OTTAWA – The Conference Board of Canada suggested Monday that job growth should be “just modest” in the near term based on the latest read of its help wanted index.

OTTAWA – Canada’s largest real estate association says the number of home sales will increase slightly this year, driven by low interest rates.

NEW LENOX, Ill. – Enbridge Inc., (TSX:ENB) has shut down a pipeline that carries oil from Canada to the U.S. after two vehicles crashed through a fence outside Chicago and struck the pipeline, causing a fiery explosion.

NEW LENOX, Ill. – Enbridge Inc., (TSX:ENB) has reportedly shut down a pipeline carrying oil from Canada to the U.S. after two vehicles crashed through a fence outside Chicago and struck the pipeline, causing a fiery explosion.

TORONTO – StumbleUpon may not have the same household-name cachet as Air Canada, Canadian Tire, Costco or Sears, but online, the Canadian-born social media site trumps them all.

TORONTO – The closure of three high-profile Sears Canada Inc. (TSX:SCC) department stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa should not be interpreted as a death knell for the struggling retailer, its president and CEO says.

MONTREAL – National Bank of Canada has been growing its home mortgages business with the help of more specialists and by working with brokers, but it hasn’t lowered its underwriting standards to achieve the growth, the bank said Friday.

OTTAWA – Canada’s economy showed signs of revival at the end of last year, a welcome signal that the fall stall may have been a temporary setback in a slow-moving recovery.

MONTREAL – National Bank of Canada has been increasing its home mortgages business with the help of more specialists and by working with brokers, but it hasn’t lowered its underwriting standards to achieve the growth, the bank said Friday.

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says the pace of economic growth slowed to 0.4 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2011 after a third-quarter increase of 1.0 per cent.

TORONTO – Sears Canada Inc. (TSX:SCC) plans to close three of its department stores in major Canadian cities, selling back the leases to the landlord for $170 million.

SASKATOON – Cameco (TSX:CCO) says it has entered into an agreement with AREVA Resources Canada Inc. to acquire the company’s stake in the northern Saskatchewan-based Millennium project for $150 million.

VANCOUVER – The company behind a controversial mining proposal in British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against one of its critics, alleging an environmental group has made inaccurate and defamatory comments that threaten to mislead the public.

TORONTO – Bell Media is saying little about a report that Canada’s broadcast regulator has dropped its case against Bell Mobility’s exclusive content deal with the National Football League.

OTTAWA – Technology consulting firm Calian Technologies Ltd. (TSX:CTY) said Thursday that it has acquired Primacy Management Inc., a company that operates 112 health clinics in Loblaws (TSX:L) stores across Canada.

OTTAWA – Human Resources Minister Diane Finley is suggesting there’s no need for Canada to ratchet up the retirement age within the space of 10 years.

WASHINGTON – TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline was front and centre on the American political stage on Thursday as both U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney extolled the virtues of the Canadian project.

TORONTO – Daily commuter newspaper chain Metro Canada is expanding into six new cities as of April 2.

TORONTO – Chrysler Canada claimed the top spot as the best selling automaker in the country for the second consecutive month at the top of the heap.

CALGARY – A group of Canada’s oilsands producers, including some of the industry’s biggest names, said Thursday they can improve environmental performance with an alliance that will allow them to share their knowledge and resources.