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Canada’s Inflation Climbs to 2.4% as Gas Prices Surge to Record High

  Canada’s inflation rate accelerated to 2.4% in March , up from 1.8% in February, as the Iran war triggered the largest monthly gasoline price increase on record . Statistics Canada reported that gas prices surged 21.2% month‑over‑month , a supply‑shock response to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz and broader Middle East instability.  Energy costs were the dominant driver of March inflation, with overall energy prices rising 3.9% year‑over‑year after a sharp decline the month before. Excluding gasoline, inflation would have eased to 2.2% , highlighting how concentrated the price shock was.  Food inflation offered mixed relief: grocery prices rose 4.4% , while fresh vegetables jumped 7.8% due to difficult growing conditions. Restaurant inflation cooled sharply as last year’s tax‑holiday distortions fell out of the annual comparison.  Economists note that while headline inflation spiked, core measures remained relatively tame , giving the Bank of Canada ro...
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Doctors in Revolt: Quebec Faces Healthcare Exodus Over Controversial Pay Reform

 

Dr. Mark Roper, director of the Queen Elizabeth Family Medicine Group, predicts the government's new pay law for doctors will lead to an exodus of physicians from Quebec.


A growing number of Quebec physicians are threatening to resign or relocate following the provincial government's adoption of Bill 2, a controversial law that ties doctors’ compensation to performance metrics and imposes penalties for collective action against the legislation.

At the Queen Elizabeth Family Medicine Group in Montreal, 20% of the clinic’s doctors have already applied to practice outside Quebec, citing significant pay cuts and punitive measures as key motivators. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has openly invited disaffected Quebec doctors to cross provincial lines, offering a warmer reception and better compensation packages.

The backlash has been swift and widespread. Three chief physicians in western Quebec have already resigned, and medical student federations have launched legal challenges, arguing the law violates their rights to protest and organize. The Collège des médecins du Québec has also called for an immediate suspension of the law, warning that it could worsen patient care and deepen the healthcare crisis.

In response to mounting pressure, Premier François Legault’s government has suspended parts of the law in a bid to reopen negotiations with medical federations. However, many doctors remain skeptical, viewing the move as too little, too late.

As the province grapples with a shortage of family doctors—1.5 million Quebecers currently lack one—the potential exodus of medical professionals threatens to destabilize an already strained healthcare system. The coming weeks will be critical as both sides weigh compromise against confrontation.


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