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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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Court Battle Aims to Reopen Parliament Amid Prorogation Crisis

A novel legal challenge has hit the Federal Court as opponents seek to force MPs back to work before Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s prorogation period ends. Filed by the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms on February 13, 2025, the suit argues that suspending parliamentary business until late March undermines democracy by preventing legislators from addressing urgent issues—including the looming U.S. tariff threat and stalled legislation like the capital gains tax reform.

Critics claim the prorogation was a politically motivated tactic designed to delay accountability during a turbulent period. They assert that Parliament’s essential role—to debate policy and hold the government to account—is compromised when the House sits on hiatus. With the hearing scheduled for later this week, legal experts say the outcome could set an important precedent on the limits of executive power and parliamentary rights.

As Canada navigates political uncertainty amid a leadership transition, the challenge highlights growing calls for transparency and a more robust system of checks and balances.


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