the way. Visit GrowME Marketing at Suite 710, 1122 4 St. SW, Calgary, AB T2R 1M1, call (403) 547-6963, or reach out online to schedule a consultation.
AIRE Ancient Baths in Toronto. Photo: AIRE Ancient Baths
AIRE Ancient Baths has officially opened its first Canadian location in Toronto, marking a major milestone for the internationally recognized Spanish wellness brand and adding a new experiential destination to the city’s evolving retail and hospitality landscape. Located at 510A Front Street West in the Fashion District, the 23,000 square foot facility becomes AIRE’s 10th global location and one of the largest in its international portfolio.
The Toronto opening brings the brand’s signature candlelit bathing rituals into a dramatically reimagined heritage property, housed within a 1912 Edwardian building whose original brickwork, exposed beams, and industrial structure have been carefully preserved. Behind the historic facade, the space has been transformed into a quiet, immersive environment designed to encourage disconnection from the pace of daily life.
“What sets AIRE apart is the way timeless bathing rituals come to life inside restored historical buildings,” says Amadeo Serra, CEO of AIRE Ancient Baths. “These places have a soul, they tell stories. When you’re floating in a candlelit bath in a space with a century of history, time slows, the mind quiets, and you feel part of something much bigger.”
AIRE Ancient Baths in Toronto. Photo: AIRE Ancient Baths
A Heritage Building Adapted for a Modern Wellness Experience
AIRE’s Toronto location follows the brand’s established approach of repurposing historic structures into immersive wellness environments rather than building from scratch. The original architectural framework of the Edwardian building remains visible throughout the space, framing the bathing areas with exposed brick, wood, and steel that contrast with warm stone surfaces and softly lit water.
The result is an intentionally intimate atmosphere, despite the scale of the facility. Candlelight, silence, and flowing water replace signage and digital distractions, reinforcing the brand’s focus on sensory immersion and stillness. The design allows guests to move through the space without urgency, encouraging personal pacing rather than a scheduled or transactional experience.
This approach has become a defining element of AIRE’s global identity, with each location adapting its design to the character of its host building while maintaining consistency in the overall guest experience.
Ancient Bathing Traditions at the Core of the Experience
At the centre of AIRE Ancient Baths Toronto is a complete thermal circuit rooted in contrast therapy, an ancient wellness practice that involves moving between hot and cold water to stimulate circulation, reduce stress, and support physical recovery. The Toronto facility features nine thermal baths, each offering a distinct temperature, texture, and sensory effect.
Guests progress through the experience at their own pace, guided by candlelight and the natural rhythm of the space. The circuit includes the Tepidarium, Caldarium, and Frigidarium, each designed to create gradual shifts in temperature and physical sensation. The Balneum, known as the Thousand Jets Bath, delivers an invigorating hydrotherapy experience, while the Flotarium’s saltwater environment allows for effortless flotation and deep relaxation.
A standout feature unique to Toronto is the Palestra Outdoor Bath, an open air soaking pool that brings the bathing experience outside, offering a rare moment of calm within the urban setting of the Fashion District.
Beyond the thermal baths, the facility also includes a dry sauna, a vaporium, 12 massage rooms, and two warm marble beds. Every element has been intentionally designed to feel removed from the surrounding city, reinforcing the idea of wellness as a retreat rather than a service.
“My recommendation is simple. Allow yourself to truly disconnect,” says Serra. “Leave your phone behind, let go of your schedule, and just listen to your body. And if you can, share the experience with someone you care about. There’s something magical about discovering silence together.”
AIRE Ancient Baths in Toronto. Photo: AIRE Ancient Baths
A Toronto-Exclusive Ritual Inspired by the Boreal Forest
To mark its Canadian debut, AIRE has introduced a Toronto-only experience titled The Signature Boreal Forest Experience. Designed as a 150-minute ritual, the experience draws inspiration from the stillness and purity of Canada’s northern landscapes and reflects AIRE’s philosophy of grounding wellness in natural elements.
The ritual begins with a guided thermal circuit rooted in contrast therapy, followed by a 15-minute Canadian pink salt exfoliation performed on warm marble. Guests then receive a 60-minute massage using cedar essential oil and jade hot stones, designed to promote deep muscular relaxation. A restorative scalp massage follows, with the experience concluding with sparkling wine, chocolates, and forest berries.
