TORONTO, Oct. 8, 2026 /CNW/ -- Bimbo Canada is proud to announce that our Laval and Hamilton Bakeries have been recognized by Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Laval Bakery has been awarded the 2026 ENERGY STAR Industrial Energy Saver Award (Challenge Category) while the Hamilton Bakery was awarded the 2026 ENERGY STAR Industrial Energy Saver Award (Certification Category). Each year, only one industrial facility in Canada is selected in each category for the ENERGY STAR Canada Awards, in recognition of outstanding energy efficiency performance and impact.

"This recognition is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our Laval and Hamilton Bakery teams and their relentless focus on continuous improvement," said Sam Yehia, Bimbo Canada's Vice President of Operations. "By finding smarter ways to use energy and driving out waste every day, they are helping us build a more sustainable business while delivering the quality Canadians expect from our brands. I am proud to see their efforts recognized by ENERGY STAR Canada." 

This award in the Challenge Category represents the Laval Bakery's fourth recognition from ENERGY STAR Canada. The bakery achieved ENERGY STAR Certification for the first time in 2025, in recognition of outstanding energy efficiency as measured against the Canadian bakery industry as a whole. In 2026, the bakery maintained Certification and completed the ENERGY STAR Challenge by reducing the bakery's energy intensity by at least 10% in under 5 years.

The Hamilton Bakery's Award in the Certification Category is its seventh recognition from ENERGY STAR Canada. The bakery has achieved ENERGY STAR Certification six times, tied for the most of any facility in Canada across all companies and industries.

This recognition highlights the Laval and Hamilton bakeries' leadership in operational excellence and reinforces Bimbo Canada's ongoing commitment to sustainability and responsible energy management.

Bimbo Canada's Hamilton, St. John's, and Viau (Montreal) bakeries have maintained ENERGY STAR Certification for at least five consecutive years, demonstrating sustained operational excellence and continuous performance improvement. The company's Calgary, Moncton, and Stonemill (Toronto) bakeries have also completed the ENERGY STAR Challenge by reducing their energy intensity by more than 10 percent in less than five years. 

"The Laval and Hamilton team's achievements demonstrate what's possible when sustainability becomes part of everyday operations," said Jeff Robertson, Director of Environment & Sustainability. "Nourishing a Better World is our purpose as a company, and that includes finding practical and innovative ways to lower our environmental footprint while continuing to serve Canadians from coast to coast." 

"Congratulations to this year's ENERGY STAR Award recipient Bimbo Canada. Through innovation, leadership, and a strong commitment to energy efficiency, organizations like Bimbo Canada are helping Canadians reduce energy use, lower energy costs, and support a cleaner economy. Their work delivers practical, energy-efficient solutions that can benefit both consumers and businesses while advancing Canada's environmental and economic objectives. The federal government's electrification strategy, Powering Canada Strong: A National Strategy for an Electrified Canadian Economy, highlights the importance of advancing energy efficiency to cut costs and build a more sustainable future. Thanks to their leadership, Bimbo Canada is setting an example of how to make a modern and energy-efficient Canada a reality." 

– The Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature 

Bimbo Canada has earned more ENERGY STARindustrialcertifications than any other company in Canada across all industries and nowoperatesseven ENERGY STAR Certifiedfacilities nationwide.

As one of Canada's leading baking companies, Bimbo Canada continues to invest in initiatives that improve efficiency, reduce environmental impact and support a more sustainable future for the communities it serves.

Regina, Saskatchewan, October 7, 2026 – Canadian cultivated farmland values rose by an average of 3.8 per cent in the first half of 2026, according to the mid-year farmland values review by Farm Credit Canada (FCC).

This marks a slower pace compared with the first half of 2025, which saw a 6.0 per cent increase. Over the 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026, there was a 7.0 per cent increase, representing a slower pace compared with the previous 12-month period (January to December 2025) with a 9.3 per cent increase.

“The pace of growth has eased from last year, but Canadian farmland values continue to show resilience,” said Craig Johnston, FCC’s chief economist. “Higher production costs, tighter margins and uncertainty around trade, tariffs and international markets are contributing to a more cautious and selective market.”

The sector across the country has not moved uniformly in the past and that continues to be true, making local conditions increasingly important. Values continue to rise overall, but trends are more regional, selective and tied to the economics of individual farm operations.

Prince Edward Island recorded the strongest increase in the first half of 2026 at 11.9 per cent, followed by Quebec at 6.2 per cent, Alberta and Manitoba at 5.3 per cent, and Nova Scotia at 3.6 per cent. Saskatchewan rose 2.6 per cent, Ontario 2.4 per cent and New Brunswick 2.1 per cent, while British Columbia recorded a 1.9 per cent decline.

