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Big Six Banks Raise Fixed Mortgage Rates: What Your Renewal Costs Now

  Canadian Money Brief • Mortgages Updated Saturday, October 17, 2026 If your mortgage term ends this winter, the rate you saw advertised in August is probably gone. All six of Canada’s big banks have raised fixed rates since early September, and the Bank of Canada hasn’t touched its policy rate in almost a year. That disconnect catches a lot of homeowners off guard. Your fixed mortgage rate doesn’t follow the Bank of Canada. It follows the bond market. And bond yields have been climbing on oil-driven inflation worries, which means the people feeling it first right now are the ones opening a renewal letter. The numbers at a glance Up to 0.50 pt in fixed-rate increases at the big banks in about five weeks • BoC policy rate still 2.25% • Big bank prime still 4.45% • About $110 a month more on a $400,000 balance from a half-point jump How far have the big banks moved? Depending on the term, some big bank fixed rates are up by as much as half a percentage point in roughly five week...

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Ontario Colleges on Edge as Faculty Strike Looms

Faculty staff at Ontario’s public colleges are poised to take strike action as early as January 9th, following a five-day labour notice issued by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). The union, representing faculty workers at the province’s 24 public colleges, has cited stalled contract talks and lack of job security as the primary reasons for the potential strike.

Despite months of negotiations, the College Employer Council (CEC) and OPSEU have yet to reach an agreement. The union claims that the CEC’s current offer would leave faculty members worse off than their previous contract, which expired three months ago. The CEC, on the other hand, argues that the union’s demands are unrealistic given the financial instability faced by Ontario’s colleges.

The potential strike comes at a challenging time for Ontario’s college sector, which has already seen a significant drop in international student enrollment and funding cuts. The union is urging the CEC to enter mediation with more realistic demands to avoid an unnecessary strike.

As the situation unfolds, both parties remain committed to finding a resolution, but the looming strike date adds urgency to the negotiations.




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