National Business

WASHINGTON — Tom Vilsack, President Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of agriculture, pledged Tuesday to focus on climate change initiatives and work to address racial inequities in agricultural assistance programs.

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — The BC Coroners Service confirmed Tuesday a worker has died in a mining accident near Kamloops, B.C., and the mine owner reports two other workers were also hurt.

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it is moving to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, freeing up more doses for states and beginning to distribute them to retail pharmacies next week.

CALGARY — Canadian silver mining companies are giving back double-digit share price increases gained Monday as an apparent drive by online retail investors to boost interest in the shiny metal grinds to a halt.

NEW YORK — Uber is bringing the booze. The mobile ride-hailing company said Tuesday that it is acquiring the alcohol-delivery platform Drizly for $1.1 billion in stock and cash.

VANCOUVER — Homes sales in much of Metro Vancouver in January increased by 52.1 per cent compared with sales from the same time last year.

MONTREAL — Two large shareholders of Dorel Industries Inc. say they will vote against a proposal to take the company private despite a move by Cerberus Capital Management LP to raise its offer.

CALGARY — Sagging fuel demand due to lockdowns to deal with a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is again cutting into volumes and returns at refineries at Imperial Oil Ltd. after a recovery last fall, CEO Brad Corson said Tuesday.

TORONTO — Brookfield Property Partners LP says it swung to a loss in its latest quarter despite seeing a significant pickup in private real estate investment activity.

TORONTO — Brookfield Infrastructure has signed deals totalling US$4.1 billion to sell Enwave, its North American district energy business.