VANCOUVER, BC (July 14, 2026) — This week, Gastown welcomes a new restaurant rooted in one simple philosophy: do one thing exceptionally well.

Opening tomorrow on July 15, Entrecôte Restaurant brings the timeless French tradition of steak-frites to Vancouver. Inspired by the legendary Parisian restaurants known for serving a single signature dish, Entrecôte offers premium entrecôte, handmade golden frites, a fresh walnut salad and its signature “sauce secrète”, creating a dining experience that celebrates quality, tradition and simplicity.

Behind the restaurant is founder Florence Doumet, a Lebanon-born restaurateur who developed Entrecôte alongside her husband, Soheil. Her vision was to create the kind of neighbourhood bistro she loves in France. Welcoming and effortlessly French, Entrecôte is a place where guests can enjoy exceptional food, warm hospitality and beautiful surroundings, whether celebrating a special occasion or stopping in for a casual weeknight dinner.

"Entrecôte is about more than steak-frites," says Doumet. "It's about creating a place where people can gather over great food and conversation. In France, restaurants like this become part of everyday life, and I wanted to bring that same feeling to Vancouver by sharing the warmth, simplicity and hospitality of French dining."

Located at 12 Water Street, Entrecôte pairs its focused menu with elegant Parisian-inspired interiors, designed by Le Studio and brought to life by Moreno, whose craftsmanship transformed the space from the ground up. Together, they created an environment that reflects the timeless charm of a neighbourhood bistro in France.

Opening during Vancouver's busy summer season, Entrecôte offers both locals and visitors an authentic taste of France in one of the city's most historic neighbourhoods. Whether it's a leisurely lunch, a date night or dinner with friends, the restaurant invites guests to experience the timeless appeal of simple food prepared exceptionally well.

"Gastown has so much history and character," says Doumet. "It immediately reminded me of the neighbourhoods I love in Europe. I hope every guest leaves feeling like they've discovered a little piece of Paris right here in Vancouver."

Richmond, B.C. (July 13, 2026) — WorkSafeBC announced today that the preliminary average base rate for 2027 will remain at $1.55 per $100 of assessable payroll. Subject to final approval by WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors in the fall, this will be the 10th consecutive year that the average base rate has remained at this level.

Surplus funds returned to employers

WorkSafeBC’s rate-setting approach includes mechanisms to return surplus funds to employers when the funding level exceeds its target. In 2027, WorkSafeBC is proposing to return almost $1 billion ($960 million) of surplus funds to employers through discounted rates and assessment credits.

• Discounted rates: WorkSafeBC is returning an estimated $677 million of surplus funds to employers by pricing base rates below the costs to run the workers’ compensation system. The preliminary average base rate of $1.55 will be 18 per cent less than the projected average cost rate of $1.88 in 2027, with the difference funded by the surplus.

• Assessment credits: WorkSafeBC is also providing $283 million in assessment credits to employer accounts in 2027 in those industry groups with significant surpluses. This credit will apply to approximately 31,000 employers in 15 industry groups.

Between 2019 and 2027, WorkSafeBC projects that $3.9 billion of surplus funds will have been returned to employers, primarily through the pricing of base rates below costs.

Changes in 2027 will enhance rate stability

While the average base rate will be unchanged in 2027, each year, the costs in some industries go up, some go down and others stay the same. In 2027, more than half (52 per cent) of employers will either see a decrease in their base rate (30 per cent) or no change (22 per cent), while 48 per cent will see an increase.

To keep rates as stable as possible, base rate increases and decreases are normally capped at 20 per cent. However, given the continuing economic uncertainties facing the province, for 2027, WorkSafeBC will restrict base rate increases to a maximum of 15 per cent, while allowing base rate reductions of up to 30 per cent. This temporary approach, which was also used in 2026, is intended to provide greater rate stability for B.C. employers during challenging economic times.

WorkSafeBC’s strong financial position has allowed the average base rate to remain flat, despite upward claim-cost pressures — particularly for psychological-injury and chronic-pain claims — and a reduction in the surplus.

Premiums fund the workers’ compensation system

The Workers Compensation Act requires WorkSafeBC to set premium rates annually for employers to pay for the workers' compensation system. The system is structured so that today’s employers are accountable for the full cost of today’s workplace injuries.

Premium rate increases and decreases are mainly driven by injury rates, return-to-work performance, and the resulting cost of claims, as well as investment returns.

WorkSafeBC operates a non-profit system funded solely by employer premiums and investment returns. Premiums fund the costs associated with work-related injuries and diseases, health care, wage loss, rehabilitation and administration, including prevention and safety initiatives.

WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors will finalize the 2027 premium rates in October of this year.

Rate information sessions

Rate information sessions with stakeholders will take place this summer, with general information sessions scheduled for July 13, 14 and 15. These sessions are an opportunity for WorkSafeBC to provide an update on the financial state of the workers’ compensation system, rate and classification changes, and information on health and safety and return-to-work activities. Further details are posted online at worksafebc.com.

