National Business

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is providing $20 million over two years to support travel and lodging for cancer patients in the province.

OTTAWA — More than three decades after Indigenous leaders in northern Alberta began asking for funding to better understand if pollution from the oilsands was making their people sick, the federal government is funding a study to do just that.

SASKATOON, Sask. — Nutrien Ltd. says it earned US$392 million in its second quarter, down from US$448 million a year earlier. The Saskatoon-based company says sales came in at US$10.2 billion, down from US$11.

OTTAWA — The Canadian government is calling on the European Union to ease restrictions on seal products as member states review trade regulations.

CALGARY — WestJet says 16 of its planes have been grounded after a massive hailstorm hit Calgary earlier this week, and the decreased capacity means it will have to cut flights across its network for the "foreseeable future.

VANCOUVER — Leslie Guerin watched ashes and burning embers the size of bowling balls falling from the sky in Vancouver on Tuesday night. Guerin said he was 14 blocks away from a fire in the city when he heard four large explosions.

TORONTO — Manulife Financial Corp. says earnings were fairly flat in the second quarter as better market performance was offset by a sizable loss on a sale of debt instruments. The insurer says net income attributable to shareholders came in at $1.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. — Police in British Columbia's Fraser Valley say a woman and a child died in Tuesday's multi-vehicle crash on Highway 1.

TORONTO — Canada's main stock index fell almost 100 points Wednesday, tipping into the red after a strong start to the day, while U.S. markets also reversed earlier gains to end the day down. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 98.

Shopify Inc.'s president has heard retailers talking about softening consumer spending but feels his company is weathering the storm well because of the diversity of its merchants.