The federal government has gone from a C student to top of the class in its work to advance internal trade between provinces, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

In the federation’s latest annual report card on internal trade, the federal government jumped to an A-plus from the C grade it got in 2025.

The report card released Wednesday by the advocacy group for small businesses said Canada has made unprecedented progress toward breaking down internal trade barriers long considered a self-imposed drag on the domestic

OTTAWA — The federal government has gone from a C student to top of the class in its work to advance internal trade between provinces, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

In the federation’s latest annual report card on internal trade, the federal government jumped to an A-plus from the C grade it got in 2025.

The report card released Wednesday by the advocacy group for small businesses said Canada has made unprecedented progress toward breaking down internal trade barriers long considered a self-imposed drag on

Toronto is facing another day of dangerous heat and deteriorating air quality , with the city now ranked the worst in the world for pollution Wednesday morning — a snapshot of how wildfire smoke and extreme humidity have combined to create hazardous conditions across the region.

As of 8:08 a.m. ET, IQAir’s world air quality ranked Toronto in the top spot as smoke from northwestern Ontario wildfires drifted south overnight and settled across the GTA.

On top of continuing yellow heat warning , Environment Canada issued a yellow air

The Canadian Real Estate Association has downgraded its forecast for home sales activity in 2026 again, despite a small uptick in the number of homes that changed hands in June.

CREA is now expecting a total of 463,336 residential properties to be sold throughout the year, representing a 1.4 per cent decline from 2025 — marking a reversal from its April forecast of a one per cent gain.

The national average home price is forecast to rise 1.1 per cent

OTTAWA — First Nations leaders attending the Assembly of First Nations annual general meeting in Ottawa today are expected to debate the terms of an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and the premiers and territorial leaders.

In her opening remarks to the gathering Tuesday, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said a planned meeting this fall between first ministers and chiefs from across the country was hard to secure and must not be the last of its kind.

Woodhouse Nepinak told chiefs the Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed the meeting

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada is set to deliver its fifth interest rate decision of the year this morning.

Economists widely expect the central bank will remain on hold, keeping its policy rate at 2.25 per cent.

Inflation has jumped above three per cent in recent months as higher oil prices from the Iran war sent gasoline costs skyrocketing over the spring.

Officials at the Bank of Canada have made clear they’re willing to look beyond the initial price shock from the war but are prepared to act if there

Residents of a handful of communities in northwestern Ontario have been ordered to leave their homes due to nearby forest fires.

Ontario Provincial Police said on social media that evacuation orders are in place for Armstrong, Lac La Croix First Nation, Collins First Nation, Whitesand First Nation and Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation.

These communities are under mandatory evacuation orders and parts of several highways in the area are closed, police said. Highway 11 — between Highway 633 and Highway 623 — has since reopened.

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