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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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Netanyahu Warns of Escalating Tensions as Gaza Operations Wind Down

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently announced that the current phase of fighting against Hamas in Gaza is winding down. However, his statement comes with a caveat: the war against Hamas is not over, and Israel may soon shift its focus to another front—the northern border with Lebanon.

In a lengthy TV interview, Netanyahu explained that while the Israeli army is close to completing its current ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, this does not signal the end of hostilities. Instead, he emphasized the need to free up forces to confront Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. Netanyahu’s decision to re-deploy troops to the northern border raises concerns about escalating tensions in the region.

Hezbollah, a formidable force compared to Hamas, has been engaging in near-daily exchanges of fire with Israel since Hamas’ cross-border attack in October. The recent escalation has heightened fears of a larger conflict involving other Iranian proxies and potentially Iran itself. Such a war could result in heavy damage and casualties on both sides of the border.

While Netanyahu expressed hope for a diplomatic solution, he also asserted that Israel is prepared to fight on multiple fronts. Any resolution would require Hezbollah to move far from the border, an effective enforcement mechanism, and the return of displaced Israelis to their homes. Tens of thousands of people remain evacuated since the conflict erupted.

As the situation remains tense, international efforts continue to find a peaceful resolution. However, Netanyahu’s warning underscores the delicate balance between winding down Gaza operations and the potential for a new conflict in Lebanon.

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