PRESS DIGEST - Canada - Feb 9

Feb 9 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

THE GLOBE AND MAIL:

-- Ontario's rate of growth dropped below the national average for the first time in 25 years, the 2011 census shows, suggesting that long-term decline of the manufacturing sector is taking a toll.

Reports in the business section:

-- The bonanza of dirt-cheap mortgages offered by some of Canada's biggest lenders in recent weeks has been shut down, as banks pull their offers in the face of higher funding costs and concerns over dwindling profit margins.

On Wednesday, Toronto-Dominion Bank pulled discount mortgage rates that were supposed to be available until the end of the month. Royal Bank of Canada did the same on Tuesday.

-- Redbox is bringing its popular vending-machine DVD business to Canada's billion-dollar movie-rental market, aiming to fill a void created by the failure of Blockbuster Corp and other traditional video stores.

NATIONAL POST:

-- The Old Age Security program in Canada can carry on with a retirement age of 65, according to the country's parliamentary budget officer, who said any potential changes to the system likely would be unrelated to financial issues. In a report released Wednesday by his office, it is anticipated that payments to Canadians in their golden years will top C$140-billion by 2036.

Reports in the Financial Post section:

-- The two men who launched a controversial bid to acquire Baffinland Iron Mines Corp in 2010 have been accused of insider tipping and trading by the Ontario Securities Commission.

The OSC said Jowdat Waheed and Bruce Walter acted contrary to the public interest by using confidential information in their efforts to acquire Baffinland, a junior mining company that is developing the massive Mary River iron ore deposit on Baffin Island in Nunavut Territory.