Maple Express | November 7, 2026 — Unemployment Rate Hits 6.7% as Canada Sheds 4,700 Jobs

1. Canada's unemployment rate rises to 6.7% as job market shrinks for a third month

Source: CP24

Statistics Canada reported Friday that the unemployment rate rose to 6.7 per cent in October as more people went looking for work, while the economy shed 4,700 jobs. The number on its own is small, but it follows losses of 42,000 jobs in August and 68,000 in September.

Sal Guatieri, a senior economist at BMO, called the report “very disappointing,” noting that a 4,700 decline would not look so bad without the net loss of 110,000 jobs over the previous two months. The agency also said Canada added just 17,000 jobs over the last 12 months, compared with more than 200,000 in a normal year.

October's weakness was concentrated among private employers. Guatieri said higher interest rates and the 50 per cent U.S. tariffs imposed on a range of Canadian goods in August appear to be weighing on businesses and putting the brakes on hiring again. The Bank of Canada raised its key rate by a quarter point to 2.5 per cent in late October. Avery Shenfeld, chief economist at CIBC Capital Markets, said three straight months of losses is often an ominous sign but does not necessarily mean recession, though fourth-quarter growth is expected to be sluggish.

Alberta lost 24,000 jobs and its unemployment rate jumped to 7.3 per cent, while unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 rose to 13.7 per cent from 13 per cent. Nearly one in four unemployed Canadians has been searching for at least six months, and average hourly pay was up just 2.2 per cent year over year. Cory Stahle, a senior economist at Indeed, said postings rose about three per cent month over month, with engineering and logistics support picking up, but cautioned that “postings are not the same as hiring.” He said the weak numbers could influence the Bank of Canada's next rate decision in early December.

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2. Unifor says it believes Stellantis has sold its Brampton assembly plant

Source: CP24

Unifor, the union representing Stellantis autoworkers, says it believes the company has sold its idled assembly plant in southern Ontario. The union said it met with Stellantis on Friday to ask about reports that the Brampton plant had been sold, but the company would not confirm or deny whether a sale had been finalized, so the union is “interpreting this refusal as confirmation that the Brampton assembly plant has been sold.”

Stellantis signed a memorandum of understanding in September with Roshel, a Brampton-based manufacturer of armoured vehicles, for a potential sale of the facility. Spokespeople for both companies said in separate statements that they had “nothing to announce.”

More than 2,000 workers were laid off when the Brampton plant halted operations in 2023. Last month, Stellantis workers voted in favour of giving their union a strike mandate, and the bargaining committee and the automaker were at an impasse over several key issues, including job security and the future of the Brampton plant. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2026.

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3. Veterans group loses federal security contract to subsidiary of U.S. company

Source: CP24

A Conservative motion asking the federal government to cancel a security contract awarded to a Canadian subsidiary of an American company was defeated this week. In June, the Canada Revenue Agency awarded a $12-million contract to Universal Protection Service of Canada Corp., a subsidiary of Allied Universal.

Commissionaires, a not-for-profit security company with a mandate to hire veterans, is raising concerns. Geoff Hamilton, chair of its national business management committee, said the difference between the two bids was about $80,000, or 0.8 per cent, and that “the CRA contract is just a sad reality of how the public sector procures security services.” He said the government also informed the organization it would no longer have the right of first refusal for most federal contracts. Some 8,000 Commissionaires currently serve the federal government, including 2,000 veterans.

Michael Barrett, the Conservative shadow minister for veterans affairs, said the outcome is disappointing, particularly amid the trade war with the United States and after U.S. President Donald Trump made comments denigrating the service of Canadian Armed Forces members. Wayne Long, the secretary of state responsible for the CRA, defended the decision in the House of Commons last month, saying “the CRA process is independent, it does not involve politicians” and that the company is Canadian. The CRA declined to add to his response; a procurement website states the criteria were the “highest combined rating of technical merit and price.” Long's spokesperson, Katelyn Adey, said the agency has implemented a new policy to ensure Canadian suppliers are prioritized, with criteria that include past performance, business continuity planning and the ability to recruit and consistently deploy personnel, and that decisions are made without political interference.

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4. Quebec confirms infected cow as raccoon rabies outbreak continues

Source: CP24

Quebec has confirmed its first case of raccoon rabies in a cow as the disease continues to spread. The provincial agriculture, fisheries and food ministry said the cow died on Oct. 30, the day the first symptoms appeared, and the infection was confirmed on Wednesday. It said the animal was a young, unvaccinated heifer in the town of Coaticook, in the Estrie region.

