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Retail analyst Bruce Winder reacts to the report of the Westons purchasing Boots and how it will benefit the pharmacy chain. TORONTO — The family behind Canada’s biggest pharmacy and grocery chains is growing its empire with the acquisition of U. K. drugstore Boots. Weston family holding company Wittington Investments said Wednesday that it will purchase Boots for $12.7 billion, including debt, from private equity firm Sycamore Partners. Along with Boots’ retail operations in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Wittington will acquire its operations in Thailand, franchised businesses, its optical division and No7 Beauty Co. Toronto-based holding company Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd. said it will chip in up to US$2.3 billion for the purchase and after the transaction’s closing, expected in the first quarter of 2027, will have a 50 per cent stake in Boots. Wittington will retain operational control, and Galen Weston will become Boots’ chairman.

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ADVERTISEMENTWatchMichigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has broken away from U. S. President Donald Trump over his trade war with Canada. October 07, 2026 at 11:50p.m. EDT

During her State of the Union Address on 16 September 2026, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, invited Canada to become the EU’ s first-ever associate member (von der Leyen, 2026, p. 8). This proposed status is predicated on the EU and Canada’ s shared democratic values and similar approaches to major international issues (Rankin & Cecco, 2026). At the moment, the offer stands as merely an invitation; if developed further, it could deepen the EU-Canada partnership and contribute to gains in European security (Rankin & Cecco, 2026). The proposal comes amid increasing geopolitical instability, a rapidly changing global security environment, and pre-existing defence cooperation between the EU and Canada. The war in Ukraine, Russian hybrid warfare on NATO’s territory, US isolationism, great-power competition, and the emergence of disruptive technologies have driven Europe to strengthen its own defence capabilities while reducing its dependency on the US (Csernatoni & Stone, 2025, pp. 9-11; European External Action Service [EEAS], 2025; Grey et al., 2026).

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AtlanticNova ScotiaNew BrunswickPrince Edward Island Newfoundland and LabradorCalgaryLethbridgeKitchenerGuelphNorthern OntarioSudburyNorth BaySault Ste. MarieTimminsOttawaKingstonBrockvillePembrokeReginaYorktonSaskatoonPrince AlbertTorontoWatchWeatherPeelHamiltonDurhamYorkHaltonNiagaraQueen's ParkToronto City HallIn PicturesVancouverVancouver IslandCanadaLocal SpotlightRoyal FamilyPoliticsNanosPower PlayQuestion PeriodFederal Election 2025WorldMideast ConflictRussia-Ukraine WarWatchLatestCaptured on CameraPoliticsLifestyleConsumerHealthExplainedEntertainmentTechnologyDeception DecodedAutosEnvironmentBusinessInflationReal EstateAutos

Should United States president Donald Trump succeed in colonizing Canada, the process would be achieved by means of dividing Canadians against one another—starting with the referendum in Alberta scheduled for October 19. The referendum was contingent upon the success of citizen-led petitions initiated by three parties: the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), a nonprofit organization advocating for Alberta’s independence; a former Progressive Conservative deputy premier of Alberta, Thomas Lukaszuk, advocating that Alberta remain in Canada; and, indirectly, by Premier Danielle Smith’s government itself through legislation that lowered the threshold for citizen-led referendums and extended the signature period. This approach allowed Smith to straddle political factions within Alberta, and satisfy her base, while maintaining her professed commitment to Canadian unity.

Premier Danielle Smith said she is voting for Alberta to remain in Canada, and she's urging everyone in the province to follow her lead. Speaking to the Leduc, Nisku and Wetaskiwin Chamber of Commerce Wednesday afternoon, she said that Albertans should vote yes to nine of the 10 questions on the Oct. 19 referendum. But when it comes to the question of whether or not Alberta should pursue independence, Smith said remaining in Canada is the best path forward. She said she's already voted for option one on the Alberta sovereignty question, "and I hope to be able to convince all of you to vote the same way. "Smith said she understands the resentment that's still aimed at former prime minister Justin Trudeau. But she said that Ottawa's relationship with Alberta has changed under Prime Minister Mark Carney. She said that previous Liberal governments paid little mind to Alberta, simply stating that the province had nothing much to complain about. But, she said that Carney tells her her, "I heard you and this is how I am responding to you.

SaskatchewanTwo First Nations are challenging the construction of Bell Canada's AI data centre south of Regina, saying the project is moving ahead without consultation or adequate information about its environmental impacts. Separately, Carry the Kettle Nakoda Nation calls for pause on 'beyond irresponsible' projectCamilla Faragalli · CBC News · Posted: Oct 07, 2026 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 7Listen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. Rodger Redman is Chief of the Standing Buffalo First Nation, located near Fort Qu'Apelle, Sask. He is demanding more information from Bell about the company's AI data centre development near Regina, which he says is being built on unceded, traditional Dakota territory. (Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation)Two First Nations are challenging the construction of Bell Canada's AI data centre south of Regina, saying the project is moving ahead without consultation or adequate information about its environmental impacts.

