National Business

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says retail sales rose 0.5 per cent to $62.1 billion in December.

CALGARY — The latest edition of the TSX Venture 50 list shows investors are increasingly snapping up stocks with any sort of energy transition theme.

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — As the COVID-19 pandemic sent oil prices plummeting to historic lows, emails obtained by The Canadian Press show Newfoundland and Labrador was quietly bracing for two of its offshore oilfields to be abandoned by their owners.

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — General Motors says it plans to build motors for electric vehicles at its St. Catharines, Ont. propulsion plant, the latest commitment by an automaker transitioning towards an electric future.

An uptick in drought and other extreme weather events has beef farmers in the U.S. and Canada thinning their herds in near-record numbers, which could lead to supply problems in the beef industry over the longer term, industry experts say.

The Competition Bureau is investigating whether the Quebec Professional Association for Real Estate Brokers' data-sharing restrictions are stifling competition in the housing market.

VANCOUVER, Wash. — After immigrating to Canada from Kenya with dreams of starting her own business, entrepreneur Jackee Kasandy soon concluded that Canadian banks weren't keen on opening their vaults to folks like her.

As Canadians increasingly look to drink less or not at all, non-alcoholic beverage companies are working hard to meet the rising demand and are sometimes struggling to keep up.

TORONTO — Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week: Markets closed The Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, TSX Alpha Exchange and Montreal Exchange will be closed on Monday for Ontario's Family Day holiday.

OTTAWA — When Sean Whyte opened a fashion store in early 2020, he had no idea a global pandemic would force him to throw out his business plan within a couple of months.