National Business

MONTREAL — Municipal officials have opted to end water fluoridation on the Island of Montreal in a move spurred by a petition from a resident who claims he has the support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is making major changes to auto insurance, including allowing rate hikes and switching to a predominantly no-fault claims model.

VANCOUVER — A new storm system is bearing down on British Columbia and is expected to bring another blast of potentially damaging winds, as the province continues to clean up from this week's powerful bomb cyclone.

HALIFAX — An investigation into how the Canadian Coast Guard responded to a Nova Scotia vessel in distress two years ago raises questions about why one fisherman died after a towing operation went awry.

A temporary pause on charging the federal sales tax on many items has retailers excited, even though they say preparing for the relief will mean a lot of extra work in a short period of time.

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly welcomed president-elect Donald Trump's pick for the next U.S. ambassador in Ottawa, a former longtime Michigan congressional representative who voted for NAFTA and later wavered on new free trade deals.

EDMONTON — Alberta is forecasting a $4.6-billion surplus for this fiscal year, but Finance Minister Nate Horner says "mounting pressures" threaten to soon put the province in the red.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged closer to 7% this week, climbing to its highest level since July. The rate rose to 6.84% from 6.78% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

OTTAWA — A Liberal MP says his committee colleagues are wasting time by launching a third inquiry into the former employment minister instead of focusing on important legislation for Indigenous Peoples.

OTTAWA — Canada's telecommunications regulator has launched a consultation to determine whether the country's Big 3 providers should be able access wholesale fibre internet services.