BC eases business aid criteria

VICTORIA — The B.C. government has eased the eligibility requirements and extended the deadline for small and medium-sized businesses applying for funds under its $345-million pandemic recovery grant program. Businesses with up to 149 employees must now show a 30% drop in revenue in any one month between March 2020 and the time of application […]

Good news for renters

VICTORIA — The B.C. government says it will introduce legislative changes to extend a rent freeze through the end of the year, as well as stop illegal “renovictions” and improve the dispute resolution process for tenants and landlords. The province has already introduced and extended a rent freeze during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it says […]

Site C dam will be finished

Premier John Horgan said Friday the province will continue building the Site C dam on the Peace River following the latest economic and geotechnical reviews of the now $16 billion project. The NDP cabinet made the decision to continue to the project after independent experts confirmed the dam was safe. The revised cost includes a […]

Oil prices bite Teck’s bottom line

VANCOUVER — Teck Resources Ltd. is again writing down part of its stake in the Fort Hills oilsands mine in northeastern Alberta operated by partner Suncor Energy Inc. The Vancouver-based miner reported Thursday a net fourth-quarter loss of $464 million, which includes a non-cash, pre-tax charge of $597 million to account for lower future expectations […]

Lumber prices still rising

CALGARY — Homebuyers and renovators hoping for a mid-winter price slump are instead being greeted with new all-time record high prices for lumber and oriented strandboard (OSB) building panels. Western SPF (spruce, pine, fir) lumber prices rose to a four-digit close for the first time on Tuesday, reaching US$1,000 per thousand board feet, according to […]

Hexo buys BC pot company

Hexo Corp. will acquire competitor Zenabis Global Inc. in a $235-million deal that will give the cannabis company a European foothold and strengthen its domestic business. “Hexo’s growth strategy includes expanding our global presence, and this acquisition is an important step in that direction,” Sebastien St-Louis, Hexo’s chief executive and co-founder, said in a statement […]

Blueberries no trade threat to U.S.

WASHINGTON — The panel that evaluates international trade disputes in the United States has squashed a complaint about Canadian blueberries. The U.S. International Trade Commission says recent spikes in foreign blueberry imports are no threat to domestic producers. The commission voted unanimously today to end its investigation, which was requested by former U.S. Trade Representative […]

Tilray news boosts shares

Shares in B.C. cannabis company Tilray Inc. soared after the announcement of a deal with Grow Pharma to supply medical cannabis in the United Kingdom. Tilray shares were up US$11.43 at US$41.52 in late-morning trading on the Nasdaq market. Grow Pharma is a leading medical cannabis distributor in the United Kingdom. Tilray, based in Nanaimo, […]

Telus IPO makes TSX history

TORONTO — Telus Corp.’s digital consulting subsidiary is striking out on its own, hoping to gain recognition from investors as the realm of customer service is increasingly dominated by chat bots and social media management. Telus International’s public offering on Wednesday marks a long-awaited fork in the road for Telus Corp., which has tried to […]

Vancouver home prices still rising

VANCOUVER — Homes sales in much of Metro Vancouver in January increased by 52.1% compared with sales from the same time last year. Colette Gerber, chair of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, says home sales activity in January outpaced supply, putting upward pressure on prices. The board reports 2,389 home sales in the […]