Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week

TORONTO – Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week:

Roots vote

Shareholders of Roots Corp. will vote on Tuesday on a deal that will see the retailer taken private by Marquee Brands, the firm behind Martha Stewart, Laura Ashley and Roberto Cavalli. Marquee plans to partner with Joseph Mimran, the Canadian fashion visionary behind Joe Fresh, Club Monaco and Alfred Sung, to help grow the Roots brand.

Ford speech

Ontario Premier Doug Ford will give a speech to the Empire Club of Canada on Wednesday in Toronto. Ford has been one of the loudest voices in Canada’s trade fight with the United States.

Economic data

Statistics Canada will release its building permits data for August on Wednesday. It will also publish its monthly survey of manufacturing and figures for wholesale trade in August on Thursday.

Housing figures

There are a pair of key data points for the Canadian housing market coming this week. The Canadian Real Estate Association will release its September home sales figures on Friday, while Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is expected to release September housing starts the same day.

Joly speech

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly will be at the Canadian Club Toronto on Friday to talk about the pressures facing Canadian industry. Last week, she sent a letter demanding that Stelco outline a plan on how its U.S.-based parent company Cleveland-Cliffs will honour its legally binding commitments made at the time of its acquisition of Stelco in 2024. Stelco is laying off up to 500 workers, citing an ongoing trade crisis, among other factors.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2026.

Companies in this story: (TSX:ROOT)