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5 Things to Know Today: Canada Enters Recession, Oil Slips on Iran Ceasefire Talk

Saturday, May 30, 2026 — Your quick-hit Canadian financial briefing for the day. 1.Canada Officially Meets the Definition of a Technical Recession Statistics Canada confirmed Friday that real GDP contracted 0.1% on an annualized basis in Q1 2026 — following a revised 1.0% drop in Q4 2025 . That's two straight quarters of negative growth, which meets the technical definition of a recession. The miss was a big one: economists had forecast growth of 1.5% . The main culprits were a surge in imports (up 2.9%, largely gold), declining business capital investment (down 0.7% — its fifth consecutive quarterly drop ), and weakness in resource extraction and construction. On a per-capita basis, GDP actually edged up 0.2% as Canada's population shrank for the second quarter in a row. Not everyone is ready to call it a full recession: some economists note that three of the four weak months were isolated, and early April data points to a sharp 0.4% rebound . Still, the numbers ...

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Retail Shake‑Up: Toys “R” Us Hit by Store Closures Amid Rent Disputes

 


Toys “R” Us is facing a new wave of store closures as landlords across Canada claim the retailer has fallen behind on rent payments. Several property owners have filed legal actions alleging significant unpaid balances, adding pressure to a brand that has already spent years fighting to regain stability in a changing retail landscape.

Multiple locations in provinces such as Ontario, New Brunswick, and British Columbia have recently shut their doors after lease terminations tied to overdue rent. In some cases, stores were closed abruptly, leaving fully stocked spaces locked and inaccessible to customers. The closures mark another setback for the company as it navigates rising operational costs, increased competition, and the ongoing shift toward online shopping.

The financial strain has accelerated a broader contraction of the chain’s physical footprint. Once a dominant force in the toy industry, Toys “R” Us now faces the challenge of rebuilding trust with landlords while attempting to modernize its business model and maintain relevance with today’s consumers.


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