News of the day: Ice highway ends, tax system redo, food bank use doubles, supporting defence companies, Scotiabank’s AI hire and more

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Defence Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Defence Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Defence Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomeUncategorizedNews of the day: Ice highway ends, tax system redo, food bank use doubles, supporting defence companies, Scotiabank's AI hire and moreCatch up on the stories we’re following todayTibbitt to Contwoyto winter road (aka ice road). Built upon a series of frozen lakes northeast of Yellowknife, the TCWR was the longest heavy-haul ice road on the planet, measuring 400km from tip to tail. Photo by Contributed/Alietum Ice IncIt’s Wednesday, Oct. 21. Here are the top stories we’re following today.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountFor the first time in nearly 50 years, the 400-kilometre Tibbitt-to-Contwoyto winter road that connects the Far North to the rest of Canada will not be built — and climate change is not to blame. Laurent Ferreira, chief executive of the National Bank of Canada, speaks during the 2026 National Bank Economic Forum at the Montreal Chamber of Commerce in Montreal on Feb. 17, 2026. Photo by Andrej Ivanov/Bloomberg filesThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Ottawa needs to hire a small team of experts to write a new tax code with the “goal of becoming the simplest, most efficient and most competitive tax jurisdiction of all developed countries,” Laurent Ferreira, chief executive of National Bank of Canada, said at the Canadian Club of Toronto on Wednesday.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again A crowd of people outside the Fort York Food Bank at 380 College St. in Toronto. Photo by Jack Boland/Toronto Sun filesCanada’s food banks hit a record 2.35 million monthly visits this year, as many Canadians were forced to choose between food and other basic needs, said Food Banks Canada in a new report. Darryl White said the “stumbling block” in many business plans is whether there’s going to be a customer for all the defence products being made. Photo by Laura Proctor/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesOttawa may spend billions of dollars on defence-related projects and wants a major share of it to go to Canadians, but the problem is that a lot of local companies aren’t ready and need more support, says Bank of Montreal’s chief executive Darryl White. Canadian banks have been increasingly using AI to improve their performance, such as recovering unpaid debts and saving thousands of workdays. Photo by Galit Rodan/BloombergBank of Nova Scotia says it has hired Jasmine de Gaia from Wells Fargo & Co. as senior vice-president and chief artificial intelligence officer.This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.