TORONTO (Reuters) - The Alberta government on Friday lowered its 2018-2019 budget deficit projection by C$1 billion ($765 million) as higher oil prices boosted revenue for the Canadian energy-producing province. The 2018-19 deficit outlook fell to C$7.8 billion, compared with C$8.8 billion projected in March, the government said in a statement. The 2018-19 fiscal year ends on March 31. Revenue is forecast to reach C$49.1 billion ($37.91 billion), 2.5 percent higher than the budget projection...

(Corrects to "contracts," not "contacts" in 1st paragraph.) Sept 5 (Reuters) - Great-West Lifeco Inc, Canada's second-biggest insurance company, is exploring the sale of a collection of insurance contracts that could fetch as much as $2 billion, three people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The deal would represent one of the biggest divestments of such insurance books in recent times. Insurance companies have been offloading such blocks, consisting of policies in areas where no...

TORONTO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Canadian miner New Gold Inc is exploring a sale as it grapples with ballooning development costs and operating challenges at its new mine, people familiar with the situation told Reuters. Toronto-based New Gold, which is working with investment bank BMO Capital Markets to help find a buyer and evaluate other options, has held talks with interested parties, the sources said this week. There were no assurances the talks would result in a deal, they added, declining...

TORONTO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Kinder Morgan Inc (KMI.N) has hired investment bank TD Securities (TD.TO) to facilitate a potential sale of its Canadian business, which could fetch as much as C$2.4 billion ($1.8 billion), people familiar with the situation told Reuters this week. Should the move succeed, it would mark the exit of the U.S. pipeline giant from Canada, having closed its sale of the Trans Mountain pipeline to the Canadian government for about C$4.5 billion at the end of last...

TORONTO (Reuters) - Cannabis investor Canopy Rivers Inc, the venture arm of industry giant Canopy Growth Corp went public on Thursday in a debut that gave it a market capitalization of about C$1.6 billion ($1.24 billion), more than double its valuation prior to the listing. Canopy Rivers listed on the Canada’s junior stock exchange through a reverse takeover of a shell company, a route preferred by the cannabis industry to tap the capital markets. It is the latest in a string of public...