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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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Mass Evacuation Ordered in Rafah Amid Escalating Conflict

 

The Israeli military has issued an urgent evacuation order for residents of the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip. This directive comes amidst intensified military operations in the region, which have already caused widespread destruction and displacement.

Thousands of Palestinians were seen fleeing their homes, carrying minimal belongings as they moved on foot toward al-Mawasi, a coastal area hosting makeshift tent camps. The evacuation follows heavy bombardments that have left the neighborhood in ruins, with reports of casualties and injuries mounting. The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with the territory officially entering the first stage of famine due to prolonged border closures.

The evacuation order has further compounded the suffering of Gaza's population, many of whom have been displaced multiple times during the ongoing conflict. The scenes of families walking through sand and mud under dire conditions highlight the urgent need for international intervention to address the escalating crisis. 

The situation remains volatile, with no immediate resolution in sight. The global community watches closely as the humanitarian toll rises in this war-torn region. 



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