Business Matters: Average rent prices in Canada continue to fall WATCH ABOVE: Average rent prices in Canada continue to fall – Jul 9, 2026

The victory of the Parti Québécois in Monday’s election in Quebec might seem to bring its signature goal, of separating the French-speaking province from Canada, much closer – but Canadian unity may not be nearly as threatened as may first seem. The PQ’s victory was both impressive and disappointing. The party added 56 seats to its roster and more than doubled its vote share compared with the 2022 election, giving it its first taste of power in 14 years. Crucially, however, it was left five seats short of a majority, making its promise to hold a referendum after Donald Trump leaves office in 2028 nearly impossible. It also won with barely 28% of the popular vote, the lowest percentage for any government in Canada’s electoral history, according to the polling analyst Philippe Fournier. The vast majority of Quebecers voted for parties that want nothing to do with a referendum. It’s a reflection of the province’s 30-year aversion to another bruising debate about Quebec’s place in Canada – particularly in the wake of Trump’s tariffs and threats against the country.

Planning a trip south with a bottle of Canadian whisky or Niagara wine in your luggage? You may want to leave it at home. New U. S. import restrictions that took effect Sept. 29 prohibit certain Canadian-made products from entering the country. The measures cover a wide range of alcohol, some whey and molasses products, non-alcoholic beer and certain motorcycles. For Canadian travellers, there's an important distinction: these goods aren't simply facing higher tariffs. Products covered by the new rules are banned from importation. Can I bring one bottle of Canadian alcohol into the U. S.? For the Canadian alcohol covered by the new rules, travellers should not assume the usual personal allowance applies. The U. S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau now warns that certain alcoholic beverages that are products of Canada are "excluded from importation" as of Sept. 29. It directs questions about the prohibition to U. S. Customs and Border Protection. That means paying duty at the border does not turn an affected product into an admissible one. The ban replaced the 50 per cent tariff that previously applied to those specific products.

British ColumbiaA monthly report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation said the figures mark two full years of annual declines, the longest downturn the Canadian rental market has experienced in recent history. Average asking prices in September across Canada were down 7.3% over the last 2 yearsDaniel Johnson · The Canadian Press · Posted: Oct 07, 2026 6:50 PM EDT | Last Updated: October 7Listen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A report has found that average asking rents across Canada have been dropping for 2 straight years. (David Horemans/CBC)The average asking price for a rental unit in Canada in September was $2,034, down 4.2 per cent compared with a year ago. A monthly report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation said the figures mark two full years of annual declines, the longest downturn the Canadian rental market has experienced in recent history.   Average asking rent prices in September were down 7.3 per cent over the past two years, and 9.2 per cent below the peak of $2,202 in May 2024.

Canada is on the verge of an oil and gas production upswing. In our high-growth scenario, oil production could rise by two million barrels a day by 2040, and gas production could nearly double. It would bring nationwide benefits but also strain supply chains and labour markets. The next three years could see a project wave last seen in the 2006–14 cycle. LNG Canada Phase 2 and Ksi Lisims LNG, with the pipelines that feed them, target decisions by year-end; Prairie Connector by mid-2027; with the Pacific Link pipeline construction potentially starting in 2027. The Pathways carbon-capture agreements are due by Nov. 15.

The Canada-U. S. trade war has reshaped Canadians' view of their country, somewhat rekindled coast-to-coast-to-coast unity and dominated federal and provincial elections. For more than a year it has been steeped in the national psyche, and just when we thought a deal was near with our friend-to-foe southern neighbour, we instead face a new — steeper — round of tariffs, bans and counter-tariffs. Canada began imposing a new round of retaliatory levies on U. S. goods on Sept. 8, after the United States imposed new 50 per cent tariffs on $27.6 billion worth of Canadian goods. The U. S. then responded late last month with a set of bans on Canadian imports on some alcoholic drinks, dairy byproducts, molasses and motorcycles, among others. So, how could the latest in the dispute continue to reshape the Canadian economy? Could the scramble to adapt help us diversify trade partners more quickly? And, what products, if any, could become more difficult to access? CBC News spoke to four experts in supply chains and retail to get a sense of what products could go up in price and how consumers may have to change their habits in the next few months.

HamiltonCanada's industry minister said Wednesday Stelco Holdings Inc. cannot use the trade war to justify cutting jobs it committed to when it bought the Hamilton-based steel plant, particularly when the head of its U. S. parent company has publicly