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Friday, October 10, 2025

Wealth gap widens in Canada as income inequality reaches highest levels since 2015

By
Isaac Lamoureux, True North Wire
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Source: Pexels

Economic inequality in Canada has reached the biggest gap between the richest and poorest households since 2015. 

According to a TD Bank report, high interest rates and growing household debt are squeezing middle- and lower-income families, leading to a more cautious approach to spending.

The household savings for the lowest income quintile in Canada decreased by about $30,000 between 2015 and 2023, from -$72,707 to -$102,952. Meanwhile, household savings increased by almost $100,000 in the highest income quintile, reaching almost $230,000, according to Statistics Canada.

This increase in savings came despite net income only increasing by about $28,000 in the highest income quintile between 2015 and 2023. In the lowest income quintile, income increased by less than $9,000 between the two years. 

For the second- and third-income quintiles, disposable income increased at a lower rate than inflation since 2019, suggesting that their real income has decreased since pre-pandemic levels.

“Inflation on necessities forced low- and middle-income households to rely on their savings to make ends meet. This will have direct implications on future spending as these families will have fewer liquid resources to tap into,” read the report.

True North previously reported that inflation rates continue to rise month over month.

Middle-income households saw the largest increase in their debt-to-income ratio since 2019, as they became more indebted than before the pandemic. 

True North previously reported that Canada has the highest debt-to-income ratio in the G7 despite households being the second wealthiest. For every dollar a Canadian household spent in 2021, they owed about $1.85 in debt. Conversely, the lowest debt-to-income ratio in the G7 is held by Italy, where residents spend about 90% of what they owe. 

“Higher-income households benefited relatively more due to their larger holdings of financial assets, which were the main wealth drivers last year,” said Maria Solovieva, an economist with TD Bank and author of the report. 

The disposable income of a household increased by over $200,000 for Canada’s highest income quintile between 2015 and 2023. In the lowest income quintile, this increase was only about $38,000.

“Income inequality worsened in 2023, with the largest disparity in disposable income shares between the highest and lowest income quintiles since 2015,” said Solovieva.

Despite the widening income gap, TD’s report showed that, on average, all households were better off, achieving wealth gains of 1.8-2.8%. These gains were primarily driven by the increasing value of financial assets, of which higher-income households generally have larger holdings.

The report said that real estate assets, a large portion of wealth for lower-income quintiles, depreciated due to increased mortgage debt.

Middle-income households have been the primary driver of spending that exceeded historical averages in Canada in recent years. 

“With lagging growth in real incomes and high debt burdens, these families are more likely to remain liquidity-constrained in the coming years and will be forced to make more economical choices… This will create a drag on spending,” said Solovieva.

The report concluded that spending by Canada’s wealthiest households, who account for more than 50% of aggregate spending, is the nation’s only chance to keep the economy on course. 

“The top 40% of the highest income earners who account for more than half of aggregate spending and possess greater liquid resources, will become a critical swing factor in determining the degree of economic resilience,” it added.

Two Montreal UN employees charged in alleged conspiracy to sell weapons to Libya

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Wikimedia Commons

Two former United Nations employees in Montreal have been charged by the RCMP for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to sell military equipment, including Chinese-made drones, to Libya in violation of sanctions. 

According to the RCMP, 61-year-old Fathi Ahmed Mhaouek, who resided in the Sainte-Catherine suburb of Montreal, has been arrested and is expected to appear in a Montreal court on Tuesday. 

“It is alleged that Mhaouek conspired to facilitate purchases of Libyan oil between prohibited entities and the People’s Republic of China contrary to the United Nations Act,” reads an RCMP statement.

His alleged accomplice, 27-year-old Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye, remains a fugitive with Interpol issuing a global alert to track him down. 

The RCMP say both men were employed by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency with its headquarters located in Montreal, when the alleged conspiracy occurred. 

The agency was formed in 1944 with the goal to “achieve the sustainable growth of the global civil aviation system.”

The agency has been cooperating with the RCMP on the case, confirmed Sgt. Charles Poirier, who said that it took the RCMP additional time to press charges because both men had diplomatic immunity within their functions at work, which had to be first lifted. 

“Had they not done that, we wouldn’t have been able to lay some criminal charges,” Poirier told the Montreal Gazette.

Both men have allegedly violated the UN’s sanctions against Libya. 

Investigators say they believe the scheme also involved the illegal sale of Libyan oil to China, which, according to Poirier, amounted to millions of barrels of crude oil.

