Maple Express | November 5, 2026 - Carney government's budget adds $142.1B in new spending

1. Carney government tables 2026 budget with $142.1B in new spending

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the 2026 budget in the House of Commons today, laying out $142.1 billion in new tax incentives, spending and other measures over five years to spur the economy, ease affordability pressures and tackle homelessness. The budget adds a further $9.4 billion in spending announced between the spring economic update and the new budget, including $1.5 billion over five years for the George Massey Tunnel replacement project in B.C. that Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to help fund in July.

Ottawa now projects a $62.3-billion deficit for the current budget year, $3 billion lower than projected in the spring, but the document shows no path to balance, with deficits projected above $50 billion in each of the next four years. Revenues are much higher than previously expected, but the prime minister has chosen to spend the windfall rather than save it. “With this budget, we will build the strongest economy in the G7. We will make life more affordable for Canadians,” Champagne said in the House.

The most expensive new measure is the previously announced $36.1-billion productivity mega deduction, which lets businesses write off some new capital investments such as equipment and buildings. The government also plans an extra $4.6 billion for the grocery rebate and $26.6 billion in new money for Indigenous reconciliation, much of it for water infrastructure, housing, education and children and families. Debt servicing will cost $60.2 billion this year, about 10 cents of every tax dollar, compared with $57.4 billion budgeted for health transfers; by 2030, about 12 cents of every tax dollar will go to debt charges. Queen’s University economist Don Drummond said the government is highly indebted on Canadians’ behalf and the budget does nothing to reduce that, while Champagne argued public debt charges remain low by historical standards.

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2. Victim identified in deadly North York stabbing

Toronto police today identified the woman killed in a double-fatal stabbing in North York last month. Police said they were called to the area of Bathurst Street and Finch Avenue West shortly after 4 p.m. on Oct. 31 for reports of a stabbing and found a man and a woman with stab wounds.

Life-saving measures were performed, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman was taken to hospital, where she later died. Police identified her today as Gregoria Alilio, 47, of Toronto, the city’s 31st homicide victim of the year.

In a news release, police said the second deceased individual was responsible for the homicide but did not release their identity. Police previously told CP24 the two were known to each other, but the extent of their relationship is unknown.

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3. Toronto bar could lose liquor licence for 60 days after patron’s death

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) today proposed a 60-day suspension of the liquor licence for a St. Louis Bar & Grill on St. Clair Avenue West near Yonge Street. The proposal follows an incident on April 14, when a customer was served 14 23-ounce beers over about five and a half hours — the equivalent of 21 standard drinks.

The patron later fell down a flight of stairs while heading to the washroom and died, according to the AGCO. Following an investigation, the commission found the establishment permitted the patron to remain on the premises and continued to serve them alcohol after they became intoxicated, contravening the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019.

“This tragic loss of life devastates family, friends, and community and underscores why responsible alcohol service matters,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, the AGCO’s chief executive officer and registrar. She said every licensee must monitor service, recognize intoxication and stop serving when necessary. The licensee has 15 days from receiving the notice of proposal to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal. CTV News has reached out to St. Louis Bar & Grill for comment.

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4. Ontario moves to amend Fire Code as e-bike battery fires rise

Ontario is proposing to ban the storage of e-bikes and e-scooters in the hallways of condos and apartment buildings amid a rise in lithium-ion battery fires. Solicitor General Michael Kerzner told reporters at Queen’s Park today that the government plans to amend the Ontario Fire Code in response to what he called a “serious issue” facing firefighters.

Kerzner is also proposing to make it illegal to modify batteries for unintended purposes. He said the government wants to ensure people do not modify or “juice up” batteries for uses they were not designed for, and that certified batteries must be used as intended. He said the changes are based on feedback from Toronto Fire Chief Jim Jessop and stakeholders including the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs and the Ontario Provincial Firefighters Association.

Jessop has raised concerns about a surge of lithium-ion battery fires involving e-bikes and e-scooters; as of Oct. 28, there had been 119 such fires in Toronto. Kerzner said details on enforcement and fines are still being worked out, suggesting each fire service will enforce the rules. He is also working with Toronto MP Judy Sgro to push the federal government to regulate and ban knockoff batteries entering the country.

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5. Twin goats take the GO train to promote the Royal Winter Fair

GO Train passengers had some unexpected company this morning when two twin Angora goats hopped aboard a westbound train. The pair, named Sugar and Spice, travelled from Scarborough GO Station to Union Station in their role as official ambassadors of the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair.

“They love the attention. They love the camera and they’ve been making their way around the city,” Katie Brown of the Royal Winter Fair told CTV News Toronto. She said the goats have visited landmarks such as the CN Tower and seem calm and relaxed, and that people are allowed to pet them.

