Background
An investigation that began in 2004 into price-fixing in one Quebec market eventually exposed other cases in Quebec and in Ontario.
Quebec cases
The Bureau investigated price-fixing of retail gasoline in four towns in Quebec: Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, and Sherbrooke.
- 39 individuals and 16 companies were charged with criminal price-fixing.
- 33 individuals and seven companies pleaded guilty or were found guilty and were fined a total of $4,124,083. Of these, 6 were sentenced to terms of imprisonment totalling 54 months and 300 hours of community service. In addition, a number of those involved were ordered to make donations to charitable or non-profit organizations totalling $60,000.
Date | Details | Hidden Search Terms |
---|---|---|
2008-06-12 June 12, 2008 | Criminal charges were laid against 13 individuals and 11 companies accused of fixing the price of gasoline at the pump in four local markets in Quebec: Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, and Sherbrooke. Three companies and an individual pleaded guilty:
| price, fixing, Ultramar, Jacques, Ouelle, Petro-T, Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, Sherbrooke |
2008-09 September 2008 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Victoriaville.
| price, fixing, Olco, Daniel, Leblond |
2008-10-31 October 31, 2008 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Magog and Sherbrooke.
| price, fixing, Pierre, Bourassa, Olco |
2009-03-17 March 17, 2009 | Two individuals and a company pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Victoriaville and Thetford Mines:
| price, fixing, Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Carol Lehoux, André Bilodeau, Philippe Gosselin |
2009-03-30 March 30, 2009 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Sherbrooke and Magog:
| price, fixing, Olco, Esso, Christian Payette |
2009-05-21 May 21, 2009 | Two individuals and a company pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Victoriaville:
| price, fixing, Olco, Sonerco, Axco, Jean-Yves Plourde, Les Pétroles Cadrin Inc., Daniel Drouin |
2009-10-23 October 23, 2009 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Sherbrooke:
| price, fixing, Esso, Gisèle Durand |
2009-12-07 December 7, 2009 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Sherbrooke:
| price, fixing, Esso, Michel Dubreuil |
2010-03-25 March 25, 2010 | Additional charges were laid against a company accused of fixing the price of gas at the pump in Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, and Sherbrooke. | |
2010-07-15 July 15, 2010 | Additional charges are laid against 25 individuals and 3 companies accused of fixing the price of gas at the pump in Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, and Sherbrooke. | price, fixing, Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, Sherbrooke |
2011-05-30 May 30, 2011 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Magog:
| price, fixing, Petro-Canada, Micheline Lapointe-Cabana |
2011-06-10 June 10, 2011 | Two individuals pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Thetford Mines:
| price, fixing, Les Pétroles Irving Inc., Thetford Mines, Claude Bédard, Stéphane Grant |
2012-01 January 2012 | Additional charges were laid against an individual and a company accused of fixing the price of gas at the pump in Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, and Sherbrooke. | price, fixing, Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Magog, Sherbrooke |
2012-01-09 January 9, 2012 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Sherbrooke:
| price, fixing, Shell, Donald Darby |
2012-01-27 January 27, 2012 | Seven individuals pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Thetford Mines:
| price, fixing, Thetford Mines |
2012-03-08 March 8, 2012 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Thetford Mines:
| price, fixing, Thetford Mines, Robert Murphy |
2012-04-13 April 13, 2012 | A company and five individuals pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Victoriaville:
| price, fixing, Victoriaville, Sonic, Petro-T, Gestion Datom Inc., Esso, Shell |
2012-09-28 September 28, 2012 | Criminal charges were laid against a company and an individual for fixing the price of retail gasoline in Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, and Sherbrooke. | price, fixing, Victoriaville, Thetford Mines, Sherbrooke |
2012-12-28 December 28, 2012 | An individual pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Sherbrooke:
| price, fixing, Sherbrooke, Martin Proulx |
2013-03-28 March 28, 2013 | On January 8, 2013, two individuals pleaded guilty to criminal charges for conspiring to fix the price of gasoline at the pump in Sherbrooke. On March 28, 2013, they were fined as follows:
| price, fixing, gasoline, Sherbrooek, Sylvie Fréchette, Valérie Houde |
2013-08-16 August 16, 2013 | On March 22, 2013, three individuals were found guilty for their role in a gasoline price-fixing conspiracy in Sherbrooke and Magog. On August 16, 2013, they were fined as follows:
| price, fixing, gasoline, Sherbrooke, Magog, Yves Gosselin, Michel Lagrandeur |
2015-04-17 April 17, 2015 | In August 2013, a company was found guilty for fixing the price of retail gasoline in Victoriaville, Sherbrooke, and Magog. On April 17, 2015, the company was fined as follows:
| price, fixing, gasoline, Victoriaville, Sherbrooke, Magog, Les Pétroles Global Inc. |
2017-11-06 November 6, 2017 | Criminal charges were laid against a company accused of retail price maintenance in the gasoline industry in Thetford Mines and Sherbrooke.
Price maintenance may occur when a supplier prevents a retailer from selling a product below a minimum price by means of a threat, promise, or agreement. | price, fixing, gasoline, Thetford Mines, Sherbrooke, Irving Oil Limited |
2019-11-06 November 6, 2019 | An individual was found not guilty by jury, following a trial before the Quebec Superior Court. | trial, not guilty, Quebec Superior Court |
Ontario cases
Through the Bureau’s Immunity Program and the cooperation of a number of companies under the Leniency Program, the Bureau became aware of retail gasoline price-fixing activities that occurred between May and November 2007 in Kingston, Brockville, and Belleville, Ontario.
- Four companies were charged and pleaded guilty to fixing the price of retail gasoline. They were fined a total of $2,535,000.
Date | Details | Hidden Search Terms |
---|---|---|
2012-03-20 March 20, 2012 | Three companies pleaded guilty to fixing the price of retail gasoline:
| price, fixing, gasoline, Ontario, Pioneer Energy LP, Canadian Tire Corporation, Mr. Gas |
2012-04-13 April 13, 2012 | Suncor Energy Products Inc. (Sunoco) pleaded guilty to fixing the price of retail gasoline in Belleville and was fined $500,000. | price, fixing, gasoline, Ontario, Belleville, Suncor Energy |