Canada’s slowing economy may be shaking the confidence of builders. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows building permit values fell in April. A drop in multi-family permits fueled nearly the entire plunge for residential, with non-residential also slipping. Falling permits signal a slowdown in the sector ahead, providing another data point highlighting Canada’s slowdown. Canadian Building […]
Canada just saw its biggest trade surplus since its leaders pledged to shed its US reliance. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows international merchandise trade jumped in April. A sharp climb in exports produced the biggest trade surplus in over a year, though it wasn’t due to policymakers. The net gain was more than explained by […]
Time for your cheat sheet on this week’s top stories. Canadian Real Estate Canadian GDP Now Shows Recession, BMO Says Not Quite Canadian GDP surprised the market by falling for a third time in the past year. Real GDP fell 0.1% annualized in Q1 2026, meaning the economy now fits the traditional definition of a […]
The Canadian economy is officially in a technical recession, but at least one Big Six bank says we’re not there. At least, right now. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows real gross domestic product (GDP) fell in Q1 2026. BMO Capital Markets told investors the data will fuel a technical recession debate, but argued the R-bomb […]
Canada just saw one of its biggest months on record for new businesses, but just as many shut down. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data shows the number of active businesses fell in February, with the country seeing the fewest since October 2023, a 28-month low. This isn’t a one-off issue: new firms over the past year […]
Canada’s economy is growing, but you’re forgiven if you didn’t notice—you probably work in the majority of industries that didn’t grow. Statistics Canada (StatCan) data reveals real gross domestic product (GDP) increased in February. A minority of industries drove that growth, with finance also getting a boost from loans and mortgages. Separately, the agency released […]
Canada is approving temporary residents at an unusually brisk rate—again. IRCC data shows approvals of non-permanent resident applications and extensions surged in February. Now at the third-highest volume on record, it confirms a softening stance on immigration. However, weaker applications reveal global demand for these visas is fading fast. Canadian Approvals of Temporary Resident Visas […]
Canadian economic output was set to slow down, but the country showed surprising growth in January, according to Statistics Canada (StatCan). Real gross domestic product (GDP) beat analyst expectations with minor growth, avoiding a “technical recession,” though economists warn the impact of higher energy prices due to the Iran war has yet to be determined. […]
The Bank of Canada (BoC) official who put the productivity “crisis” in the spotlight, returned this week with a familiar fix: invest in artificial intelligence (AI). Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers urged businesses to adopt AI, comparing its productivity potential to the adoption of the internet. BMO chief economist Douglas Porter dumped cold water on those […]
The Government of Canada is aggressively reducing its workforce, but it should consider the environment it helped create. It’s taking workers much longer to find a job, according to January data from Statistics Canada (StatCan)—which was also just directed to slash 1 in 10 of its own jobs. The share of workers now considered long-term […]
