Canadians Can Now Claim Share of $500M Bread Price-Fixing Settlement
For more than two decades, bread was at the center of a controversy in Canada. It was revealed that several major grocery companies, including Loblaw and its parent company George Weston Ltd., had been accused of taking part in an industry-wide scheme to artificially inflate the price of bread. The practice was said to have been going on as far back as 2001, with consumers unknowingly paying about $1.50 more per loaf than they should have.
After years of investigation and legal battles, a settlement worth half a billion dollars has finally been approved, and Canadians are now being given the chance to claim their portion. In May 2025, Ontario Superior Court Judge Ed Morgan called the settlement “an excellent and fair result” and gave it the green light. The Superior Court of Quebec followed suit a couple of months later. Together, these approvals opened the door for consumers across the country to seek compensation.
Here’s how it works: If you purchased packaged bread for personal use between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2021, you are eligible to make a claim. That includes not only loaves of bread but also buns, bagels, English muffins, pita, tortillas, naan, and even wraps. Proof of purchase is not required, which means just about anyone who bought bread during that 20-year window can apply.
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The process itself has been made fairly simple. For most Canadians, the claim form is available at CanadianBreadSettlement.ca , while Quebec residents have a separate portal at QuebecBreadSettlement.ca . The deadline to apply is December 12, 2025. Once legal fees and administrative costs are covered, most of the money will go directly back to consumers — with Ontario residents receiving about 78 percent of the funds and Quebec residents the rest.
So, what kind of payout can be expected? For many, the maximum will be $25. That may not seem like much, but it’s meant to recognize the years of inflated prices that Canadians unknowingly paid. Interestingly, back in 2018, Loblaw offered $25 gift cards to customers as a way of making amends, so anyone who already claimed those gift cards is still allowed to apply again — though they’ll only receive additional money if enough settlement funds remain and if the extra exceeds $5.
This settlement doesn’t end the larger story. Other grocery chains, including Metro, Sobeys, Walmart Canada, Giant Tiger, and Canada Bread, were also named in the class-action lawsuits. Those companies have denied their involvement, but the legal process is ongoing, which means additional settlements could come in the future.
For now, though, Canadians are being encouraged to take part in this claims process. As one of the lead lawyers put it, the settlement is designed to provide long overdue relief to consumers. And considering how much bread is a staple in Canadian households, almost everyone in the country is likely to qualify. So, if you’ve bought bread in Canada any time since 2001, this may be your chance to get a small but meaningful share of that $500 million fund.
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