Created exclusively for the Toronto location, the Boreal Forest Experience adds a distinct Canadian dimension to AIRE’s global offering while remaining consistent with the brand’s emphasis on simplicity, ritual, and sensory balance.
Entering Canada With International Recognition
AIRE Ancient Baths arrives in Toronto with significant international recognition, having been named one of the “Best Spas in the World” by ELLE Magazine and ranked among USA TODAY’s Top 10 Day Spas. The brand operates locations across Europe and the United States, and the Toronto opening serves as a strategic bridge between its established U.S. presence and future international expansion.
The Toronto facility employs approximately 120 staff members, positioning it as a meaningful contributor to the local service economy while supporting the continued evolution of the Fashion District as a destination for experiential retail and hospitality. The scale of the investment also signals confidence in the Canadian market, particularly as consumer interest in wellness-driven experiences continues to grow.
The opening of AIRE Ancient Baths Toronto coincides with the holiday season, a period when demand for wellness and experiential gifting typically increases. Gift cards are available in a range of denominations and can be used toward any bathing experience or ritual offered at the location.
SSENSE has secured additional court protection as it works to stabilize its business and navigate a complex restructuring process. On Friday, the Superior Court of Quebec granted the Montreal-based luxury e-commerce retailer an extension of its stay of proceedings under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act until Feb. 19, providing the company with more time to restructure operations and pursue strategic alternatives while shielding it from legal action by creditors.
The ruling represents the latest in a series of stay extensions since September, when SSENSE sought creditor protection amid mounting losses, a deteriorating balance sheet, and escalating pressure from lenders. While the company continues to operate during the process, the repeated extensions highlight the scale of the challenges facing one of Canada’s most prominent digital-first fashion retailers SSENSE Bankruptcy Report.
Founded in 2003 by brothers Rami, Firas, and Bassel Atallah, SSENSE grew over two decades into a globally recognized destination for luxury fashion. The Montreal-based retailer built its reputation through a digital-first model that combined high-end fashion with editorial storytelling, attracting an international customer base.
The company’s trajectory accelerated during the pandemic as consumers shifted to online shopping and discretionary spending surged. By 2021, SSENSE was reportedly valued at $5 billion following a minority investment from Sequoia Capital, positioning it as one of Canada’s most valuable privately held fashion companies. That momentum, however, proved difficult to sustain once market conditions shifted.
As in-store shopping resumed and inflation began to weigh on discretionary spending, demand for online luxury softened. For SSENSE, the normalization of consumer behaviour exposed vulnerabilities that had been masked during years of rapid growth.
Court filings show the company recorded substantial losses over multiple consecutive years, steadily eroding liquidity. By mid-2024, SSENSE was carrying hundreds of millions of dollars in liabilities, including significant obligations to banks, brand partners, and other trade creditors. Rising interest rates further increased the cost of servicing that debt, narrowing the company’s financial flexibility.
SSENSE store in Old Montreal. Image: David Chipperfield Architects
Inventory and Margin Challenges Come to the Fore
Inventory management emerged as a central contributor to the company’s financial stress. During the pandemic, SSENSE expanded purchasing to meet elevated demand expectations. When those expectations did not materialize, the company was left holding large volumes of unsold inventory.
Clearing excess merchandise required extensive discounting, which supported near-term cash flow but materially compressed margins. The combination of lower profitability and high operating costs placed additional strain on an already stressed balance sheet.
Lender Pressure Triggers Court Proceedings
By August 2024, tensions between SSENSE and its lenders reached a breaking point. Members of the lending syndicate moved to initiate their own CCAA application, seeking to force a sale of the business in order to recover outstanding debts.
The move prompted a swift response from the company’s founders. SSENSE filed a competing application to place the business under creditor protection while retaining operational control. After negotiations, the parties reached a consensual restructuring framework that allowed the company to remain under the leadership of the Atallah brothers while entering formal court supervision.
Interim Financing Provides Short-Term Stability
On Sept. 12, the Superior Court of Quebec approved SSENSE’s CCAA filing and appointed Ernst & Young as the court-appointed monitor. The court also approved $40 million in interim financing, providing critical short-term liquidity.
