New Brunswick data centre debate highlights cross-country tension over AI facilities

Published: October 19, 2026 at 6:39a.m. EDTBNN Bloomberg is Canada’s definitive source for business news dedicated exclusively to helping Canadians invest and build their businesses. HONG KONG — Stocks around the world were mixed on Monday as volatility in technology stocks persisted in Asia, while stocks in France led losses in Europe following mass protests against the rising cost of living and poor school conditions. U. S. equity futures edged higher ahead of another week of American corporate earnings results. Oil prices fell around two per cent after U. S. President Donald Trump’s decision to waive sweeping sanctions on Russia, including on Russian energy. In early European trading, France’s CAC 40 sank 1.3 per cent to 7,854.31 after violent protests over the weekend. More than 2,000 people were arrested nationwide, and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday condemned the violent demonstrators in a televised address. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.8 per cent to 10,795.31, while Germany’s DAX dropped one per cent to 25,360.14. In Asia, South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index was up 1.8 per cent to 5,768.01 on Monday, after falling sharply last week.

EconomicsPublished: October 19, 2026 at 5:50a.m. EDTBNN Bloomberg is Canada’s definitive source for business news dedicated exclusively to helping Canadians invest and build their businesses. OTTAWA — Statistics Canada is set to report inflation data for September today. A Reuters poll of economists expects inflation accelerated to 3.2 per cent last month, up from three per cent in August. Economists say persistently high energy prices are the main forces pushing inflation higher right now and they’ll be looking for evidence of cost pressures broadening beyond the gas pumps. The September inflation report will be the Bank of Canada’s last look at price data before its next interest rate decision on Oct. 28. The central bank has signalled it will look through the initial inflationary impacts from the ongoing war in the Middle East but is prepared to hike its policy rate if there are signs inflation is spreading. The Bank of Canada will also release its own quarterly surveys of consumers and businesses later this morning that will give a sense of whether firms are planning to pass higher supply chain costs on to their customers.

Published: October 19, 2026 at 5:21a.m. EDTEven after the polls close, Alberta’s referendum could signify larger changes to come throughout the province, no matter what the ballot says. EDMONTON — Albertans head to the polls today for an historic vote on whether they want to stay in Canada. More than 1.3 million Albertans have already cast ballots by mail or in advanced polls in a referendum called by Premier Danielle Smith. They are being asked whether they want to stay in Canada or hold a second, binding referendum on leaving Confederation. The vote caps months of rallies, speeches and analyses from both sides. Smith’s United Conservative Party never campaigned on holding a separation vote in the last election in 2023. But Smith says some Albertans’ anger with the state of affairs under former Liberal prime minister Justin Trudeau has boiled over into hundreds of thousands signing petitions for and against Confederation. A referendum, she has said, is now necessary to resolve the matter once and for all. The separation question is one of 10 on the ballot. The first nine focus on immigration and the Constitution.

Published: October 19, 2026 at 5:00a.m. EDTChristopher Liew is a CFP®, CFA Charterholder and former financial advisor. He writes personal finance tips for thousands of daily Canadian readers at Blueprint Financial. You spent decades filling up your RRSP, your TFSA, and maybe a non-registered account. Now that retirement is here (or close), you have to figure out how to empty them, and the order could matter more than you might think. Pull from the wrong account at the wrong time and you could hand the CRA far more than you need to, or see part of your Old Age Security clawed back. Below, I’ll walk through which accounts I’d typically draw from first, and when I’d break the rules. Why the order you withdraw in mattersEarlier this year, I wrote about the wrong ways to save for retirement. Spending that money well is just as important, and not having a withdrawal plan was one of the common financial regrets of retirees I flagged in June. How to set CTV News as your preferred source on GoogleThe classic rule of thumb is non-registered first, then RRSP or RRIF, then TFSA last.

Published: October 18, 2026 at 9:25p.m. EDTTORONTO – Toronto developer Matt Young originally planned to sell condos in the first phase of a major housing development along St. Clair Avenue East in Scarborough. Now, those homes will be rentals. “It made more financial sense as a rental,” Young, president and CEO of Republic Developments, told CTV News. “There’s a disconnect between the price that someone is able or willing to pay today and the cost to build.”How to set CTV News as your preferred source on GoogleDeveloper Amir Ismailzadeh is also focusing on rentals, including a five-unit property nearing completion in North York. He says many families who want to own a home are struggling to save enough for a down payment, even when they have well-paying jobs. “But in the meantime, they really need somewhere to live,” Ismailzadeh told CTV News from inside one of the units. “And because we are building these rentals in neighbourhoods where they are family oriented, these are becoming good options for them to rent until they do buy,” he said, adding that three of the five units have already been leased with five more in the pipeline.

InvestingBy Cherise Smellie Published: October 18, 2026 at 6:00a.m. EDTBNN Bloomberg is Canada’s definitive source for business news dedicated exclusively to helping Canadians invest and build their businesses. Monday, Oct. 19Alberta Referendum8:30 am: CAD Consumer Price Index (Sep) 11:30 am: BOC Business Outlook Survey and Survey of Consumer Expectations (Q3) U. S. Earnings:Cleveland-Cliffs: Bef-mktTuesday, Oct. 20U. S. Earnings:General Electric: Bef-mktNorthrop Grumman: Bef-mktHasbro: Bef-mkt3M Co: Bef-mktGeneral Motors: Bef-mktEquifax: Bef-mktKeyCorp: Bef-mktNetflix: Aft-mktCapital One Financial: Aft-mktUnited Airlines: Aft-mktWednesday, Oct. 21TSX Earnings:Waste Connections: Aft-mktU. S. Earnings:AT&T: Bef-mktSouthwest Airlines: Aft-mktMeta Platforms: Aft-mktTesla: Aft-mktThursday, Oct. 22TSX Earnings:Mullen Group: Bef-mktU. S. Earnings:Comcast: Bef-mktLockheed Martin: Bef-mktHoneywell International: Bef-mktBlackstone: Bef-mktNorfolk Southern: Bef-mktProcter & GambleUnion Pacific: Bef-mktNewmont: Aft-mktDeckers Outdoor: Aft-mktFriday, Oct. 238:30 am: CAD Retail Sales (Aug)British Columbia Election (October 24)TSX Earnings:Rogers Communications: Bef-mktU. S.