Air Transat launches new rewards program Staria. Post date: Nov 2 2026 MONTREAL - Air Transat is giving leisure travellers more ways to earn rewards and plan their next getaway with the launch of Staria, a new loyalty program that combines points, interactive activities and shared balances. Now open for enrolment, Staria is designed for both occasional and frequent travellers, offering opportunities to earn rewards when booking trips and between vacations. Members can collect points toward eligible Air Transat flights and Transat vacation packages, earn stars through interactive activities and combine points with family and friends to reach their travel goals faster. "With Staria, we want to give our customers even more reasons to choose Air Transat and to keep travelling with us. Designed specifically for leisure travel, the program will help us better understand their preferences, further personalize their experience and, with our partners, offer more ways to earn and redeem points," said Annick Guérard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Transat. The program offers three main ways to earn and redeem rewards: * Staria points: Members earn Staria points on eligible purchases, which can be used toward part or all of an eligible Air Transat flight or Transat vacation package, excluding taxes and airport fees. * Staria stars: Staria stars can be collected through interactive activities between trips and exchanged for rewards, including onboard benefits such as seat selection, a Bistro menu meal or bonus points on a future purchase. * Constellation: Members can also create a "constellation" with up to nine people, combining their points into a shared balance to reach rewards more quickly. Staria will gradually add partners to expand opportunities for members to earn points. Desjardins and Visa, the program's strategic partners, will introduce credit cards allowing members to earn Staria points on everyday purchases and access additional benefits. Further details are expected when the cards launch later in 2027.

Desjardins Insurance launches an offer to better support neurodivergent individuals. Nov 02, 2026, 07:00 ET MONTREAL, Nov. 2, 2026 /CNW/ - Recognizing that neurodiversity encompasses a wide range of experiences and needs, Desjardins Insurance is updating its group benefits offering and launching Neurodiversity Focus. The goal is to better support neurodivergent individuals and their loved ones, as well as employers who want to foster more inclusive workplaces. With Neurodiversity Focus, Desjardins Insurance is expanding its offer by combining coverages, resources and specialized partnerships to support the many people across Canada who are neurodivergent and to improve their day-to-day experience. A solution that's adapted to individual needs Neurodiversity Focus will expand support by offering coverage for many services, including those provided by educational therapists and behaviour analysts. In addition, the wellness account (WA) can cover certain tools and equipment to help neurodivergent individuals concentrate, manage time and transitions, reduce environmental stimuli and support sensory regulation. As a reminder, Desjardins Insurance's group benefits offering already covers a number of professional services provided by speech therapists, mental health professionals, neuropsychologists, occupational therapists and more. Coverage for these services will continue to be offered. "There are as many ways of being neurodivergent as there are people. Each person has their own needs, circumstances and experiences. As a holistic health partner for our members and clients, we're continuing to update our offering to better reflect this diversity. We also want to provide access to resources that can make a meaningful difference to the well-being of individuals and their families. With Neurodiversity Focus, we're also offering better support for employers that want to create more inclusive workplaces," said Chantal Gagné, President and COO, Desjardins Financial Security. Neurodiversity includes, among others, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia and dyscalculia. Neurodivergent individuals have a wide range of experiences and needs, and they may benefit from different types of support, care and resources to make parts of their daily life easier. With Neurodiversity Focus, Desjardins Insurance aims to make it easier for neurodivergent people and their families, as well as employers, to access relevant resources and experts. Additional resources for individuals and employers Neurodiversity Focus also draws on partnerships to provide additional resources for employers, insured persons and their family members. To promote inclusion in the workplace, Desjardins Insurance has partnered with Autism Canada to offer employers tailored tools and resources. Insured persons will also get access to Maple's Beyond ADHD program, which provides easy access to ADHD assessment and diagnosis and follow-up care. To make daily life easier for families, the fdmt online store sells special products to support individuals with various learning, development or adaptation needs. NeurAlly Care also offers tools and support to parents of neurodivergent children through the KeenSpire app. These new additions complement the resources already offered by Biron for pharmacogenomics and by HALEO for sleep disorders. They also complement our Health is Cool 360° comprehensive health platform, which will include a new section on neurodiversity. About Desjardins Group Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in Canada and the eighth largest in the world, with assets of $543.5 billion as at June 30, 2026. Desjardins has been named one of the top employers in Canada by both Forbes magazine and Mediacorp. It offers a full range of financial and insurance products and services through its extensive distribution network, its online platforms, and its subsidiaries across Canada. In addition to being ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and one of the highest credit ratings in the industry. SOURCE Desjardins Group

Guy Cormier reportedly running for Liberals in Montreal riding. Sat, October 31, 2026 at 1:43 p.m. PDT Former Desjardins CEO Guy Cormier is reportedly the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) candidate in the Montreal riding of Laurier-Sainte-Marie in the upcoming federal byelection, according to Radio-Canada, which confirmed the news first reported by La Presse Saturday morning. However, the LPC would not confirm the selection to La Presse Canadienne, in an email to the agency Saturday. If running, Cormier would be seeking to succeed former minister Steven Guilbeault, who resigned as a member of parliament in August. Cormier would also have to face Zumretay Arkin, a human rights activist who will be representing the Bloc Québécois in the riding. Nimâ Machouf will represent the New Democrats in the riding. In a Radio-Canada interview in January, Cormier dismissed the idea of entering politics. "My reflections so far lead me to not get involved in politics, regardless of the party or level," he said. The byelection will be triggered Sunday in six federal constituencies and that the vote will take place on December 7. In addition to the Laurier-Sainte-Marie riding in Quebec, voting will happen in the province's ridings of Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie and Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton.