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The Rate Cuts Are Over — Is a Hike Coming?

  July 23, 2026 Oil shocks, sticky inflation and a technical recession are pulling the Bank of Canada in opposite directions at once. For most of the past two years, the only question about the Bank of Canada was how far and how fast it would cut. The overnight rate fell from 5.00% to 2.25% between June 2024 and October 2025, one of the sharpest easing cycles in the Bank's history, and it has held there through six consecutive decisions since. That story is now over. The question on the table for the rest of 2026 isn't whether the Bank cuts again — it's whether the next move is actually a hike. Two conflicting signals, one Bank The case for staying put — or even cutting — comes from the growth side of the ledger. Statistics Canada data showed the economy contracted in both the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meeting the informal definition of a technical recession. That was enough to have some economists warning the Bank had no room to raise rates at a...

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Canadian Rent Market Cools: Average Asking Rent Hits 18-Month Low

Canada’s rental market is showing signs of relief for tenants as average asking rents fell to $2,100 in January 2025—an 18‐month low that represents a 4.4% year-over-year decline.

This marks the fourth consecutive month of annual decreases following 38 straight months of rising rents, indicating a potential turning point in the market.

The drop was most pronounced in the secondary rental market, with condo apartments decreasing by 6.5% and houses and townhomes by 8.9%, while purpose-built rental apartments experienced a modest decline of just 1.7%.

Urbanation President Shaun Hildebrand attributed the downward trend to heightened economic risks, a slowdown in international population inflows, and multi-decade highs in apartment completions, all of which are contributing to improved affordability for renters.

Regional differences remain notable: Ontario recorded the steepest decline, with apartment rents dropping 5.2% to an average of $2,329, whereas British Columbia—despite a 2.6% decrease—remains the priciest rental market at $2,463.

Despite these declines, current rental prices are still 5.2% higher than they were two years ago and 16.4% above rates from three years ago, underscoring persistent pressures in the market.

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