“Had this deal gone through, both accused could have received millions of dollars in commission on a monthly basis from these transactions,” said Poirier. “So, pretty huge numbers. Of course it didn’t happen, it was a conspiracy. … but if it had gone through, you can see that this would have been Chinese interference in Libyan affairs and a part of it being done from Canada.”

The drones in question that they would have received from China were of “a large attack capability,” according to RCMP. 

“What these two individuals attempted … was to circumvent legislation by hiding the sellers and buyers through shell companies and effectively providing Chinese military equipment to Libya, and specifically to General Khalifa Haftar, who at the time was the head of a faction that was fighting over control for Libya,” said Poirier. 

The suspects met while working together at the civil aviation agency, noted Poirier.

“We can’t say for certain that they used their position (at work), but what we know is that they met at ICAO, that they did conspire while at ICAO, and that they had access to a vast network of connections,” he said. “They were people who had a lot of influence, obviously they were really well connected internationally.”

Canada Post is refusing to collect guns under Liberal ‘buyback’

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Trudeau government’s gun buyback program hit another roadblock as Canada Post has refused to take up the task of collecting the firearms prohibited by the Liberals’ sweeping ban in 2020.

Government sources told Radio-Canada that the feds expected Canada Post to be involved in the collection of the 144,000 now-banned “assault” and “military-style” firearms, as the crown corporation is already responsible for delivering guns purchased by Canadians online. 

However, Canada Post is declining to do so, saying in a recent letter to Ottawa that it is concerned for the safety of its employees, who would have to be the ones out knocking on doors. 

Canada Post is worried about potential conflicts between staff and gun owners who are frustrated with the confiscation of something they purchased and owned legally. 

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised the implementation of a buyback program in both the 2019 and 2021 elections. The deadline has been extended twice. The Liberals now hope to finalize the program before the next general election, scheduled for October 2025. 

Federal officials said that Canada Post would be the “least costly” and “most efficient” avenue to recover banned weapons. 

The Trudeau government wants the owners of banned guns to secure them in government-issued boxes unloaded, to be sent back to the government for disposal, at which point the owners would be financially compensated for the cost of the firearm.

While government discussions with Canada Post remain ongoing, the sources say that the government is confused by the postal services’ apprehension surrounding the task.  

“It’s a challenge, but we do not think this jeopardizes our timetable or the government’s desire to move forward,” one federal source told CBC. “We want the discussions to continue.”

Alberta is requiring a provincial licence for any individual or organization employed in firearm seizure within the province, a policy included in the UCP government’s Bill 8, the Alberta Firearms Act. 

It’s a licence that is very unlikely to be issued, according to statements from Alberta Justice Minister Tyler Shandro as the Alberta government pushes back against the Liberals’ firearm legislation.

“We disagree with the confiscation program, so we don’t think that there should be anyone involved in being engaged as a seizure agent for the confiscation program,” said Shandro during a press conference last year.

Under Ottawa’s so-called buyback program, over 1,500 models of firearms were banned by order-in-council, with the government initially granting amnesty to gun owners until May 1, 2022, a date which has since been extended to October 2025. 

The program has already cost the federal government $42 million without any firearms having been confiscated yet and certain estimates project the total cost of the program will surpass $1 billion.  

Ottawa tasked the Canadian Sporting Arms and Ammunition Association with helping them to retrieve banned firearms from retailers. However, the CSAAA has been critical of the Liberals’ firearms knowledge, calling it limited in scope, adding further complexity to the already difficult task.

“You’re banning a style of firearm, so there’s no mechanical definition for what is prohibited. Therefore it’s an arbitrary decision by a panel of people, making it very difficult for us as an industry to know what is and what is not going to be prohibited,” CSAAA president Wes Winkel told True North.

“It’s all political posturing, that’s all it is, we know that as an industry. We’ve been a pawn in the politics game for a long time and it’s frustrating for those of us in business trying to keep people employed and trying to make a living,” he added. 

The Andrew Lawton Show | Even Canada Post wants nothing to do with the Liberal gun grab

By
Andrew Lawton
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Source: pm.gc.ca

It’s been nearly four years to the day since the Liberal government prohibited more than 1,500 types of firearms and set in motion a “buyback” to confiscate the lawfully-owned guns from their owners. Since then, not a single gun has been acquired. In fact, Alberta and Saskatchewan have put up roadblocks making it next to impossible for the government to confiscate guns in those provinces, and now Canada Post has said it wants nothing to do with the buyback, dashing federal hopes that the Crown corporation could manage the firearm pickups and transfers. True North’s Andrew Lawton weighs in.

