Business
Sluggish start for spring homebuying season as home sales fall in March with mortgage rates rising
By Alex Veiga, The Associated Press on April 18th, 2024
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The spring homebuying season is off to a sluggish start as home shoppers contend with elevated mortgage rates and rising prices. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell 4.3% in March from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.19 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits holds steady as labor market remains strong
By Matt Ott, The Associated Press on April 18th, 2024
The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits didn’t change last week as the labor market continues to defy efforts by the Federal Reserve to cool hiring. The Labor Department reported Thursday that unemployment claims for the week ending April 13 were unchanged from the previous week’s 212,000. The four-week average of claims, which softens ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Electric vehicle maker Lion Electric cuts about 120 jobs as it looks to reduce costs
By The Canadian Press on April 18th, 2024
MONTREAL – The Lion Electric Co. says it’s cutting about 120 jobs as part of a plan to reduce costs. The Montreal-based maker of electric trucks and buses says the cuts are mostly Canadian employees in overhead and product development roles. The move comes after the company announced that it was cutting more than 100 ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Solving shortage of construction workers key to housing growth: experts
By Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press on April 18th, 2024
Solving a longstanding construction worker shortage will be key to boosting housing supply, experts say, as Canada’s national housing agency continues to forecast housing start levels that fall short of growing demand. The growing construction labour shortage was cited by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. as one of three factors contributing to longer construction ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Plant-based sector focused on better price, taste and texture amid consumer wariness
By The Canadian Press on April 18th, 2024
TORONTO – The plant-based protein industry is focused on improving the price, taste and texture of its products as it weathers a period of consumer wariness brought on by the rising cost of living. That’s according to industry experts, including Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, who says there’s a lot of work being ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Manitoba Tories say premier’s promise to control food prices has rung hollow
By Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press on April 17th, 2024
WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s Opposition Progressive Conservatives say the NDP government’s promise to crack down on rising grocery prices has proven to be an empty threat. Interim Tory leader Wayne Ewasko pointed to figures released this week by Statistics Canada that show food prices in Manitoba rose last month by 3.3 per cent from March of ... Read More »
1 responseElephant seal Emerson extends Victoria city break, defying relocation with 200km swim
By The Canadian Press on April 17th, 2024
VICTORIA – Emerson the elephant seal is back in Victoria after defying attempts to relocate him and swimming more than 200 kilometres to return to his preferred urban habitat to moult. The Fisheries Department says the 225-kilogram seal swam an “astonishing” average of 34 kilometres a day during a six-day journey, after the failed relocation ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Feds, consumer advocate square off in court over air passenger refunds
By Christopher Reynolds, The Canadian Press on April 17th, 2024
The federal government and a consumer rights advocate squared off in court Wednesday over whether regulators misled passengers by encouraging travel credit rather than refunds at the onset of the pandemic. In the early months of COVID-19’s spread, airlines cancelled hundreds of thousands of flights and offered company vouchers to customers instead of refunds. The ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Manitoba Tories say the premier’s promise to control food prices has rung hollow
By The Canadian Press on April 17th, 2024
WINNIPEG – Manitoba’s Opposition Tories say the government’s promise to crack down on rising grocery prices has proven to be an empty threat. The Tories point to new figures from Statistics Canada that indicate food prices rose faster in Manitoba last month than in neighbouring provinces. Interim Tory leader Wayne Ewasko says the data shows ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!B.C. government earmarks $300M to help TransLink buy more buses, reduce overcrowding
By The Canadian Press on April 17th, 2024
VANCOUVER – British Columbia is paying up to $300 million in new capital funding to help TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s transit provider, add more buses to its fleet. Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says the additional buses will reduce overcrowding and wait times throughout the region. A statement from the province says the money will go toward ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!S&P/TSX composite flat on Wednesday, U.S. stock markets fall
By The Canadian Press on April 17th, 2024
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was flat on Wednesday, helped by strength in battery metal and technology stocks, while U.S. stock markets moved lower. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 13.18 points at 21,656.05. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 45.66 points at 37,753.31. The S&P 500 index was down ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!
