FOLLOW ON Advertisement FILE - The employment insurance section of the Government of Canada website is shown on a laptop in Toronto on April 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jesse Johnston OTTAWA -- The employment insurance system is set for another round of pandemic-related changes that come into force on Sunday. Here are a few of the key changes that will apply to new claims for benefits made beginning Sept. 26. EI applicants need to have worked a minimum number of hours to qualify for benefits. In the past, that number has been about 600 hours, although the number varied in different parts of the country based on local labour market conditions. Many workers have had their hours cut during the pandemic, meaning they may not have worked enough hours to qualify. Over the last year, all new EI applicants received a one-time hours top-up to help them qualify, but that disappears on Sunday. In its place will be a uniform requirement to have worked 420 hours. The uniform hours requirement will be in place for one year, until Sept. 24, 2022. The government is also requiring anew a medical certificate proving an applicant is sick and can't work to receive EI sickness benefits. The requirement was waived temporarily over the last year because of COVID-19. The weekly floor on benefits will decline to $300 from $500, in line with the value of payments under the Canada Recovery Benefit that is available for those who don't qualify for EI. The weekly floor is planned to apply to claims made between Sept. 26 and Nov. 20. The duration and value of benefits will once again be calculated using regional unemployment rates that were temporarily replaced over the last year by a uniform unemployment rate of 13.1 per cent. EI officials will also use simplified rules around severance and vacation pay so claimants should be able to start receiving benefits sooner. The payments can delay the start and value of benefits. However, there will once again be a one-week wait before benefits flow for any new EI claims after the waiting period was waived over the last year. Anyone with an existing EI claim won't see any changes to the value or duration of their benefits with these new rules. As well, seasonal workers in 13 regions will still be eligible for five extra weeks of EI regular benefits until October 2022. The pilot project provides the extra weeks to seasonal workers who started a claim between Aug. 5, 2018 and this coming Oct. 30, provided they had three claims for regular or fishing benefits in the last five years, and at least two started around the same time of year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2021.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement Kirsten Dunst arrives at the Behind the Camera Awards on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, at Avalon Hollywood in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP) LOS ANGELES -- Nominations for the the upcoming Academy Awards were announced Tuesday. The award show will be March 27 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Several of the nominees shared reactions to the recognition. “I knew I'd have so much more joy if we were both nominated. It's like a storybook, like a fairy tale. It feels very special. I thought, it would be really cute if they did that. I felt like a grandma about it. I'm so much more overjoyed that I get to fully celebrate.” - Kirsten Dunst, nominated for best supporting actress for her role in “The Power of the Dog.” She earned the nomination along with her fiance Jesse Plemons, nominated for best supporting actor for his role in the same film. “I'm afraid I was up for it (the 5 a.m. announcements). I just decided to do it, and it was not a regretful decision, I'm really, really glad I did. It was a really nerve-wracking morning, and a rewarding one in the end.” - Andrew Garfield, nominated for best actor for his role in “tick, tick... BOOM!” “I feel like I have dust that's been on my back that finally is starting to become clean. I feel a bit lighter. This chip is off my shoulder and yes, it is a historic moment. It just really, it'll be documented, even after I leave this planet, it'll still be documented in the history books. And so it's truly a blessing.” - Troy Kotsur, best supporting actor nominee for “CODA.” He is the second deaf actor to receive an Oscar nomination. “The reason why at the end of the day I'm really joyous about this celebration, especially with this Oscar nomination, is that my only intention with this film was to restore history. Time plays such a big role in this whole journey from 1969 being sort of a pivotal year in our development to the fact that we get to watch so many artists right at the precipice of their greatness.” - Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, whose “Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” is nominated for best documentary feature. “This is a big deal for me ... Tammy was a completely different experience for me, one that was incredibly joyful and that showed that strength also lies in vulnerability and fragility and sensitivity. So it means a lot to me ... to have made something that's being recognized in this way, it feels really, really fulfilling.” - Jessica Chastain, best actress nominee for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” “It's an amazing, humbling moment, and 12 is my new favorite number. ... When I first saw the film I thought, wow, I have never watched a performance of my own (like this) where my director has seen me and what I've tried to give her and realized the very best of my intentions.” - Benedict Cumberbatch, nominated for best actor for “The Power of the Dog,” alongside his director, Jane Campion. The film scored 12 nods. “I've been drinking Champagne all day, so bear with me ... I have always sort of superstitiously pretended to space out when things like this get announced. And this year I thought, f(asterisk)(asterisk)(asterisk) it, I totally know when they're being announced, I'm just going to get organized and watch it. ...We got the kids out the door to school at 8 and we watched. I thought for me, it was definitely a longshot but I had the fantasy, the hope that maybe Jessie (Buckley) would get nominated. And she was the first name announced in any category and I just burst into tears. - Maggie Gyllenhaal, nominated for adapted screenplay for her writer-directorial debut “The Lost Daughter,” which also received nods for best actress (Olivia Colman) and best supporting actress (Buckley). “For me, what it really represents is just ... the joy of getting recognized by other people who do this very difficult thing, which is make music and make movies. And you know, the academy voters are all artists like me. So I'm really happy about that.” - Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose song “Dos Oruguitas” from the animated film “Encanto” is nominated for best original song. “You start off in preseason, put a good game plan together, you work hard the whole season, you hope to make it to the playoffs and then make it to the big dance. Now, we're in the big dance. That feels like all the hard work is paying off. It's a beautiful thing.” - director Reinaldo Marcus Green, whose film “King Richard” earned Oscar nominations for best picture, original screenplay, best actor, best supporting actress, film editing and original song. “It's really beyond special to have such a deeply personal story receive this recognition from the academy, I'm lucky and honored and grateful. It's been an emotional and magical day for everyone involved.” - Kenneth Branagh, who earned a best director nomination for “Belfast.” “We got almost a 50-50 split in our reviews, which, if you think about it, is kind of perfect for the times we live in. But the popular response has been really overwhelmingly positive. So, so, no, I didn't expect anything but, but you know, the groundswell of support from the movie led me to believe that maybe we might get something. So it was definitely a great morning.” - Adam McKay, whose “Don't Look Up” received a nomination for best picture. “I have an 8-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter, and they are huge fans of Andrew Garfield. And when they heard the news that `Lunana' was a nominee, the first thing they asked me was, `Will we meet Spider-Man?' But you know, it's just so surreal ... I hope I don't wake up tomorrow and realize it was all a dream.” - Pawo Choyning Dorji, writer-director of “Lunana: A Yak in The Classroom,” nominated for international feature film.