▁Gru po ▁B im bo ▁announced ▁a ▁$ 1 . 8 3 bn ▁take over ▁of ▁Canada ▁B read , ▁a ▁public ly ▁trad ed ▁corpor ation ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁controlled ▁by ▁Map le ▁Le af ▁Food s . ▁ ▁Canada ▁B read ▁sales ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁were ▁estimated ▁at ▁$ 1 . 6 bn , ▁and ▁its ▁employees ▁number ed ▁ 5 , 4 0 0 . ▁ ▁By ▁contrast , ▁B im bo ▁emp lo ys ▁ 1 2 6 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁at ▁ 1 4 4 ▁plants ▁in ▁ 1 9 ▁countries , ▁including ▁Mexico , ▁Latin ▁and ▁South ▁America , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Europe ▁and ▁Asia . ▁ ▁Canada ' s ▁fifth - larg est ▁independent ▁oil ▁producer , ▁T alis man ▁Energy , ▁was ▁purchased ▁by ▁Re ps ol , ▁the ▁Spanish ▁oil ▁major , ▁for ▁$ 8 . 3 ▁billion ▁plus ▁the ▁assumption ▁of ▁$ 4 . 7 ▁billion ▁of ▁T alis man ' s ▁deb t . ▁ ▁The ▁oil ▁s ands ▁in ▁Al berta ▁cover ▁a ▁vast ▁area , ▁and ▁the ▁pip elines ▁needed ▁to ▁fer ry ▁their ▁output ▁to ▁the ▁BC ▁coast line , ▁where ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁transport ed ▁by ▁ship ▁to ▁Asian ▁mark ets , ▁span ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁invest ments . ▁ ▁Many ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁projects ▁with ▁foreign ▁fir ms ▁exist ▁because ▁Canadian ▁capital ▁is ▁ins u fficient . ▁ ▁Ex amples ▁of ▁news ▁articles ▁that ▁have ▁yet ▁to ▁be ▁har v