TORONTO – Five things to watch this week in Canadian business:
Premiers meeting: The annual summer gathering of Canada’s premiers gets underway beginning Wednesday in Whitehorse, Yukon. One major issue to be discussed is the possible agreement to bring down internal trade barriers, long a thorn in the side of businesses across the country.
Canadian Pacific: Canadian Pacific Railway has already signalled it expects revenue and profit to fall in its second quarter because of fewer shipments of grain, potash and other commodities. The company releases its results Wednesday.
Quebec drilling dispute: Oil and gas company Petrolia will be in court Thursday seeking an injunction to force the Quebec government and a private firm to pay for oil-and-gas exploration on Anticosti Island at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.
Encana: One of Canada’s largest oil and gas companies, Encana, releases its second-quarter results Thursday. Like many others in the energy sector, the Calgary-based firm has been reeling from low crude prices, which have resulted in losses and mass layoffs.
The economy: Another barometer of Canada’s economic health comes out Friday, when Statistics Canada releases the annual inflation rate for June. In May, the consumer price index was 1.5 per cent. A rebound in the Canadian dollar from lows earlier in the year has helped keep food prices in check.
