Rates held.. but Canada just slipped into a technical recession
Bank of Canada Update – No Change!
Here are the highlights:
Interest Rates unchanged:
- Bank of Canada has left interest rates unchanged.
- Prime Rate stays at 4.45%Bond yields relatively unchanged from last month.
- The Bank is looking through the short term impacts of the war but “will not let higher prices become persistent inflation.”
Economic Indicators:
- Canada’s economy contracted for 2 consecutive quarters for the 1st time since 2020 (and 2015 prior to that)
- 2 consecutive quarters of declining GDP is the technical definition of a recession
- per capita real GDP increased 0.2% in Q1 Business investment in Canada posted fifth consecutive quarterly decline
Job Market:
- Employment surged in May (+87k jobs)
- Unemployment dropped from 6.9% to 6.6%
- US jobs data very strong
- Employment strength keeps a Bank of Canada rate hike on the table for this year
Inflation:
- CPI jumps to 2.8% (up from 2.4% in April)
- Higher energy prices drove the acceleration
- Inflation forecast: CPI to return to 2% target in early 2027
Forecasts:
Markets are pricing in one rate hike (+0.25%) in 2026 & two (+0.5%) in 2027
Next Bank of Canada Meeting:
Scheduled for July 15th, 2026
The Bank of Canada left rates unchanged again at this morning’s interest rate announcement, as Canada dips into a technical recession with back to back declining quarters of GDP.
Central bankers use interest rates as the levers of the economy. When growth falters, lowering rates can ignite borrowing & investment to kick start a stagnant economy. When growth is strong & prices rise above the Bank of Canada’s inflation target, raising rates can prove a headwind to demand & bring price growth back to target.
In 2022 when Oil went up at the start of the Ukraine war, Canadians were sitting on significant savings to burn & the desire to match price increases, resulting in CPI cresting 8%. What followed was the most rate increases in over 40 years.
So what happens when growth falters while inflation climbs?
The consumer isn’t strong enough for higher prices to be passed on to. Demand isn’t there & that’s the exact setup Canada sits in right now.


The result is stagflation & an unclear rate path that could go in either direction.
The Bank of Canada does not want to raise rates, but the longer energy prices stay elevated, the tougher it is for companies to keep prices low.
As it currently stands, the 2 rate hikes being priced in for this year have dropped to one (+0.25%) in 2026 with two (+0.5%) in 2027. Let’s hope that continues to get kicked down the road.
Employment Surprise
The big surprise this past month was the May jobs data. After losing 112k jobs over the first four months in 2026, Canada unexpectedly gained over +87k jobs which is the strongest reading in 2 years & suggests the growth recession may not be long lasting.

So what does this all mean for your mortgage?
The case for variable has strengthened as the rate hike outlook has been pushed down the road. It’s not without risk, though, as elevated energy prices could most certainly bring hikes back into the foreground.
Longer term fixed rates haven’t really come down since the March jump, setting up shorter term fixed rates as a nice compromise between security & not being locked in for a particularly long period of time.
The reality is this isn’t just about the rate timing speculation. There’s what makes financial sense & what makes sense FOR YOU. My job is to help think through that decision & find a solution that is going to set you up for success while allowing you to sleep at night.
If you’d like a refresh to think your situation through, book in a call with me today.

One More Thing (And It’s More Important Than The Rate Announcement):
This week I met with a client whose husband recently passed away unexpectedly. The meeting was a powerful reminder of something we don’t talk about often enough:
What happens to your family (and home) if life takes a sudden turn?
The best time to buy life insurance is before you need it. Ask yourself this question: is your family protected if the unexpected happens?
If you’re not sure — and most people aren’t — just hit reply to this email or give me a call.
Fifteen minutes could be the most important conversation we ever have about your mortgage.















