Your very own survival guide for our monopolized times. Do Not Pass Go is a weekly podcast and newsletter from veteran journalist Peter Nowak, reporting on and exposing corporate concentration and monopoly issues in Canada.
www.donotpassgo.ca (https://www.donotpassgo.ca?utm_medium=podcast)
Should Politicians Be Able to Overrule the Competition Watchdog?
There’s a significant battle brewing over the direction of Canada, and a humble can of peas is at the tip of it.
Earlier this summer, the Competition Bureau announced it was challenging an attempt by Quebec-based food processor Nortera to acquire canned and frozen vegetable brands Green Giant and Le Sieur from New Jersey-based B&G Foods.
The competition watchdog said the deal was a merger to monopoly that would give Nortera 90 per cent of the canned vegetable market and 80 per cent in frozen, which would lead to higher prices for consumers. The company said the deal was necessary to protect its business and Canada’s food safety against cheaper imports.
As reported here, Nortera managed to convince the federal government of that argument, leading to tariffs being placed on imports and a review of the market by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. That body last month ruled that imports were indeed harming domestic processors, and that tariffs were justified.
Though Nortera and B&G abandoned their deal earlier this month, the case highlighted the differing priorities – and the growing conflict – between the Competition Bureau and the federal government.
On the one hand, the Bureau is applying new powers and funding that took years to acquire in protecting markets and consumers from abuses of dominance. On the other hand, the government is fighting a trade war and backing transactions that solidify sovereignty.
Former competition commissioner John Pecman – now an advisor at Fasken’s law firm – is among those who has recognized this growing disconnect in consumer and industrial policies.
In a new piece for the C.D. Howe Institute, he says the conflict isn’t necessary and that Canada will be better served by closer co-ordination between the government and the Competition Bureau.
Pecman joins the Do Not Pass Go podcast to discuss how this could work, including the introduction of a mechanism that would allow cabinet ministers to veto merger challenges by the watchdog when it comes to sectors designated as nationally sensitive.
Read his intelligence memo here (https://cdhowe.org/publication/coordination-not-conflict-competition-and-industrial-policy-in-a-protectionist-era/).
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8 Oct 2026
You Can’t Get a Campsite but the Ticketmaster of Camping is Making Millions
Website crashes, interminable queues, a rash of fees that are climbing higher and higher… it sounds like we’re talking about concert tickets, right?
The comparison is apt, according to Cameron Fenton. In a recent investigation for The Walrus, the B.C.-based travel and outdoors journalist looked into Camis Inc., the “Ticketmaster of camping” that controls the biggest and most popular campsite reservation systems in Canada.
Besides this being a market dominance story, it’s also a sovereignty issue. Despite originating in Canada, Camis is now U.S.-owned and is pulling millions out of federal and provincial parks – money that Fenton says could be reinvested to meet growing demand.
He joins the Do Not Pass Go podcast to explain why it may be time to repatriate Canada’s camping booking systems and break one company’s dominance.
Read Fenton’s article here (https://thewalrus.ca/the-ticketmaster-of-camping/).
Do Not Pass Go is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Do Not Pass Go at www.donotpassgo.ca/subscribe (https://www.donotpassgo.ca/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
1 Oct 2026
Do Not Pass Go Celebrates One Year!
Don’t look now – Do Not Pass Go is officially one year old!
It’s hard to believe we’re already at this point when it feels like just yesterday that we thought it might be a good idea to shine a spotlight on Canada’s competition problems. But here we are. Woohoo!
It’s been an incredibly busy year, and certainly one with no shortage of news or issues to cover. This is our 126th post and our 53rd podcast, and we’re only just getting started. Literally!
In this week’s episode, we go over some of the highlights from the past year and share exciting updates on the future of Do Not Pass Go… you’ll definitely want to watch or listen for all the goodies, but here’s a bit of a spoiler: We’re growing fast and expanding soon, and we’ve got a rebrand in the works.
Plus, we’ve got Arshy Mann – co-founder of The Hatchet newsletter and podcast, whose monopoly series on Canadaland was one of the main inspirations for Do Not Pass Go.
He’s back for another state-of-the-competition-union conversation, where we cover everything from airport privatization to consumer protection to whether the federal Liberals have a governing monopoly in Canada. Check out this pulse-pounding, super special episode – and don’t forget to subscribe!
Do Not Pass Go is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Get full access to Do Not Pass Go at www.donotpassgo.ca/subscribe (https://www.donotpassgo.ca/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)
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