Also, a massive U.N. summit has convened in Ottawa with the goal of setting up a “plastics treaty.” Andrew discusses with Chris DeArmitt of Phantom Plastics.

Plus, is defunding CBC as easy or desirable as it sounds? Andrew shares an interview with Jen Gerson, co-founder of the Line, recorded at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference.

Antisemitism has become the new normal in Canada with the tacit or even explicit endorsement of political leaders. Andrew talks about it with author and broadcaster Dahlia Kurtz, author of the new book “Dear Zionist, You Are Not Alone.”

SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANDREW LAWTON SHOW

The Daily Brief | Singh spreads false claim about Poilievre

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
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Source: Facebook

A True North exclusive reveals NDP leader Jagmeet Singh has been spreading the false claim that Pierre Poilievre wants to dump “toxic waste” into waterways.

Plus, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says there’s no excuse to block critical infrastructure, as three men await sentencing following guilty verdicts for their role in the Coutts border blockade.

And Canada must build 1.096 houses every minute in order for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fulfil his housing goals.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Cosmin Dzsurdzsa and Noah Jarvis!

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Proposed B.C. law wants minority-only committee to “eliminate systemic racism”

By
Clayton DeMaine, True North Wire
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Source: BC Legislature

A British Columbia NDP MLA is trying to get taxpayers to fund a no-whites-allowed committee to “eliminate systemic racism.”

MLA Niki Sharma has proposed the creation of a “racialized” committee under Bill 23, the Anti-Racism Act. If passed, the committee would create a framework for the province to combat racism.

All members of the Provincial Committee on Anti-Racism, under the bill, would have to be “racialized” and “have expertise in working to eliminate systemic racism and advance racial equity.”

Taxpayers will fund their work and will reimburse the racially exclusive committee for “reasonable” travel and out of pocket expenses.

The committee would have at least two individuals who represent organizations which support “racialized individuals or communities,” two who have “expertise in systems thinking theory and practice,” and two who have experience in the development and delivery of anti-racism training curricula.

If passed, Bill 23 will make the provincial government create an anti-racism action plan in collaboration with this committee which is meant to root out “systemic racism and systemic racism specific to indigenous people,” all while advancing racial equity.

The bill repeatedly distinguishes systemic racism from systemic racism specific to indigenous peoples, which they are working towards eliminating too.

The action plan developed by the government and this committee would set standards, targets and measurable indicators of the success for other state-run anti-racism initiatives.

The B.C. government defines racial equity as “the idea that nobody should face barriers or discrimination because of their race.”

The provincial government website says it is “working towards racial equity means addressing the root cause of the issue. This includes changing any policies or programs that further existing inequities to deliver better outcomes for everyone.”

The provincial government distinguishes equality, which it defines as everyone being treated the same way, from equity.

According to the government, “equity recognizes that we are not starting at the same place and seeks to address these imbalances.”

The province established another anti-racism committee with the Anti-Racism Data Act which became law in 2022.  A majority of members in the committee created by this act have to be “racialized.”

The Anti-Racism Data Act enables the B.C. government to collect demographic data such as ethnicity, faith, ancestry, disabilities, and gender identity to identify disparities and barriers faced by Indigenous and “racialized” people when assessing government programs.

Neither the bill nor the government has defined the term racialized, but it is widely understood to refer to people with a racial or ethnic identity other than white

When reached for comment, someone in Sharma’s office told True North a response would be forthcoming but ultimately never provided one

A representative of the B.C. Conservatives called the act divisive despite being “masked by terminology that seems well intentioned.”

“It is regressive for our society to hire people solely based on their skin colour,” the spokesperson said in an email to True North. “This sets a precedent that takes us back to a darker time in our history, instead of living up to the ideal of Martin Luther King Jr. and other figures who aspired toward a society where we judge each other on the merits of our character, rather than our skin colour.”

The B.C. Conservative spokesperson said the bill will “only disenfranchise and divide people even further.”

“We need to unite behind our common humanity and shared values of freedom and prosperity for all.”

Half of Ottawa’s shelters are occupied by asylum seekers, immigrants

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa, True North Wire
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Source: Wikimedia

As the City of Ottawa asks the Liberal government for an additional $32 million to house the growing surge of asylum seekers, new data shows half of the capital’s homeless shelters are occupied by new immigrants and refugee claimants.

In response to an inquiry by Coun. Allan Hubley, city officials revealed that as of Dec. 31, 2023, 47% of single adults in Ottawa’s homeless shelters were newcomers to Canada. 

