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Canada is putting billions into a new military communications network designed for the Arctic.

We’re also looking at the destruction of roughly 230 homes in one B.C. First Nation, the closure of a major Mississauga refinery and why Canada’s economic growth may not be as impressive as the headline suggests.

The federal government has awarded Telesat an initial contract worth approximately $2.3 billion to provide the Canadian Armed Forces with secure communications across the Arctic.

The project builds on an earlier partnership between Ottawa, Telesat and MDA Space. Telesat says its Lightspeed network will provide military coverage between 65 and 90 degrees north, including ground systems, training and support.

The constellation is expected to grow to 225 low-Earth-orbit satellites, increasing its planned capacity by about 44 per cent. MDA Space will build additional satellites after receiving another $474 million in work.

Canada’s military operates across a huge northern territory with limited roads, cellular coverage and fibre-optic infrastructure. Secure satellite connections are needed for patrols, search and rescue, surveillance and Canada’s NORAD and NATO commitments.

Low-Earth-orbit satellites sit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, which can reduce delays for aircraft, ships and military units.

Ottawa is also treating this as an industrial strategy. Canada wants more control over sensitive military communications while creating work for Canadian engineers, software companies and MDA’s high-volume satellite manufacturing facility in Montreal.

The Bradley Creek wildfire has destroyed an estimated 230 homes in the Okanagan Indian Band near Vernon.

Chief Dan Wilson said parts of the community were almost unrecognizable from the air. Winds reached approximately 115 kilometres per hour, and some residents reportedly had only five minutes to leave.

The preliminary loss would place the fire among Canada’s most destructive community wildfires in recent years. The 2024 Jasper wildfire destroyed about 350 homes, while the 2023 McDougall Creek fire destroyed roughly 200.

Aerial crews were able to protect a daycare and a newly built school, but the housing damage will create a much longer crisis.

At the time of the initial assessment, approximately 8,000 people had been evacuated across British Columbia, with around 120 fires burning and roughly 50 classified as out of control.

Rebuilding on reserve land can also involve several levels of government, different insurance arrangements and federal Indigenous-services programs. That can make deciding who pays more complicated than rebuilding in a regular municipality.

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Texas-based HF Sinclair plans to stop refining base oil at its Petro-Canada Lubricants facility in Mississauga by 2027.

The company says the lubricants business will continue, including blending, packaging, research and supply-chain operations. But it plans to replace locally refined base oil with products purchased from other suppliers.

The Mississauga facility can produce approximately 15,600 barrels per day and has been described as one of North America’s largest producers of high-quality Group III base oil.

Base oil is the main ingredient used in motor oil, grease, hydraulic fluids, transmission fluids and other industrial lubricants. The facility also produces automotive, industrial and food-grade products that are exported to more than 80 countries.

Canada’s problem is not a lack of crude oil. Producing crude does not guarantee the country maintains the industrial capacity needed to turn it into specialized finished products.

HF Sinclair says the closure is part of a broader restructuring and a move toward more diversified international suppliers. That could lower costs, but it also exposes the Canadian business to shipping problems, currency changes, tariffs and foreign refinery outages.

The company has not yet confirmed the final number of jobs affected or what will happen to the refining assets after the transition is completed in 2027.

A new analysis argues that nearly one-quarter of Canada’s first-quarter growth came from rent homeowners never actually paid.

The category is called imputed rent. Statistics Canada estimates what homeowners would have paid to rent their own homes and counts that value as part of the economy.

Better Dwelling estimates owner-occupied housing added approximately $775 million in the first quarter of 2026, representing close to 23 per cent of the quarter’s GDP growth.

That may sound made up, but the accounting method itself is widely accepted.

Without imputed rent, two identical homes would be measured differently. A rented home would contribute rent to GDP, while an owner-occupied home would appear to provide no housing service at all.

The better criticism is about the quality of Canada’s growth.

If a large share comes from the estimated value of existing housing rather than manufacturing, exports, technology or business investment, the economy can grow without creating much new productive capacity.

Statistics Canada’s broader housing data also shows why housing plays such a large role in Canada’s economy, but total GDP does not tell us whether the average Canadian is becoming better off.

That is why real GDP per person, productivity, wages and disposable income often give a clearer picture of living standards.

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Pierre Poilievre remains firmly in control of the Conservative Party after receiving 87.4 per cent support in his leadership review.

But strong internal support does not settle the party’s larger strategic problem.

Poilievre built a powerful opposition movement around affordability, government spending, crime and frustration with political institutions. That approach helped the Conservatives build enthusiasm and fundraising strength.

Then Donald Trump changed the political environment.

Trump’s tariffs and threats toward Canada made national unity and economic stability more important to many voters. Mark Carney benefited by presenting himself as an experienced manager during the 2025 federal election.

Poilievre is not Trump, but voters can still connect an aggressive anti-establishment tone with what they see happening in the United States.

The Conservatives now have to decide whether to soften that tone, intensify it or combine it with a more clearly Canadian economic-nationalist message.

Supporters argue Poilievre should not abandon the style that built his movement. Critics argue it may limit the party’s appeal among moderate, suburban and older voters.

Polling cited after the leadership review showed that 80 per cent of Conservative voters still supported Poilievre, while his ratings among the broader public were much weaker.

Many Canadian homeowners will be renewing their mortgages at higher rates. Before automatically signing a new term, it may be worth looking at the full picture.

Could switching lenders improve your terms? Would refinancing help lower your monthly payments or consolidate higher-interest debt? Or is renewing with your current lender still the best option?

Hari Rathod is a Licensed Mortgage Agent Level 2 who can help homeowners compare their mortgage options before making a decision.

He can also help first-time buyers understand their financing options and prepare for the home-buying process.

Speak with Hari at HariRathod.ca

Licensed Mortgage Agent Level 2
Not a realtor. Does not provide property evaluations or appraisals.