London Drugs stores remain closed after ‘cybersecurity incident’

All London Drugs stores remained closed across Western Canada on Tuesday morning, two days after the B.C.-based company announced it was dealing with a “cybersecurity incident.” A statement issued by the company at 7:20 a.m. PT Tuesday said its stores “will remain temporarily closed … until further notice while continuing to provide customers with urgent pharmacy care.” … Read more

Trans Mountain pipeline ushers in new economic era for Fort McMurray

As the urban centre at the heart of Canada’s oilsands industry, Fort McMurray has seen more than its share of ups and downs. A decade and a half ago, the northern Alberta community was this country’s most famous boom town. High oil prices helped to drive unprecedented demand for the thick, viscous bitumen that lies … Read more

Open banking could spur competition, but fintechs say Canada’s moving too slowly

Federal efforts to bring “open banking” to Canada are being welcomed by players in the industry — but there’s also criticism that, after years of waiting, any changes may not come fast enough to encourage innovation or allow smaller financial players compete with larger institutions. Open banking lets consumers or business customers share personal and financial information between approved banks and other … Read more

Feds give financial boost to biofuel sector amid growing U.S. competition

Canada’s biofuel industry is welcoming a proposed multi-billion dollar package of financial support from the federal government, although concerns remain about whether it will be enough to compete with lucrative subsidies south of the border and reverse the growing dependence on U.S. imports to meet clean fuel regulations. The federal government is committing $1.27 billion toward … Read more

Former SNC-Lavalin executive sentenced to prison term in Montreal bridge bribery case

The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal. Police say Normand Morin, once a high-ranking vice-president at the engineering firm, received the sentence Tuesday after his conviction for corruption and fraud last month. The police … Read more

Fate of giant carbon capture project still uncertain, but Pathways Alliance hopeful for deal with feds

Despite growing frustrations and prolonged negotiations with the federal government, a consortium of Canada’s largest oilsands companies is optimistic about having a “line of sight” in securing the certainty it needs from Ottawa to advance its proposed $16.5-billion carbon capture pipeline project. The Pathways Alliance is not expecting any new commitments in the upcoming federal … Read more

No water, no oil: How the parched western provinces could hamper the oilpatch

Persistent and severe drought conditions across Western Canada could have a devastating effect on the oil and natural gas sector, which has drilling operations in some of the driest areas, according to a new report by Deloitte. Limited water supply could have significant effects on the production of oil and gas, the report warns, and … Read more

Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns ‘trickling’ north, poll suggests

A new poll suggests 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives. Canada has ordered its own national security review of TikTok, something the Liberal government revealed following passage of the U.S. bill earlier this month. … Read more

Canada’s need to improve productivity has reached emergency level, says Bank of Canada official

A senior Bank of Canada official says the need to improve productivity has reached an emergency level as the economy faces a future where inflation may be more of a threat than in the past few decades. In a speech, senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers says an economy with low productivity can only grow so … Read more

20 Days in Mariupol win cut from Oscars international broadcast

The shortened version of the international broadcast of the 96th Oscars faced harsh criticism in Ukraine for omitting the segment announcing the documentary feature award, which went to Mstyslav Chernov’s 20 Days in Mariupol. The documentary, a collaboration between The Associated Press and PBS’s Frontline, is a harrowing first-person account set in the Ukrainian port city during … Read more