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement OTTAWA -- The cost of living jumped in February at a rate not seen in over 30 years on the back of rising prices for gasoline and groceries, which economists warn are set to become more expensive and push inflation rates even higher. The annual rate of inflation climbed to 5.7 per cent in February, Statistics Canada said Thursday, the highest level since August 1991 and the second straight month it's been over five per cent. Tu Nguyen, an economist with accounting firm RSM Canada, said inflation is expected to be closer to six per cent in March and could even reach seven per cent for the first time since the early 1980s. “Just be ready for inflation this year to stay high,” she said. “It's going to be difficult.” Helping to drive the increase in February were higher gasoline prices, up 32.3 per cent compared with February 2021 and up 6.9 per cent from January. The annual inflation rate excluding gas prices would have been 4.7 per cent in February. Grocery store prices were up 7.4 per cent for the largest yearly increase since May 2009, pushed higher by rising fuel costs that are being passed on to shoppers. Shelter costs, which include prices for homes and rental units, rose at their fastest pace since August 1983. BMO chief economist Douglas Porter said the 4.2 per cent year-over-year increase for rents was a byproduct of the raging housing market where prices continue to rise. Although groceries and gasoline grabbed headlines, RBC economistRannella Billy-Ochieng'noted that prices for two-thirds of the basket of goods used to calculate inflation rose faster than the central bank's 2-per-cent target in February. The 5.7 per cent reading for inflation follows the jobs report last week by Statistics Canada that found average hourly wages in February rose 3.1 per cent compared with one year earlier. “If it feels like everything is getting more expensive, it's because it is,” said Royce Mendes, managing director and head of macro strategy at Desjardins. Prices for some of the key drivers of inflation in February are likely to go higher this month, especially for gasoline as global oil prices have risen in line with uncertainty around Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Gasoline prices on Tuesday were 11 per cent higher than at the end of February, Mendes said. Two weeks ago, the Bank of Canada raised its key policy rate to 0.5 per cent, marking the first hike since cutting rates two years ago, and warned of more hikes to come to rein in inflation and bring it back to the central bank's target zone of between one and three per cent. Including last month, inflation has spent 11 consecutive months above that zone. The average of the three measures for core inflation, which are considered better gauges of underlying price pressures and closely tracked by the Bank of Canada, was 3.5 per cent for February, pointing to more pervasive and broad-based pressure on prices that has left the central bank uneasy about inflation. The February average was the highest rate recorded since June 1991. Even if the global drivers of inflation start to cool, domestic pressures may ramp up in their place. Mendes said further easing of public health restrictions could see increases in prices for services. “Even as the headline inflation rate is likely to decelerate, beginning in the second quarter and over the course of the year, it's likely the Bank of Canada will continue increasing interest rates to fight off those underlying, homegrown inflationary pressures,” he said. Pressure is building on the federal Liberal government to not add fuel to the inflationary fire with its budget expected in the coming weeks. On Thursday, the Conservatives called on the government to chart a path to balance the budget, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh used an event in Brampton, Ont., to call for a tax on corporate profits. Here's what happened in the provinces (previous month in brackets): The agency also released rates for major cities, but cautioned that figures may have fluctuated widely because they are based on small statistical samples (previous month in brackets): This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2022

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement Rebel Wilson poses for photographers ahead of the British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on March 8, 2022. (Joel C Ryan / Invision / AP) LONDON -- In 2020, Rebel Wilson flew from Australia to present the best director trophy at the BAFTA Film Awards. Her humorous speech, which referenced a lack of women nominated in the category and bemoaned that box office flop "Cats" was overlooked entirely, was one of the funniest moments of the night. Now, Wilson is heading back to BAFTA where she's been asked to host the ceremony Sunday at London's Royal Albert Hall. "I'm very pumped, very pumped for Sunday for the BAFTAs, but definitely like a pretty nervous because like it's a live event and it's just like it's a one and done situation," she says. "Even though I've been thinking of jokes and stuff, I've never really said them out loud to anybody... So we'll say, fingers crossed." And these jokes will definitely be at the expense of the star-studded audience, albeit in a loving way. "It is tradition to make a few quips about people. And they're pretty successful people, which is why they're there and been invited to the BAFTAs," she explains. "At the end of the day, like I do love them, and I love the films that they've made," she says. " But yeah I, as the host, you have to kind of make a couple of jokes as well." Wilson is eschewing the popular practice of having multiple costume changes because she wants to concentrate on what's happening during the ceremony. There will be one special red carpet look before she wears a Miu Miu dress for her appearances on stage. "Dune" leads BAFTA nominations with 11, "Power of the Dog" has eight and "Belfast" is in the running for six. Shirley Bassey will open the show with a James Bond theme as part of the celebration of 007's 60th anniversary. Emilia Jones will sing a version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" alongside signing interpreters -- a nod to "CODA," a nominated movie and one of Wilson's favorites this awards season. As for whether her turn in "Cats" will be referenced again, Wilson jokes that she's holding out hopes for follow-up films. "Everyone will want to be in the sequel to `Cats,' that's the thing. Maybe I should use the BAFTAs as just a casting call for 'Cats 2."

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement Robert Pattinson stars as Bruce Wayne in 'The Batman.' (Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Comics) "The Batman" has a new action-packed trailer. The upcoming DC film, starring Robert Pattinson as Batman and Zoë Kravitz as Catwoman, shows Batman trying to defeat The Riddler, played by Paul Dano. The new trailer also focuses on the growing relationship between Batman and Catwoman. "Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman, striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City," reads the official synopsis of the movie. "With only a few trusted allies, Alfred Pennyworth, Lt. James Gordon, amongst the city's corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens." Also among the cast are Andy Serkis as Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as GCPD's James Gordon, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Peter Sarsgaard as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson, and Colin Ferrell as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin. The movie is directed by Matt Reeves, who also penned the screenplay with Peter Craighe. "The Batman" is scheduled for release on March 4, 2022, exclusively in theaters. You can check out the trailer here. (CNN and Warner Bros. are both part of WarnerMedia.)

