Canadian Building Permits Plunge, Fewer Homes Planned

Canadian builder intentions are slipping even as policymakers throw tens of billions in stimulus at construction. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows building permit values fell sharply in February, with only residential intentions posting a modest gain that still translated into fewer homes planned. Meanwhile, non-residential permits fell abruptly, pointing to weaker investment appetite beyond the […]

Canadian Job Market Booms In West, Slumps In East, Gap To Widen: BMO

Canada’s seemingly stable jobless rate is hiding widening disparities among cities (and provinces), according to BMO Capital Markets. The bank’s latest Labour Market Performance Ranking shows job markets in Western Canada are largely improving, while Eastern Canada—Southern Ontario in particular—dominates among the worst-performing cities. The bank warns this divergence won’t be resolved any time soon, […]

This Week’s Top Stories: Canadians Flock To Variable-Rate Mortgages, Ontario’s Builder Bailout

Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian Variable-Rate Mortgages Surge As BoC Recreates Renewal Trap  Canadian banks advanced $38.3 billion (+3.3% y/y) in uninsured mortgages in January, the largest for the month on record. But this wasn’t fresh demand—it was a wave of renewals arriving five years after […]