The financing included contributions from both the lending syndicate and the company’s founders, signalling continued commitment from management despite the severity of the financial challenges. The initial stay order was granted for a limited period, with subsequent extensions approved as restructuring efforts continued.
Company Continues to Pursue Strategic Alternatives
Alongside operational restructuring, SSENSE has been exploring a range of strategic options. The company is fielding potential investment and refinancing proposals and has launched a sale and investment solicitation process to evaluate interest from third parties.
Earlier this month, the deadline for qualified bidders was extended to Dec. 8, suggesting that discussions remain active. In September, CEO Rami Atallah told employees that a sale was not off the table and that he and his brothers intend to submit their own bid for the company, adding further complexity to the process.
In a statement, a company spokesperson said, “Extensions to the stay of proceedings will continue to be requested, as required, to the Court until SSENSE successfully emerges from CCAA.”
Cost-Cutting and Operational Reset Underway
As part of the restructuring, SSENSE has implemented significant cost-control measures. Workforce reductions over the past two years have affected hundreds of employees, and the company has streamlined operations across logistics, marketing, and merchandising.
Purchasing practices have been tightened, with greater focus on margin discipline and inventory control. Marketing spend has been reduced, with emphasis placed on core markets and efficiency rather than aggressive expansion. These measures are intended to preserve cash while the company works toward a longer-term solution.
Impact on Suppliers and the Broader Fashion Ecosystem
SSENSE’s restructuring has implications beyond the company itself. Court documents show that the retailer owes tens of millions of dollars to brand partners and other trade creditors, many of whom are independent designers or smaller fashion houses.
For those suppliers, the outcome of the CCAA process will determine recovery levels and may influence future wholesale relationships. The situation highlights how financial distress at a major retail platform can ripple through the broader fashion ecosystem.
Food inflation in Canada is once again moving in the wrong direction. In November, it rose to 4.2%, up from 3.4% the previous month. More troubling still, inflation for food purchased in stores climbed to 4.7%, the highest level since December 2023. For households already stretched thin, these numbers are not noise—they are signals.
A comparison across the G7 underscores Canada’s vulnerability. The gap between food inflation and overall inflation—a measure of whether food prices are rising faster than the broader economy—places Canada near the top of advanced economies. Only Japan shows a larger divergence. Canada’s gap stands at +2.0%, compared with +1.3% in the United Kingdom, +1.1% in Italy, and +0.5% in France. In the United States, the gap is negligible (+0.1%), while in Germany food inflation is running below overall inflation (–0.5%).
When food inflation persistently outpaces general inflation, the explanation is rarely macroeconomic alone. It points instead to structural stress within the food system itself—how food is produced, processed, transported, regulated, and brought to market.
Canada’s public debate has often defaulted to blaming grocers. Yet it is worth noting an important, and underappreciated, shift in Ottawa. Not a single cabinet minister in the Liberal government has openly blamed grocery retailers for food inflation in nearly two years. That rhetoric has largely been confined to the NDP and the Green Party. This is an improvement—and a revealing one. It suggests that the federal government increasingly recognizes that Canada’s food inflation problem is neither simple nor linear, and that slogans alone will not bring prices down.
The data support that realization. Claims of “greedflation” are not borne out by the evidence. Gross profit margins—measured as revenues minus the cost of goods sold—have remained largely stable across Canada’s major grocery retailers. If profiteering were the dominant force, margins would be expanding. They are not. What consumers are experiencing is cost pass-through within a system under strain.
Those strains are structural and policy-driven. Input costs remain elevated, including energy, fertilizer, and labour. Regulatory complexity adds friction at multiple points in the supply chain. Trade constraints and domestic production limits reduce flexibility. Logistics costs remain stubbornly high in a geographically vast country with limited redundancy. And Canada continues to suffer from a lack of scalable mid-tier food processors and distributors—the “missing middle” that helps stabilize prices in other advanced economies.
The composition of food inflation today reinforces this diagnosis. All three components of the meat category—beef, pork, and chicken—are rising simultaneously, an uncommon and concerning pattern. Coffee prices are up. Pantry staples are more expensive. Vegetables continue to climb. This is not a narrow or temporary shock; it is broad-based and embedded.
