SASKATCHEWAN’S VACANCY RATE CLIMBED SLIGHTLY TO 2.7 PER CENT IN 2024
Saskatchewan’s rental market saw a shift in 2024, with vacancy rates in cities with over 10,000 people rising to 2.7 per cent, up from 2.4 per cent in 2023, according to The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Cameron Choquette, CEO of Rental Housing Saskatchewan said there’s a bit of reprieve for rental housing providers and tenants who now have a little more selection. While Saskatchewan is still the most affordable province in the country to rent a home, Choquette said 2.7 per cent...
read moreCANADA’S ECONOMY SHRANK IN NOVEMBER FOR FIRST TIME THIS YEAR
The Canadian economy appeared to lose its strength toward the end of this year even as the central bank cut interest rates at a rapid pace. Advance data suggested gross domestic product shrank 0.1% in November, the first monthly contraction this year, after 0.3% expansion a month earlier, Statistics Canada said Monday. The October figure beat economist expectations of 0.2% in a Bloomberg survey. With October’s stronger-than-expected gain and November’s decline, the industry-based data point to...
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TRUDEAU CONSIDERING HIS OPTIONS AS LEADER AFTER FREELAND QUITS CABINET, SOURCES SAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is considering his options as leader, sources tell CTV News, after Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland revealed she will quit cabinet. In an explosive resignation letter published Monday morning, Freeland ignited a storm of confusion and speculation on Parliament Hill the same day she was set to table her fall economic statement – a document that includes key economic metrics such as the size of Canada’s deficit. Leaders from the Conservative party and the...
read moreCANADIAN PER-CAPITA GDP FALLS FOR A 6TH QUARTER, SUPERSIZED CUT EXPECTED: RBC
Canada’s largest bank believes weak economic output will justify big rate cuts in a few days. A new RBC report notes that gross domestic product (GDP) climbed in Q3 2024, but the slower-than-expected growth was driven entirely by government spending. More concerning to their team was the 6th consecutive per-capita decline, with the first Q4 data points indicating a 7th may be on the way. Consequently, RBC has forecast a supersized rate cut at this month’s central bank rate decision, despite...
read moreALBERTA’S REAL ESTATE RESURGENCE: WHY NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO INVEST IN CALGARY AND EDMONTON
As Alberta’s economy roars back to life, its real estate market is catching the attention of investors and homebuyers alike. Calgary and Edmonton are experiencing renewed growth, driven by affordability, job creation, and expanding infrastructure. Compared to high-cost markets like Vancouver and Toronto, Alberta stands out as a haven for those seeking strong returns and liveable prices. For seasoned investors and first-time buyers alike, Alberta’s real estate market offers a compelling mix of...
read moreHOUSING TURNS THE KEY TO CRUCIAL NOVA SCOTIA ELECTION ISSUES
All the parties vying for the votes of Nova Scotians agree on the importance of housing. “Affordability is an issue that permeates all aspects of life for many Nova Scotians right now but we know that housing is the largest driver of that,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said in an Oct. 31 announcement in Dartmouth. “If people can afford their housing, they can think about how to afford everything else because shelter is the number 1 concern.” In introducing the Liberal platform on Nov. 4, leader...
read moreLIBERAL GOVERNMENT’S IMMIGRATION CAP WON’T FIX THE SYSTEM
If you want to know how messed up the Trudeau Liberals have made Canada’s immigration system, consider this: Between September 2024 and December 2025, 4.9 million visas for foreign students, visitors, tourists and temporary workers will expire. The problem is, there is no way to make sure anyone leaves the country. A high percentage of them won’t leave on their own. A recent examination by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that Canada had far and away the...
read moreOCTOBER JOBS NUMBER COMES IN BELOW EXPECTATIONS
Here are five things you need to know this morning: Canada adds half as many jobs as expected: There’s more evidence this morning that Canada’s economy is slowing, coming in the form of Statistics Canada’s monthly reading on jobs. The data agency says the economy added 14,500 new jobs in October. That’s a slowdown from the more than 47,000 in September and about half the 28,000 that economists were anticipating. It’s the weakest jobs number in seven months and brings the rolling 12-month tally...
read moreN.S. POLITICAL PARTIES ALL TRY TO MAKE AFFORDABILITY THEIR ISSUE
In the three years since Nova Scotia’s last election, rent and mortgage payments have risen, sticker shock has become a common experience at the grocery store and homelessness has skyrocketed. Tammy Brunet is one of the many Nova Scotians who is struggling in the face of those realities, and her experiences with housing and the surging cost of living are now shaping her interest — or rather, apathy — in provincial politics. Earlier this year, Brunet’s landlord told her she had to...
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