How you can get your dough in the $500M Loblaw bread-fixing settlement

Natalie Stechyson · CBC News

· Posted: May 27, 2025 2:30 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Have you bought breadstuff successful the past 20 years? Then you're astir apt included successful what's being called the "largest colony of a price-fixing lawsuit successful Canadian history." 

A $500-million colony successful the long-running Loblaw bread-fixing case was approved by Ontario Superior Court Judge Ed Morgan connected May 7, saying the wealth enactment guardant by the market companies was "an fantabulous and just effect for each concerned."

The class-action lawsuit accused Loblaw Companies Limited and its genitor company, George Weston, of engaging successful an industry-wide strategy to hole the terms of bread. The plaintiffs alleged companies participated successful a 14-year industry-wide price-fixing conspiracy betwixt 2001 and 2015, starring to an artificial summation successful packaged breadstuff prices.

Jay Strosberg, a lawyer representing plaintiffs successful the class-action lawsuit, told CBC's Hanomansing Tonight Monday that the sheer size of the colony is significant, arsenic good of the scope successful presumption of however galore radical were affected.

"We're talking astir about everyone successful the country who is astir apt impacted by this conspiracy," Strosberg said.

WATCH | The largest colony successful history, says bread-fixing lawyer: 

How bash I cognize if I'm eligible?

There are 2 colony classes: 1 successful Ontario, for each of Canada extracurricular Quebec, and 1 successful Quebec for Quebec residents only.

To beryllium eligible successful this existent settlement, you indispensable beryllium a Canadian nonmigratory extracurricular of Quebec who purchased packaged breadstuff betwixt Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2021, that was produced oregon distributed by a suspect (Loblaw and its genitor company), according to the official bread colony website.

To beryllium eligible for the Quebec people enactment you indispensable beryllium a resident in Quebec who purchased astatine slightest 1 bundle of breadstuff betwixt Jan. 1, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2021.

The Ontario colony was approved May 7. A Quebec tribunal volition perceive arguments astir whether to judge the Loblaw and George Weston colony connected June 16.

While the price-fixing allegations targeted different large grocers, including Sobeys, Walmart, Giant Tiger and Metro, lone Loblaw and its genitor institution person agreed to a settlement. The others person denied the allegations.

Canada Bread, which is besides named arsenic a defendant, was fined $50 million in June 2023 aft pleading blameworthy to 4 counts of price-fixing breadstuff products nether the Competition Act.

But that good went to the government, not to consumers.

WATCH | Breaking down Canada Bread's role: 

Do I person to bash anything?

If you bought bread successful the past 20 years, you're automatically included successful the settlement classes. The day to opt retired of the Ontario colony has already passed. If you privation to opt retired of the Quebec settlement, you person until May 30.

But you'll yet person to register on 1 of the Canadian breadstuff colony websites to marque an authoritative claim, Strosberg explained (which you tin lone bash erstwhile the settlements person been approved). 

• Ontario: www.canadianbreadsettlement.ca
• Quebec: https://reglementpainquebec.ca/

As of Tuesday, the Ontario website notes the claims process is inactive being determined.

Do I request my receipts? For 20 years of bread?

The May 7 settlement documents don't notation receipts anyplace nether the conception connected the rules of user organisation of the funds.

The documents enactment consumers implicit the property of 18 volition person to taxable a claim and provide "information and/or documentation arsenic whitethorn beryllium required."

In erstwhile interviews, lawyers for the plaintiffs person explained that radical can't beryllium expected to clasp onto receipts for so  agelong and therefore won't request to supply that benignant of proof. Previously, Strosberg has said helium expects consumers volition need to capable successful a one-page form to state they bought packaged bread.

On Monday, Strosberg agreed with big Ian Hanomansing saying, "Obviously, I won't request receipts," by answering, "Correct."

What's successful the settlement?

The approved colony includes a combined $404 cardinal to beryllium paid by Loblaw and George Weston. The remaining $96 cardinal is accounted for done a acquisition paper programme Loblaw began successful 2018 and ran done 2019 successful hopes of making amends with customers who paid astir $1.50 much per loaf of bread.

Once ineligible fees and different tribunal expenses are paid, 78 per cent of the funds volition beryllium allocated to shoppers successful the Ontario colony with the remaining magnitude headed for radical successful Quebec.

What could I get?

It depends however galore radical travel guardant and however galore claims are approved, explains Strosberg. 

"If 1 cardinal radical travel forward, they're going to get more. But if 25 cardinal radical travel forward, they mightiness get less," helium said.

Customers who bought breadstuff betwixt January 2001 and December 2021 and did not antecedently instrumentality a acquisition paper from Loblaw volition yet person up to $25, according to The Canadian Press. 

If determination is inactive wealth near implicit aft that distribution, funds volition beryllium divided among anyone who claimed the acquisition card.

Sorry, what astir the acquisition cards?

Loblaw started offering $25 acquisition cards successful 2018 aft admitting its relation successful the bread price-fixing scandal. At the time, Loblaw had stated that it expected to subtract $25 from immoderate imaginable colony payments to people enactment members who besides got a acquisition card.

And it appears that's however it's playing out. According to the people enactment website, the $25 payment antecedently claimed by immoderate individuals nether the Loblaw Card Program volition beryllium deducted from immoderate compensation payable to them nether the settlement.

What's the adjacent step?

Now that the Ontario people enactment has been approved, you can register for much accusation connected adjacent steps connected the Ontario colony website.

You tin registry to stay updated connected the Quebec colony connected the people counsel's website (scroll to the bottom). If the colony is approved connected June 16, the people counsel volition email anyone who registered with instructions connected however to register. It, too, volition beryllium done connected the Quebec breadstuff class-action website.

Once radical are registered by the deadline (not yet determined), and we larn however galore radical apply, radical volition larn however overmuch they mightiness get, Strosberg said.