Other G7 countries offer a contrast. In Germany and the United States, food inflation is easing relative to overall inflation. Their systems are not immune to global pressures, but they are better equipped to absorb them through scale, infrastructure, competition, and policy alignment.
Blaming greed may be politically convenient, but it does little to lower food prices. The path forward lies elsewhere: reducing regulatory drag, improving transportation and logistics capacity, encouraging investment in domestic food manufacturing, modernizing competition policy, and enabling firms to scale.
Food inflation is not a communications problem. It is a systems problem. And until Canada fully confronts that reality, food prices will remain uncomfortably high—for consumers and policymakers alike.
In many real estate transactions, the focus remains squarely on surface value. Where is the property located? How is it zoned? What investment potential does it have? But beneath the surface lies an often-overlooked asset class with the potential to significantly alter a property’s worth: mineral rights.
Mineral rights represent the ownership of subterranean resources of a parcel of land, including oil, natural gas, coal, and metals. Importantly, they can be sold or leased independently from the surface rights to the land above them. In effect, a single parcel of land can be monetized twice — once for the surface rights and once for the right to extract the resources beneath it.
For real estate professionals and landowners, mineral rights deserve more than a passing glance. While they can introduce legal and financial complexity, they also present opportunities for enhanced value creation.
How mineral rights affect property values
Mineral rights can affect property values in several ways:
1. Future development potential
A landowner who retains mineral rights may benefit from leasing opportunities or royalty payments if oil, gas, or other minerals are extracted from their land. These potential income streams can materially increase a property’s overall value.
2. Marketability of the property
In areas where oil production is common, such as North Dakota’s Williston Basin, properties with intact mineral rights can fetch higher prices. Conversely, if mineral rights have been severed from the surface rights in resource-rich areas, the property may be discounted because the surface owner lacks control over what happens beneath the ground with respect to the mineral rights.
3. Surface use considerations
When mineral rights are sold or leased separately, the mineral owner has the right to reasonable use of the surface to explore for and extract the minerals. Future drilling, pipelines, or mining activity may disrupt surface use, including potentially impacting agricultural, residential, or commercial plans. This impact can reduce surface property value if not managed carefully.
These dynamics mean that mineral rights can either add value or introduce risk — depending on ownership status and the surrounding market.
Advice for prospective buyers of mineral rights
For buyers of mineral rights, due diligence is essential. Here are three key steps that every buyer should take:
1. Verify ownership
Mineral rights can be severed and sold decades earlier, often leaving property owners unsure of their status. Buyers should commission a thorough title review, ideally conducted by a landman or an attorney with mineral rights experience in the applicable jurisdiction where the land is located.
2 Understand the legal framework
Local regulations, permitting requirements, and existing leases or royalties tied to the property can dramatically alter the value of the associated mineral rights. Easements for access roads, storage facilities, or pipelines may already be in place and could also impact the value of the surface rights. Buyers need to know whether these encumbrances exist before closing a deal.
3 Evaluate future potential
A property’s location matters, particularly as it relates to mineral rights. Is it in an active or emerging basin where energy companies are investing and producing oil and gas?
For instance, in the Williston Basin, mineral rights have proven especially valuable. Buyers in these regions should weigh not only the property’s current condition but also the likelihood of future leasing opportunities to operations and non-operators alike.
Advice for mineral rights owners
For those who already own mineral rights, education and strategy are key.
Know your assets
Many mineral rights have been passed down through families for generations. While selling can be an emotional decision, understanding the market value is critical. Owners should request valuations from credible operators or consult specialists before making decisions.
Weigh selling versus leasing
Holding mineral rights can yield long-term royalties, but it also comes with risks, such as commodity price volatility, regulatory shifts, and the uncertainty of when (or if) operators will drill. Selling mineral rights to a third party can provide upfront value and transfer risk to the buyer.
Negotiate favorable leases
When leasing mineral rights, owners should carefully negotiate terms such as royalty rates, lease duration, and surface use protections. Professional guidance from a landman or an attorney in the applicable jurisdiction where the rights are located can help owners protect both their financial and surface interests.