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement Rosario Dawson presents the nominees for the 28th SAG Awards, on Jan. 12, 2022. (SAG Awards via AP) NEW YORK -- The Oscar race may be missing in-person glitz this year, but it doesn't lack for star power. Will Smith, Lady Gaga and Ben Affleck landed individual nominations for the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards on Wednesday, while the casts of "Belfast" and "CODA" were among those nominated for the guild's top award, best ensemble. The nominees were announced Wednesday by actors Vanessa Hudgens and Rosario Dawson on Instagram Live. While the nominations were conducted virtually due to the surge in COVID-19 cases, the streamed announcement still represented one of the most meaningful mornings in an awards season largely snuffed out by the pandemic. Joining Kenneth Branagh's semi-autobiographical "Belfast" and the coming-of-age drama "CODA" for best ensemble were the casts for Ridley Scott's true-tale, high-camp "House of Gucci," Adam McKay's apocalypse comedy "Don't Look Up" and the family tennis drama "King Richard." Notably left out were the casts of Steven Spielberg's lavish "West Side Story" revival (which landed a supporting nod for Ariana DeBose) and Jane Campion's "The Power of the Dog." Campion's gothic drama, though, landed individual SAG nominations for Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Kodi Smit-McPhee. The SAG Awards have more of the awards season spotlight this year since the Golden Globes -- usually the kickoff party to final Oscar stretch -- made barely a peep. The Globes were unceremoniously announced Sunday on Twitter in a private ceremony due to Hollywood's boycott of the beleaguered Hollywood Foreign Press Association over diversity and ethical issues. The omicron surge also prompted the Critics Choice Awards to postpone its Jan. 9 in-person gala. For the second straight year, Oscar season has gone virtual -- and struggled to make much noise. But the SAG nominations suggest that plenty of famous faces are in the hunt this year. Along with Will Smith ("King Richard") and Cumberbatch, the nominees for best male lead actor are: Denzel Washington ("The Tragedy of Macbeth"), Andrew Garfield ("Tick, Tick ... Boom!") and Javier Bardem ("Being the Ricardos"). Up for best female lead are: Lady Gaga ("House of Gucci"), Jessica Chastain ("The Eyes of Tammy Faye"), Olivia Colman ("The Lost Daughter"), Nicole Kidman ("Being the Ricardos") and Jennifer Hudson ("Respect"). Joining Dunst and DeBose in the best female supporting category are Caitriona Balfe ("Belfast"), Cate Blanchett ("Nightmare Alley") and Ruth Negga ("Passing"). The best male supporting nominees are: Affleck ("The Tender Bar"), Bradley Cooper ("Licorice Pizza"), Troy Kotsur ("CODA"), Jared Leto ("House of Gucci") and Smit-McPhee. Kotsur is the first deaf actor to land an individual SAG nomination. The SAG Awards, presented by the actors guild SAG-AFTRA, are among the most reliable Oscar bellwethers. Seldom does a movie or performance not nominated by the screen actors end up winning at the Academy Awards. Actors make up the biggest percentage of the film academy, so their choices have the largest sway. But last year, SAG and the academy diverged more than usual. Only one of its acting winners -- Daniel Kaluuya ("Judas and the Black Messiah") -- repeated at the Oscars. (The other SAG winners were Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," and Yuh-Jung Youn in "Minari.") The Aaron Sorkin courtroom drama "The Trial of the Chicago 7" won best ensemble at a virtual SAG Awards while Chloe Zhao's "Nomadland" -- which included many nonprofessional actors and went unnominated for SAG's ensemble award -- triumphed at the Oscars. That history will give hope to supporters of Kristen Stewart ("Spencer"), maybe the most notable performer overlooked Wednesday. Others that missed out include Peter Dinklage ("Cyrano"), Ciaran Hinds ("Belfast") and Rachel Zegler ("West Side Story"). While some have rooted for some of the year's most popular blockbusters to give the flagging Oscars a populist jolt, "Spider-Man: No Way Home," "Dune" and "No Time To Die" received no major nominations from the actors guild. "Dune" and "No Time to Die" did, though, join "Black Widow," "The Matrix Resurrections" and "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" in the stunt ensemble category. Yet possibly the most popular TV series of 2021 did haul in plenty of recognition. Netflix's much-watched "Squid Game" was nominated for four SAG awards including best drama series. Series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk on Wednesday recalled watching the hoopla at awards ceremonies held at the Shrine Auditorium across the street from the University of Southern California when he was studying there. "At the time, I told myself I'd like to feature my work at American film awards one day," he said in an interview. "Now, I think back to those memories." The series' star Lee Jung-jae said he felt an "electrical shock" when his name was announced among the nominees. A veteran of Korean TV and film, he's laughed off U.S. media questions about overnight success. "I've decided I'm now a newbie actor!" he said Wednesday, clutching a bottle of wine. The television nominations were also led by HBO's "Succession" (four nods including best drama series and best actor for Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox); "Ted Lasso" (five nods including best comedy series); and "The Morning Show" (four nods including best drama series). The 28th annual SAG Awards are to be held Feb. 27 and will be broadcast on TNT and TBS. The Oscars are scheduled for March 27. ------ AP Entertainment Writer Juwon Park contributed to this report from Seoul, South Korea.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement So-called Medieval Villages are being touted as a potential solution to housing affordability in Canada, offering off-the-grid homes at an unbeatable price. Anthony Barrett, project manager of Boreal Forest Medieval Villages located in the Timiskaming District in northern Ontario, said the homes are essentially campgrounds with farms that are built in unorganized townships, where no building permits are required. "The nice part is that through this we've dealt with affordability issues. It's very inexpensive to invest in the property, and it provides people security," he told CTV's Your Morning on Thursday. Barrett said the properties are a half acre in size and do not have access to plumbing. The lots are being sold for less than $4,000 in addition to a yearly fee between $150 and $200, with property taxes totalling about $18 per year. However, Barrett noted the villages are not to be confused with cosplay related to the Middle Ages. "Medieval villages is a world where we have limits -- we have energy limits and we have waste limits and we manage all these systems ourselves," Barrett explained. Boreal Forest Medieval Villages had three projects for its communities, totalling over 800 acres of land. While no building permit is required, property owners are expected to adhere to certain rules. For example, septic tanks are banned, so residents must rely on either an incinerator or compost toilet. "When we're talking about people wanting to own property and want their own place and want to manage their own food supply, it's considered radical. That says a lot about where we are today as a society," Barrett said. Barrett says Boreal Forest Medieval Villages is an eco-friendly community, where residents grow and harvest their own food and use sustainable power sources, such as solar panels. He added that the community can do this because it is located in an unorganized township, rather than a municipality with an administrative body. "People get to grow their own vegetables, raise their own personal chickens… pretty basic stuff, but it’s things that we just simply can't [or] we're not allowed to do in typical municipalities. So it just gives us a lot of a lot of freedom to develop the kind of community that we're looking for," he said. Barrett said the main draw for people is that this is essentially the most affordable housing option in the province. According to real estate company WOWA's latest housing market report, the average home price in Canada's housing market was $748,439 in January 2022, up 20 per cent from last year. As well, Barrett noted the villages interest those looking to move out of bustling cities and live in nature, something that has become more desirable for people amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "We're getting people from all over Ontario all over Canada, and outside of Canada who see this as a real alternative," he said.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement State Rep. Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, speaks during a debate on transgender youth bills during a legislative session in Montgomery, Ala., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser via AP) MONTGOMERY, ALA. -- Alabama lawmakers approved sweeping legislation Thursday to outlaw gender-affirming medications for transgender youths, as well as a separate measure setting rules about school bathrooms and prohibiting early classroom instruction on sexual and gender identity -- a bill critics have dubbed "Don't Say Gay." The legislation now goes to Republican Gov. Kay Ivey for her consideration as Alabama becomes the latest red state to seek legislation and policies aimed at trans young people. Ivey, who is running for reelection, has not indicated whether she will sign the measures. The House of Representatives voted 66-28, largely along party lines, to grant final approval to legislation that would make it a felony for a doctor to prescribe puberty blockers or hormones to aid in the gender transition of anyone under age 19. Violations would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The bill also would prohibit gender transition surgeries, although doctors told lawmakers those are generally not done on minors. Rep. Neil Rafferty, the only openly gay member of the Alabama Legislature, appeared to struggle to maintain composure as lawmakers headed to the vote. "This is wrong," Rafferty said. "Y'all sit there and campaign on family being the foundation of our nation ... but what this bill is doing is totally undermining that. It's totally undermining family rights, health rights and access to health care." Republican Rep. Wes Allen of Troy, sponsor of the House version of the bill, compared the legislation to laws that don't allow children to drink, smoke or get tattoos until they are adults. "It's about protecting these minors. It's not about adults. Their minds are not fully developed to make these decisions on these medications and surgeries," he said. Rep. Chris England, who serves as chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party, said the measure targets already vulnerable children and essentially tells them they are not welcome in Alabama. "You're saying this is about children. It's not. What it is about is scoring political points and using those children as collateral damage," England said. The bill would also require school counselors, nurses and others to tell parents if a child discloses they believe they are transgender. An Ivey spokeswoman said the governor's office is reviewing the bill. Jeff Walker, whose 15-year-old daughter Harleigh is transgender, said he was "infuriated" as he watched a livestream of the House vote. Walker said he wants the governor, "to know that she doesn't have to sign this." "All this did today is hurt Alabama families," Walker said. Arkansas approved a similar law in 2021, but it was put on hold by the courts. Advocacy groups in Alabama have vowed to quickly challenge the measure if Ivey signs it into law. In a written statement, Chase Strangio, deputy director for Trans Justice with the ACLU's LGBTQ & HIV Project, called the Alabama measure "the most deadly, sweeping, and hostile law targeting transgender people in the country." White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday that the U.S. Department of Justice has warned states such laws and policies may violate the Constitution and federal law. Lawmakers approved separate legislation Thursday related to public school bathrooms and discussions of gender and sexual identity in early grades. Senators voted 26-5 to approve legislation mandating that K-12 students can only use multiperson bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with the gender on their original birth certificate, rather than their current gender identity. Republicans in the Senate also added language similar to a law in Florida that critics called the "Don't Say Gay" measure. The Alabama language would "prohibit classroom instruction or discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity" for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The Alabama proposal goes further than Florida's law, which includes grades K-3. "Kids in kindergarten through fifth grade should not be introduced to sexual orientation and gender identity, and if they are it should could come from their parents," said Republican Rep. Scott Stadthagen of Hartselle. Stadthagen said he introduced the bathroom bill after hearing of schools being threatened with lawsuits when they offered to let students use faculty bathrooms. Rep. Napoleon Bracy, a Democrat from Prichard, called the sudden addition of the Florida-style language "totally political" as lawmakers head to primaries in May. "We can't continue to just be bullying and targeting people because of who they are," Bracy said.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement TORONTO -- Canadians took out fewer new mortgages even before interest rates began to rise last week, but consumer debt continued to increase in the fourth quarter, Equifax said in a report. The company said Monday the number of new mortgages fell 8.1 per cent year over year in the last three months of 2021. The biggest drop was in some of the country's hottest housing markets with Toronto and Hamilton falling 16.1 and 18.7 per cent, respectively. "There's no question that skyrocketing house prices have decreased housing affordability across all segments," said Rebecca Oakes, assistant vice-president of advanced analytics at Equifax Canada in a news release. "In addition to high house prices, lenders have also started to move interest rates up in anticipation of rate rises from the Bank of Canada. This could also be limiting the purchasing capacity of many consumers." The Bank of Canada hiked its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 0.50 per cent last week with more increases expected later this year. The average new mortgage loan increased 10.1 per cent from the fourth quarter of 2020 to $355,000, but dropped 1.5 per cent from the third quarter for the first decrease since the pandemic began. Oakes said this may be a sign of average home prices stabilizing, although continued demand and lack of supply could lead to further rises in the property prices. Equifax also says total consumer debt rose 7.9 per cent compared with a year earlier to $2.2 trillion as credit card spending in the fourth quarter was up 14.4 per cent from a year earlier and up 9.8 per cent from the third quarter. Consumers spent an average of $2,205 per month on their cards in the fourth quarter, up 15.2 per cent from the year-ago period and 6.8 per cent above the pre-pandemic level in the fourth quarter of 2019. "The holiday period always leads to an increase in spending, but Q4 2021 saw higher than ever average credit card spending per credit card consumer," said Oakes. A drop in auto loans because of supply chain issues was a positive contributor. Equifax said overall credit card balances were up 2.4 per cent compared with the fourth quarter of 2020. Overall delinquencies remained low with mortgage delinquency at 0.11 per cent and non-mortgage delinquency at 0.86 per cent, for year-over-year drops of 31.8 per cent and 20.7 per cent, respectively. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2022.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement TORONTO -- Financial wellness comes in many forms. It can begin with landing the perfect job and the confidence you feel when you truly prepare for an interview and put the effort into learning more about your potential employer. The good news is: companies are hiring. According to data from the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions for the third quarter of 2021, 8.3 per cent of businesses expect to have more job vacancies over the next three months. In fact, there are job opportunities in every province, led by Ontario and Quebec. According to Statistics Canada, health care and social assistance have the largest need of any sector. In fact, this sector represents one in seven job vacancies in Canada. Vacancies grew in all subsectors, led by hospitals and nursing and residential care facilities. Opportunities also continue to rise in construction, especially in masonry, painting, or electrical work. Retail trade has struggled to find employees throughout the pandemic, manufacturing has a record number of vacancies and the list goes on. For someone looking for work,these are encouraging statistics. But it’stough for employers trying to recruit. Yet the challenge can still come down to ensuring you have the right skills and present yourself in the right way to a potential employer. Compensation matters, and so does fit. How do you bring the two together? As a potential employee: 1. Begin by doing your homework on the company you are interested in. Who they are, what they do, their competitive advantage. Get to know a little bit about the culture and that even includes work attire. What does dress for success in the company look like? You need to prepare for the interview in detail. Doing a little due diligence leads to confidence. 2. Know what you can bring to the position you are applying for. What skills do you have that sets you apart from others? Be crystal clear on what you can bring to the table. You need to highlight these skills during an interview in a thoughtful way. Once again - prepare ahead of time. 3. Look for opportunities where your skills could help the company achieve their goals. 4. Always highlight that no one will work harder for them than you will. You may not have all the skill sets the hiring manager is looking for, however, what you may lack in skills you can more than make up for in attitude. 5. Before leaving the interview, be sure to ask for the job. It is surprising to me how many people will leave an interview without expressing how much they actually want to work there. It can be as simple as saying how much you want that position. By the way, never discuss salary in the initial stages -- that is a conversation for another day and don't self-eliminate from a position before you even know for sure what they have to offer. It never pays to negotiate against yourself. Given the employment landscape, it just might be a golden opportunity to land that dream job.