Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) may appear stable, but its foundation is anything but. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows that real GDP rose 0.5% in Q1 2025, matching Q4 2024 after a downward revision. While the headline signals expansion, it conceals a more troubling reality: domestic economic activity is flatlining, and the terms of […]
Canada’s surging rents have more to do with financialization than fundamentals, according to a new University of Waterloo study. Researchers from the School of Planning conducted a deep dive into Toronto’s rental market and found the most aggressive rental hikes came from large financial landlords. By using techniques like vacant units, algorithmic pricing, and systematic […]
Canadian inflation is officially “too high,” putting the Bank of Canada’s (BoC) credibility into jeopardy for the second time in five years. April inflation data breached the central bank’s upper tolerance band—just weeks after it dismissed accelerating price growth and cut rates, effectively adding inflationary stimulus. BMO had a blunt warning to investors this week: […]
The latest survey from Canada’s state-owned mortgage insurer reveals that the kids are not alright. CMHC data shows first-time purchasers increasingly depend on non-traditional funding such as non-mortgage debt, gifted down payments, and co-ownership with non-occupying residents. First-time buyers are showing more signs of being overextended despite increased leverage. Young adults are finding themselves in […]
Canadian households hoping for cheaper mortgages just got bad news. Hotter-than-expected inflation data has sent Government of Canada (GoC) bond yields soaring, wiping out any progress made in 2025. The move means higher fixed-rate mortgages are on the way, and they’ll climb further if yields continue to rise. Government Borrowing & Your Mortgage Rate Credit […]
Canada’s central bank is performing a dangerous balancing act. The Bank of Canada’s (BoC) latest Financial Stability Report (FSR) shows mortgage impairments surged in Q1 2025—enough to trigger internal alarms, but not enough to consider a problem. However, the question isn’t whether risks are growing (they are), but who’s in trouble: struggling families or overleveraged […]
Canada’s international student landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, and it’s not just the quantity of students. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data shows that new study permit applications were down in March. Old news, eh? What is new though is the shift in demand origination. China, once the top source of international students, […]
Canada’s education system is facing a reckoning: Even during the record tight labor market, graduates struggled to find jobs—with Ontario at the center of the issue. New Statistics Canada (Stat Can) data shows fewer graduates were able to find a job within 3 years of graduating. The study is conducted every 5 years, with the […]
Alberta is the only province making the most of Canada’s most valuable natural resource—young workers. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) interprovincial migration data shows it was the only province that managed to attract young workers, aged 25 to 45 years old. This demographic is critical to regions, driving economic growth and long-term prosperity. It’s the only […]
Today’s election day in Canada, and this time tomorrow the country will be bracing itself for one of two plans. There’s no shortage of partisans willing to discuss the positives of each plan, so we thought we’d do something different—discuss the risks of each plan. Let’s talk about comically unrealistic (and reckless) housing targets, and […]
