National Business

MONTREAL — Transat A.T. Inc. has reined in summer growth plans as grounded planes continue to weigh on profit margins — after fears of a strike ate away at bookings last quarter, yielding a net loss, its CEO said.

TORONTO — Telecom, financial and utilities stocks led Canada's main stock index down on Thursday even as the price of oil rose, while U.S. markets eased lower as well after several economic reports. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 140.

RICHMOND, B.C. — Mounties in Richmond, British Columbia, weren't playing around when they recovered a large haul of stolen Lego and plush toys that they say illuminates "dark corners of the retail theft sector.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped away from their records following a mixed batch of economic reports. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% Thursday after giving up an earlier, modest gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.

TORONTO — Renters face daunting barriers in their attempts to build wealth as they're forced to devote an increasing share of their income to keeping a roof over their head, said an RBC report Thursday.

CALGARY — A group of oil shippers is asking the Canada Energy Regulator to compel the company behind the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to provide them with a full and detailed breakdown of the project's escalating construction costs.

MONTREAL — Documents made public by an insolvency trustee show Montreal comedy festival Just for Laughs and affiliated companies owe millions of dollars in unpaid debts beyond what was included in a court filing last week. Groupe Juste pour rire inc.

OTTAWA — Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has pledged that the government will meet its fiscal targets in the upcoming federal budget, but economists say achieving that goal will be challenging as the deficit tracks higher.

The parent company of Sobeys is looking ahead to sunnier economic times, betting the shift to discount grocery stores that’s been boosting sales industry-wide won’t be permanent.

OTTAWA — Canada's manufacturing industry saw a slight lift in January as sales edged upward, the country's data agency said Thursday. Statistics Canada's latest data shows manufacturing sales rose 0.2 per cent to $71.