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement TORONTO -- Quebec's cinematic triple-threat Denis Villeneuve says he's found the key to navigating the intensity of Oscar nomination day: "At the very last minute before announcements, make pancakes. It helps with the stress." It's a particularly Canadian way to prepare, and perhaps it's especially fitting since this year's nominees hail everywhere from Saskatoon to Halifax. The list begins with writer, director and producer Villeneuve, whose sprawling sci-fi epic "Dune" is among the most recognized overall with 10 nods, including nominations for the Montreal-based filmmaker in the best adapted screenplay and best picture categories, although he was omitted from the director race. Then there's Toronto costume designer Luis Sequeira of "Nightmare Alley" and Quebec producer Roger Frappier of "The Power of the Dog." Guillermo del Toro's "Nightmare Alley" snagged four nominations including best picture, for a team that includes Toronto producer J. Miles Dale. Sequeira and Dale are both longtime collaborators of del Toro's, on projects including "The Shape of Water," which earned Dale the best picture Oscar in 2018 for producing along with the Mexican director, and brought Sequeira an Oscar nomination. It was a nerve-wracking morning for Sequeira, who said by phone from his home in Toronto that he had planned to sleep in until "my phone started buzzing away and I knew something was up." "But this time, I thought I'd endure the suspense and watch," he said of the early morning livestreamed announcements. Villeneuve, who shares the adapted screenplay nod with co-writers Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, detailed his Oscar breakfast strategy in a prepared statement that shared the spotlight with his "Dune" colleagues, many of them Canadian. "Now that it's over, I can say two things: First, I could not be more proud of my whole team who got 10 nominations," said Villeneuve, previously nominated for best director for 2016's alien-invasion film "Arrival" and whose 2010 film "Incendies" was up for a best foreign language Oscar. "We had an amazing morning. None of which would have been possible without our incredible cast -- on behalf of the entire producing team, we thank you for your hard work in making my old dream a reality. Second, make sure you put enough eggs in the preparation, our pancakes were a disaster." Other "Dune" nominations include best makeup and hairstyling for Donald Mowat and best production design for Patrice Vermette, who both hail from Montreal and each have longstanding ties to Villeneuve. Leading the Oscar pack is Jane Campion's suspenseful Western "The Power of the Dog" with 12 nominations. Frappier, of Saint-Joseph-de-Sorel, Que., is among the team members nominated for best picture and said it was a "huge honour" to be included in the marquee category. "Regardless of the end result, it's already a fantastic reward," Frappier said in a statement that also congratulates Campion on her best director nod and all the artists "who accompany us on this magnificent adventure." Del Toro's largely Canadian team for "Nightmare Alley" includes Tamara Deverell and Shane Vieau, who received nominations for best production design, and were also feeling the excitement of the day. Vieau described an "overwhelming, emotional" morning at home in Chester, N.S. "It honestly felt like the Olympics this year," the Halifax-bred set decorator said over the phone. "To be honoured within your group of peers is really the most important thing. We've got a lot of love for this show, and it really was such a labour of love with Guillermo to do." Deverell, Vieau's Saskatoon-bred and Toronto-based co-nominee and del Toro's production designer, was in Costa Rica on vacation when she learned the news and was already celebrating. "It's been a pretty fantastic adventure and honour," she said over the phone. She added it was "amazing" to work with Sequeira and Vieau, but especially del Toro, "the maestro," and with whom she just finished collaborating for his upcoming Netflix anthology series "Cabinet of Curiosities." Two Canadians also landed nods in the best documentary short subject category: producer Geoff McLean for his work on "Audible," and Nova Scotia's Ben Proudfoot for his film "The Queen of Basketball," which tells the story of Lucy Harris, the only woman to be drafted by the NBA and the first Black woman inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Harris died suddenly in January at the age of 66. "This is a very special story not only because it's great but because we lost Lucy less than a month ago," a "flabbergasted" Proudfoot said by phone from Los Angeles, where he is now based. "Me and my whole team, our hearts have been on fire since we started making this film, (and) trying to get Lucy's story out there to the world and close the gap between how important and significant her life story is and how many people know about it. "The warm glow of the news this morning can be a beacon of positivity for Lucy's family as they grieve her loss. I'm happy that this gives us the opportunity to tell the story to an even wider audience ... because I come from Halifax, a place that appreciates people and appreciates the tradition of oral storytelling." Other nominees include the National Film Board co-production "Affairs of the Art," up for best animated short. The 94th annual Academy Awards air March 27 on CTV and ABC. -- With files from David Friend in Toronto This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2022.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement The Bank of Canada in Ottawa on July 14, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS) OTTAWA -- The Bank of Canada said Monday that Canadian businesses expect average inflation to remain elevated over the next two years, but see interest rate moves and better supply chains cooling things off longer term. The central bank's latest Business Outlook Survey, which tracked business sentiment in the first quarter of 2022, found that more than two-thirds of businesses anticipate inflation will be above three per cent, on average, over the next two years, while two-fifths expect it to be above four per cent. Canadian companies expect it will take three years for inflation to return to the bank's two per cent target, the report added. "If we still needed to cement the case for a half-point rate hike in April, the Bank of Canada's Business Outlook survey provided it, at least in terms of inflation expectations," said CIBC chief economist Avery Shenfeld in a note. He said that the survey "statistically has no predictive power," but believes that the Bank of Canada is watching business sentiment and these results closely. "The Bank will take note that a strong majority see inflation over three per cent for the next two years, and that's something that the Bank wants to lean against," Shenfeld said. Nathan Janzen, economist at RBC, added in an interview that the new data further reinforces the Bank of Canada's desire and intention to move more aggressively on interest rate hikes. "It will certainly be more aggressive than what we saw coming out of the '08-'09 recession or even the oil price collapse in 2015," Janzen said. The report also revealed that the number of businesses navigating supply chain challenges is at a record high, and that these pressures are continuing to impact the ability to meet growing demand. Persistent labour shortages are adding to the bottleneck as well, the report said. Approximately half of the Canadian businesses surveyed also expect to face upward cost pressures tied to higher energy and commodity prices due to the war in Ukraine, based on an additional study conducted in March to supplement the Business Outlook Survey. However, there is still not enough clarity around how much Russia's invasion of Ukraine will impact sales, investment spending and hiring goals. Despite these hurdles, the report said that Canadian companies expect strong sales growth in 2022, albeit at a more moderate pace compared with last year. Signals of greater domestic and foreign demand are helping fuel healthy sales expectations, the report added. The Bank of Canada on Monday also released its quarterly consumer survey, which showed that Canadians' short-term inflation expectations reached record high levels in the first quarter of 2022, as concerns rise about the ability to get it under control. The consumer survey also found that Canadian workers don't really see their wages increasing enough to match the pace of inflation. Many Canadians don't expect high inflation to last forever though, the report added. The consumer survey found that Canadians expect inflation stability in the longer term. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 4, 2022

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement This combination of photos shows Regina Hall, from left, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes, who are in final talks to host the 94th Academy Awards. (AP Photo) LOS ANGELES -- After three years without a host, the Oscars are reportedly making up for lost time with three hosts for this year's awards: Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes are in final talks to host the 94th Academy Awards, the trade publication Variety reported Monday. Reports say that each actor will be responsible for one hour of the three-hour broadcast, airing live on ABC on March 27th. Neither the academy nor representatives for Schumer, Hall and Sykes immediately responded to request for comment by The Associated Press. The hosts will be confirmed Tuesday morning on "Good Morning America." "Girls Trip" producer Will Packer is producing this year's ceremony. Hall has been in several of Packer's movies, including "Think Like a Man" and "Little." The show is hoping to rebound from the dismal viewership of last year's broadcast, which was both an all-time low and the norm for pandemic-era awards shows. In addition to bringing back starry hosts and bumping the best picture nominees to a set 10, the Academy is also hoping to spike interest through social media voting for a "fan favorite" movie that will be announced during the show, as well as a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles for the ceremony.

