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The Mortgage Renewal Wave Just Peaked — Here's What the Data Actually Shows

Published August 30, 2026 For three years, "the mortgage renewal wall" has been the scariest phrase in Canadian personal finance — the idea that a flood of ultra-cheap, pandemic-era mortgages would come due at much higher rates and trigger a wave of forced sales. That wall is now mostly behind us. Two new 2026 surveys, one from Royal LePage and one from Rates.ca, show what actually happened when it hit. The short version: it hurt, budgets tightened hard for a lot of people, but the mass default many feared simply didn't show up. The last big group is renewing right now Royal LePage's 2026 Mortgage Renewal Survey, released August 19 and based on a Leger poll of 1,127 Canadians renewing this year, pins down where things stand: about 12% of all outstanding Canadian mortgages are five-year, fixed-payment loans taken out during the 2020–2022 ultra-low-rate window, and this is their last major renewal wave. The Bank of Canada's overnight rate sat at just 0.25% through m...

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Devastating Earthquake Strikes Myanmar and Thailand, Leaving Over 150 Dead

 

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on March 28, 2025, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The epicenter was located near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, and the tremors were felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand's bustling capital.

In Myanmar, at least 144 people lost their lives, and over 730 were injured. The quake caused buildings, bridges, and even a monastery to collapse, leaving rescue teams scrambling to pull survivors from the rubble. The situation is dire, with blood supplies running low and the death toll expected to rise.

In Thailand, the earthquake claimed at least 10 lives in Bangkok, where a high-rise under construction collapsed, leaving many injured and over 100 people missing. The city's residents were evacuated from high-rise buildings as aftershocks, including one measuring 6.4 magnitude, continued to shake the region.

The disaster has prompted international aid efforts, with the United Nations allocating $5 million to support relief operations. However, the full extent of the damage remains unclear, particularly in Myanmar, which is already grappling with a humanitarian crisis due to ongoing civil conflict.

This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of the region to seismic activity and the urgent need for disaster preparedness and support.


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