May 4 (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
** The Canadian government and several provinces are exploring options, including launching legal action against Purdue Pharma, whose pain pill triggered Canada's deadly opioid epidemic after a proposed class-action settlement that reimburses only a fraction of their costs.
** Home Capital Group Inc HCG.TO has had its credit rating slashed again, reflecting dwindling confidence in the beleaguered mortgage lender as depositors flee.
** British Columbia Liberal Leader Christy Clark says her threat of a ban or a tax on thermal coal exports, announced just over a week before a provincial election as a shot at the United States over the softwood lumber dispute, would proceed regardless of whether Canada and the United States reach an agreement to end the trade battle.
NATIONAL POST
** Torstar Corp TSb.TO lost C$24.4 million, or 30 Canadian cents per share, and cut 110 jobs in the first quarter of 2017, as the company's core traditional revenue streams continued to plummet in line with broad media industry trends.
Home Capital Group Inc's HCG.TO struggles to shore up its liquidity and restore market confidence will take on a new dimension Thursday as the Ontario Securities Commission launches hearings into allegations of misleading disclosure at the embattled mortgage lender.
Canada substantially boosted its renewable electricity capacity over the past decade, and has now emerged as the second largest producer of hydropower in the world, a report by the National Energy Board said on Wednesday.