National Business

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index was down more than 100 points on Wednesday, dragged lower by losses in energy as oil sank below US$70 a barrel, while U.S. markets were also down.

OTTAWA — The federal government is stepping out of the regulatory process for some offshore wind power on Canada’s east coast in an effort to reduce red tape and speed up development.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed lower on Wall Street after another sharp slide for the price of crude dragged down big oil-and-gas stocks. The S&P 500 fell 0.

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada ended the year with another interest rate hold as the economy slows and forecasters speculate on the timing of rate cuts in 2024.

OTTAWA — Canada's merchandise trade surplus grew to $3 billion in October as imports fell and exports edged higher, Statistics Canada said Wednesday. The result compared with a revised surplus of $1.1 billion in September.

TORONTO — The chief executive of Roots Corp. says the retailer has a "cautious outlook" these days because some shoppers are delaying holiday purchases as they become more price sensitive.

MONTREAL — The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers says Montreal-area home sales in November edged down one per cent compared with the same month last year.

A month after 3,700 grocery store workers walked off their jobs at Toronto-area Metro stores earlier this year, they returned to work under a new contract that Unifor called “historic.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hollywood’s actors have voted to ratify the deal with studios that ended their strike after nearly four months, bringing an official finish to the labor strife that shook the entertainment industry for most of 2023.

VANCOUVER — The number of foreign-educated nurses newly registered in British Columbia this year has more than doubled from last year, as the province makes progress on a $1-billion, multi-year plan to attract more health-care workers.