Economy, Law & Politics

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index rose almost 150 points Friday on broad-based gains, ending the week up 2.8 per cent The S&P/TSX composite index was up 148.90 points at 20,360.10 U.S. markets also rose.

Despite recognizing B.C.’s role as Canada’s economic gateway to the Asia-Pacific, the policy direction of government’s new cabinet under Premier David Eby appears to come up short in supporting that recognition with substance, one observer said.

In the post-COVID era, B.C. saw its trade policy shift substantially, not only towards diversification but also using social/environmental sustainability as a key selling point.

TORONTO — Big bank economists say the surprisingly resilient economy is likely headed for a mild slowdown in the year ahead, but that recent events show how difficult it is to predict the future.

TORONTO — Experts say the upcoming earnings season will be overshadowed by the broader economic climate, with interest rates and inflation data more closely watched thanindividual company reports.

An NDP cabinet minister attended one of the Lower Mainland’s first major Lunar New Year banquets since the pandemic began, where guests included a Chinese military veteran and the president of a society under an RCMP national security investigation.

OTTAWA — As Canada plans to significantly ramp up its immigration levels in the coming years, some policy experts are worried about potential effects on health care, housing and the labour market.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will examine federal contracts awarded to consulting firm McKinsey and Company.

Big cities are attracting working-age people, new census data shows. Seniors, meanwhile, are choosing to move to rural communities.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (20,211.20, up 186.15): Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (TSX:AQN). Utilities. Down 42 cents, or 4.22 per cent, to $9.53 on 14.