Skip to main content

Featured

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...

article

Man climbs London’s Big Ben tower waving Palestinian flag


In a striking act of protest, a man climbed the iconic Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben, at the Palace of Westminster in London early Saturday morning. Waving a Palestinian flag and reportedly shouting "Free Palestine," the barefoot man drew the attention of onlookers and emergency services alike.

The Metropolitan Police were alerted to the incident at 7:24 AM and quickly arrived at the scene, accompanied by the London Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service. Emergency crews used an aerial ladder platform to communicate with the man and work toward a safe resolution. Westminster Bridge and nearby streets were temporarily closed, causing significant traffic disruptions.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the man's identity or motives, but the protest has sparked conversations about the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The incident highlights the lengths to which individuals will go to draw attention to political causes. Tours of the Parliamentary Estate were canceled for the day as a precautionary measure.

The situation remains under investigation as officials work to understand the full context of the protest.

Comments