Canadian Retail Thread

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by casper

Canadians are free to travel to the US (assuming the US lets them in) and have Americans in mouse costumes entertain their kids. That does not change the fact that when they do that they are in fact contributing to the economy of a country that elected a leader that wants to destroy the Canadian economy and annex us.

Canada does not impose export controls.

On my part, I have made the decisions that I am now only traveling to the US for business. With great caution and trying to minimize my time there.

I have noticed the US border guards are far less friendly of even business travelers. They ask far more questions and are more difficult.

Others can do as they wish.



I would point out that the country that still does this is the US with travel to Cuba. Canada has never done this.

Canada has imposed export controls. Ask the farmers who Chretien took great delight in sending to jail for the "crime" of donating to their own grain to 4-H clubs in the US.

Curious if you approached your employer to request not to travel to the US or at the very least, conduct meetings virtually?

I've noticed no change in US CBP officers. Firm, yet friendly and respectful with their questioning. Last visit to the US, was asked three questions: where are you travelling to? purpose of trip? anything to declare? Done and through in under two minutes with the officer ending the conversation with "safe travels". Of course, on the return, the CBSA tax collectors were asking their barrage of questions to see if they could find something to charge duty. They couldn't.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Canada has imposed export controls. Ask the farmers who Chretien took great delight in sending to jail for the "crime" of donating to their own grain to 4-H clubs in the US.

Curious if you approached your employer to request not to travel to the US or at the very least, conduct meetings virtually?

I've noticed no change in US CBP officers. Firm, yet friendly and respectful with their questioning. Last visit to the US, was asked three questions: where are you travelling to? purpose of trip? anything to declare? Done and through in under two minutes with the officer ending the conversation with "safe travels". Of course, on the return, the CBSA tax collectors were asking their barrage of questions to see if they could find something to charge duty. They couldn't.

Like most employers everyone doing video conferencing when and where possible. The cost savings in significant.

Virtually everyone in the office was to avoid US travel. For a variety of reasons.

I find the CBSA much simpler since the transition to kiosk based forms a few years ago.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by casper

Like most employers everyone doing video conferencing when and where possible. The cost savings in significant.

Virtually everyone in the office was to avoid US travel. For a variety of reasons.

I find the CBSA much simpler since the transition to kiosk based forms a few years ago.

There are no kiosks at land borders, so travellers have the delight of the CBSA tax collectors attempting to find something to charge duty.

[casper]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

There are no kiosks at land borders, so travellers have the delight of the CBSA tax collectors attempting to find something to charge duty.

Last time I crossed by car was 10+ years ago. For me its usually air. A few times marine and railway.

The airport is always quick. Even the train station in Vancouver or the Port of Victoria they have a large number of people show up all at once and they want to process it quickly.

I could see the land crossing affording more time for them to spent collecting taxes.

[jonny24]

We crossed in Buffalo in August, had a very easy time going both ways. Very short line on the way down but it was a Wednesday night.

We had some of our American colleagues come to Hamilton for an internal conference. One guy got questioned a LOT at the airport but was let in, and the other had been turned away when crossing by car a few weeks previously but made it through this time.

[MolsonExport]

Crossed the border (Sarnia/Port Huron) en route to Chicago a month or so ago. No problems either way. No waits either.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

Anecdotally, I've crossed twice in the last couple months recreationally and my wife has also crossed once for business, and we have as usual found the US agents friendlier and easier to deal with than the Canadians when returning.

Which border crossing do you use?
Using the Peace Bridge heading into Buffalo for 20+ years as the driver (as opposed to being a passenger with my folks), it's almost always been the reverse. Much easier coming back to Canada and nicer Customs officers.

The US CBP officers at the Rainbow Bridge heading into NF NY can be even more surly.

Edit: Since President Dump started the 51st State nonsense and ridiculous trade war not honouring USMCA, CUSMA whatever it was called, I've only done airport pickups.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Which border crossing do you use?
Using the Peace Bridge for 20+ years as the driver (as opposed to being a passenger with my folks), it's almost always been the reverse. Much easier coming back to Canada and nicer Customs officers.

This is generally (but not always) my experience.

Biggest difference is at the airports (or pre-clearance facilties), where (re) entering Canada is always more pleasant.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

This is generally (but not always) my experience.

Biggest difference is at the airports (or pre-clearance facilties), where (re) entering Canada is always more pleasant.