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FOLLOW ON Advertisement This image released by Disney shows Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, in a scene from the animated film 'Encanto.' (Disney via AP) NEW YORK -- A month after “Encanto” debuted in theaters, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the movie's Colombia-inflected songs, took a long vacation. By the time he returned, something almost as extraordinary as the enchanted home of the movie had transpired. “Encanto” became the first movie soundtrack since 2019 to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts earlier this month. The film's most popular song, “We Don't Talk About Bruno,” became the highest-charting song from a Disney animated film in more than 26 years, ranking higher than even “Let It Go.” The music of “Encanto” was suddenly everywhere. Everyone was talking about Bruno. “By the time I got back, `We Don't Talk About Bruno' had kind of taken over the world along with the rest of the `Encanto' soundtrack,”' Miranda says, laughing. “It helps you have the perspective of: The opening weekend is not the life of the movie. It's just the very roughest draft. Two months out, people are talking about Bruno, and his whole family.” It's not unusual for songs by Miranda, the composer of “Hamilton” and “In the Heights,” to capture the zeitgeist. But what the soundtrack to “Encanto” is doing, long after it arrived in theaters on Nov. 24, is almost unheard of - particularly during a pandemic that has muted the ability of movies to make a lasting impression. “Encanto,” a warm celebration of family centered on the Madrigals, a Colombian clan with magical powers, has been the most successful animated film at the box office during the pandemic, with $223 million in ticket sales worldwide. But the soundtrack explosion - prompted by its Christmas debut on Disney+ - has propelled a rare kind of pop-culture sensation. “Encanto” didn't displace just anybody from the top spot. It overtook Adele. Six songs from the film have charted on the Billboard 100, including “Surface Pressure,” “The Family Madrigal,” “What Else Can I Do?” “Waiting on a Miracle” and “Dos Oruguitas.” All also rank among the most streamed songs on Spotify. There, “We Don't Talk About Bruno” has been streamed more than 100 million times. On YouTube, you can not talk about Bruno in Hungarian and Bahasa Malaysia. Miranda took in the phenomenon of the “Encanto” soundtrack for the first time in an interview, speaking by phone on his way to a night of theater. (“Very on brand for me,” he said from the back of a car.) He's mostly been experiencing “Encanto” mania through a text thread with directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush, co-director Charise Castro Smith and Tom MacDougall, head of music at Disney. They share things like clips of choreography or TikTok videos of people singing along. (The #Encanto hashtag has been viewed more than 11.5 billion times on TikTok.) “I just got a text 10 minutes ago of someone tweeting `If you don't speak Spanish and you put on the closed captioning for `Dos Oruguitas,' you're really going to cry,” says Miranda, chuckling. To Miranda, what's most rewarding is how people are connecting to the songs and its characters as expressions of their own family roles and dynamics. For example: “Surface Pressure,” sung by Jessica Darrow, taps into the weight of responsibility felt by an older sibling. Miranda wrote it with his older sister, Luz Miranda-Crespo, in mind. In one of the most popular “Encanto” TikToks, a young woman named Maribel Martinez says she not only looks like the muscular sister Luisa, but that “Surface Pressure” “tells my story.” “The thing we were chasing was: Can we get the complexity of family, a multi-generational Latin family, into a Disney film?” says Miranda. “That's what people seem to be responding to: `I'm bopping my head to this but it's kind of deep and there's layers to it.”' But Miranda never saw the massive popularity of “We Don't Talk About Bruno” coming. The song now ranks historically with anthems like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from “The Lion King” and “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin.” But “Bruno” is a song you can dance to. It's a quirkier tune lifted by its infectious groove and a medley of voices that splinter and meld in a gossipy song about family secrets. “I was saying to a friend: I think this is my `Send in the Clowns,”' says Miranda. “`Send in the Clowns' was Stephen Sondheim's only chart-topper. Who would have guessed out of the millions of songs he wrote that it would be `Send in the Clowns'? It feels random in one sense. “But on the other hand, we've all been locked up for two years,” he continued. “The notion of a bunch of voices happening within one home feels very resonant, with hindsight. There's kind of a part for everyone to play in singing along with the song. If you're not bopping to this melody, another melody is coming along in two seconds because almost every character gets a little feature in it.” “We Don't Talk About Bruno” came to Miranda quickly. In an early demo track, Miranda sang all 10 parts in a feat of choral schizophrenia. He hasn't released the demo, but that hasn't stopped one impersonator from trying out his best imitation. “That's always the process with me. There's lots of terrible demos. Often those are sung at 3 or 4 a.m., so they don't sound great,” says Miranda, laughing. “I think TikTok has had a field day with the demos I've released because I'm warbling and my voice is cracking.” “Movies take a long time,” he adds. “There was a lot of just singing these songs around your house for years, and trying to make them better and better.” As much as “Bruno” has broken out, it won't be competing at the Oscars. (“No, no, no,” as the song goes.) The Oscar-submission from “Encanto” is the moving, allegorical ballad “Dos Oruguitas” (which translates as “Two Caterpillars”), sung by Colombian singer-songwriter Sebastian Yatra. Miranda composed it striving for the simplicity and metaphor of an old folk song. “Dos Oruguitas” has already been shortlisted for the Academy Awards; if it were to be nominated and ultimately win, it would give Miranda his first Oscar - and since he's already won Tonys, Grammys and Emmys - EGOT status. “It's not a thing you consciously chase,” he says. “I'm thrilled to be even within spitting distance of it.” The phenomenon of “Encanto” has capped a whirlwind two years for Miranda that has included documentaries tracing his origins, the release of a filmed “Hamilton,” the long-awaited and much-debated big-screen spectacular “In the Heights” and his feature filmmaking debut in the Jonathan Larson musical “Tick, Tick ... BOOM.” “I have a weirdly empty desk for the first time in maybe 13 years,” Miranda says. “I was working on everything, and it all came out last year.”

