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5 Things to Know Today: Job Losses, Rate-Hike Bets, Mortgage Hikes and $104 Oil (Oct. 11)

  Canadian Money Brief • Sunday, October 11, 2026 Happy Thanksgiving weekend. Canadian stock markets are closed Monday, but the money news isn't taking a break. Here are the five things that matter for your wallet before the week starts. 1. Canada lost 68,300 jobs in September Statistics Canada reported a second straight monthly drop (August was -41,700), well short of the gain economists expected. The unemployment rate edged up to 6.5% from 6.4%, and the economy has now shed a net 41,200 jobs so far in 2026, wiping out the year's earlier gains. Most of the damage was in the public sector, while the private sector held up. Wages for permanent employees rose 2.3% year over year. Markets reacted by trimming bets on a Bank of Canada rate hike at its Oct. 28 meeting to roughly 25%, down from about 40% before the report, according to LSEG data cited by The Canadian Press. What it means for you: A hike on Oct. 28 looks less likely, which is good news for variable-rate mortgage and H...

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New Year's traditions: How do people celebrate the new year around the world?

 New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are celebrated in various ways around the world. Here are some interesting traditions:

  • In Spain, it is customary to eat 12 grapes at midnight, one for each stroke of the clock, to bring good luck for the coming year.
  • In Scotland, the New Year is celebrated with a festival called Hogmanay. People swing giant fireballs on poles and parade through the streets.
  • In Denmark, people throw plates and glasses against their friends’ and neighbors’ front doors to banish bad spirits and bring good luck.
  • In Ecuador, it is tradition to burn effigies of famous people to destroy bad “juju” from the past year and start fresh.
  • In Thailand, it was once tradition to fire guns to frighten off demons.
  • In China, firecrackers are used to rout the forces of darkness.
  • In the United States, many people watch the ball drop in New York’s Times Square to ring in the new year.
  • In Canada, people often gather with friends and family to enjoy a feast and watch fireworks displays.
  • In Japan, people celebrate the new year with a traditional meal called “osechi ryori” and visit temples and shrines to pray for good fortune.

These are just a few examples of how people around the world celebrate the new year. Happy New Year! 

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