The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that dozens of Canada's largest investors are urging public companies to preserve their in-person annual meetings, warning that the shift to virtual-only formats allows managements to silence dissent. The Globe's Jameson Berkow writes that in an open letter being sent to members of the S&P/TSX 60 Index on Thursday, a group of 38 institutional investors, advisers, portfolio managers and non-profits representing a combined $1.7-trillion in assets, say virtual-meeting procedures are undermining shareholder rights. Proponents argue that virtual meetings save money and allow more shareholders to participate. Proponents argue that virtual meetings save money and allow more shareholders to participate. However, the British Columbia General Employees' Union (BCGEU) argues that virtual-only meetings give managements the power to cherry pick which questions they want to answer or even edit the wording of questions. By one count, 57 per cent of TSX-60 constituent companies held virtual-only meetings during the 2023 proxy season. Electronics player Celestica originally planned to hold a virtual-only meeting on April 29, but later announced it would instead use a hybrid format.