Environment committee  Thank you for your attention.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to participate in the committee's work today. Retail is Canada’s largest private sector employer, with over 2.1 million Canadians working in our industry, and annually it generates over $76 billion in wages and employee benefits. The Retail Council of Canada is a non-profit, industry-funded association that represents more than 45,000 storefronts in all retail formats in every community across Canada, and we represent roughly 95% of the grocery market as well.