Over 100,000 short-term rentals could be homes: StatsCan report

Over 100,000 short-term rentals could be homes: StatsCan report

A new report by Statistics Canada shows the country’s total number of short-term rental listings increased by more than 60 per cent between 2017 and 2023, while the number of short-term rental units that could be used as long-term housing grew by more than 80 per cent. The report identified more than 100,000 short-term rentals that … Read more

Enbridge makes progress on utility purchases; raises earnings forecast

Enbridge makes progress on utility purchases; raises earnings forecast

Enbridge Inc. has raised its earnings forecast for the year in light of the successful completion of two previously announced purchases of U.S. gas utilities. The Calgary-based energy infrastructure company said Friday it now expects adjusted earnings for 2024 of between $17.7 billion and $18.3 billion, up from a previous forecast of $16.6 billion to … Read more

First-time homebuyers can now apply for a 30-year mortgage. Is that a good thing?

First-time homebuyers can now apply for a 30-year mortgage. Is that a good thing?

The 30-year amortized mortgages announced in the 2024 federal budget are kicking in on Thursday. First-time homebuyers who are purchasing newly built homes can now qualify for a 30-year mortgage, giving them five additional years to pay off an insured mortgage. For other mortgages where default insurance is required, a 25-year amortization limit is still … Read more

N.S. sanctuary could be a new home for whales in captivity. But some aren’t convinced

N.S. sanctuary could be a new home for whales in captivity. But some aren’t convinced

The Current19:01Could Nova Scotia host a retirement home for whales? A proposed whale sanctuary in Port Hilford, N.S., hopes to offer a safe haven for whales coming out of captivity. And two orcas from a marine park in France could be its first residents.  “We owe it to them. We owe them something back because … Read more

When India’s vulture population collapsed, half a million human deaths followed: study

When India’s vulture population collapsed, half a million human deaths followed: study

As It Happens6:42When India’s vulture population collapsed, half a million human deaths followed: study Vultures may not be the most popular animal in the world, but the work they do is essential for human life, a new study has found. New research attributes 500,000 human deaths in India over the course of five years in the … Read more

Intelligence task force to monitor all future byelections for foreign interference

Intelligence task force to monitor all future byelections for foreign interference

The Liberal government says measures to monitor and assess foreign interference threats will be part of all future federal byelections, not just general elections. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Monday the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force (SITE) will be watching for signs of meddling in two September byelections: one in Quebec, … Read more

Think your grocery bill is high? Try eating gluten-free

Think your grocery bill is high? Try eating gluten-free

When Ashley Hickey’s seven-year-old son Alex was diagnosed with celiac disease last month, she knew she had to revamp the entire family’s diet to become a gluten-free household. Celiac is a genetic autoimmune disease that causes people to get sick when they consume wheat, rye or barley. Having celiac herself, Hickey is familiar with the … Read more

‘Completely absurd’ equalization payments back in the spotlight as premiers’ meeting wraps

‘Completely absurd’ equalization payments back in the spotlight as premiers’ meeting wraps

Canada’s premiers tread over the ever-thorny territory of equalization payment fairness on their final day of meetings in Halifax on Wednesday. For decades, the federal program has transferred money from some provinces to others to allow for a fair level of services across the country. Payment amounts are decided based on “fiscal capacity” or a … Read more

Many Canadians in their 20s and 30s are delaying having kids — and some say high rent is a factor

Many Canadians in their 20s and 30s are delaying having kids — and some say high rent is a factor

Anna Smith would like to start a family. But she would also like more space for a baby, as the 27-year-old and her partner currently live in a 500-square-foot apartment in Toronto’s east end for $1,550 per month. Like many Canadians in their 20s and 30s, she says she’s realizing she can’t have both.  So Smith, a University of … Read more

Waterloo software firm OpenText cuts 1,200 jobs as part of business optimization plan

Waterloo software firm OpenText cuts 1,200 jobs as part of business optimization plan

OpenText Corp.’s chief executive says the company plans to shed about 1,200 roles as part of a business optimization plan. In an open letter to stakeholders released Wednesday, Mark Barrenechea describes the cuts as a way of “placing the right talent in the right locations of our business, funding growth and innovations, and completing these … Read more