The Bell Canada account group at Cossette Communication-Marketing has been realigned, in response to recent structural changes made by the telecommunications giant.

The Bell account teams in Ontario and Quebec have now been integrated, and will both work under the direction of executive vice-president Daniel Rabinowicz, who is based in the Montreal office.

Mary Koven, the vice-president, general manager previously responsible for the Bell Ontario account, will be moved to other duties.

Suzanne Sauvage, vice-president, strategic in Montreal, reports to Rabinowicz and is the agency’s point of contact with Sylvie Lalonde, chief communications officer for Bell.

Lalonde says the changes on the agency side mirror the way Bell’s marketing organization has structured itself internally.

The telco’s overall marketing direction is now set by chief marketing officer Karen Sheriff, who is based in Toronto, but works directly with staff in both Quebec and Ontario.

"We’ve put in place similar organizations at both the agency and at Bell," Lalonde says, "to make sure that when we communicate, we communicate as if we were two mirrored organizations."

No jobs are expected to be lost at Cossette as a result of the realignment.

Canadian Tire has announced it will acquire the Hudson’s Bay Company’s iconic brand elements in a $30 million purchase that company CEO and president Greg Hicks calls both strategic and patriotic.

The agreement gives Canadian Tire control of HBC’s brands and other intellectual property, including the HBC stripes design and various other company names, logos, designs, coats of arms and trademarks.

“Canadian Tire and the Hudson’s Bay Company are among the nation’s longest-standing companies, with a combined Canadian heritage measured in centuries,” Hicks said in a statement announcing the news on Thursday. “Some things are just meant to stay Canadian and we are honoured to welcome many of HBC’s leading brands – including the iconic HBC coat of arms and the Stripes – into our Canadian Tire family.”

The agreement is subject to court approval and expected to close this summer, according to a Canadian Tire news release. The Bay brand and various other HBC logos and company trademarks are included in the sale.

Canadian Tire said it separately made bids for a number of HBC lease locations.

“This choice feels as strategic as it feels patriotic. It builds on our generational connection to life in Canada and it fits our new True North strategy,” Hicks said. “The stripes will add beautifully to our portfolio of owned brands alongside other Canadian favourites that we have fostered and grown, and The Bay and its brands have long been known for their strength in categories that our customers will seek in our stores and online.”

The HBC deal is the latest in a series of moves that have come as part of Canadian Tire’s True North strategy this spring.

In March, Canadian Tire announced a shakeup to its senior leadership team as part of the restructuring plan.

The retailer has since announced RBC and WestJet as new partners in its Triangle rewards program.