The review also compares current growth with the latest upward cycle that began in 2020, showing that farmland value growth has not peaked at the same time across Canada. Overall, growth momentum has shifted from the provinces that led the post-pandemic surge toward the Prairies, particularly Alberta, while Ontario and British Columbia have experienced the sharpest normalization.

“Prairie farmland market growth preceded a difficult harvest season that has been marked by adverse weather and surging diesel prices,” Johnston added. “Final crop quality and yields will shape the land market this fall and into next year.”

The mid-year update provides an early outlook on farmland value trends, with FCC’s full-year assessment to follow in the spring report.

September 30, 2026 – METTLER TOLEDO announced today that its new X-ray Reclaim Foreign Material Re-inspection Services facility in Dallas, Texas, is scheduled to open on October 5, 2026. Strategically located to support manufacturers across Texas and the surrounding region, the facility will expand access to rapid-response re-inspection services for food, beverage, ingredient, personal care, and pet food manufacturers responding to suspected foreign material incidents.

The Dallas facility will provide manufacturers with a dedicated location for evaluating affected products through professionally managed re-inspection, contaminant extraction, application validation, and documented reporting. The expanded regional capacity gives customers greater flexibility in selecting the service approach that best fits their product, volume, timeline, facility requirements, and logistical considerations.

By combining in-house and mobile capabilities, X-ray Reclaim from METTLER TOLEDO helps manufacturers respond efficiently to foreign material concerns, reduce operational disruption, and make informed product disposition decisions with greater confidence.

Supporting Manufacturers When Rapid Response Matters

When foreign material concerns arise, manufacturers often face significant operational and financial pressure while determining the appropriate disposition of quarantined product. METTLER TOLEDO X-ray Reclaim services provide access to inspection technology, experienced personnel, and project documentation to support the evaluation of affected product.

The Dallas facility offers a controlled, professionally managed environment for customers that prefer to ship quarantined finished goods to a dedicated re-inspection location. This in-house option can be particularly valuable when customers require additional space, specialized equipment, or an inspection setting separate from their production operations.

For manufacturers that need to keep products at their own facility, the X-ray Reclaim team can also bring the inspection directly to the customer through a mobile re-inspection service.

“Manufacturers need rapid access to reliable inspection resources when responding to potential foreign material incidents,” said JP Perreault, Head of X-ray Reclaim Services at METTLER TOLEDO. “The Dallas facility strengthens our ability to support customers through both dedicated in-house re-inspection and mobile operations deployed directly to customer sites. These options give manufacturers greater flexibility while providing access to advanced inspection capabilities, experienced operational expertise, and responsive service when time is critical.”

In-House and Mobile Re-inspection Options

Beginning October 5, manufacturers will be able to ship quarantined finished goods to the Dallas facility for professionally managed re-inspection and contaminant extraction services. The in-house operation is designed to support a range of project sizes and product types while providing a dedicated environment for inspection, handling, traceability, and reporting.

The Dallas team will coordinate project planning, product intake, inspection, contaminant extraction, and documentation. Application testing is conducted before the project begins to assess the product, packaging, suspected contaminant, and inspection objectives.

For urgent situations, high-volume projects, or manufacturers that prefer to avoid transporting quarantined products, the X-ray Reclaim team can deploy a fully equipped mobile re-inspection operation directly to the customer’s facility. Mobile teams bring the required inspection equipment and operational expertise on-site, allowing manufacturers to evaluate product closer to where it is held.

Mobile re-inspection may help reduce transportation requirements, simplify product handling, support faster access to quarantined inventory, and limit disruption to customer operations. Deployments are typically available within 48 hours following application validation and project authorization, depending on project scope, location, equipment requirements, and scheduling.

With both in-house and mobile options, METTLER TOLEDO can tailor the re-inspection approach to the manufacturer’s operational needs. Customers can work with the X-ray Reclaim team to determine whether shipment to Dallas, an on-site mobile deployment, or a combination of both best fits the project.

Advanced Technology for Challenging Foreign Material Applications

X-ray Reclaim services utilize PXT™ photon-counting x-ray inspection technology to support the detection of challenging foreign materials, including ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless-steel contaminants, glass, stone, bone, mineralized contaminants, and select low-density materials.

PXT™ photon-counting technology is also available within the Eagle by METTLER TOLEDO product line.

Every project begins with application testing to establish detection thresholds based on the specific product, packaging, and suspected contaminant. The results support project planning and help the X-ray Reclaim team select an appropriate inspection approach for the application and project objectives.

