News

OTTAWA — Jagmeet Singh is delivering a message of hope today in his first speech following the NDP’s exit from its supply and confidence deal with the minority Liberals. But the NDP leader acknowledges one of the party’s biggest challenges will be persuading Canadians it can actually form government. Singh says all his life he’s […]

TORONTO — Canada’s main stock index edged lower in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the industrial and technology sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell. The S&P/TSX composite index was down 8.01 points at 23,032.75. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 333.24 points at 40,641.73. The S&P 500 index […]

TORONTO — Drugstore chain Rexall Pharmacy Group and online retailer Well.ca are due to land under Canadian ownership after a Toronto-based private equity firm announced Thursday that it would purchase both brands from McKesson Corp. Birch Hill Equity Partners did not immediately reveal financial terms of the agreement it struck with McKesson, a Texas-based healthcare […]

TORONTO — DesRosiers Automotive Consultants says August auto sales were up 5.6 per cent compared with the same time last year but predicts sales gains will be tougher to come by in the coming months. The consultancy estimates 165,000 units were sold in August, calling it healthy year-over-year growth. It adds, though, that the sales […]

TORONTO — Convenience stores across Ontario have started selling booze as the province significantly loosens its grip on the alcohol marketplace. Corner stores are excited about the change and expect foot traffic to increase significantly, said Kenny Shim, the president of the Ontario Convenience Store Association, which represents about 7,000 of 10,000 such stores across […]

OTTAWA — The decision by the Bank of Canada to cut its key interest rate target this week was good news for borrowers with variable-rate mortgages, bringing back some of the shine for the once popular loans. The rate cut prompted big commercial banks to lower their prime rates, which are used to set the […]

TORONTO — CIBC is making changes to its senior executive ranks in a move chief executive Victor Dodig says will broaden the opportunities for a number of the bank’s leaders. The bank says Jon Hountalas, senior executive vice-president and group head of Canadian banking, is moving to the role of vice-chair, North American banking, covering […]

TORONTO — Birch Hill Equity Partners says it has signed a deal with McKesson Corp. to buy Rexall Pharmacy Group and online retailer Well.ca. Financial terms of the agreement were not immediately available. Rexall operates 385 pharmacies across Canada and employs about 8,000 people. Well.ca offers more than 40,000 health and wellness products online. Birch […]

TORONTO — The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales in August fell from last year as average home prices edged lower. The board says there were 4,975 homes sold in August in the Greater Toronto Area, a 5.3 per cent drop compared with the 5,251 homes sold in the same month a year […]

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh may hold the key to trigger the next election now that he’s axed his political pact with the Liberals, but strategists say that could prove to be both an asset and a liability. Singh put an end to the deal the Liberals have relied on since 2022 to keep […]