US Customs/CBP at Calgary/YYC airport when flying out to visit my folks in America when they lived in SC truly felt like you were getting interrogated every time

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Which border crossing do you use?
Using the Peace Bridge heading into Buffalo for 20+ years as the driver (as opposed to being a passenger with my folks), it's almost always been the reverse. Much easier coming back to Canada and nicer Customs officers.

The US CBP officers at the Rainbow Bridge heading into NF NY can be even more surly.

Edit: Since President Dump started the 51st State nonsense and ridiculous trade war not honouring USMCA, CUSMA whatever it was called, I've only done airport pickups.

Rainbow Bridge both ways 2 weekends ago. Saturday afternoon, the line into the US was halfway across the bridge. US agent was nice as can be. Actually joked with us about the concert we were seeing (Shaun Cassidy) as I said "you probably weren't even born yet when he was big". Next morning coming back, one lane open into Canada, no line, about 730am (US bound side was again lined up across the bridge even that early but I assume it was mainly early football fans going to the Bills). Maybe the Canadian agent was at the end of an all-nighter, or had been up late and not enjoying the early shift on a Sunday. Surly, lots of questions, not at all pleasant.

In August at US pre-clearance at Pearson, same thing, US agent was nice as can be. I will say the CBSA officer out at Alaska/BC on Klondike Highway was really nice and welcomed us home. The US agent on the way back into Skagway was super casual, didn't ask us for any ID, just wanted to know the license number of the rental car (which didn't have a front plate).

[whatnext]

Hold onto your hats!

Court decision on Hudson’s Bay lease deal with B.C. retailer Liu coming this week
Susan Krashinsky Robertson Retailing reporter
Published 3 hours ago
Updated 1 hour ago
For Subscribers

A court decision in a controversial deal to sell more than 25 former Hudson’s Bay store leases to B.C. real estate executive Weihong (Ruby) Liu is coming sometime this week, Ontario Superior Court Justice Peter Osborne said during a hearing on Monday.

The decision will settle a months-long battle between Ms. Liu and some of Canada’s most prominent commercial landlords over the future of those stores.

Ms. Liu has said she plans to launch a chain of department stores named after herself in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. But lawyers for the landlords have criticized Ms. Liu’s lack of experience running a retailer, raised questions about whether she has the money to renovate and operate the stores, and said that her plan was “doomed to fail.”...

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...llionaire-liu/

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Biggest difference is at the airports (or pre-clearance facilties), where (re) entering Canada is always more pleasant.

Yes, TSA is a nightmare. Flying home from Paris last year through Seattle, I swore never again. Even the frustrating French idiosyncrasies pale in comparison to them.

[SpongeG]

When you fly through the states are you automatically put through that big scanning machine where you have to raise your arms etc? Everytime I've gone through security they do it despite being under the impression that wasn't meant to be used for everyone.

[Innsertnamehere]

It’s like 1/3 passengers or so who are supposed to get run through it. Not everyone but a lot of them.

I (finally) got my NEXUS card in the mail this week after applying last September for it’s so I’m interested to see how that changes the border crossing experience. Looking forward to the express security line at the airport too.

[whatnext]

Goodbye Ruby Liu's Bay
(sung to the tune of the Stones Goodbye Ruby Tuesday

She would never say where the money came from
CCP don't matter if it's gone
While the smile is bright, it's the darkest night
No one knows, she comes and goes

Goodbye, Ruby Liu's Bay
Who could hang a sale tag on you?
When your plan changed with every new day
Still I'm going to miss you

Don't question why the money seems to be free
She'll tell you it's the only way to be
She just can't be chained to a life where nothing's gained
And nothing's lost, at such a cost

Goodbye, Ruby Liu's Bay
They won't hang that name on you
Every landlord says your cray-cray
Still I'm going to miss you

"There's no time to lose," I heard her say
"Catch your dreams before they slip away
Smiling all the time, with a handprinted sign
Will lose your mind, ain't life unkind?"

B.C. billionaire Ruby Liu loses court fight to take over Hudson's Bay properties

[YYCguys]

So what happens now? Liu is out, but what about the other bidders and the leases they were interested in?

[whatnext]

I posted this in the Vancouver forum but for those who don't go there:

'Startling' red flag: Why the court rejected Ruby Liu's bid to buy Hudson's Bay leases to open a new department store chain
Kenneth Chan
Oct 28 2025, 9:38 am

...most of the money that Liu’s company claimed would back its $375 million investment is not actually in Canada — it is sitting in accounts or assets located in Barbados, Hong Kong, and Singapore. And importantly, that money is not locked in or legally committed to funding the deal. The company could use it for something else at any time. Furthermore, her personal assets are also offshore.