Real estate professionals who overlook mineral rights may miss critical factors that influence a property’s value. On one hand, a property that appears attractive on the surface may harbor hidden encumbrances tied to severed and sold mineral rights. On the other, it could hold untapped value in mineral rights.
Across the US, companies and mineral rights investors regularly acquire mineral interests in multiple states and deploy capital into both mineral rights acquisitions and drilling operations. This trend underscores a truth for real estate professionals: subsurface assets can reshape a property’s long-term economics.
From a real estate perspective, mineral rights remain a specialized niche, with relatively few companies equipped to manage them at scale. But for buyers, sellers, and investors who understand their impact, mineral rights can be a differentiator that turns an ordinary land deal into a strategic investment.
Final thoughts
In real estate, what you see on the surface is only part of the picture. Mineral rights, though often overlooked, can alter a property’s value, its future use, and its overall investment potential.
For buyers of real property, the lesson is due diligence. For mineral rights owners, the lesson is education and careful decision-making.
Above all, remember that mineral rights are a unique intersection of law, geology, and finance. Approaching them with foresight and professional guidance ensures that these unseen assets work for you — rather than against you.
— Adam Ferrari is CEO at Phoenix Energy. He has nearly 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, following receipt of his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, magna cum laude, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He began his career with BP America in the Gulf of Mexico, then spent a stint in investment banking at Macquarie Capital, before transitioning back to the operating side with then-startup Halcón Resources Corporation. Following his tenure at Halcón, Adam pursued entrepreneurial opportunities in the mineral-acquisitions side of the oil and gas industry, which ultimately led him to Phoenix Energy.
*Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is meant for general informational purposes only. While Phoenix Energy One, LLC (together with its affiliates, “Phoenix”) makes every effort to ensure the accuracy and currency of the information presented, it cannot guarantee it. Phoenix does not provide legal advice, and the information contained herein should not be considered a replacement for obtaining legal advice related to the subject matter hereof. Phoenix recommends you consult with a qualified legal expert for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. Any reliance on the information contained herein is done at your own risk. Phoenix disclaims any liability for loss or damage, including indirect or consequential loss or damage, arising from or related to the use of the information in this article or the reliance upon the information presented.
Mars Canada Christmas window display unveiling at the Hudson's Bay/Simpsons building at 176 Yonge Street in Toronto, December 14, 2025. Photo: Craig Patterson
On a frigid Sunday evening, December 14, crowds gathered along Yonge Street as Cadillac Fairview officially unveiled the return of Toronto’s iconic holiday windows at the former Hudson’s Bay flagship at Queen and Yonge. For the first time since Hudson’s Bay shuttered its Canadian department stores earlier this year, the illuminated display bays once again glowed with festive scenes, drawing families, tourists, and longtime downtown residents back to a ritual that has defined Toronto’s holiday streetscape for more than a century.
This year’s windows mark both a revival and a reinvention. With the department store behind the glass now closed, Cadillac Fairview has repositioned the historic façade as a leased experiential platform, beginning with a holiday activation by Mars Wrigley Canada. The confectionery giant has taken over seven prominent windows along the Yonge Street side of the building, transforming them into animated tableaux designed to restore a sense of wonder to the corner while signaling a new future for one of the city’s most storied retail landmarks.
Cadillac Fairview, which owns the former Hudson’s Bay and Saks Fifth Avenue complex connected to CF Toronto Eaton Centre, has made clear that the holiday windows are no longer tied to a single department store tenant. Instead, the landlord is treating the building’s extensive street-facing windows along Yonge, Bay, and Richmond streets as a stand-alone experiential and media asset.
Publicly, Cadillac Fairview has framed the initiative as an effort to honour and preserve a cherished Toronto tradition, even as it explores new commercial and cultural uses for the space. Internally, the move also reflects a pragmatic response to the closure of Hudson’s Bay, which left a massive downtown anchor vacant after the retailer filed for creditor protection with more than a billion dollars in debt and failed to secure a buyer.
By reviving the windows, Cadillac Fairview is extracting value from the building’s most visible asset while longer-term redevelopment and re-tenanting plans are evaluated. The Queen Street frontage remains partially blocked due to Ontario Line construction at the intersection, but the Yonge Street run is fully active for the holidays, with additional bays on Bay and Richmond streets being marketed to future partners.