It remains unclear whether the two goats paid their fare. The 104th annual Royal Winter Fair runs Nov. 6 to 15 at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

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6. Ottawa to shift more temporary residents to permanent status

The federal government’s updated immigration plan maintains broad targets for permanent and temporary residents while offering permanent status to up to 200,000 longtime temporary residents. The 2027-2029 levels plan will admit 380,000 permanent residents and 370,000 temporary residents each year, with the 2027 and 2028 targets unchanged from the plan released last year.

The 2026 budget, released today, also proposes reforming the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to align it with regional labour market needs, improve processing times and strengthen employer compliance. The budget sets aside $151.5 million for the reforms, to be carried out with provinces and territories. Details remain scarce, and a spokesperson for Immigration Minister Lena Diab said early Thursday there were no plans for a press conference on the changes.

Combined with the broad target, the new program for 200,000 temporary residents and the final year of a two-year program granting permanent residency to about 140,000 temporary residents, Canada could add more than 600,000 new permanent residents next year. The government aims to reduce the temporary resident population to five per cent of the total by the end of 2027; Statistics Canada estimated it peaked at 7.4 per cent in October 2024 before falling to 6.7 per cent. Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel Garner suggested before the budget that the government would “cook the books” by leaving new permanent residents out of the broader target. The Bank of Canada said last month that Canada’s population grew 0.5 per cent in 2025, the slowest rate in more than a century.

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7. Federal budget promises to end homelessness within 10 years

The Carney government is promising to end homelessness in Canada within a decade. The 2026 budget, released today, offers $11.2 billion over four years starting next year and $17.8 billion over 10 years. Ottawa says it would “create the conditions to end homelessness” through a new fund supporting projects that address health, addictions and social supports.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne called it one of the government’s “flagship” policies. The budget document says the government is committed to changing how Canada addresses homelessness and supports unhoused people, because every Canadian should have the security of a warm home, and calls on every level of government, Indigenous partners, the private sector and the not-for-profit sector to work together.

The plan would help build new supportive and transitional housing, with Ottawa covering capital costs while provinces and territories pay for ongoing operations and services such as training, income and health supports. The government says it will work to sign agreements with provinces and territories ahead of next year’s spring economic update. It also commits to expanding non-market housing and building 200,000 new homes over the next decade, $2 billion for community mental health and addictions facilities, and continued support for the Veterans Homelessness Program. A 2025 federal count estimated 65,000 people across the country were experiencing homelessness; a 2022 Statistics Canada study found nearly one in eight households had experienced some form of homelessness, rising to more than one in four for Indigenous people.

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8. National museums to be permanently free for Canadians under 25

Canadians under 25 will be able to visit national museums in Ottawa and across the country for free year-round starting next year, under an expansion of the Canada Strong Pass announced in the 2026 budget today. The pass was introduced for summer 2025, offering free admission to Parks Canada sites, free entry for children and youth under 18 to national museums and galleries, and savings on VIA Rail.

The pass returned last summer from June 19 to Sept. 7. The budget renews it for 2027 with free Parks Canada admission and VIA Rail savings, and expands access to Indigenous-led museums and cultural centres. Free admission will apply at national museums in Ottawa and elsewhere, as well as the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax, the Plains of Abraham Museum in Quebec City and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.

The budget does not say exactly when free museum admission will become permanent, with the final decision left to Canadian Heritage. The government says attendance at national museums grew by an average of 15 per cent during the Canada Strong Pass. Renewing the pass for another summer will cost $76 million in 2027-28, while year-round free admission for those under 25 will cost $46.3 million over five years.

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9. Two suspects wanted after fireworks thrown into Brampton home

Peel police today released images of two suspects accused of throwing fireworks into a Brampton home last month. Police say the pair attended a residence near Steeles Avenue West and Financial Drive at 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 5, allegedly shattered the glass panel of the front door, then lit fireworks and threw them inside.

One suspect is described as male with long black hair and a short goatee, last seen wearing a black toque, purple hoodie, blue polo shirt, black pants and grey shoes. There is no physical description of the second suspect, who police say was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and black shoes.

Police added that a black Ford F-150 with no licence plates was used in the incident.

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10. Six smaller Budget 2026 measures that affect Canadians

Beyond the big-ticket items, today’s federal budget includes measures aimed at artists, hockey players and those who still send mail the old-fashioned way. To stem losses at Canada Post, the price of a stamp will rise from $1.44 to $2, an increase of nearly 40 per cent, and then by seven per cent annually.

The budget renews the Canada Strong Pass, offering free national museum admission for people under 25 and expanding it to institutions including the Canadian Museum of History, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the National Gallery of Canada, at a cost of more than $500 million over five years. It also earmarks $1.5 billion over nine years for recreational facilities, split evenly between ice rinks and recreation centres.

A new Canada Creative Credit provides additional tax relief for artists; the government says artists could claim up to $45,000 in non-refundable personal income tax credits when combined with the basic personal exemption. Canadians who owe more than $50,000 to the Canada Revenue Agency could see their credit ratings affected under planned amendments to the Income Tax Act. Massage therapists will no longer have to charge GST/HST under a new exemption.

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