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Canada Is In a Recession — What It Means for Your Money

It's official. Canada has entered a technical recession for the first time since 2020 — and it happened faster than almost any economist predicted. Statistics Canada confirmed Friday that the economy shrank for a second consecutive quarter, with Q1 2026 posting a 0.1% annualized contraction, following a 1.0% drop in Q4 2025. Forecasters had been expecting 1.5% growth . The surprise is significant. So what does this actually mean for everyday Canadians? Your job, your mortgage, your savings, your debt — we break it all down. −0.1% Q1 2026 GDP (annualized) −1.0% Q4 2025 GDP (revised down) 2.25% Bank of Canada overnight rate 2.8% Canada inflation rate (April) "Most businesses are basically in a holding pattern, treading water, hoping for brighter days." — Dan Kelly, President, Canadian Federation of Independent Business 📉 Wait — Is This Really a Recession? The term "technical recession" means two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth on an annualized basi...

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Slow-Cooker Guinness Beef Stew

Make this traditional Irish stew in your slow cooker! Cooking low and slow creates very tender beef and a robust flavor. The best part is that it's ready to eat after you get home from a long day.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 pounds potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 medium parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 pounds), cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1-3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bottle (12 ounces) Guinness stout or beef broth
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • Minced fresh parsley
Directions

1. Place the first 5 ingredients in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker.

2. Toss beef with flour, salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches. Transfer beef to slow cooker with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium. To same skillet, add tomato paste and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute.

3. Add beer to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth and thyme.

4. Cook, covered, on low until beef and vegetables are tender, 7-8 hours. Garnish with parsley.


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