A roundup of the most newsworthy press releases from Cision Distribution this week

TORONTO, April 17, 2026 /CNW/ - With thousands of press releases published each week, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on Cision. To help journalists and consumers stay on top of the week's most newsworthy and popular releases, here's a recap of some major stories from the week that shouldn't be missed.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. THE NEW LOTTO MAX IS HERE 
   Because players love big jackpots, the LOTTO MAX jackpot cap is increasing from $80 million to $90 million - a record-setting amount for a Canadian lottery! Players will still have the chance to win MAXMILLIONS prizes when the jackpot reaches or exceeds $50 million. One of the most exciting enhancements is the introduction of the new $100,000 prizes at every draw, based on the jackpot amount. For example, when the jackpot is $10 million, 10 additional prizes of $100,000 will be drawn. At $20 million, there will be 20 additional $100,000 prizes – and so on, up to 90 additional $100,000 prizes when the jackpot hits $90 million.
2. Acerta Energy Ltd. Announces Acquisition of Premier Light Oil Assets in the Alberta Cardium 
   Acerta Energy Ltd. ("Acerta" or the "Company") has acquired operated light oil and gas assets in central Alberta's Cardium fairway from Hawthorne Energy (the "Acquisition"), delivering approximately 8,300 boe/d of production and immediately establishing Acerta as a scaled, growth-oriented operator in one of Canada's most proven conventional oil plays. The assets offer strong netbacks, shallow base decline, and a substantial inventory of capital-efficient drilling and optimization opportunities. The Acquisition positions Acerta to capitalize on improving fundamentals for conventional light oil development in North America.
3. Fleming College and St. Lawrence College begin integration process to build stronger institution for students and communities 
   Today's announcement marks a significant step toward building a larger, more capable institution that can expand access and strengthen long-term sustainability. The integration reflects a shared vision to create greater scale and capability, while better aligning programs and capacity with regional labour market needs. Over time, students will benefit from expanded academic pathways, increased access to specialized programs, enhanced research opportunities, and broader work-integrated learning experiences.
4. Scotiabank Launches Scotia Intelligence, Empowering Employees and Accelerating Enterprise AI Adoption 
   "The launch of Scotia Intelligence demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in technology solutions that offer competitive, tangible benefits for both our clients and our colleagues," said Tim Clark, Group Head & Chief Information Officer. "Combined with our existing technology infrastructure, these AI capabilities unite the strength of our data and cloud environments while embedding governance and security so teams can use AI confidently and responsibly."
5. Health Canada Approves neffy®--The First Needle-Free Epinephrine Spray for Anaphylaxis 
   This approval addresses a critical need for Canadians affected by severe allergies that put them at risk of anaphylaxis. It is estimated that up to 2.5 million people in Canada are affected by severe allergies.^2,3 Research shows that half of those living with a life-threatening allergy do not consistently carry their prescribed epinephrine auto-injector and approximately half do not administer an auto-injector device when needed in an emergency.^4* neffy® is designed to fit into a pocket for portability.  It also has a 30-month shelf life from time of manufacture and can withstand temperature excursions up to 50°C, key differentiators from autoinjectors.^1,5 
6. The Mark Anthony Group of Companies Announces Plans to Acquire The Finnish Long Drink 
   "Our focus has always been on building and scaling brands that stand out in their category and resonate with consumers," said Phil Rosse, CEO, The Mark Anthony Group of Companies. "Long Drink has already established strong momentum and a clear point of difference in the RTD space, and we see a meaningful opportunity to build on that success by expanding its reach and bringing it to more consumers." Long Drink has quickly emerged as one of the most talked-about brands in the ready-to-drink space, building a passionate following and rapid momentum since its U.S. launch. The brand has gained traction with consumers drawn to the taste and iconic backstory.
7. GFL Environmental and SECURE Waste Infrastructure announce acquisition by GFL, further expanding and densifying GFL's Western Canadian footprint 
   The acquisition of SECURE will provide us with a highly complementary network of permitted waste processing and disposal assets that will densify our footprint in Western Canada, significantly enhance our scale and expand our ability to offer customers a full suite of waste management services", said Patrick Dovigi, Founder and CEO of GFL. "The transaction will combine SECURE's hard to replicate infrastructure network with GFL's broader platform, strengthening GFL's ability to capture more waste streams across the value chain," said Allen Gransch, President and CEO of SECURE. "We look forward to joining the GFL team on closing and working together to further unlock value for all shareholders."
8. NEO FINANCIAL AND UNITED AIRLINES UNVEIL UNITED® MILEAGEPLUS® NEO WORLD ELITE® MASTERCARD® 
   New United card gives Canadian MileagePlus members more ways to earn miles, access discounted award flights – plus earn up to 25,000 bonus miles through welcome and first-year renewal offers* "The United MileagePlus Neo World Elite Mastercard delivers a more rewarding travel experience for Canadians, combining enhanced card benefits with access to United's global network," said Jarad Fisher, United's President of MileagePlus. "With summer travel approaching, this new offering makes it easier for Canadian MileagePlus members to earn more miles, which can be used on discounted award flights and expanded Saver Awards on United flights." 
9. Popeyes® Sets Sail with ONE PIECE with an Epic Anime-Inspired Menu 
   "At Popeyes, we're always looking for bold ways to show up for our fans," said Matt Harper, Sr. Director of Marketing, Popeyes Canada. "Partnering with Toei Animation lets us tap into ONE PIECE, a global phenomenon that shares our passion, energy and sense of adventure. We've brought together the iconic world of this beloved series with the unmistakable flavour of Popeyes to create a limited-time experience that fans across Canada won't want to miss." The Popeyes x ONE PIECE menu is only available for a limited time, at select restaurants across Canada. Fans are encouraged to act fast, show up early and share the adventure.
10. BRP Suspends FY27 Guidance Due to Changes to U.S. Tariff Environment
    BRP Inc. (TSX: DOO) (NASDAQ: DOO) today announced it is suspending its full-year FY27 guidance following the recent amendment of Section 232 tariffs on Steel, Aluminum and Copper imports into the U.S., which came into effect on April 6, 2026. For BRP, the amendment mainly leads to a 25% tariff on the total value of imported snowmobiles and the majority of ORV models, replacing the previous 50% tariff on applicable metal content only. The Company currently estimates the potential incremental tariff cost related to this amendment to be in excess of $500 million for the remainder of the year, before any mitigation measures that could partially offset these impacts.

Read more of the latest releases from Cision, see our resources for journalists, and stay caught up on the top press releases by following @cnwnews.

About Cision Canada

Cision is a comprehensive communications platform enabling more than 100,000 public relations and marketing professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of communication professionals to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through the Americas, EMEA and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud® and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.ca and follow @CisionCA on Twitter.

SOURCE Cision Canada