8 h. ago Rate hold means status quo for Canada’s struggling housing market: Experts

Real estate watchers say the Bank of Canada’s decision to hold its key policy rate steady at 2.75 per cent will likely keep a sluggish housing market at the status quo. Wednesday’s announcement marked the first time the central bank has left the benchmark rate unchanged following seven consecutive cuts since June.  Ratesdotca mortgage and […]

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9 h. ago Bank of Canada holds interest rate steady for first time in 2025

The Bank of Canada (BoC) announced that it's holding its policy rate at 2.75 per cent on Wednesday morning.Before this, the central bank had made two 0.25 per cent cuts to its key interest rate, with the last one on March 12 bringing the rate to 2.75 per cent.On Tuesday, Statistics Canada shared March inflation data, showing that inflation slowed to 2.3 per cent following a 2.6 per cent increase in February.Last week, Ratehub.ca mortgage expert Penelope Graham told us that while Canada had largely dodged the worst of the tariff pain, the BoC's policymakers would assess the impact on our trade partners, and the effect at home, to make a decision on April 16.She said the central bank would be weighing plummeting consumer and business sentiment, based on its own quarterly survey.Upcoming Bank of Canada rate announcementsKeep an eye on the Bank of Canada website at 9:45 a.m. on the following dates:Wednesday, June 4, 2025 (rate update only)Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (rate up...

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9 h. ago Bank of Canada holds key rate steady amid trade war, economic uncertainty

OTTAWA — The Bank of Canada left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday as it waits to get a clearer picture of how global trade uncertainty is going to impact the Canadian economy.  The central bank held its policy rate steady at 2.75 per cent, the first time it has left the key rate unchanged […]

Economics

15 h. ago Will the Bank of Canada cut interest rates again as trade war deepens?

Some analysts expect the central bank to cut its benchmark rate by 25 basis points, bringing it down to 2.5 per cent, while others expect the rate to be held steady.

Economics

34 h. ago Inflation cooled to 2.3% in March as gas prices fell, StatCan says

OTTAWA — Canadians got a break on inflation in March even without a tax holiday as Statistics Canada says the pace of price increases slowed last month.  The agency says the annual inflation rate was 2.3 per cent in the month, down from 2.6 per cent in February.  StatCan says a drop in the price […]

Economics

58 h. ago Another Bank of Canada interest rate cut is on the way and here's what could happen

Amid times of economic uncertainty — an upcoming federal election and tense relations with the U.S. — Canadians are waiting for the next Bank of Canada (BoC) interest rate announcement.The central bank has made two 0.25 per cent cuts to its key interest rate so far this year, with the last one on March 12 bringing the rate to 2.75 per cent.That announcement came a week after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods, and Canada retaliated with counter-tariffs. The BoC claimed the Canadian economy entered the year in a "solid position," saying GDP showed robust growth, and inflation was finally close to the two per cent target.However, with economic aggression from the U.S., BoC officials predicted a slower pace of economic activity and increased inflationary pressures in Canada. The latter concern contributed to the decision to lower the policy rate by a quarter point.The last BoC update did not come with an extensive m...

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7 d. ago Quaint Toronto house is a rare find for under $1 million but still needs work

Normally, when you see a Toronto house like 510 Northcliffe Blvd. that's a detached home listed for under $1 million, you'd expect a bidding war. But times have changed in Toronto. The majority of homes are selling for less than the listed price, and with the economic and political uncertainties, there's less competition overall. The front entrance. So if you're a first-time homebuyer, this might be the perfect opportunity to get on that property ladder. The living room with a bay window. 510 Northcliffe Blvd. is the perfect diamond-in-the-rough-type of house that could be worth way more with a couple of upgrades and a few years. A back patio. First off, it's located in Oakwood, a neighbourhood that has seen property values rise more than seven per cent in the last 12 months.An aerial view of the neighbourhood. Second, it's a detached house, which typically sells for $1.3 million in this area, and could be worth way more when th...

Economics

9 d. ago Home insurance bills will be higher in 2025 due to severe weather: experts

In 2025, home insurance rates have risen 5.28 per cent, well above the rate of inflation, according to a report published by My Choice Financial, a Canadian insurance aggregator.

