Canada central bank keeps key lending rate at 0.5pc

Canada's central bank maintained its key lending rate at 0.5 percent Wednesday while signaling hope for an economic rebound in the coming months following a dismal first half of 2016.

Recently released economic data showed the biggest quarterly decline in GDP in seven years in the second quarter due to a disruption of oil production caused by massive wildfires, while an across-the-board downturn in exports was the worst since 2009.