Swath of Ontario boreal forest larger than Toronto to be protected from development
A chunk of Ontario's northern boreal forest bigger than Toronto is set to be protected from industrial development.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada says it has acquired 814 square kilometres of boreal forest and peatlands south of Kapuskasing, previously owned by a company selling carbon offset credits.
The non-profit says where the landscape is healthy and free of vulnerable species, some day-use recreational activities such as hiking and paddling may continue, in line with provincial laws.
The federal government says it's contributing $13 million to the project as part of a total $64-million investment from both public and private donors.
The announcement comes ahead of next week's annual United Nations biodiversity summit, where the talks are expected to focus on global progress toward conservation goals.
Ottawa unveiled a new $3.8-billion nature protection strategy earlier this year intended to put Canada's goals within reach, months after the federal environmental watchdog found it to be more than one-million square kilometres short of its 2025 goal to protect 25 per cent of its lands and inland water.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
By Jordan Omstead | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Czech defence company CSG buys 9.5 per cent stake in MDA Space
Czech defence company CSG has bought a 9.5 per cent stake in MDA Space Ltd., making it the Canadian company's largest shareholder.
CSG says it views MDA Space as a strategic investment and sees opportunities to explore potential co-operation between the two companies over time.
CSG chair Michal Strnad says MDA Space is a highly respected, well led, profitable and growing space company with exceptional technological capabilities.
He pointed to the possibility of co-investing with MDA in manufacturing or assembly facilities in Europe and partnering on strategic acquisitions.
MDA Space CEO Mike Greenley welcomed the investment and said CSG is a leading European industrial group with a proven track record in building high-quality defence businesses.
MDA Space shares were down 23 cents at $39.95 in early-afternoon trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
Companies in this story: (TSX:MDA)
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
TC Energy completes Indigenous investment deal in Coastal GasLink
TC Energy Corp. says it has closed a deal that gives five First Nations an economic interest in the Coastal GasLink pipeline, which brings natural gas from northeastern B.C. to the LNG Canada plant and export terminal in Kitimat, B.C.
Financial terms of the deal were not immediately available.
“This agreement turns years of partnership into long-term economic opportunity and shared prosperity,” François Poirier, president and chief executive of TC Energy, said in a news release Tuesday.
Under the agreement with the FN CGL Pipeline Ltd. Partnership, the First Nations have obtained an economic interest in the entity that holds TC Energy’s limited partner interest in Coastal GasLink. Its members include the Haisla Nation, Halfway River First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Saulteau First Nations and West Moberly First Nations.
"This investment framework recognizes the importance of partnership, financial certainty and shared prosperity, while supporting our communities’ ability to make decisions about our own economic future," Chief Roland Willson of West Moberly First Nations said in the release.
TC Energy operates Coastal GasLink and has a 35 per cent interest in the pipeline, with KKR & Co. and Alberta Investment Management Corp. holding the rest on behalf of certain clients.
Tuesday's deal is the first of two planned Indigenous investment transactions related to Coastal GasLink. TC Energy says a second transaction with another First Nations entity is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
In 2022, TC Energy announced the signing of option agreements to sell a 10 per cent equity interest in the pipeline to Indigenous communities across the project corridor.
The company recently announced plans to double the existing capacity of the 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline, which feeds gas to LNG Canada, by adding new compressor stations and upgrading facilities.
For the second phase of the pipeline, LNG Canada — owned by Shell Canada and four Asian partners — is leading construction, limiting the Coastal GasLink owners' spending and cost and schedule risk. The Coastal GasLink partners remain owner and operator.
Construction is to begin in early 2027 and the pipeline is set to come into service in the early 2030s.
The decision came after LNG Canada announced a final greenlight for the Phase 2 expansion of its facility, which enables natural gas chilled into a liquid state to be shipped across the Pacific. The first phase started up in the summer of 2025.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2026.
Companies in this story: (TSX:TRP)
By Lauren Krugel | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.