Business

Officials say British Columbia faces an "unsustainable" provincial deficit forecast at $11.2 billion, and the government will table a budget Tuesday that officials say aims to reduce spending while protecting core front-line services.

Media outlets published details of a $6.6-billion strategy the article says aims to create 125,000 jobs and to reorient procurement toward Canadian-made military equipment.

The article reports California has been receiving gasoline shipments from the Bahamas while India and South Korea supplied more product to the state last year; regional freight costs rose after the US eased sanctions on Venezuela, narrowing the cost gap between foreign and US-flagged ships.

A U.S. Ski Team official said Lindsey Vonn will fly back to the United States for further surgeries after undergoing multiple operations in Italy for a complex tibia fracture; team medical staff are coordinating her care.

China will waive visas for Canadian tourists and business visitors for stays up to 30 days, effective Tuesday through at least the end of the year, the Foreign Ministry said. The move follows recent diplomatic engagement by Prime Minister Mark Carney in Beijing.

Insurers in Canada are raising premiums, increasing deductibles and narrowing coverage after rising extreme-weather losses, and some companies are shifting new business away from higher-risk areas.

Canadian home insurers are increasing premiums and restricting some coverages as extreme-weather claims and insured losses have risen sharply in recent years, according to industry reports and officials.

A trade mission led by Dominic LeBlanc includes leaders from more than 230 Canadian companies, and Canada–Mexico two-way trade rose from $4.5 billion in 1993 to $56 billion in 2024.

A group of six longtime friends from Winnipeg are flying to Milan after Seth Jarvis was added to Canada’s Olympic hockey roster; Air Canada arranged last-minute flights so the crew can attend the Games.

Rick Snyder, who negotiated the Gordie Howe International Bridge, says the crossing is a 50/50 partnership between the Government of Canada and the State of Michigan and that the Michigan side used American steel and labor; he disputes recent claims by President Donald Trump about ownership and U.S. content.

Toronto police expect more than 200,000 people to gather in North York today for a rally linked to a Global Day of Action in support of protesters in Iran, and officials closed portions of Yonge Street and North York Boulevard ahead of the event.

Toronto police say a 36-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman from Mississauga were arrested in a romance-scam investigation that investigators say involved about $250,000 in alleged losses.

Two Washington Post writers are covering the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics after the paper announced it was eliminating its sports section and laying off about a third of its staff.

The article reports that Tumbler Ridge, a community of about 2,400 in northeastern B.C., has a history of boom-and-bust tied to coal and today combines resource development, scientific research and tourism.

The federal government reduced immigration targets in fall 2024 and is projecting near-zero population growth through 2028. Experts in the column disagree: one says the pause relieves pressure on housing and services, while the other warns it risks long-term labour and service shortfalls.

The Carney government has reintroduced federal EV rebates, pledged $1.5 billion for fast-charging and proposed up to $3 billion to help Canada’s auto sector adapt. The article questions whether some of that money should go to U.S. automakers given their retreat from EVs and underused Canadian plants.

Officials say VQA wine sales rose roughly 79–83% after the provincial government directed the LCBO to stop selling U.S. products in March 2025.

A White Castle automated slider kiosk has been installed in the renovated terminal food court at Southwest Florida International Airport, offering made-to-order sliders through a vending-style unit. White Castle also operates a kiosk at Boston Logan International Airport and plans additional airport kiosks.

The U.S. closed its DEA office in Santo Domingo as an internal corruption probe began. A supervisory special agent, Meliton Cordero, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud.

Some U.S. school districts canceled planned class picture days after social media posts linked school-photography firm Lifetouch to an investor associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Lifetouch and Apollo issued statements denying the claims and saying Apollo does not access student images.

In November three senior executives sent a letter raising governance concerns at the $23-billion CAAT Pension Plan, noting issues including a $1.6-million vacation payout to CEO Derek Dobson and a disclosed workplace relationship. The board has since placed Mr. Dobson on administrative leave, replaced its chair and vice-chair, and an outside governance review and a regulator’s examination are underway.

House Democrats say they have opened an investigation after President Trump posted he would withhold permission for the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open unless the United States was compensated; Rep. Robert Garcia has requested communications related to meetings between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the Moroun family.

Stellantis says it remains interested in restoring production at its idled Brampton auto plant, while also adding a third shift at its Windsor assembly that will start Tuesday and add more than 1,700 workers, including nearly 250 transfers from Brampton.

House Democrats have requested records after reports said President Trump threatened to block the Gordie Howe bridge following a meeting between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun, and Michigan Democrats introduced a bill now referred to the House foreign affairs committee.

The province of Ontario and Diageo reached an agreement keeping Crown Royal available at the LCBO, and Diageo committed nearly $23 million in new investments in Ontario, the province said.

Algonquin College has postponed a scheduled board decision on suspending 30 programs after Ontario announced an end to its 2019 tuition freeze and new funding for post-secondary institutions; the college says it will assess its specific funding allocation before making a final decision.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board's Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade will take place on Feb. 17 with 60 floats and performing groups, and it will be livestreamed worldwide on satellite and social media.

The MICHELIN Guide Saudi Arabia 2026 named 51 restaurants in the Guide and announced three Special Awards during its inaugural Restaurant Celebration.

Stellantis Canada says the shutdown of its Williams Parkway plant was a "pause" and the company is negotiating with the federal government and Unifor about returning work to Brampton. The plant had lost about 3,000 jobs after production of the Jeep Compass was shifted to Illinois.

U.S. inflation eased to 2.4% year‑over‑year in January, with core inflation at 2.5% and monthly consumer prices up 0.2% from December.