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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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Ontario to Implement 25% Energy Surcharge on U.S. Amid Trade Tensions


Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced that the province will impose a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the United States starting Monday. This move comes as a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's recent tariffs on Canadian goods, despite a 30-day pause on tariffs for certain sectors.

The surcharge will affect electricity supplied to three U.S. states—New York, Michigan, and Minnesota—impacting approximately 1.5 million homes and businesses. Premier Ford emphasized that this decision was not taken lightly but is necessary to counteract the economic strain caused by the U.S. tariffs. He also hinted at the possibility of further measures, including restricting electricity exports entirely if the tariffs persist.

The trade dispute has escalated tensions between the two nations, with Canada also implementing retaliatory tariffs on American products. Both Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have expressed their commitment to defending Canadian interests while urging the U.S. to reconsider its stance.

The surcharge highlights the growing economic and political challenges in the cross-border relationship, as both sides navigate the complexities of trade and energy policies.

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