TORONTO — In anticipation of the opening of the first Renso Pho-Potle fast casual restaurant later this summer, the team behind the innovative restaurant concept is hitting the festival circuit to showcase Vietnamese flavours and preview the foods people will find on the menu.

The authentic Vietnamese flavours of the Renso Pho-Potle menu — appearing as Renso Ko Bites (a pop-up brand from Renso Foods) —will be on display at the Taste of Vietnam festival, staged at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto July 16th to 18th, Ontario’s largest celebration of Vietnamese culture, fashion and cuisine. Guests will have the opportunity to sample the bold flavours that define the Renso Pho-Potle experience, including mild, spicy and savoury sauces inspired by different regions of Vietnam.

“Before we open our doors later this summer, we want to give people a first taste of what Renso Pho-Potle is all about — bold Vietnamese flavours, fresh ingredients and a fun, customizable dining experience,” says Linda Vu, founder and Chairwoman of Renso Pho-Potle . “These festival appearances are a chance to introduce our concept to the community and celebrate the culinary traditions that inspired it.”

On the festival circuit, Renso Ko Bites will offer a menu of seasoned protein (pick chicken or beef) skewers, shrimp tacos and Saigon Street Bahn Mi sandwich. These can be washed down with unique beverages like fresh Coconut Water, Ca Phé Sua Da and refreshing regional libations like Golden Mango and Guava Tropics. It is one of the only pop-ups serving halal and non-halal items on the menu.

Opening in September on Queen Street West in Toronto, Renso Pho-Potle reimagines pho for a modern, urban crowd. Combining speed, an individualized approach and bold flavours in a format designed for today’s diner, Renso Pho-Potle is introducing dry pho alongside traditional broth-based bowls, with a bold, flavour-forward take that respects the spirit of pho in a new format.

An innovation from Renso Foods, one of North America’s leading providers of authentic Asian foods and food products, the introduction of the “pho-potle” model to Toronto is a concept years in the making, starting with Renso preparing low-margin food products that are premium in a high-cost industry.

This newest take on fast-casual dining creates a tailored dining experience that is designed to be intuitive and approachable. The “pho-potle” approach puts the customer in complete control of their dish, choosing their broth, protein, rice and flavourful toppings for a truly unique and bespoke dish.

“Renso Pho-Potle is about reimagining how people experience Vietnamese flavours in a way that feels fast, fresh and approachable,” says Head Chef Bich Nguyen. “We’re excited to meet people where they are this summer and share a preview of the dishes, sauces and flavours that will define our restaurant.”

For more information, please visit www.rensophopotle.ca.

VANCOUVER, BC, July 9, 2026 /CNW/ - Proposed national settlements have been reached with JBS USA Company, Swift Beef Company, JBS Packerland Inc., and JBS Canada ULC (collectively, "JBS"), and National Beef Packing Company, LLC ("National Beef"), in the Canadian Beef class actions. These class actions allege price fixing and related conduct in respect of the sale of Beef in Canada. The class actions continue against certain Cargill and Tyson defendants on behalf of all persons in Canada who purchased Beef after January 1, 2015, excluding Beef Products and Beef purchased from the food service industry. "Beef" is defined as the raw portion of cattle carcasses intended for human consumption, and "Beef Products" means products that contain Beef as one ingredient among others except where all non-Beef ingredients have been introduced through the process of mechanical blade/needle tenderizing, brine injection, massaging, aging, chemical/enzyme tenderizing, vacuum tumbling, marination and/or seasoning.

JBS has agreed to pay CAD $7,498,700 for the benefit of class members. National Beef has agreed to pay CAD $495,000 for the benefit of class members. In addition, JBS and National Beef have agreed to provide co-operation to the plaintiffs in pursuing their claims against the non-settling defendants. The settlements are not an admission by JBS or National Beef of liability, fault, or wrongdoing, but are compromises of disputed claims. The settlements must be approved by the courts before they become effective.

Potential class members who do not wish to participate as class members in the Canadian Beef class actions must opt out by August 10, 2026. To opt out, potential class members must send a signed written election to class counsel before the deadline. If class members do not opt out, they will be bound by any judgment or result in the class actions if they are certified against the other defendants. Find out more at the website listed below.

Persons in Canada may be affected by the settlement and may opt out of the class actions if they fall into one or both of the following categories:

-  All persons in Canada, who purchased for resale or personal use, between January 1, 2015, and the date the class action in British Columbia is certified for settlement approval, Beef excluding Beef Products and Beef purchased from the food service industry.

-  All persons who purchased Beef in Quebec between January 1, 2015, and the date the class action in British Columbia is certified for settlement approval.

For more detailed information and to review the short-form and long-form notices, please visit www.beefclassaction.ca.