Expanding Support Across North America

The Dallas facility reflects an ongoing commitment to expanding X-ray Reclaim service capacity and improving access to re-inspection support for manufacturers across North America. The facility adds a regional in-house option while also expanding the team’s ability to coordinate mobile re-inspection projects at customer locations.

Additional updates regarding planned enhancements to the Ontario, Canada operation are expected later this year.

Advance project inquiries for the Dallas facility are now being accepted. Manufacturers interested in arranging application testing, discussing upcoming projects, evaluating in-house or mobile re-inspection options, or learning more about X-ray Reclaim services are encouraged to contact the team ahead of the October 5 opening.

METTLER TOLEDO at Fall Industry Events

• Ontario Food Protection Association’s Annual Food Safety Conference, Sept. 29-30, Brampton, Ontario, Canada
• Food World Summit: Safety, Quality & Manufacturing, Oct. 5-7, Grapevine, Texas
• Pack Expo, Oct. 18-21, Chicago, booth S-2122

At Pack Expo 2026 in Chicago, Universal Robots (UR) is showcasing its newly launched 7th-generation robotics platform, Gen 7. Designed out-of-the-box as an AI-ready system, Gen 7 represents a full-stack redesign from tool flange to controller, engineered to reduce integration friction and accelerate the deployment of physical AI on factory floors.

Teradyne Robotics’ (UR parent company) PACK EXPO booth N6041 will feature live demonstrations of the new Gen 7 hardware alongside advanced vision, gripping, autonomous logistics, and end-of-line packaging solutions developed in collaboration with UR+ ecosystem partners.

Universal Robots Gen 7 Platform

The exhibition centerpiece highlights the newly launched Gen 7 platform, which powers the g-Series cobot arms (including the UR10g-1750, UR17g-1300, and UR18g-950). The platform combines the new CB7 Core controller, the ergonomic TP7 Core teach pendant, the SP7 Smart Panel tool-flange interface, and the PolyScope X software platform.

The CB7 controller delivers 40% more compute capacity within a 30% smaller footprint, enabling multi-network communication without external network switches. The g-Series tool flange supplies data, power, and safety signals directly at the end of the robot arm. By routing connections directly through the flange, the platform eliminates external cable management bottlenecks, simplifies sensor attachments, and establishes native hardware support for real-time sensing and edge AI processing.

Cognex Integrated Vision Systems

In a joint demonstration, Cognex 2D and 3D industrial vision systems operate directly on the Gen 7 platform to showcase integrated machine vision and robotics.

•       Flange-Direct Hardware Connectivity: Cognex cameras plug directly into the g-Series tool flange connectors. By delivering power and           Ethernet at the end joint, the system eliminates external cabling harnesses, bend-radius restrictions, and strain-relief hardware.

•       Edge AI Inspection: Utilizing camera-based edge-learning tools that execute without an external host PC, the setup demonstrates               optical character recognition (OCR) for serial numbers, component verification to detect misplaced or gray-market parts, and defect              inspection.

•       On-the-Fly Adjustments: Cross-calibration between the vision sensors and the robot enables real-time part tracking and dynamic                 path adjustments during handling operations.

Robotiq Palletizing Solution

This demonstration illustrates how collaborative palletizing helps manufacturers increase throughput while reducing the physical demands of repetitive end-of-line operations. Featuring the Robotiq Palletizing Workcell integrated with Universal Robots technology, the setup showcases a flexible and user-friendly approach to palletizing boxes and packaged goods. It highlights how intuitive programming, rapid deployment, and adaptable workflows enable businesses to automate palletizing tasks with minimal complexity, improving productivity, ergonomics, and operational efficiency.

Rocketfarm Pally Palletizing Software

This demonstration showcases Rocketfarm’s Pally software running on Universal Robots hardware for software-driven end-of-line packaging. The display highlights rapid pallet pattern configuration, quick product changeovers, and how operators can modify stacking parameters to accommodate varying packaging formats and product dimensions.

MiR1200 Autonomous Pallet Jack

Addressing internal material transport, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack, from UR sister company Mobile Industrial Robots demonstrates autonomous pallet transportation across production, packaging, warehousing, and shipping environments. The system automates heavy pallet movement to reduce manual handling and forklift traffic without requiring modifications to existing facility infrastructure.

Magswitch PolyScope X Magnetic Gripping

This hands-on demonstration combines Universal Robots' PolyScope X software with Magswitch smart magnetic gripping technology. Operating a UR cobot equipped with a magnetic end-effector, the display illustrates flexible handling of steel components. The setup demonstrates rapid task configuration, intuitive operator controls, and how magnetic grippers adapt to varying workpiece geometries.