Employees at TD Bank say hundreds of people are working less than a metre apart in some cases, while sharing the same desks, equipment, kitchens, eating areas and washrooms, making their workplace a potential “breeding ground” for the coronavirus.  It comes as provincial authorities have banned gatherings larger than 50 people while shutting down schools,…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government has received 500,000 applications for employment insurance, compared to just 27,000 for the same week last year. Trudeau says the government is receiving a historic number of calls from concerned Canadians amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “I know people are anxious to get the help they deserve, and our government…

Walmart Canada needs more workers to keep up with demand, as Canadians stock up on household staples to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. The company says it’s immediately hiring 10,000 associates at its stores and distributions centres. Here’s where to apply. Walmart plans to keep all of its stores open, according to the company’s CEO…

Two major grocery store chains are taking steps to protect their employees from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. In a statement Friday, Sobeys said it began installing plexiglass shields to protect cashiers at its stores. “We’ve looked across the world at best practices and these shields stand out as a strong safety…

Via Rail has announced it is halting some routes, as well as extending some previous cancellations, in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Three routes — Montreal to Halifax (the Ocean), Toronto to Vancouver (the Canadian), and the Jasper-Prince George-Prince Rupert line — will all be suspended until May 1. The routes were previously suspended, but the rail service announced Thursday that the cancellations…

Some Canadians looking to defer mortgage payments due to COVID-19 say they are facing delays, confusion and outright denials from the country’s big banks. “My wife called the 1-800 number for Bank of Montreal, talked to an adviser on the line to see what we are eligible for,” said Evan McFatridge of Dartmouth, N.S., whose family…