Budget Breakdown: No Change in Capital Gains Taxation and No Hit to Housing

Katherine Martin • April 19, 2017

Budget 2017 continues the government’s commitment to support the middle class by enhancing Canada’s long-term growth potential. Investments to foster innovation, skills and the ability to attract top talent from around the world are included. An important and growing competitive advantage is Canada’s openness to trade and immigration, having a broader range of free trade agreements than any other G-7 country. This is particularly potent today as the U.S. is aiming to retrench from free trade and even potentially impose trade restrictions and border adjustment taxes. Ottawa is also targeting a few high-potential sectors for government support. These targeted areas are advanced manufacturing, agri-food, clean technology (a sector that the Trump Administration might well be abandoning), digital industries, health/bio sciences and clean resources (also very different from proposed U.S. policy), with the hope of enhancing growth and creating jobs.

Housing Initiatives

Many were concerned that the government would take additional action to slow the housing market, particularly in Toronto where it continues to be very strong. No such action was taken. The budget document does comment on the high level of household debt relative to income and the affordability concerns in Vancouver and Toronto, however Budget 2017 suggests that “recent government actions (announced in October 2016) will help mitigate risk and ensure a healthy and stable housing market.”

Budget 2017 proposes to invest more than $11.2 billion over 11 years in a variety of initiatives to build, renew and repair Canada’s stock of affordable housing. A new National Housing Fund will be administered through Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to expand lending for new rental housing supply and renewal, support innovation in affordable housing, preserve the affordability of social housing and support a strong and sustainable social housing sector. More federal lands will be available for affordable housing. Details to come later this year.

What Budget 2017 does do is to allocate just shy of $40 million to Statistics Canada over five years to develop and implement a new housing data base, the Housing Statistics Framework (HSF). The HSF builds on the money allocated in last year’s budget to collect data on foreign ownership of housing. “The HSF will leverage existing data from provincial-territorial land registries, property assessment programs and administrative records to create a nationwide database of all residential properties in Canada, and provide up-to-date data on purchases and sales. Statistics Canada will begin publishing initial data in the fall of 2017. The HSF will represent a significant jump forward in the quality and type of housing data available and will yield significant ongoing benefits by enhancing the ability of housing participants, commentators and policy-makers to monitor and analyze the housing market.”

Fiscal Prudence

Notably, this budget posts deficits as far as the eye can see. However, the good news is that Ottawa re-introduced a contingency reserve to adjust for potential risk of $3 billion per year. This reserve fund was a long-standing practice of prior governments and was absent from Budget 2016. Ottawa, however, continues to focus on a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio rather than deficit elimination. This will no doubt be criticized by conservatives.

Tax Measures

Basically, there aren’t any major tax measures. Specifically, there is no change in the tax treatment of capital gains, a red-hot issue in the media for the past few weeks. The finance ministry is cracking down on the use of private corporations to sprinkle income among family members to reduce taxes. These private corporations are subject to lower tax rates than personal income tax rates. Similarly, passive investment portfolios held inside private corporations will be audited. Clearly, the Canada Revenue Agency will be scrutinizing these private corporations in the future, to assure tax fairness for the middle class. Eliminating tax loop holes, evasion (both domestically and internationally) and avoidance is expected to increase revenues by $2.5 billion over five years.

There will also be a renovation to the current caregiver credit system and extension of the eligibility for the tuition tax credit. Measures will also be taken to strengthen the financial services sector, although these are technical and supervisory and do not affect mortgage lending specifically as some in the industry had feared.

Bottom Line: Budget 2017 does no harm. The Canadian economy has improved considerably since last year’s budget. While oil prices, the Canadian dollar and U.S. interest rates are uncertain, it appears that the economy could grow at roughly a 2.3 per cent annual rate with the jobless rate in Canada remaining below seven per cent. The resilience of the Canadian economy has been supported by government actions in the 2016 budget as well as accommodative monetary policy.

While I would like to see a plan to return to a balanced budget, Canada will have no trouble in funding its debt or maintaining its triple-A credit rating.

 

This article was written by DLC Chief Economist Dr. Sherry Cooper, and appeared as part of the Dominion Lending Centres April 2017 Newsletter. 

