National Business

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index gained nearly 200 points Wednesday as Shopify Inc. buoyed the tech sector with its strong quarterly results. The S&P/TSX composite index gained 173.34 points to 16,294.66.

TORONTO — RioCan REIT is doubling down on its strategy to divest from brick-and-mortar apparel retailers in favour of grocery stores, pharmacies and e-commerce.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Bird Construction Inc. will acquire Calgary-based construction services company Stuart Olson Inc. in a deal valued at $96.5 million. The combined business would employ about 5,000 people across Canada and generate about $2.

REGINA — Saskatchewan is reporting 50 new cases of COVID-19. The government says 44 of the infections are from what it calls "one communal living setting" in the north.

HALIFAX — After a thin $55-million surplus tabled in February's budget, COVID-19 costs have driven Nova Scotia's finances deep into the red, resulting in a $853-million deficit.

DETROIT — Even though General Motors was able to reopen its U.S. factories for the last half of the second quarter, the company still lost $806 million from April through June.

TORONTO — Camera store chain Henry's says it has received court approval to restructure after more than a century of operations as it tries to survive in a post-pandemic world.

WASHINGTON — Having endured what was surely a record-shattering slump last quarter, the U.S. economy faces a dim outlook as a resurgent coronavirus intensifies doubts about any sustained recovery the rest of the year.

TORONTO — Two of Canada's provincial privacy officers say that they're still unable to release a full report about last year's security breach at LifeLabs because the company has gone to court to stop them.

Boeing lost $2.4 billion in the second quarter and the company will slow production and cut more jobs as demand for commercial aircraft shrinks during the coronavirus pandemic.