Mars Steps Into the Spotlight on Yonge Street
Mars Wrigley Canada’s activation represents the first major branded tenant to step into the revived window program. Known globally for confectionery brands such as M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, and Skittles, Mars is best recognized by consumers for candy, even though its largest business today is pet care.
For Ellen Thompson, General Manager of Mars Wrigley Canada, the opportunity to animate the windows carried both excitement and responsibility.
Ellen Thompson, General Manager of Mars Wrigley Canada
“So we are so excited to be bringing the wonder of Mars to downtown Toronto,” Thompson said during an interview at the unveiling. “We are thrilled to be bringing back the holiday windows so we can have another year of celebration, and we know that Toronto will absolutely love it.”
The activation spans seven windows and unfolds as a continuous narrative. Thompson described it as a storybook journey following the “elves of Mars” through a whimsical day in their world.
“It starts with a storybook that tells the story of the elves of Mars and a day in the life of their journey,” she explained. “They start their day getting their supplies ready, then they make their way to a chocolate factory. Then they have a very magical special clock, and they go through a winter wonderland, finally finishing their day celebrating with their family and their furry friends.”
The scenes are animated, brightly coloured, and unmistakably festive, designed to be enjoyed by children and adults alike as they move along the sidewalk from window to window.
Crowds Brave the Cold for the Unveiling
Despite freezing temperatures, the unveiling drew a sizable crowd on Sunday night. Parents lifted children onto shoulders for a better view, couples paused mid-walk to watch the moving figures, and groups lingered to take photos and videos as the curtains lifted.
For many in attendance, the moment carried emotional weight. The disappearance of The Bay windows earlier this year had sparked concern that a defining part of Toronto’s holiday identity might vanish permanently. Seeing the displays return, even under a different model, felt like a restoration of something deeply familiar.
Thompson acknowledged that sense of civic expectation, noting that the project was driven as much by public sentiment as by brand ambition.
“My team and I happened to be walking downtown one day, and we saw the windows were boarded up,” she said. “We were talking about how sad it was that the windows wouldn’t be returning again this year. Then we started looking around and saw that other people felt exactly the same way, and we knew we could do something about it.”
Mars Canada Christmas window display unveiling at the Hudson’s Bay/Simpsons building at 176 Yonge Street in Toronto, December 14, 2025. Photo: Craig Patterson
Built in a Month, Crafted by Hand
Remarkably, the entire project came together in roughly a month, a compressed timeline by the standards of large-scale holiday installations. Thompson said the speed was made possible by close collaboration with Cadillac Fairview and a Toronto-based production company that fabricated the displays.
“Everything is original, everything is handmade,” she said. “We partnered with a production company here in Toronto, and they’ve been wonderful partners, as well as the building allowing us to take over the windows for the holiday season.”
Mars also worked with Ana Fernandez, a creative director who had previously been involved with the historic holiday windows, to ensure continuity with past displays.
“We hope that people will see that authenticity and the tradition they’ve come to know and love, but also see a little bit of a modern twist that we brought,” Thompson said.
For Mars, the project represented a step outside its usual comfort zone.
“We’ve never done this before,” Thompson said. “This is definitely a little bit out of our comfort zone, but we heard the city of Toronto asking for it, and we thought we could do it.”
Mars Canada Christmas window display unveiling at the Hudson’s Bay/Simpsons building at 176 Yonge Street in Toronto, December 14, 2025. Photo: Craig Patterson
Blending Brand Storytelling With Community Impact
Beyond spectacle, the activation includes a charitable component tied to Food Banks of Canada. Visitors are encouraged to visit a dedicated website and fill out a simple holiday wish list, triggering a one-dollar donation from Mars for each submission.
“When people visit us at wonderofmars.ca and fill out a holiday wish list, we’ll make a one-dollar donation to the Food Banks of Canada for every wish list we receive,” Thompson said. “That way we can spread the holiday cheer, not only here in Toronto, but across all of Canada.”
The campaign aligns with Mars’s broader corporate principles, which emphasize responsibility and mutuality, and adds a social dimension to what might otherwise be seen purely as brand marketing.