O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG B-PER O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG B-ORG B-LOC I-LOC O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O B-LOC B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER I-PER B-PER I-PER O B-PER I-PER I-PER O B-PER I-PER O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O


FOLLOW ON Advertisement When in doubt, for more information, call Benedict Cumberbatch. Without directly addressing comments made last week by actor Sam Elliot, who on a podcast criticized Netflix's "Power of the Dog" for its "allusions of homosexuality," Cumberbatch explained in a panel this weekend that his portrayal of closeted rancher Phil Burbank has power beyond the screen. "I think if we are to teach our sons to be feminists, if we're to teach equality, if we're to understand what poisons the well in men, [and] what creates toxic masculinity, we need to understand and look under the hood of characters like Phil Burbnk to see what their struggle is and why that's there in the first place because otherwise it will just keep repeating itself," he said in a conversation with Mariayah Kaderbhai, head of programs at BAFTA. Cumberbatch's response was to a question about why he thought the period film was an important tale to tell now and came days after Elliot, a long time staple in Western films, said in an interview on "WTF With Marc Maron" that the film was not a true Western. "You want to talk about that piece of s---?" Elliott said. "That's what all these f---ing cowboys in that movie looked like. They're all running around in chaps and no shirts, there's all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f---ing movie." Elliot received backlash for his comments but has not responded since the interview. CNN previously reached out to "Power of the Dog" director Jane Campion, Netflix and GLAAD for comment. Cumberbatch, who did not refer to Elliot by name and said he had not heard the comments for himself, called the remarks "very odd." The actor seemed to take issue with the notion "that anybody could have anything other than a heteronormative existence because of what they do for a living or where they're born." "I think the more we look under the hood of toxic masculinity and try to discover the root causes of it, the bigger the chance we have of dealing with it when it arises with our children in playgrounds at school, with their friends, in the behavioral patterns we might see in innocent play and just understand how to police that," he said. "Power of the Dog" stars Kirsten Dunst, Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee. It was nominated for 12 Oscars this year including best picture and best director for Campion, who Elliot also had sharp words for. "She's a brilliant director, I love her previous work, but what the f--- does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?" he said. "And why the f--- did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say 'this is the way it was?' That rubbed me the wrong way, pal." Elliott made his film debut in 1967's "The Way West" and went on to other Westerns such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." His breakout role came in 1985's "Mask," alongside Cher. He's starred in more than 30 films, appeared in over 40 television shows and has lent his voice to countless projects.

O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O B-ORG B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER B-ORG I-ORG B-ORG O O B-PER O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER B-PER B-PER I-PER I-PER B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC I-LOC O O O B-LOC I-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC I-LOC O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O


FOLLOW ON Advertisement While the percentage of available units in Canada’s primary rental market remained virtually the same in 2021 compared to the year before, there are still concerns that vacancy rates in key markets across the country could see a decline come next year. According to Thomas Davidoff, a housing economist and associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, a decrease in vacancy rates means “bad news” for renters. “Usually, vacancy [rates] and rents move in opposite directions,” he told CTVNews.ca on March 3 in a phone interview. “When there's more landlords looking for tenants, they tend to need to lower rents, and when there's more tenants chasing after a small number of apartments, then rents tend to rise.” According to a report recently released by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Canada’s purpose-built rental market had a vacancy rate of 3.1 per cent in 2021, a slight drop compared to the overall vacancy rate in 2020 of 3.2 per cent. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment unit in Canada was $1,167 in 2021, representing an increase of three per cent compared to the year before. Some of the pressures that have already begun to increase the demand for these rental units – such as higher levels of immigration and rebounds in provincial job markets – could drive down availability even further, said Bob Dugan, the CMHC’s chief economist. Without adequate supply, the result could be a greater drop in vacancy rates, and a rise in rent prices, said Dugan. “My concern is, if we can't get the supply problems fixed and moving a little bit more quickly, it’s going to lead to an erosion of affordability with lower vacancy rates and higher rent increases,” Dugan told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on March 3. “There's a chance it can get harder before it gets easier.” Demand is a key factor in determining the vacancy rate within purpose-built rental markets, said Dugan. These are otherwise known as primary rental markets, which refers to buildings constructed for the sole purpose of renting out units. In 2021, the country saw a rise in the demand for these rental units compared to the year before, said Dugan, partially due to a recovery in international migration levels as a result of relaxed travel restrictions. Based on data from Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada, the country welcomed 184,500 new permanent residents in 2020, while 401,000 new immigrants were admitted in 2021. The lifting of pandemic-related restrictions on a regional level also contributed to economic recovery through increased employment of young Canadians, said Dugan. According to Statistics Canada, students between 15 and 24 years of age saw a 15.6 per cent increase in employment from August 2020 to August 2021, for example. In the previous year, employment within the same age group dropped 11.8 per cent. “When you think about new household formation, both new immigrants and young households tend to first rent, and as they save up money, they move into homeownership,” said Dugan. “When you see the employment rate for young people improve, you can really see that that has an impact on rental demand.” As the world progresses through the pandemic, Dugan said he anticipates there will continue to be increases in both employment rates among young adults, as well as immigration to Canada, which puts rental demand at risk of further increase going forward. “If that's the case, that will put downward pressure on vacancy rates and might lead to further deterioration of affordability,” said Dugan. DECLINE IN VACANCY RATES ‘BAD NEWS’ FOR RENTERS Of the 37 census metropolitan areas surveyed in CMHC’s report, 21 of them saw a decrease in 2021 vacancy rates compared to the year before. One of these areas is Vancouver. In October 2020, the vacancy rate for purpose-built rental apartments was 2.6 per cent. That number shrunk to 1.2 per cent by October 2021. Since 2014, the city has seen persistently low vacancy rates and rising prices among rental apartment units. Prior to the pandemic, rental apartments in the city’s more urban areas were seeing greater demand than single family homes purchased in suburban and rural markets, Davidoff said, a trend that reversed with the emergence of COVID-19. But data collected by the CMHC shows that in 2021, tenants began to return to central areas within the city with higher rent prices. As more pandemic-related restrictions are lifted in British Columbia, Davidoff said he anticipates this latest trend will continue in Vancouver, with more tenants seeking to rent apartments located in the city’s downtown core. Demand for these units will create additional pressure within the city’s purpose-built rental market, he said. “I suspect [rent growth] is going to get worse given the very low vacancy rates we're seeing…and again, the return to apartment