Business

Officials say VQA wine sales rose roughly 79–83% after the provincial government directed the LCBO to stop selling U.S. products in March 2025.

A White Castle automated slider kiosk has been installed in the renovated terminal food court at Southwest Florida International Airport, offering made-to-order sliders through a vending-style unit. White Castle also operates a kiosk at Boston Logan International Airport and plans additional airport kiosks.

The U.S. closed its DEA office in Santo Domingo as an internal corruption probe began. A supervisory special agent, Meliton Cordero, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud.

Some U.S. school districts canceled planned class picture days after social media posts linked school-photography firm Lifetouch to an investor associated with Jeffrey Epstein. Lifetouch and Apollo issued statements denying the claims and saying Apollo does not access student images.

In November three senior executives sent a letter raising governance concerns at the $23-billion CAAT Pension Plan, noting issues including a $1.6-million vacation payout to CEO Derek Dobson and a disclosed workplace relationship. The board has since placed Mr. Dobson on administrative leave, replaced its chair and vice-chair, and an outside governance review and a regulator’s examination are underway.

House Democrats say they have opened an investigation after President Trump posted he would withhold permission for the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open unless the United States was compensated; Rep. Robert Garcia has requested communications related to meetings between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the Moroun family.

Stellantis says it remains interested in restoring production at its idled Brampton auto plant, while also adding a third shift at its Windsor assembly that will start Tuesday and add more than 1,700 workers, including nearly 250 transfers from Brampton.

House Democrats have requested records after reports said President Trump threatened to block the Gordie Howe bridge following a meeting between Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Ambassador Bridge owner Matthew Moroun, and Michigan Democrats introduced a bill now referred to the House foreign affairs committee.

The province of Ontario and Diageo reached an agreement keeping Crown Royal available at the LCBO, and Diageo committed nearly $23 million in new investments in Ontario, the province said.

Algonquin College has postponed a scheduled board decision on suspending 30 programs after Ontario announced an end to its 2019 tuition freeze and new funding for post-secondary institutions; the college says it will assess its specific funding allocation before making a final decision.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board's Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade will take place on Feb. 17 with 60 floats and performing groups, and it will be livestreamed worldwide on satellite and social media.

The MICHELIN Guide Saudi Arabia 2026 named 51 restaurants in the Guide and announced three Special Awards during its inaugural Restaurant Celebration.

Stellantis Canada says the shutdown of its Williams Parkway plant was a "pause" and the company is negotiating with the federal government and Unifor about returning work to Brampton. The plant had lost about 3,000 jobs after production of the Jeep Compass was shifted to Illinois.

U.S. inflation eased to 2.4% year‑over‑year in January, with core inflation at 2.5% and monthly consumer prices up 0.2% from December.

Canada Soccer reached a reworked 12-year agreement with Canadian Soccer Business (now Canadian Soccer Media & Entertainment) that CEO Kevin Blue says will deliver "well over $100 million" more in net revenue over the contract; the deal runs Jan. 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2037 and includes revenue-sharing terms and commitments on broadcast distribution and equal exposure for men’s and women’s teams.

Rivalry Corp. said it will significantly reduce operations and is evaluating strategic alternatives. The company included forward‑looking cautionary language and referred readers to its MD&A and other filings on SEDAR+ for more risk information.

Xanadu issued forward-looking statements about its work on a quantum algorithm for chemistry and a proposed transaction with Crane Harbor, while listing many risks and uncertainties including technical, financial and regulatory factors.

Gaon Choi won the women's Olympic halfpipe with a 90.25 score, edging Chloe Kim, who landed a double-cork 1080 but finished with silver; judges said they score each run as a whole, weighing air, difficulty, variety and progression.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the men's 10 km interval-start at the Milan‑Cortina Olympics to earn his eighth Winter Games gold, finishing in 20:36.2. He now shares the all-time record and had three races still scheduled at these Games.

Dubai's government announced new DP World leaders after files linked the company's former head to Jeffrey Epstein; Quebec's Caisse de dépôt et placement suspended deal-making with DP World.

A third shift at Stellantis' Windsor plant starts Tuesday, raising the workforce to about 6,000 and including 250 workers moved from the idled Brampton plant. The shift was delayed by tariff concerns and is being added as minivan sales have risen.

The article mentions Slate Grocery REIT on the TSX pays a 7.3% annualized dividend monthly and reported Q4 2025 rental revenue of US$54.6 million with 94.4% occupancy.

The article highlights Enbridge and Fortis as two dividend-focused companies for 2026, noting Enbridge's long record of dividend increases and a reported yield near 5.6% and Fortis's record of more than 50 consecutive annual dividend increases with a reported yield near 3.4%.

A Canadian coalition says it will ship a container of medical and non-perishable supplies to Cuba on March 7. Canada has raised its travel advisory to orange, citing reported shortages of fuel, electricity and basic necessities on the island.

Air Transat says it plans to repatriate all its customers in Cuba by next Wednesday after Cuban fuel shortages led airlines to wind down Canada–Cuba service. Canada’s travel advisory now urges people to avoid non-essential travel to Cuba.

Calgary Economic Development says fewer than a quarter of its 2025 trade deals were with the U.S., while CED-supported firms secured 45 deals across 21 countries that CED reports generated about $60 million in revenue.

The U.S. and Taiwan signed a reciprocal trade agreement in which Taiwan agreed to remove or reduce roughly 99% of its tariff barriers and Taiwan’s exports to the U.S. would face a 15% rate or the U.S. Most Favoured Nation rate. Taiwan will submit the pact and its investment plans to its legislature for approval.

Washington, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit using the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act against members of the Razjooyan family, alleging a network of shell companies and deceptive practices tied to roughly 70 rent-controlled properties; the suit seeks restitution for affected tenants and to bar the defendants from doing business in the District.

Two Mexican Navy ships carrying food and powdered milk docked in Havana as Cuba faces fuel shortages tied to a U.S. blockade; Mexico said it will send additional shipments and pursue diplomatic channels to restore oil supplies.

Brompton Split Banc Corp. announced a planned Class A share split that would give 20 additional shares per 100 held to shareholders of record on Feb. 24, 2026, and said total distributions will be increased; the split is subject to Toronto Stock Exchange approval.