Statistics Canada says a preliminary estimate shows manufacturing sales rose 0.6 percent in October. The agency says the growth came due to higher sales in the petroleum and coal products, paper, primary metals and wood products industries. The flash estimate for October follows a rise of 1.5 percent to $53.8 billion in September.Statistics Canada cautioned that it is continuing to collect October data and that the early indicator is subject to a higher revision rate than its regular monthly release.The early estimate was calculated based on a weighted response rate of 57.8 per cent. It says

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the Liberals will deliver a long-awaited update on the health of federal finances on Nov. 30. She made the announcement today in the House of Commons. The Liberals had promised an update this fall on the federal deficit as part of a document that could also include the first steps toward a national child-care program. The government has not tabled a budget for this fiscal year, but in July delivered what it called a ``fiscal snapshot'' that estimated the deficit was heading for a record of $343.2 billion. Deputy PM announces businesses can start applyin

Victims of sexual misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces will receive an apology from the military's commander. However, it's not clear if it will delivered by outgoing chief of the defence staff, General Jonathan Vance, or his still-to-be-named successor. The apology is part of a 900 million dollar settlement agreement that the federal government reached last year with current and former military members, as well as civilian Defence Department employees, after a class-action lawsuit against the Forces. A lawyer who represented the plaintiffs says the apology gives victims a chance to he

The Opposition Conservatives say a new commercial rent-relief program offered by the federal government has taken too long to arrive, and there are still shortcomings in the related legislation that have yet to be fixed. Conservative small business critic Pat Kelly says December's rent is due in about a week, and today is the first day that businesses can apply for the new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy. The Conservatives are accusing the Trudeau government of circumventing the will of Parliament by failing to push off audits of small businesses that have received the federal wage subsidy. He

Businesses struggling to pay the bills because of the COVID-19 pandemic will be able to start applying today for a long-awaited new commercial rent-relief program offered by the federal government.The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy replaces an earlier rent-support program for businesses introduced in the spring that saw little pickup because it relied on landlords to apply for help.The new program will cover up to 65 per cent of rent or commercial mortgage interest on a sliding scale based on revenue declines, with an extra 25 per cent available to the hardest-hit firms.Federal cabinet min

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says everyone's actions now could determine Canada's fate for generations to come. He is urging all Canadians to reduce their contacts and stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19. Grim new forecasts suggest Canada could see cases climb by 60,000 per day by year's end if socializing increases. The prime minister says his government is committed to helping businesses, and that lockdown measures are a better way to ensure long-term economic success than letting the virus run rampant. "Canada-U.S. border will remain closed until Dec. 21" Prime Minister Justin Trudea

Canada's chief public health officer says there's "urgency" to bring infections down as officials released dire new forecasts indicating that COVID-19 case counts have far surpassed levels seen during the first wave. Dr. Theresa Tam says COVID-19 cases could skyrocket to 60,000 per day by the end of the year if Canadians increase their contact rates. The modelling predicts that at current rates of contact, Canada is careening towards a surge of more than 20,000 cases per day by the end of December. But if socialization increases, the projections indicate that as 2020 draws to a close, Canada

An Ontario Provincial Police officer died Thursday after being shot in the line of duty on Manitoulin Island in an incident that left a second officer injured. Const. Marc Hovingh had been a member of the service for 28 years, OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrique said in a tweet. "Our hearts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this tragic time," Carrique wrote. Hovingh was shot and killed while conducting a wellness check on Thursday, a spokesman for the Ontario Provincial Police Association said. Scott Mills said the officer worked out of the force's Little Current detachment. Premier

An independent report on harassment of women in the RCMP says fundamental change is needed to rid the national police force of a toxic culture that tolerates hateful and homophobic attitudes. And RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki says, as she has said previously, that such harassment must stop. A report on harassment of women in the RCMP says fundamental change is needed to rid the national police force of a toxic culture. Former Supreme Court of Canada justice Michel Bastarache says the national police force's culture is toxic and tolerates hateful and homophobic attitudes. He has drafted 52 re