The Consumers Council of Canada’s Annual Report of Activities 2017-18 highlighted the year gone by as unfortunately one in which a troubling number of prominent Canadian companies were found apparently “breaking bad” by news media and regulators – everything from sharp sales practices to price fixing came to light.

The report was received by the Council’s members at the organization’s annual general meeting held June 28, 2018. The annual general meeting also elected the Council’s new board of directors for 2018-19.

“In some ways, 2017-18 was one of the best of years, with much action across Canada to address consumer problems,” said Council President Don Mercer, who was re-elected to lead the Council for the year ahead. “But new found interest in consumer protections resulted from some of the best brand names in Canadian business ‘breaking bad’, sullied by tawdry marketplace conduct. ‘Buyer beware’ became an urgent call to action.”

The Council’s membership thanked outgoing board members Dolly Gerrior, Andrea Rosen and Sally Southey for their service to the Council, especially noting Gerrior’s seven consecutive years of service and even longer-term commitment as a Council member and consumer representative.

The new board members are Chris Ballard, a former Ontario MPP and minister of housing and minister of environment and climate change; Ken Morden, co-owner of an Ontario horse breeder, accomplished former senior executive and chair of the Port Hope Citizens’ Association; Harvey Naglie, a former senior policy advisor for the Ontario Ministry of Finance’s Financial Services Policy Division; and Trevor Shaw, a professional auditor and accountant who was a director and then principal (senior management) with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

The 2018-19 board of directors renewed Don Mercer as president, Dennis Hogarth as vice president, Simon Wong as secretary and Howard Deane as Treasure of the Council.