“In 2023, Ottawa experienced unprecedented highs in the number of newcomers accessing our housing and homelessness support system,” the response reads. 

“As a result, the system is operating far above capacity creating resourcing issues impacting the ability to provide adequate services to integrate these newcomers into the community. The City is not funded for newcomer service delivery and therefore continues to rely on hotels, motels, post-secondary residences, and temporary COVID-era facilities to meet the excess demand.” 

The city’s single adult shelters have seen a 47% increase in new clients since last year with a 360% increase witnessed among newcomers. 

Additionally, Ottawa has 235 homeless families staying in hotels, motels and campus residences. 

Last week, Mayor Mark Sutcliffe called on the federal government to fund a welcoming centre for the growing asylum seeker population. 

“We’d love to hear from the federal government on funding for a welcoming centre for those individuals who are arriving in the city,” said Sutcliffe prior to the release of the federal budget. 

Ottawa has requested $12 million for the federal government in the form of capital costs and additionally requested $20.6 million for ongoing operations. 

The federal government has already sent Ottawa $5 million in the form of an “interim advance payment.” 

“Although this funding will help the City to address some of the funding shortfalls experienced throughout 2023 it does not provide the vital, ongoing, funding that is needed to support the long-term capital and operating requirements to house newcomers or migrants,” wrote city officials. 

Feds launch plastics registry, requiring businesses to report annual plastic use

By
Quinn Patrick, True North Wire
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Source: Facebook

The federal government is taking aim at plastic with a federal registry that will require some companies to regularly report their plastic production and importation.

Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault made the announcement during his kickoff of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Monday.

Delegates and representatives from around the world are meeting in Ottawa this week to develop an internationally binding agreement on plastic pollution by the end of the year, The United Nations Environment Programme is responsible for organizing the meetings. 

“I am determined,” said Guilbeault. “I know that we will forge a historic milestone to end plastic pollution. 

The Federal Plastics Registry will begin in September 2025 and it will require businesses to report on plastic they have placed on the market in “three categories for the 2024 calendar year,” reads a government announcement. 

Under the Federal Plastic Registry, companies “including resin manufacturers, service providers, and producers of plastic products” will be required to report the totality of their plastic use amount annually. 

“Producers of plastic products and service providers will also be required to report on the quantity of plastic collected and diverted, reused, repaired, remanufactured, refurbished, recycled, processed into chemicals, composted, incinerated, and landfilled,” reads the government release.

Small businesses which produce less than one tonne of plastic on the market each year will be exempt from making reports. 

The federal government is using an existing environmental protection law to collect data for a Federal Plastics Registry.

“Every year, from now on, (companies) must declare the quantity and types of plastic they supply, how these plastics move through the economy, and how they are managed at the end of their life,” said Guilbeault.

“The registry will provide critical information to measure progress, identifying gaps, and building a truly circular economy.”

Additionally, they will be required to report on the amount of plastic waste that has been generated on their commercial, industrial and institutional premises. 

The data collected by the registry will be used to identify what further actions are required to reduce plastic waste and pollution. 

Reporting requirements regarding the new registry will be phased in incrementally to give companies time to adapt to the obligations of their annual report.  

Additional reporting requirements on plastics collected and sent for disposal or diversion will be added on in 2027. 

The announcement of the registry is part of Canada’s Zero Plastic Waste Agenda, which aims to move towards a circular plastics economy and to reduce waste.  

LAWTON: Blaine Higgs on parental rights, gender identity, and being labelled “far right”

By
Andrew Lawton
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Source: Canada Strong and Free

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs joined True North’s Andrew Lawton at the Canada Strong and Free Networking Conference in Ottawa for a wide-ranging conversation on gender identity, being labelled “far-right”, and the leftward drift of Canadian politics. Plus, Higgs describes the media backlash he experienced for taking a firm stance on parental rights.

Ratio’d | Diversity is our strength!

By
Harrison Faulkner
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Two viral videos have sparked a major reaction in Canada once again regarding mass immigration and values clashing. The first is a brazen liquor store robbery at a LCBO by what appears to be Indian immigrants. A bystander decides to confront the thieves with a few well placed hooks as everyone else simply looks on.

The other video is of an international student explaining to his social media followers how they can “save hundreds of bucks” by abusing a local food bank at his university. The reaction was so negative that the student had deleted his social media accounts.

It appears that we are witnessing a major values clash in our cities and Canadian are fed up.

Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner.

UPDATE: Mehul Prajapati was not an employee of TD Bank when he released his video on using the local food bank at Wilfrid Laurier University.

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