Canada’s major banks and real estate developers are urging the federal government to ease mortgage rules and introduce down payment assistance programs for young, first-time homebuyers purchasing newly built homes. The group includes major financial institutions such as the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), BMO, TD, CIBC and Scotiabank, along with 10 major homebuilders, including Minto and Brookfield. They are recommending that the government make the mortgage stress test less restrictive and lower down payment requirements for young first-time buyers. The group says the ongoing slowdown in Canada

Calgary City Council has proposed a 15 per cent property tax increase for 2027, which is expected to cost the average homeowner approximately $37 more per month. Under the newly released four-year budget proposal, property taxes are also projected to increase by 10 per cent in 2028, 7.7 per cent in 2029 and six per cent in 2030. However, the proposed budget figures are not final. City Council is expected to hold final debates and vote on the proposal later this month. The proposal also includes a 3.8 per cent increase in Calgary Transit fares. Meanwhile, the city's debt is projected to rise fr

Conservation officials in British Columbia have confirmed that four grizzly bears were involved in the fatal attack that killed a mother and her daughter near Bella Coola earlier this month. Officials said forensic and DNA testing confirmed that the four grizzly bears captured over the past several days were directly involved in the deadly incident. The bears included a female grizzly and her three cubs. All four bears have been euthanized to ensure public safety, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service said. The victims were identified as 48-year-old Jennifer Balcarras and her 20-year-old daugh

British Columbia recorded 133 suspected deaths linked to illicit drug toxicity in September, meaning nearly four people died every day across the province. The latest figures bring the total number of suspected drug-related deaths in 2026 so far to 1,143. According to a report from the BC Coroners Service, 76 per cent of those who died were men, while 70 per cent were between the ages of 30 and 59. By health authority, Fraser Health recorded the highest number of deaths this year at 311, followed by Vancouver Coastal Health with 298. Together, the two regions accounted for 53 per cent of all s

Waris Punjab De has sought the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to facilitate the participation of Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh in the last rites of his grandmother, Charan Kaur. In a letter addressed to Amit Shah, the party urged him to coordinate with the governments of Punjab and Assam, along with the concerned authorities, to ensure that the necessary legal and administrative steps are taken without delay to allow Amritpal Singh to attend the funeral. The party has also written a similar letter to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann,