Business

The B.C. government says 78 homes have opened in Vancouver and 80 in Langley as a mix of second-stage and long-term housing operated by YWCA BC and Ishtar Women's Resource Society.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said she had two flat tires on Notre-Dame Street and called the city's road conditions worsening; the city says it is prioritizing temporary repairs and plans a citywide spring road repair blitz in the coming weeks.

President Trump's tariff threats have pushed several longtime U.S. trading partners to accelerate deals with each other, including recent EU agreements with India and Mercosur, while investors and some central banks have reduced dollar holdings.

Sunrise Energy Metals' CEO told Reuters the company's Syerston scandium project is expected to be part of the U.S. critical minerals stockpile, and the mine aims to start producing about 60 tonnes a year of scandium oxide in the first half of 2028.

The article says Galaxy Digital and Hut 8 tie big AI data-centre plans to volatile crypto results, and both companies reported large swings in earnings while pursuing multi‑year, capital‑intensive projects.

AMD said sales were helped by selling older chips to China but that activity lowered profit margins, and the stock closed at $242.11 before falling in after-hours trading after the company's guidance disappointed some investors.

The federal government created Build Canada Homes with an initial $13 billion and appointed Ana Bailão as its first CEO; Bailão says BCH announced over 7,000 units in its first 100 days and expects 700 units in Nunavut to be occupied by late April or early May.

At the NHL Stadium Series, the Tampa Bay Lightning brought out cancer survivor Rob Higgins for staged puck shots that could raise up to $1 million; he missed the attempts and the team announced a $200,000 donation.

Maryland-based ESAB agreed to acquire Quebec City–based non-destructive testing firm Eddyfi for $1.45 billion USD, and has made commitments to keep Eddyfi's workforce and head office in Quebec City.

Disney appointed 54-year-old D'Amaro to replace CEO Bob Iger, ending a long-running succession question; the company's Experiences division recorded $36 billion in revenue and about 185,000 employees in fiscal 2025.

Novo Nordisk warned its 2026 adjusted operating profit and sales could decline 5–13% as U.S. pricing pressure, rising competition and patent expiries weigh on Wegovy sales.

President Trump announced he will nominate former Fed governor Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell when Powell's term ends in May, and the nomination requires Senate confirmation.

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.