National Business

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index finished slightly higher on Wednesday, driven partly by gains in the consumer cyclicals sector, while U.S. stock markets were mixed. The S&P/TSX composite index was up 12.55 points at 26,869.66.

MONTREAL — The garbage may be piling up and causing some disgruntlement on the sidewalks of a few Montreal streets, but municipal officials say it’s all part of a plan to become a zero-waste city by the year 2030. And they say their plan is working.

The British Columbia government is loosening the rules for payment of development fees in a bid to jump start home construction that has been hampered by upfront costs.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks ticked higher on Wednesday to hit another all-time high. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% and set a record for the third time in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged down by 10 points, or less than 0.

Sobeys parent company Empire Co. Ltd. has officially signed on as the first retailer member of Canada's new grocery code of conduct, as work continues to develop governance rules for members ahead of a full implementation by Jan. 1.

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney met with automotive sector CEOs Wednesday morning to discuss U.S. tariffs and ways to protect Canadian supply chains from the trade war with the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Vietnam Wednesday that would allow U.S. goods to enter the country duty-free. Vietnamese exports to the United States, by contrast, would face a 20% levy.

MONTREAL — A major aircraft deal sent Bombardier Inc. shares to a seven-year high on Wednesday after the company announced a firm order for its aircraft with an unidentified buyer.

CALGARY — The Calgary Real Estate Board says home sales in the city decreased 16.5 per cent in June compared with last year as higher levels of new listings led to inventory gain.

"A pattern is now set: Trump harrumphs, we comply," the former foreign affairs minister wrote. "What else will we quietly surrender? Cultural industries? Environmental standards, agriculture security, Arctic sovereignty?"