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Oil Prices Are Spiking — Here's What It Means for Your Gas Tank and Grocery Bill

  Published July 17, 2026 Crude oil is trading near one-month highs this week, and if you've filled up your tank recently, you've probably already felt it. The culprit: an escalating conflict in the Middle East that's disrupting one of the world's most important oil shipping routes — and it's starting to show up at Canadian pumps and, eventually, on grocery store shelves. What's happening with oil prices West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the North American benchmark, has been trading around the $79–$80 per barrel range this week — up roughly 5% over the past month. Brent crude, the global benchmark that matters more for what Canadians pay at the pump, has been hovering near $85 per barrel, also near a one-month high. The spike traces back to renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran. The U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iran and has intensified strikes, while Iran has responded with attacks on U.S. bases and threats to disrupt regional energy shipments further. ...

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NDP Won’t Support Liberal $250 Rebate Plan Unless Eligibility Expanded: Singh


NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has announced that his party will not support the Liberal government's $250 rebate plan unless it is expanded to include the most vulnerable Canadians. The current proposal, part of a broader affordability package, aims to provide $250 to more than 18.7 million Canadians who earned less than $150,000 in 2023.

Singh emphasized that the rebate should also cover seniors, students, people on disability benefits, and those who were unable to work last year. He initially supported the idea, believing it would benefit anyone earning under $150,000, but the current plan only includes those who had an income.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's office responded, stating that it is "categorically false" to say seniors and people with disabilities are excluded, as many of them work and would qualify if they meet the income criteria.

The proposed measures are set to be included in the fall economic statement, with the GST holiday beginning in mid-December and lasting for two months.




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