In the current economic state, many Canadians are struggling to pay rent or fill their fridge with groceries.
But grocery giant Sobeys is using “affordability” as a smokescreen for Sobeys’ cage cruelty to hens. This is disingenuous, considering the company’s massive profits and ability to do better. Sobeys made a public commitment to go 100 percent cage-free by 2025. Now, nearly a decade later, the company has failed to meet the deadline and has actively backtracked.
Over 80 percent of eggs on Sobeys’ shelves still come from hens in cramped wire cages. In these cages each hen has only about the space of a single sheet of paper. An Animal Justice undercover investigation recently documented tens of thousands of hens in disturbing conditions. At Burnbrae Farms, a Sobeys egg supplier in Lyn, Ontario, birds lived in ammonia-filled cages alongside rotting carcasses.
Join our national protest against Sobeys’ cage cruelty on June 20! 🐔➡️
The Truth Behind Sobeys’ Cage Cruelty & Profits
Pitting affordability against animal welfare is a failure to give Canadians facing financial hardship a choice. Sobeys suggests that ending cruelty would make food more expensive for struggling families. However, this narrative is just a shield to protect its already deep pockets.
Sobeys’ appeal to affordability rings hollow when you look at its massive financial success. Its parent company, Empire Company Limited, recently reported annual profits of $700 million. Additionally, CEO Pierre St-Laurent received $3.4 million in total annual compensation. These figures show that the company can afford to remove cage cruelty in its egg supply. They simply choose not to.
Taking Action Against Corporate Greed
Everyone loses in this scenario. Everyday consumers are deceived by misleading labels on egg aisles. Many pay higher prices for eggs they falsely believe are cage-free. Low-income individuals are priced out of stores entirely. Most of all, hens endure a lifetime of suffering to stock shelves. Corporations like Sobeys and Empire have the privilege of choice. They can hide behind food insecurity, or they can acknowledge that ethical sourcing is a basic requirement of doing business in 2026.
Join Our Nationwide Protest: Stop Cage Cruelty
We are gathering to demand that CEO Pierre St-Laurent honour his company’s commitment. If Sobeys can afford millions in executive bonuses, they can afford to get hens out of cages. This demonstration is part of our largest nationwide protest yet, with 13 cities participating across Canada.
- Event: Stop Cage Cruelty: CEO Profit vs Animal Welfare
- Date: Saturday, June 20, 2026
- Highlights: We will unveil our “Giant Receipt of Cruelty” to show Sobeys’ true priorities.
- What to bring: Your voice! We will provide signs for everyone.
Click below to find a Facebook event in your city:
We will also share the EggSCANada app with shoppers. This tool helps people learn the truth behind industry labels and contact executives directly. Let’s let Empire know that Canadians see through the smokescreen.
Participating Cities:
Edmonton
- Location: 10930 82 Ave NW
- Time: 1 PM–3 PM
- Facebook event
Montreal
- Location: 150 Sainte-Catherine St. West
- Time: 12 PM–2 PM
- Facebook event
Regina
- Location: 2231 East Quance St
- Time: 2 PM–4 PM
- Facebook event
Toronto
- Location: 22 Fort York Blvd
- Time: 2 PM–4 PM
- Facebook event
Calgary
- Location: Sobeys Forest Lawn 5101 – 17 Avenue SE
- Time: 12PM–1PM
- Facebook event
London
- Location: 661 Wonderland Rd N (corner of Oxford & Wonderland)
- Time: 11 AM–12 PM
- Facebook event
St. John’s
- Location: 10 Elizabeth Ave, St. John’s
- Time: 2 PM–4 PM
- Facebook event
Winnipeg
- Location: 1939 Rte 165 (St. Anne’s Sobeys}
- Time: 12 PM–2 PM
- Facebook event
Vancouver
- Location: 1780 E Broadway (Safeway at Broadway and Commercial)
- Time: 12 PM–1 PM
- Facebook event
Charlottetown
- Location: Bus stop near corner of Allen Street and University Avenue Sobeys
- Time: 12 PM–1 PM
- Facebook event
Moncton
- Location: 1380 Mountain Rd
- Time: 1 PM–2 PM
- Facebook event
Ottawa
- Location: Farm Boy, 193 Metcalfe St
- Time: 1 PM–2 PM
- Facebook event
Halifax
- Location: Sobeys, 2651 Windsor Street
- Time: 1 PM–3 PM
- Facebook event