Three cats in the Montérégie region previously tested positive for raccoon rabies over the summer. The province says 329 cases of the variant have been confirmed this year in an outbreak that began in 2024. While raccoons account for most cases, the virus has also been confirmed in several skunks and foxes. Quebec is conducting surveillance and vaccination operations in at-risk areas and notes cases have increased significantly in Montérégie since March.

Rabies can affect all mammals, including humans, and is transmitted primarily through the saliva of an infected animal, particularly through a bite. The government says it is providing financial aid for livestock producers who want to vaccinate their animals and urges people to vaccinate their pets, remain vigilant and avoid contact with wild, domestic or farm animals that may be infected.

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5. Cuba's fuel crisis pushes Canadians toward pricier winter destinations

Source: CP24

As the winter holiday season approaches, one of Canadians' favourite sun destinations remains out of reach. The U.S. oil blockade against Cuba triggered severe fuel shortages, and Canadian airlines indefinitely suspended flights to the island earlier this year. Travel agents say Canadians looking to escape the cold will have to pay more than they are used to for what were once affordable all-inclusive packages in Cuba.

Ashley Harold, a travel agent at Flight Centre Canada, said Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Caribbean countries and territories such as Aruba, Barbados and Jamaica appear to be absorbing most of the diverted demand. “There isn't one new Cuba, if you will. Canadians are really spreading their winter travel across a much wider mix of destinations and trip types,” she said, adding that some travellers are considering Caribbean cruises or tours to warm places such as Costa Rica or Peru, while domestic tourism is also gaining traction.

Statistics Canada data show Cuba welcomed more than a million Canadians annually before the pandemic, but visits fell to around 700,000 in 2025 and stood at 127,000 in the first quarter of this year. John Wood, president of Durham Travel, said his agency's Cuba sales dropped from more than $389,000 last year to $24,000 so far in 2026, while Dominican Republic sales rose from about $1 million in 2025 to nearly $1.3 million this year. Flight Centre data show a seven-day package at a four-star Varadero resort with a flight from Toronto cost under $1,400 per person last holiday season, while comparable trips to Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica cost around $1,800 this year.

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6. Caregiver advocates welcome proposed change to tax credit

Source: CP24

Advocates are welcoming a proposed change in the federal budget that would expand the caregiver tax credit to thousands more Canadians caring for loved ones with health conditions. Budget 2026 proposes to make the Canada Caregiver Credit “fully refundable,” noting that many caregivers' incomes are too low to pay tax and they are therefore ineligible for the existing credit.

The measure would provide $845 million in extra support over four years starting in 2027-28, then $245 million each year through 2030-31. It would help 180,000 caregivers who are currently ineligible, with 585,000 total expected to receive it, worth up to $1,260 annually for 2027 and indexed thereafter.

The proposal comes as the Caring in Canada 2026 report from the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, based on a 2025 survey of more than 2,600 caregivers and care providers, found that more than eight million caregivers are struggling with basic living expenses and working more hours. It found 49 per cent face “financial strain,” while one in five spend more than $12,000 a year out of pocket. Dr. Adriana Shnall, director of integrated learning, caregiving and innovation at Baycrest in Toronto, said the roughly $105 a month is small but meaningful, and that finances are the top issue for family caregivers. Liv Mendelsohn, CEO of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence, said the change would make a “big tangible difference,” as care costs are rising faster than inflation.

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7. McGill convicted murderer did not have fair process, his lawyer says

Source: CP24

The lawyer for Jeffrey Ewert, a convicted murderer whose admission was revoked by McGill University, says he was not given a fair process and is urging the university to reconsider. McGill announced Monday that Ewert was no longer enrolled, after temporarily removing him while it reviewed its protocols. The review followed an October revelation that he was attending classes on campus, which sparked safety concerns among students.

In a statement Friday, lawyer Nora Demnati wrote that while McGill's law faculty champions due process and a duty of care to students, the process and outcomes behind both his temporary removal and the revocation of his admission “represent a sharp departure from these principles,” teaching students “that due process and an institution of higher learning's duty of care are not for everyone.” She urged McGill to reconsider and to delay its decision until Ewert can make a full submission.

