Business

TTC CEO Mandeep Lali confirmed the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will open on Feb. 8 with a phased launch, and earlier concerns about emergency-brake activations were briefed by Metrolinx and Alstom and described as addressed.

British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech reported that the U.S.-flagged tanker Stena Imperative was approached and challenged by small armed boats identified as Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in the Strait of Hormuz, and Vanguard Tech said the ship is now being escorted by a U.S. warship.

China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office warned Panama of "heavy prices" after Panama's Supreme Court annulled CK Hutchison's contract to operate two Panama Canal ports; Panamanian authorities had not responded and the next steps are undetermined at this time.

The China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association recommended expanding the country's strategic copper reserves and boosting commercial inventories, and experts suggested adding copper concentrates to those reserves.

Transport Canada said it is monitoring Air India's decision to ground Boeing 787 Dreamliners over reports of a possible fuel control switch defect and noted the U.S. FAA is the State of Design regulator with authority to issue airworthiness directives.

Ottawa has flagged a proposal called Port of Churchill Plus to upgrade the northern Manitoba port into a year-round, multi-commodity hub; the port currently operates about four months a year. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is visiting Churchill to meet residents and discuss the port and related announcements.

BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada opened nominations for the fourth annual Growing Home with BASF program, accepting nominations Feb. 3–28, 2026 from customers in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario; the program will award a $160,000 prize fund to 12 organizations, with voting set for March 31–April 17 and winners announced April 28, 2026.

BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada has opened nominations for the 2026 Growing Home with BASF program; the company is headquartered in Calgary and employs more than 625 people across Canadian facilities.

Walmart became the first retailer to reach a US$1-trillion market valuation after a year-long rally that lifted its shares about 26%.

The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada fined the Bank of Montreal $4 million after finding it charged monthly plan fees that should have been waived or discounted; about 101,091 customers were affected and BMO issued over $3 million in refunds and donated $600,000.

The article notes President Trump and administration officials are pressing to reduce long-term U.S. borrowing costs; it also notes that Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh would have limited ability to lower those long-term yields because they are driven mainly by the 10-year Treasury and a rising term premium.

Siemens Energy will invest US$1 billion to expand U.S. power grid and turbine component production, including a new Mississippi factory expected by 2028, as demand from data centers rises.

ClearlyRated announced the eighth annual 2026 Best of HR Services award winners based on client and employee satisfaction measured with Net Promoter Score; according to ClearlyRated, clients of the winning firms were 60% more likely to report complete satisfaction than the industry average.

U.S. space stocks climbed after Elon Musk announced SpaceX would merge with xAI in a deal valuing the combined company at US$1.25 trillion; Musk said space-based computing could be the most cost-effective way to generate AI compute within two to three years.

A C.D. Howe report says more than nine million Canadian workers lack workplace retirement plans and proposes a federal tax credit to help small employers cover set-up costs and employer contributions.

Pierre Poilievre scores 87.4% approval among party faithful but sits at 34% in national polling, and former campaign manager Jenni Byrne says linking U.S. trade tensions to affordability could help the Conservatives.

Global markets were mixed ahead of a heavy week of corporate earnings and central bank meetings, while oil and precious metals fell sharply and TSX futures tracked lower as commodity prices sank.

Researchers and companies are testing direct lithium extraction (DLE) to recover lithium from underground brines in Western Canada; lab results and pilot tests have shown promise, but larger-scale demonstrations are still pending.

Three junior Southern Alberta Mustangs players died after their vehicle collided with a northbound gravel truck near Stavely, Alta., police say; the semi driver had minor injuries and the cause is under investigation.

A Kitchener-line train derailed at Union Station on Monday, causing widespread delays and cancellations across the GO and UP Express network; Metrolinx said crews worked overnight and expects service on all lines Tuesday morning with reduced schedules.

President Trump urged lawmakers to send the Senate-approved funding bill to his desk without changes as the House returned; the package would temporarily fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 13 and faces opposition from members of both parties.

Palantir reported higher-than-expected fourth-quarter sales and said U.S. government revenue rose 66%; CEO Alex Karp defended the company's surveillance platform as having permissioning and audit controls, while the article notes contracts with U.S. agencies have drawn scrutiny.

Statistics Canada reports coffee prices rose 31% in December 2025 versus a year earlier, while overall food inflation rose about 5%. Experts say weather-driven supply problems and recent tariff changes are likely factors, and improving conditions in Brazil could ease prices in coming months.

A BMO survey finds about 73 per cent of millennials expect retirement will be harder than it was for their parents, and 67 per cent of respondents overall expressed similar concern. The article reports experts discussing planning approaches, automated saving habits and registered accounts such as RRSPs and TFSAs.

A report says Toyota and Honda made up about 60% of assembly plant employment in Canada at the end of 2024 and produced 77% of vehicles assembled in 2025; it notes Ford has delayed planned EV production and altered schedules at its Oakville plant.

Documents tabled in Parliament show roughly 3.9 million federal paper cheques issued over the past four fiscal years went uncashed, worth about $2.16 billion. The uncollected payments include tax refunds, pensions and benefits such as the Canada Carbon Rebate, Climate Action tax credits and the Canada Child Benefit.

The federal GST credit was increased by 25% for five years with a one-time 50% top-up, affecting nearly 12 million Canadians and potentially providing up to $1,890 for a family of four this year; a columnist says the cash helps short-term but sidesteps structural changes like food tax reform and larger supply-chain investment.

MPs agreed Monday to fast-track Bill C-19, which would enact the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, and set a House schedule that moves second reading on Monday, finance committee on Tuesday and third reading on Wednesday.

The Justice Department released documents tied to its Epstein investigations that name numerous prominent men; none have been charged and a Slovak official resigned after the disclosures.

Treasury prices fell after the ISM factory gauge came in stronger than expected, including a firmer employment component, which reduced expectations for further Federal Reserve rate cuts.