Business

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said the final Canadian-operated flights have left Cuba and the government updated its travel advice to "avoid all non-essential travel" due to reported shortages amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade.

British Columbia officials say the province faces an $11.2 billion deficit and have signalled spending reductions while aiming to protect core services; the government's budget is due to be tabled Tuesday.

Analysis by an academic and the IMF showed Canada’s GDP per capita briefly trailed Alabama’s in 2023–24 after adjustments; experts note population growth in Canada and recent industrial investment and low unemployment in Alabama help explain the gap.

Red Lake is asking provincial and federal governments for support as two nearby mining projects fast-tracked by Ontario and a new regional bridge are expected to bring jobs and a projected 1,500–2,000 new residents over the next decade.

The U.S. Department of Justice–released Epstein files mention Montreal hundreds of times and identify several Quebec-linked figures, including Austin Hill, Guy Laliberté and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

Aritzia bought Fred Segal's intellectual property and is leasing the brand's Melrose Avenue property in Los Angeles; it plans to restore the site's damaged ivy facade and develop the location for curated product and immersive experiences.

The Bloc Québécois is seeking an amendment to Bill C-15 to require banks to reimburse customers who fall victim to fraud, except where customers are grossly negligent; the change is being studied at committee and is expected to be tabled soon.

Statistics Canada reported food inflation rose 7.3% year‑over‑year in January, with the end of a temporary restaurant tax break and large price increases for beef and coffee cited as main drivers.

Blue Owl canceled a planned merger that could have caused about 20% losses for investors, and later sold roughly $1.4 billion in direct loans across three vehicles to North American pension funds and insurers.

Walmart beat fourth-quarter revenue and profit estimates and reported 4.6% U.S. same-store sales growth; the company maintained a cautious full-year outlook citing trade uncertainty and labour market conditions.

Fans across Canada gathered to watch the Canadian women's team face the United States in the Olympic hockey final, with some Ontario schools pausing classes and public watch parties reported nationwide.

The provincial government has introduced legislation to allow online renewal and replacement of driver’s licences, BCID and photo BC Service Cards through ICBC. Eligibility rules and timing are still being finalized, with the province saying online services could begin operating in 2027 if approved.

The article reports that some U.S. investors are shifting from AI software leaders to infrastructure companies and new ETFs that target chipmakers, data‑centre builders and power firms as AI capital spending rises.

An arbitrator finalized wage rates for Air Canada flight attendants, keeping mainline increases from a tentative agreement and adding a one-point higher first-year raise for Rouge attendants.

Mohawk College, Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards announced a three‑way agreement to create a shipbuilding training hub in Hamilton and to support construction of a 35‑metre naval training vessel planned for 2026.

Canada's S&P/TSX Small Cap Index is up about 64% over the past 52 weeks, and MTY Food Group reported Q4 revenue of $305.4 million and returned to profit.

Statistics Canada reported a $1.31-billion merchandise trade deficit in December, down from a revised $2.59-billion in November, as exports rose 2.6% and imports rose 0.6%. The share of Canadian exports going to the United States fell to about 67.4%, the lowest level on record except for two months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A column by Chris Selley reports newly discussed figures that the author describes as alarming for Canada's proposed high-speed rail, noting that VIA Rail already relies heavily on government subsidy and comparing the corridor to Boston–New York–Washington.

A designer published a map that visualizes TTC projects currently under construction and recently completed lines; provincial officials announced ground work on parts of the Ontario Line and said civil work could finish in the early 2030s, with testing and commissioning to follow.

Two Ontario cafés — Toronto’s Seven Mystery (41st) and Ottawa’s Little Victories (71st) — appear on the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops list announced Feb. 16 at CoffeeFest Madrid.

Dominic LeBlanc said he will meet U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in the coming weeks to discuss the mandatory review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA). He also said Canada and Mexico agree a trilateral deal is the best way forward.

The Financial Times reports that ECB President Christine Lagarde intends to leave before France's 2027 presidential election so outgoing President Emmanuel Macron can help shape her successor; the ECB says no decision has been made.

Equinox Gold reported preliminary unaudited results for Q4 and full-year 2025 and described a year that included the merger with Calibre, operational milestones at Valentine and Greenstone, portfolio divestments, and more than US$1.1 billion in debt reduction. The company said its audited consolidated financial statements and management's discussion and analysis will be released later this month.

ACTG announced that the LATITUDE (A5359) phase 3 study of long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and reported superiority in preventing regimen failure among people with HIV who have adherence challenges with daily oral ART.

Experts say purpose-built rental projects in B.C. face weak economics as average asking rents fell to $2,630 in January (down 9.2% year-over-year) and Vancouver's rental vacancy rate rose to 3.7% last October.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she will discuss immigration in a province-wide televised address Thursday after online comments by a senior staffer criticized mass immigration.

Federal minister Patty Hajdu promoted the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, which officials say will help more than 12 million Canadians; the government says a one-time top-up equal to a 50% increase in the 2025–26 GST credit value will be issued no later than June.

Kamloops MLAs Peter Milobar and Ward Stamer questioned the 2026 B.C. budget after Finance Minister Brenda Bailey outlined a record $13.3 billion deficit and a plan to cut 15,000 public-sector jobs over three years. They said the budget lacks timelines and detailed targets and expressed concern about cuts to capital projects and forestry spending.

The province held a groundbreaking for a three-kilometre elevated guideway and four new Ontario Line stations; Metrolinx says the project remains on track for the 'early 2030s' but will not set a firm opening date while testing and commissioning are planned.

The New Mexico Senate narrowly approved a constitutional amendment to let voters decide in November whether to allow direct legislative pay tied to the state's median income, an effort advanced this session by younger female lawmakers who cited challenges balancing work, family and legislative duties.