and downtown life,” said Davidoff. In 2021, the average price of rent grew by 2.4 per cent in Vancouver, compared to just 1.5 per cent in 2020. Increasing vacancy rates within the city will help limit this growth over time, said Davidoff, and make rent more affordable for residents. Echoing Dugan, Davidoff said the solution is a continued increase in rental supply to better meet demand. “You want more bargaining power for tenants, essentially,” he said. “When you have 30 people looking for one apartment…that’s a disaster for rent growth. “Generally, we just have too many people looking for too few homes.” COVID-19’S VARYING IMPACT ON TORONTO’S RENTAL MARKET While the COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt had an impact on residents of Toronto as well, certain segments of the population seem to have taken longer to bounce back from pandemic measures financially, according to the CMHC report. Economic recovery from the pandemic took place at a generally faster pace among those who could easily transition from the bricks-and-mortar office to the home office, said Jason Mercer, chief market analyst for the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. These people are also usually employed in sectors of the labour market that are associated with average to above average earnings, he said, and contribute to a strong demand for homeownership in the city. But for others, particularly those working in accommodation and food services, these industries were slower to recover economically, and are likely still recovering today due to the various pandemic-related restrictions that have limited business, said Mercer. “Many of those sectors are associated with average to below average earnings, and so you see more rental households within some of those sectors of the economy,” he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on March 3. “Sectors that traditionally underpin the rental market demand haven't recovered as quickly as others.” This, along with greater rental stock among condominium apartments, has resulted in an increased vacancy rate among purpose-built units in the city seen today, said Mercer. According to the CMHC, the Greater Toronto Area saw seven times more condominium apartments enter its long-term rental market in 2021 compared to purpose-built apartments. Those looking for newer builds with modern amenities and finishes, for example, might have been more likely to opt for a condominium, freeing up vacancy rates among purpose-built rental properties, he said. In 2021, Toronto’s purpose-built rental market recorded a vacancy rate of 4.4 per cent, compared to 3.4 per cent the year before. Still, Mercer said the city will likely see continued growth in the rental market among both purpose-built and condominium apartments. Greater demand will lead to lower vacancy rates, which will ultimately drive up rent prices, he said. “We'll see average rent surpass pre-pandemic levels because the population continues to grow in the Greater Toronto Area,” said Mercer. “We're seeing record levels of immigration and that supports demand both for rental housing and ownership housing.” GROWTH IN RENT PRICES SLOWING DOWN In addition to analyzing demand, it’s also important to consider supply, said Dugan. In 2021, Canada saw a rise in the supply of purpose-build rental apartment units throughout the year that matched demand overall. Approximately 40,000 units entered the rental market between October 2020 and October 2021. Within the same timeframe, occupied apartments also grew by about 41,000 units. While rental demand in most provinces followed a similar trend, supply appeared to outpace demand in both Ontario and Manitoba. In cities such as Toronto and Winnipeg, supply exceeded demand by about 4,000 and 1,000 units, respectively. Michael Froese, managing broker of Royal LePage Prime Real Estate based in Winnipeg, said he has been seeing this growth in supply first hand, with a new apartment complex being built near his home. Other high-rise apartment buildings are being developed in the city’s downtown core and suburban Winnipeg as well, he said. “[Developers] see a hole in the market so they build,” he told CTVNews.ca on March 7 in a phone interview. “Now, there's more to choose from so that gives tenants more options and it decreases that pressure on the upward swing [of rent prices].” Similar to Toronto, Winnipeg saw its vacancy rate for purpose-built rental apartments increase, going from 3.8 per cent in 2020 to five per cent in 2021. Both cities also noted increases in average rent prices for these units. In Toronto, this was due to more competition among landlords, according to the CMHC. In Winnipeg, higher average rent prices were a result of more newly constructed purpose-built rental units entering the market, Froese said. “It does kind of defy the conventional economics of supply and demand,” he said. “But what’s out there is new, and new is nicer and new generally fetches more [money] than old.” Despite these increases in rent prices, both cities saw growth rates slow down compared to previous years. In Toronto, when comparing rents for similar units between October 2020 and October 2021, average apartment rents increased by 1.3 per cent in 2021. This is significantly lower than the increase recorded in 2020 of 4.7 per cent. In Winnipeg, same-sample apartment rents increased by 2.6 per cent in 2021, but this figure has been decreasing steadily since 2018. While Froese said he does foresee a continued increase in the average price of purpose-built rental apartment units, these increases will be moderate. “I do expect rents to pick up,” he said. “Expenses are going up every year [and] inflation is driving everything so prices will continue to go up.” SUPPLY-BASED SOLUTIONS Data in the CMHC’s report also highlights challenges many Canadians face when it comes to rental affordability, Dugan said. The report features a breakdown of the number of hours residents of various cities must work per month to adequately afford rent on a two-bedroom purpose-built rental apartment. Using average local hourly wages, the report shows that in several major cities, including Vancouver, Toronto and Winnipeg, residents needed to work more than the 150 hours typically logged each month if working full time, in order to afford their rent. Nearly all areas surveyed saw an increase in this metric in 2021 compared to the year before. “People had to work more hours than the previous year to bring that rent down to 30 per cent of their income,” said Dugan. “In those centres, you actually need a second person to supplement the income to make affordability work.” In order to make rental housing more affordable across the country, there must be an increase in supply within the rental market, Dugan said. This is likely to prevent rent prices from increasing as much or as quickly as they would otherwise. “When you have the number of hours of work [needed] to make rental housing affordable increasing the way we show in the report, it means that we're moving further away from that goal [of affordability],” he said. “We need supply in order to keep housing prices and rents stable, and move towards a more affordable housing market for everybody.” This can be achieved through different levels of government partnering with private sector developers and builders, Dugan said. Another strategy to consider involves revising municipal zoning laws to allow more neighbourhoods to convert single-family properties into multi-unit residential ones, such as a duplex, triplex, or townhome, he said. Expediting the process of approving building permits can also help smooth the pathway towards more affordable housing, said Dugan. “More supply is crucial to getting affordability under control in the long run,” said Dugan.

O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG B-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O B-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC I-LOC B-PER O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O B-PER B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O O O B-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O B-ORG O B-LOC I-LOC I-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC I-LOC I-LOC O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O B-LOC O O O O B-LOC O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O B-PER I-PER O O O B-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG I-ORG O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-ORG O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-LOC B-LOC O B-LOC O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER O O O O O O O O O O O O O O B-PER