National Business

OTTAWA — Retail sales edged higher in July, driven by sales at supermarkets and grocery stores, but Statistics Canada said Friday its early estimate for August pointed to a decline. The agency said retail sales jumped 0.3 per cent to $66.

TORONTO — Artificial intelligence and increased automation can help lessen the load for workers at a time when Canada faces a labour shortage in the construction and manufacturing sector.

VANCOUVER — West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. has signed a deal to sell two pulp mills in Western Canada to Atlas Holdings for US$120 million. The sale includes West Fraser's Quesnel River Pulp mill in Quesnel, B.C.

TORONTO — Prime Video will jump on the ad wagon next year, introducing commercial breaks to its platform and hiking fees for those who want to avoid them.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Some names are just the wurst. Just four months after announcing that the hot dog-shaped Wienermobile was changing its name to the Frankmobile, the distinctive wiener on wheels is reverting to the original.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department and China's Ministry of Finance launched a pair of economic working groups on Friday in an effort to ease tensions and deepen ties between the nations.

CAMBRIDGE, Ont. — ATS Corp. has signed a deal to buy Avidity Science LLC, a designer and manufacturer of automated water purification solutions for biomedical and life science applications, for $265 million. Based in Waterford, Wisc.

NEW YORK (AP) — Magnate Rupert Murdoch's surprise announcement Thursday that he's stepping down as leader of his two companies leaves his son Lachlan firmly in line of succession at Fox and the rest of the media empire.

CALGARY — Coastal GasLink has been fined $340,000 by the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office for issues related to erosion and sediment control. Coastal GasLink, which is owned by Calgary-based TC Energy Corp.

TORONTO — Some of the most active companies traded Thursday on the Toronto Stock Exchange: Toronto Stock Exchange (19,791.62, down 423.07 points): TC Energy Corp. (TSX:TRP). Energy/ Down $1.38, or 2.75 per cent, to $48.75 on 17.7 million shares.