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. 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. Barrick Gold will be holding a virtual-only AGM on April 30. Barrick's Lois Wark said shareholders would have "substantially the same opportunity" to participate and ask questions "as they would if attending the meeting in person."