Her ownership of Tsawwassen Mills mall — acquired from Ivanhoe Cambridge in 2022 — is also described as “indirect at best.” Her connection to this Metro Vancouver mall is complicated; she owns a company in Hong Kong, which owns part of another company in B.C., which in turn owns only 30 per cent of the company that actually holds the lease for the mall. The other 70 per cent of that company is owned by her sister....

... Furthermore, the court found that all three of Liu’s malls in B.C. are losing money and can only stay afloat because they receive large loans from her other related companies — loans on which no interest is charged. In other words, the malls aren’t generating enough income to cover their expenses on their own....

... Justice Osborne also identified some highly questionable hires to plan, launch, and lead the major enterprise.

According to the ruling, the CEO was appointed in May 2025, with her most recent experience being a residential real estate broker with no experience in retail or department store management. As recently as late May 2025, her email signature describes her as the “Assistant to Ms. Liu.”

The Chief Human Resources Officer was also an executive assistant with Central Walk. Prior to joining the company, she was a childcare worker....
(bold mine)

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ruby...sion-rejection

[whatnext]

The Globe & Mail has an indepth article on the Ruby's Clown Car show:

How Ruby Liu’s contentious play for Hudson’s Bay stores fell apart
The B.C. billionaire’s team has portrayed her as a rags-to-riches business savant who would ‘save Canadian retail.’ But her opponents tell a story of an ill-conceived plan that was bound to fail
Susan Krashinsky Robertson Retailing reporter
James Griffiths Asia correspondent
The Globe and Mail
Published 11 hours ago

......mall owners <were>concerned about the future of their multimillion-dollar properties. But Ms. Liu’s team told them to take comfort: She had hired a senior executive with years of retail experience – former Hudson’s Bay president Wayne Drummond.

But that was not the case.

In reality, Mr. Drummond, according to court filings, had been retained for just a few hours, paid $3,000 solely to meet with the landlords and had no in-depth knowledge of Ms. Liu’s business plan.

The disparity between what her team said publicly about Mr. Drummond’s role in the venture, and the reality behind the scenes, set off alarm bells within the court-supervised process to liquidate the business....

... A Globe and Mail examination of the proposed deal found examples of unusual conduct beyond the details that have been made public in the past several months...

...Representatives for Hudson’s Bay had attempted to prepare Ms. Liu’s team for the meetings to obtain the landlords’ consent to the deal. In response, Ms. Liu’s team told Hudson’s Bay’s lawyers to “relax and lay back,” Stikeman Elliott lawyer Ashley Taylor wrote in correspondence that was revealed in court filings.

By early July, Hudson’s Bay appeared to be regretting the deal. In a letter sent to Ms. Liu’s then counsel on July 5, Mr. Taylor wrote that her company, Ruby Liu Commercial Investment Corp., was in breach of their agreement and had “failed and/or refused to take the most basic and necessary steps to advance its bid,” including creating a “credible business plan.”...

...But there were some inconsistencies in her proposals. The promise to hire 1,800 employees, Justice Osborne noted, would have meant each store had fewer staff than had been employed by Hudson’s Bay – an operation hobbled by understaffing. Even so, the Ruby Liu financial forecasts predicted the stores would outpace the Bay’s sales.

Ms. Liu also pledged to give priority to hiring former Hudson’s Bay staff. But on Chinese-language social media, her message was different.

“I really want to, after acquiring Hudson’s Bay, make all 25 stores staffed entirely by Chinese people – Chinese managers, Chinese salespeople, trained by Chinese people,” she said in a RedNote video posted in early September....(bold mine)

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/busi...es-fell-apart/

[casper]

Originally Posted by YYCguys

So what happens now? Liu is out, but what about the other bidders and the leases they were interested in?

Some of the news articles floating around is that a number of leases have been terminated. That means the property owners can redevelop the space or negotiate with whoever they want to.

These were very old multi-decade leases that the property owners would likely have been more than happy to get out of.

The only people that lose are the creditors for Hudson Bay Company who would have made a good penny from the sale of the lease agreements.

[whatnext]

For those interested, the Heffel Gallery in Vancouver is auctioning off HBC's art collection now:

https://www.heffel.com/HO2/Index_E?R...RVrrkxF6tINHfm