Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week
TORONTO — Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:
Trans Mountain troubles
B.C. Premier John Horgan’s government may file a long-promised court reference this week to clarify questions around provincial authority over Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd.’s Trans Mountain pipeline and other such inter-jurisdictional megaprojects. The company is caught in the middle of a political feud among Alberta, B.C. and the federal government over the $7.4-billion project.
Steady as she goes
Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz and deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins appear at a Commons finance committee to discuss the central bank’s monetary policy report on Monday. The central bank stuck with its benchmark interest rate of 1.25 per cent last week as it continued along a careful process of determining the appropriate juncture for its next hike.
Tims travails
Restaurant Brands International Inc. discusses first-quarter results on Tuesday. Shares for the parent company of Burger King and Tim Hortons have fallen to their lowest point since February 2017 amid a growing spat between the company and a group of restive Tims franchisees over a range of issues including cost-cutting measures and a $700-million plan to renovate restaurants.
Disloyalty
Loyalty rewards company Aimia Inc. releases first-quarter results after markets close on Thursday. An activist investor says it plans to vote against the re-election of the company’s board of director nominees later this month over the company’s poor performance and plummeting share price, citing Aimia’s loss of its agreement with Air Canada and the sale of the British program Nectar to retailer Sainsbury.
Green light for Keystone XL?
Pipeline giant TransCanada Corp. holds its annual meeting on Friday. A research analyst recently told The Canadian Press that U.S. President Trump’s vocal support for the energy industry company’s Keystone XL pipeline should help it avoid the political pitfalls that sunk Energy East and Northern Gateway.