The Week in Canadian Press Releases: 10 Stories You Need to See

A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week

TORONTO, Aug. 4, 2023 /CNW/ - With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

Cision Canada - The Weekly Round-Up (PRNewsfoto/Cision Canada)

1. The hunt is over: McDonald's Canada brings Squishmallows (TM/MC) to restaurants this Summer
    The latest addition to the McFlurry lineup showcases McDonald's commitment to menu innovation. For a limited time only, guests can try the Squishmallows McFlurry at participating restaurants in both regular and snack sizes. For Squishmallows fans, an exclusive lineup of 10 music-themed Squishmallows toys, each with their own name and unique look, will be offered in specially-themed Squishmallows Happy Meal boxes while supplies last.
2. National Bank reaffirms leadership in the Technology Banking space through acquisition of Silicon Valley Bank's Canadian portfolio 
   Under the terms of the agreement, the Bank will acquire a portfolio in the Technology, Life Science and Global Fund Banking sectors, further diversifying its commercial loan portfolio across Canada. The portfolio is comprised of approximately CAD 1 billion in loan commitments of which around CAD 325 million are outstanding. The assets will be integrated into National Bank's Technology and Innovation Banking Group, under the leadership of Tuyen Vo, Head of this group since 2019.
3. Ontario Trial Lawyers call for an immediate investigation into the conduct of Aviva Insurance by Ontario's insurance regulator 
   OTLA has learned that Aviva hired government insurance adjudicator, Thérèse Reilly, when she was employed with the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), the quasi-judicial body that handles insurance claims disputes. At issue is the troubling revelation that Reilly was offered and accepted a position with Aviva Insurance in June 2022 but stayed with the LAT until November of that year, rendering more than ten decisions, all in favor of insurance companies, including Aviva Insurance.
4. RECONAFRICA ANNOUNCES NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND GENERAL COUNSEL
   Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (the "Company" or "ReconAfrica") (TSXV: RECO) (OTCQX: RECAF) (Frankfurt: 0XD) announces that, effective August 1, 2023, Brian Reinsborough will be appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and effective August 7, 2023, Adam Rubin will be appointed General Counsel of the Company. Brian has significant experience in attracting financing and talent for exploration-based businesses having raised over $2.0 billion of private equity financing in his previous company. Adam has represented both public and private companies in a broad range of capacities, including formation, venture capital, financings, initial public offerings, corporate contests, international transactions, and Canadian and U.S. reporting requirements.
5. Metro Ontario disappointed by Unifor strike at 27 Metro stores in the GTA 
   The Company has been negotiating with the union for the past few weeks and reached a fair and equitable agreement that meets the needs of our employees and our customers while ensuring that Metro remains competitive. The settlement provided significant increases for employees in all 4 years of the agreement, as well as pension and benefits improvements for all employees, including part-time employees.
6. Canada announces the first-ever Express Entry invitations for newcomers with experience in the trades 
   On May 31, the Honourable Sean Fraser, the previous Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced changes to Express Entry through category-based selection. These changes help address labour shortages that support an identified economic goal by inviting candidates with specific work experience or French language ability to apply for permanent residence. Category-based selection signals Canada's commitment to attract top global talent and help meet the need for tradespeople to support the economy. These category-based selection rounds will continue throughout the year, alongside general invitation rounds, and more details will be announced in the coming weeks.
7. TOURMALINE DELIVERS STRONG FREE CASH FLOW AND DECLARES A SPECIAL DIVIDEND 
   The continued strong free cash flow generation in Q2 allows the Company to declare and pay a special dividend of $1.00/share on August 22, 2023 to shareholders of record on August 14, 2023. This special cash dividend is designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes. Second quarter 2023 production averaged 495,918 boepd and, as previously disclosed, was impacted by wildfires in both the Alberta Deep Basin and in the NEBC Montney gas complex. The total Q2 fire related production impact was 17,000 boepd or approximately 3%. Second quarter production was also reduced by 6,213 boepd due to seasonal storage injections at Dawn and in California.
8. ROYAL CANADIAN MINT ISSUES A NEW $1 CIRCULATION COIN HONOURING ENGINEER, WOMEN'S RIGHTS CHAMPION AND "QUEEN OF THE HURRICANES" ELSIE MACGILL 
   The artwork appearing on the reverse of the 2023 $1 circulation coin celebrating Elsie MacGill is the creation of Tofino, British Columbia artist Claire Watson. It features Elsie MacGill holding a pair of rolled-up blueprints. Flying above her is the Maple Leaf Trainer II that she designed and beside her appears one of the over 1,450 Canadian-made Hawker Hurricane fighter planes that she helped produce for the Allied war effort in the Second World War, as Chief Engineer of Canadian Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario (now Thunder Bay). She was known as the "Queen of the Hurricanes" for that unique wartime contribution. Her name, "Elsie MacGill", is engraved beneath the fighter plane. The obverse of this coin features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
9. RECONAFRICA ANNOUNCES NON-BROKERED PRIVATE PLACEMENT WITH OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS AND STOCK OPTION GRANT
   Closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or before August 31, 2023, and is subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the closing of the Offering in accordance with applicable Canadian securities legislation. Incentive stock options granted to directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company are subject to restrictions on resale until December 3, 2023, in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.
10. Boston Pizza® and Nintendo Bring Family Fun to Canadians with New Partnership "We had the opportunity to partner with one of the premier entertainment brands in the world and as the leader of family dining occasions in Canada, we jumped at the chance to work together," said James Kawalecki, Vice President Marketing, Boston Pizza International. "Mario and pizza are a great combination, and we look forward to enhancing our BP kids experience through this collaboration." Through this partnership, Mario and friends will be taking over Boston Pizza's kids menu, which will include a variety of exciting activities featuring the beloved and iconic characters and games available on the Nintendo Switch system.

Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews.

About Cision Canada

Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud® and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter.

SOURCE Cision Canada

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