Economics

1 week ago China imposes 34 per cent tariff on all U.S. imports starting April 10

Tariff matches rate of U.S. 34 per cent "reciprocal" tariff on Chinese exports that Trump ordered this week

Economics

1 week ago London jobless rate improves, but U.S. tariffs toll hasn't yet hit

The London region’s unemployment rate improved in March as the local economy added 2,200 new jobs, a strong showing that doesn’t yet reflect the impact of the trade war between Canada and the U.S. The region’s jobless rate now sits at 5.9 per cent, down from February’s 6.6 per cent, Statistics Canada reported Friday. Including […]

Economics

1 week ago Canadian economy lost 33,000 jobs in March, biggest loss since 2022

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the economy lost 33,000 jobs in March, the biggest loss since January 2022, while the unemployment rate ticked higher. The agency says the unemployment rate for March rose to 6.7 per cent compared with 6.6 per cent in February. The drop in jobs reverses some of the gains made by […]

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2 w. ago New report shows Calgary's downtown office vacancy rate climbs back above 30%

The effect of increased oilpatch consolidation continues to be felt in Calgary’s downtown office market, with the vacancy rate for these buildings climbing back above 30 per cent during the first three months of the year. A report released Monday by commercial real estate firm CBRE Ltd. found the downtown office vacancy rate increased during […]

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2 w. ago Varcoe: Calgary office vacancy rate creeps above 30% — 'Like climbing out of a hole made of quicksand'

Two major factors could shake up efforts to revitalize the downtown and fill empty office buildings in the core. One is ongoing oilpatch consolidation, which has pushed the downtown office vacancy rate back above 30 per cent during the first three months of the year. The tremors from U.S. tariff threats are creating uncertainty, but […]

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2 w. ago Downtown Toronto is still struggling despite some signs of life returning

Downtown Toronto has gradually recovered much of the vitality lost during the pandemic years, but the city centre is still struggling with a dearth of office workers even amid signs of life returning.New data in CBRE's just-released Q1 2025 Canada Office Figures report reveals that vacancy in downtown Toronto's gutted commercial market rebounded slightly during the first months of the year, but there's still a long way to go before things are even close to normal again.CBRE's figures show that Toronto fared better than other Canadian cities during the first quarter of 2025, with downtown office vacancy declining by 50 basis points to 18.5 per cent.While this leap marks the first substantial drop in vacancy recorded since the market took a nosedive in early 2020, there is still much ground to recover should vacancies ever drop to the figures seen in the before-times.Central Toronto's office market hit a record low vacancy rate of just 2.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2019. Howev...

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2 w. ago Opinion: Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will be worse than you think

If you apply the template in the administration's memo last month, the rate could get to a toe-curling 35 to 40 per cent

Economics

4 w. ago Statistics Canada says population rose to 41,528,680 at Jan. 1 as growth slowed

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the population grew to 41,528,680 people as of Jan. 1 as the pace of growth continued to slow after peaking in the third quarter of 2023. The total number of people was up 63,382 compared with Oct. 1, 2024, for a quarterly growth rate of 0.2 per cent. The agency […]

Economics

4 w. ago Toronto's crime rate soars 40% above New York in one department

Toronto is known as a low-crime city compared to locales with similar or greater populations, but it may surprise some to learn that the 416 is way ahead of even New York City, Detroit and Los Angeles in one specific category of criminal activity.A new study published on Tuesday by independent Canadian think tank the Fraser Institute reveals that Ontario cities like Toronto, Hamilton and Windsor outpace several major U.S. cities in property crime. This includes many places known for their high crime rates, like New York City, Detroit, L.A. and Flint, Michigan.The study looked at the property crime (e.g., burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft) rates of large urban areas with populations of 100,000 people or more, using maximum annual crime rates from 2019 through 2022.Toronto's per person property crime rate exceeded New York's by a shocking 40 per cent, though overall crime rates are obviously much higher in what is the United States' largest city.Howeve...

Events

4 w. ago Annual inflation rate jumps to 2.6% in February with tax holiday end: StatCan

OTTAWA — The annual rate of inflation accelerated sharply to 2.6 per cent in February as the federal government’s temporary tax break came to an end mid-month, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. That marks a sizeable jump from the 1.9 per cent increase seen in January, when Canadians saw GST and HST taken off a variety […]

Economics

4 w. ago Canadian farmland values rise nine per cent, but rate of growth on a downward trend

Average Canadian farmland values continued their more than 30-year streak of increases last year, but Farm Credit Canada says the rate of growth is slowing and trade disruptions could further dent them. The Crown corporation, which provides financing and other services to the agriculture industry, said in a report Tuesday that the average value of […]

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