National Business

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada says business and consumer sentiment improved during the first quarter of the year, despite higher interest rates still putting a drag on the economy.

Parts of five provinces in Central and Eastern Canada will be in the path of a total solar eclipse on April 8.

TORONTO — Municipalities across Central and Eastern Canada have spent months preparing for an event that will last just three-and-a-half minutes: a total solar eclipse that will cast parts of the country into complete darkness.

MONTREAL — An activist investor seeking to reinstate Glenn Chamandy as chief executive of Gildan Activewear Inc. says it wants to reduce costs at the clothing manufacturer and increase its market share in a bid to boost its earnings and share price.

HALIFAX — The minimum wage is going up today in all four Atlantic Canadian provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador is leading the way with a 60-cent increase, bringing its hourly rate to $15.60 — the highest minimum wage in the region.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are hanging near their records at the start of a week with several influential economic reports, including the government’s monthly jobs market survey on Friday. The S&P 500 was up 0.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin loved pulling pranks, so much so they began rolling outlandish ideas every April Fools' Day not long after starting their company more than a quarter century ago.

CALGARY — Parkland Corp. says its refinery in Burnaby, B.C., returned to normal operations on March 29. The company says the return comes after an unplanned shutdown on Jan. 12 due to extreme cold weather.

TORONTO — The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and investment manager Bridgepoint have signed a deal to sell Dorna Sports to Liberty Media, the company behind Formula One auto racing. The transaction puts an enterprise value of 4.

TORONTO — Canada looks set to dodge a recession despite the ongoing downward pressure from higher interest rates, Deloitte Canada said in its economic outlook report.