EQB receives final regulatory approval to acquire PC Financial from Loblaw, after the federal Finance Minister signs off on the transaction. According to the reports, the approval completes the remaining step in the review process following earlier regulatory assessments. With the Finance Minister’s decision, the deal moves forward toward completion under the terms established by the parties. The approval is framed as the final clearance needed to close the acquisition, bringing the process to an end after regulators evaluate the proposal’s compliance and broader oversight requirements. The Winnipeg Free Press and The Globe and Mail both describe the same outcome: the minister’s approval is the decisive factor that ends the regulatory review. The reports do not provide additional details on pricing or timing in the excerpts provided, but they characterize the ministerial approval as the conclusion of the federal regulatory stage for the EQB-PC Financial transaction.