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Fixed vs. Variable Mortgages in Canada: Which Should You Choose Right Now?

  Mortgages | Personal Finance | June 2026 Variable rates sit at 3.30% while fixed rates have climbed above 4%. The Bank of Canada is frozen between inflation and recession. Here's what that means for your mortgage decision today. By MoneySavings.ca Staff  |   June 26, 2026 📊 Today's Best Mortgage Rates — June 26, 2026 Type Term Lowest Rate (Broker) Big Bank Range Variable 5-Year ~3.30% ~3.50–4.00% Fixed (Insured) 5-Year ~4.04% ~4.50–5.20% Fixed (Conventional) 5-Year ~3.94% Higher Bank of Canada Policy Rate 2.25%  |  Prime Rate: 4.45% Sources: NerdWallet Canada, Ratehub.ca, WOWA.ca, bestrates.ca. Rates as of June 26, 2026. Broker rates require qualification; Big Bank rates are estimates. Your actual rate depends on your credit score, down payment, and mortgage type. If you're buying a home, renewing a mortgage, or simply trying to make sense of an unusually complex rate environment, you've arrived at the right question at a complicated moment. The Canadian...

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Revolutionary Gene Therapy Restores Hearing in Deaf Toddler

 

In a remarkable medical breakthrough, an 18-month-old toddler named Opal Sandy has regained her hearing thanks to a pioneering gene therapy trial. Born deaf due to a rare genetic condition affecting the OTOF gene, which is responsible for producing a protein essential for hearing, Opal’s prospects for natural hearing were bleak. However, the innovative treatment at Cambridge University Hospitals in England has opened up a world of sound for her.

The procedure involved the infusion of a working copy of the OTOF gene into Opal’s right ear, a process that took a mere 16 minutes. Remarkably, within weeks, Opal began responding to loud noises, and after 24 weeks, she could hear whispers, indicating a near-normal level of hearing restoration.

Opal’s case is part of the Chord trial, which is recruiting more children from the UK, Spain, and the US to undergo similar treatment. The trial is being closely monitored, with participants followed up for five years to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of the therapy.

The success of this gene therapy is a beacon of hope for many suffering from genetic deafness, signaling the dawn of a new era in medical science where conditions once thought incurable are now within the realm of treatment. Opal’s story is not just a personal victory; it’s a milestone in genetic medicine, showcasing the incredible potential of gene therapy to change lives.

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