Ewert was convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder for separate attacks on women in British Columbia in 1984, when he was in his 20s. In the first, he strangled a young woman until she was unconscious before sexually assaulting her; she died. Weeks later, he attacked a 15-year-old girl after she refused his advances, throwing her into a ditch believing she was dead; she was found the next day with significant brain damage and is now blind and quadriplegic. He is out on day parole after spending 40 years in prison on a life sentence. Demnati said McGill's decision was not based on student concerns but on an alleged failure to disclose aspects of a Parole Board of Canada decision in his application, and criticized “extremely short deadlines” set by the university.

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8. B.C. nurse alleged to have offered sex to patient, regulator says in protection order

Source: CP24

A B.C. nurse allegedly offered to have sex with a patient during an appointment at her home, according to a summary protection order issued this week by the B.C. College of Nurses and Midwives. The order against registered nurse Lori Chern is temporary and will remain in place while the college investigates. The allegations have not been proven, and the order notes Chern denies any sexual misconduct.

The order stems from a complaint received in August. The complainant said a pharmacist referred him to Chern's business, RN Collaborate in Kamloops, described in the order as “a health and wellness practice” with “a focus on men over 40.” He told the college he contacted Chern about “an assessment,” with medical forms to be filled out and provided to the RCMP; the order does not elaborate on the reason for the assessment.

According to the order, Chern directed the complainant to meet her at her home, sat “right next to him” on the couch while taking a blood pressure reading and began “caressing” his arm. After the reading, she allegedly complimented his physique, heart rate and blood pressure, saying he seemed to have “the health of an 18-year-old,” and made other flirty gestures and remarks. She then allegedly asked about his sex life, commented that sex was very important for a man to regulate himself and be in good health, and offered to have sex with him; after he declined, she allegedly said he was free to text or call her outside of work to meet up for sex. The college's inquiry committee found a prima facie case of sexual misconduct and concluded there would be a significant risk of harm without temporary conditions. The order bars her from meeting patients at her home through RN Collaborate and limits her practice to Interior Health's Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital and Princeton General Hospital, but does not suspend her.

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9. Three arrested after drug lab found inside Markham home

Source: CP24

York Regional Police say three people have been arrested after a “clandestine” drug lab was discovered inside a Markham home, with drugs worth nearly $640,000 seized. Police said officers attended a residence in the area of Jeremy and Fred Varley drives on Oct. 23 for a welfare call and soon located “evidence consistent with production and distribution of controlled substances in a lab setting.”

In a news release Friday, police said that while officers and fire officials dismantled the lab they found 12,962 packages of cannabis edibles, 209 grams of THC vaping cartridges, 26 kilograms of loose cannabis edibles, eight kilograms of dried cannabis and 18 kilograms of psilocybin powder. Investigators learned the drugs produced at the residence were distributed primarily online under the name “Buddha Boys,” sold through illegitimate websites that mailed or delivered orders, with an estimated street value of $639,000.

Police also recovered ammunition, a conducted energy weapon and $100,000 in cash. The three suspects — 41-year-old Joseph Li, 39-year-old Yuan Lin and 39-year-old Michelle Li, all from Markham — face several drug-related charges, including possession of a prohibited device knowing its possession is unauthorized and possession for the purpose of trafficking.

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10. Obesity is about more than willpower, researchers say

Source: CP24

When people think of obesity, the excessive accumulation of body fat, some picture someone who lacks the willpower and discipline to eat well and exercise. But researchers say the science is revealing “a much more complex story.” Experts at Santé Québec – Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec – Université Laval (IUCPQ-UL) say they are working to better understand obesity as a chronic medical condition.

“The biggest myth is really to move more and eat less [to] eradicate obesity and weight problems,” said Marianne Legault, a dietitian with IUCPQ-ULaval. “It's really more difficult than that. There are multiple physiological responses [from] the body when you try to lose weight.” Researchers stress that treating obesity involves much more than questioning a person's willpower or discipline. Legault said multiple genes affect how a person gains or maintains weight, and “it can really be in the brain.”

“When we think about the biology of obesity, one thing we need to understand is that hunger itself is a biological signal, just like thirst,” Dr. Alexandre Caron, a researcher with IUCPQ-ULaval, told CTV News. “We don't really decide how hungry we feel as much as we don't choose how thirsty we are.” He said someone who misses lunch can decide to wait before eating but cannot decide to stop feeling hungry, and some people experience that drive much more strongly. Caron said approved obesity drugs should benefit mostly the people who need them most, such as those with metabolic risks like hypertension or diabetes. Legault said the goal should shift from “losing weight” to “getting healthy,” with realistic small steps such as eating dessert two or three times a week instead of every day.

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