Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Broad-based strength helped buoy Canada's main stock index against losses in the energy sector Wednesday, while U.S. markets rose, particularly the Nasdaq which gained two per cent.
The S&P/TSX composite index was down 16.33 points at 20,751.05.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 6.92 points at 34,092.96. The S&P 500 index was up 42.61 points at 4,119.21, while the Nasdaq composite was up 231.77 points at 11,816.32.
The markets have been quite resilient this week, said Ian Chong, associate portfolio manager for First Avenue Investment Counsel Inc.
Markets slowly sold off during the day as they anticipated the coming interest rate announcement by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
When the rate hike came in as expected at a quarter of a percentage point, markets went a little lower, reacting to hawkish messaging from the central bank that implied more than one rate increase could still be on the horizon, said Chong.
But after Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell gave a speech indicating that the central bank will make future rate decisions on a meeting by meeting basis, markets climbed for the rest of the day, likely embodying some relief, said Chong.
“It sounds much more balanced this time around,” said Chong.
While it’s clear the central bank isn’t ready to pause or pivot yet, Chong said the markets likely rallied on relief that the bank didn’t double down on its hawkish tone.
Meanwhile, oil prices were down Wednesday, and the energy index on the TSX lost 2.8 per cent. Much of these losses were from TC Energy, said Chong, which was down 5.6 per cent on news that the Coastal Gaslink project will cost more to complete than expected.
As earnings continue to roll in this week, with big tech names including Apple and Alphabet set to release results, Chong said markets could reverse some of the week's gains.
Earnings overall haven't been as bad as some expected, but some of the outlooks have been weak, said Chong.
The Canadian dollar traded for 75.07 cents US compared with 74.91 cents US on Tuesday.
The March crude contract was down US$2.46 at US$76.41 per barrel and the March natural gas contract was down 22 cents at US$2.47 per mmBTU.
The April gold contract was down US$2.50 at US$1,942.80 an ounce and the March copper contract was down 12 cents at US$4.11 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.