LAC-MEGANTIC, Que. - The scars from last year's devastating train derailment still run deep in Lac-Megantic. But this weekend townsfolk will square their shoulders once again to pay homage to 47 of their friends and relatives who perished when a runaway train turned their downtown core into an inferno. Church services, concerts, social events and vigils will mark two days of commemorations, which will be highlighted Sunday by a Roman Catholic mass at the church whose statue of Jesus became [Read more]

The price of crude oil slipped below $104 a barrel Friday, extending its drop to seven straight days, as expectations of increased supply offset strong U.S. employment growth.Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude moved 29 cents lower to US$103.77 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.U.S. markets were closed Friday for the Independence Day holiday and trading volumes in other markets were thinner than usual.Crude fell despite signs the U.S. economy is steadily [Read more]

VICTORIA - BC Ferries says a Polish shipyard has won the contract to build three new intermediate-class ferries capable of operating with liquefied natural gas or diesel. It says Remontowa Shipbuilding of Poland will receive $165 million to build the ships, with a contract that includes completion, performance and delivery guarantees. BC Ferries says the total budget for the project is $252 million, which includes financing and project management costs, and covers $51 million for Canadian [Read more]

The price of oil slipped again Thursday as the risk of supply disruptions in Iraq faded and key export terminals in Libya were expected to reopen.Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery fell 42 cents to US$104.06 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its sixth consecutive day of decline. On Wednesday, the contract fell 86 cents to $104.48.Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell 24 cents to US$111 a barrel in London.Oil prices in recent weeks have largely [Read more]

NEW YORK - The price of oil slipped Wednesday despite a report from the U.S. Department of Energy that showed American stockpiles of crude fell more than expected last week.Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude for August delivery fell 86 cents to US$104.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its fifth day of decline. The contract closed at a 10-month high of US$107.26 on June 20.Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell $1.05 to US$111.24 a barrel in London.The Energy [Read more]

HALIFAX - The majority of people who offered opinions for a report on hydraulic fracturing in Nova Scotia say they want the province to ban or maintain a moratorium on the disputed industry.There were 238 individual submissions to an 'expert panel' that's looking at the environmental impact of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in Nova Scotia.Of those, 92 per cent said they supported a moratorium or ban, while 0.5 per cent were against such prohibitions.The discussion paper will form the basis [Read more]

The price of oil edged up Wednesday on stronger manufacturing activity in the United States and China, the two biggest oil consumers. Benchmark U.S. crude for August delivery was up 8 cents to $105.42 per barrel at 0800 GMT in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, breaking four days of declines. The contract closed at a 10-month high of $107.26 on June 20. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell 13 cents to $112.16 per barrel in London. Manufacturing [Read more]