People who bought packaged bread in Canada between 2001 and 2021 have until Dec. 12 to file claims and receive compensation for being overcharged during that time due to an alleged industry-wide

price-fixing scheme

, lawyers dealing with the

class action

said in a statement on Thursday.

Eligible Canadians residing outside Quebec need to go to

www.canadianbreadsettlement.ca

to submit their claims, while residents of Quebec should visit

www.QuebecBreadSettlement.ca.

Consumers who purchased bread alternatives, such as bagged bread, buns, rolls, bagels, naan bread or English muffins for their personal use, are also eligible to submit a completed claim form. Proof of purchase is not required.

“This resolution provides Canadian consumers with monetary relief they deserve,” Jim Orr, a partner at Orr Taylor LLP who is representing the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

The price-fixing scandal dates back to 2017, when the

Competition Bureau

said it was investigating an arrangement in which some companies regularly increased prices of bread products on a coordinated basis.

In July 2024,

Loblaw Cos. Ltd.

and

George Weston Ltd.

agreed to pay a total of $500 million to settle class-action lawsuits in Ontario and Quebec. In exchange for their full cooperation with the Competition Bureau’s investigation, the two companies received immunity from prosecution.

Under the approved settlement, 78 per cent of the money after lawyers’ fees will be allocated to the Ontario class action and 22 per cent to the Quebec class action, according to documents filed in court.

The total that Loblaw will pay includes the $96 million it already offered in 2018 to customers through a $25 Loblaw gift card. Those who received the card may submit a claim for additional compensation, but they will only be paid an incremental amount if there are sufficient settlement funds available and the amount is more than the $5, the statement said.

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“We encourage Canadian consumers who purchased packaged bread to apply for compensation under the settlement,” Jay Strosberg, a managing partner at Strosberg Wingfield Sasso LLP, said. “We have designed a claims process that is straightforward and easy for consumers to use.”

In April, he said the proposed agreement was “the

largest price-fixing settlement

in Canadian history” and one of the largest that doesn’t involve the government of Canada.

• Email: nkarim@postmedia.com