Mars Canada Christmas window display unveiling at the Hudson’s Bay/Simpsons building at 176 Yonge Street in Toronto, December 14, 2025. Photo: Craig Patterson
A Landmark Site With Deep Cultural Roots
The significance of the Queen and Yonge holiday windows extends far beyond their current tenant. The tradition dates back more than a century, to the early 1900s, when Simpsons first installed elaborate Christmas displays at the corner. By the 1920s, visiting the competing Eaton’s and Simpsons windows had become a seasonal ritual for Toronto families.
Over time, the displays evolved from static toy arrangements into animated scenes with motors, music, and narrative themes such as Santa’s workshop, toy factories, and festive villages. When Hudson’s Bay took over the flagship in the 1990s, it modernized the windows while preserving their role as a hallmark of downtown December.
For generations, seeing the windows marked the unofficial start of the holiday season, often paired with trips to nearby attractions or skating rinks. Few retail installations in Canada have matched their emotional resonance or longevity.
That legacy made the closure of Hudson’s Bay in mid-2025 feel particularly final. With the store gone, many assumed the windows would disappear as well, another casualty of the decline of the traditional department store.
Mars Canada Christmas window display unveiling at the Hudson’s Bay/Simpsons building at 176 Yonge Street in Toronto, December 14, 2025. Photo: Craig Patterson
A Post-Department-Store Model Emerges
By reviving the windows under a landlord-led model, Cadillac Fairview is testing a new approach to legacy retail real estate. Rather than tying the façade to a single retailer, the windows are being repositioned as a flexible platform for brands, cultural organizations, and charities.
For Holiday 2025, a single major brand secured the Yonge Street run, while other sides of the building remain available or partially committed. The leasing model treats each window bay as a premium experiential unit, sold individually or in sequences, similar to high-impact out-of-home media.
The Mars activation runs from December 14 through January 2, operating 24 hours a day throughout the holiday season. Beyond that, Cadillac Fairview has signaled that the program is intended to continue year-round, with rotating campaigns that blend retail, culture, and civic storytelling.
Gradient Experience, an experiential agency based in New York, has released its Beauty IMPACT Report 2025, which explores how leading beauty brands are redefining what experience means today.
The report draws on insights gathered through its annual IMPACT survey and conversations with executives from MAC Cosmetics, Mugler, and Caudalie, among many others, offering a grounded view of how experience, culture, and technology are shaping the future of beauty marketing.
Pauline Oudin, the company’s President, said the new report builds on Gradient’s earlier Impact Report, which outlined the agency’s methodology for evaluating brand experiences.
She said last year’s study was broader and included interviews with chief marketing officers and brand directors across industries such as beauty, spirits, luxury, automotive, as well as a survey of “nearly 1,000 marketers.”
Client feedback prompted the agency to drill further into beauty-specific insights this year.
Oudin said Gradient conducted interviews with “about a dozen CMOs, founders of beauty brands,” ranging from large L’Oréal labels to independent companies, along with a survey of 130 marketers in the beauty sector. While the sample size is smaller than the previous report, she said it provides “directional data” on how brands are using experiential programs.
One trend identified in the survey is a sharp rise in the use of experiential marketing to support influencer content.
Oudin said the data shows “influencer content creation… increased over 25 points,” while in-retail rituals dropped by 36 points. She noted the shift “is not surprising when you’re in this space” but is now backed by quantitative findings.
The survey also shows greater emphasis on brand and product education delivered through experiences, which Oudin said is “probably… linked to influencer content,” while the importance of product trial and sampling decreased.
Oudin said integration across channels remains critical for brands seeking to maximize the value of experiential activations.
“A successful experience has to be integrated across multiple channels, otherwise, as a standalone, it’s too expensive,” she said.
Image: Gradient Experience
This year’s results show integration with advertising and media spending rose 26.4 per cent, compared to a 19 per cent increase in retail integration.
Experiential marketing is “almost becoming a source of content for advertising,” she added.
Although the study did not quantify the overall portion of budgets devoted to influencers specifically, Oudin said most respondents reported higher experiential spending overall. According to the survey, 86 per cent said their experiential budgets increased, with 40 per cent reporting significant growth and 46 per cent reporting slight growth.
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