Katherine Martin


Origin Mortgages

Phone: 1-604-454-0843
Email: kmartin@planmymortgage.ca
Fax: 1-604-454-0842


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Bank of Canada Rate Announcement Jul 30th, 2025

By Katherine Martin • July 30, 2025
Bank of Canada holds policy rate at 2¾%. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Relations Ottawa, Ontario July 30, 2025 The Bank of Canada today maintained its target for the overnight rate at 2.75%, with the Bank Rate at 3% and the deposit rate at 2.70%. While some elements of US trade policy have started to become more concrete in recent weeks, trade negotiations are fluid, threats of new sectoral tariffs continue, and US trade actions remain unpredictable. Against this backdrop, the July Monetary Policy Report (MPR) does not present conventional base case projections for GDP growth and inflation in Canada and globally. Instead, it presents a current tariff scenario based on tariffs in place or agreed as of July 27, and two alternative scenarios—one with an escalation and another with a de-escalation of tariffs. While US tariffs have created volatility in global trade, the global economy has been reasonably resilient. In the United States, the pace of growth moderated in the first half of 2025, but the labour market has remained solid. US CPI inflation ticked up in June with some evidence that tariffs are starting to be passed on to consumer prices. The euro area economy grew modestly in the first half of the year. In China, the decline in exports to the United States has been largely offset by an increase in exports to the rest of the world. Global oil prices are close to their levels in April despite some volatility. Global equity markets have risen, and corporate credit spreads have narrowed. Longer-term government bond yields have moved up. Canada’s exchange rate has appreciated against a broadly weaker US dollar. The current tariff scenario has global growth slowing modestly to around 2½% by the end of 2025 before returning to around 3% over 2026 and 2027. In Canada, US tariffs are disrupting trade but overall, the economy is showing some resilience so far. After robust growth in the first quarter of 2025 due to a pull-forward in exports to get ahead of tariffs, GDP likely declined by about 1.5% in the second quarter. This contraction is mostly due to a sharp reversal in exports following the pull-forward, as well as lower US demand for Canadian goods due to tariffs. Growth in business and household spending is being restrained by uncertainty. Labour market conditions have weakened in sectors affected by trade, but employment has held up in other parts of the economy. The unemployment rate has moved up gradually since the beginning of the year to 6.9% in June and wage growth has continued to ease. A number of economic indicators suggest excess supply in the economy has increased since January. In the current tariff scenario, after contracting in the second quarter, GDP growth picks up to about 1% in the second half of this year as exports stabilize and household spending increases gradually. In this scenario, economic slack persists in 2026 and diminishes as growth picks up to close to 2% in 2027. In the de-escalation scenario, economic growth rebounds faster, while in the escalation scenario, the economy contracts through the rest of this year. CPI inflation was 1.9% in June, up slightly from the previous month. Excluding taxes, inflation rose to 2.5% in June, up from around 2% in the second half of last year. This largely reflects an increase in non-energy goods prices. High shelter price inflation remains the main contributor to overall inflation, but it continues to ease. Based on a range of indicators, underlying inflation is assessed to be around 2½%. In the current tariff scenario, total inflation stays close to 2% over the scenario horizon as the upward and downward pressures on inflation roughly offset. There are risks around this inflation scenario. As the alternative scenarios illustrate, lower tariffs would reduce the direct upward pressure on inflation and higher tariffs would increase it. In addition, many businesses are reporting costs related to sourcing new suppliers and developing new markets. These costs could add upward pressure to consumer prices. With still high uncertainty, the Canadian economy showing some resilience, and ongoing pressures on underlying inflation, Governing Council decided to hold the policy interest rate unchanged. We will continue to assess the timing and strength of both the downward pressures on inflation from a weaker economy and the upward pressures on inflation from higher costs related to tariffs and the reconfiguration of trade. If a weakening economy puts further downward pressure on inflation and the upward price pressures from the trade disruptions are contained, there may be a need for a reduction in the policy interest rate. Governing Council is proceeding carefully, with particular attention to the risks and uncertainties facing the Canadian economy. These include: the extent to which higher US tariffs reduce demand for Canadian exports; how much this spills over into business investment, employment and household spending; how much and how quickly cost increases from tariffs and trade disruptions are passed on to consumer prices; and how inflation expectations evolve. We are focused on ensuring that Canadians continue to have confidence in price stability through this period of global upheaval. We will support economic growth while ensuring inflation remains well controlled. Information note The next scheduled date for announcing the overnight rate target is September 17, 2025. Read the July 30th., 2025 Monetary Report

Buying a Vacation Home? Here’s What You Need to Know

By Katherine Martin • July 24, 2025
The idea of owning a vacation home—your own cozy escape from everyday life—is a dream many Canadians share. Whether it’s a lakeside cabin, a ski chalet, or a beachside bungalow, a second property can add lifestyle value, rental income, and long-term wealth. But before you jump into vacation home ownership, it’s important to think through the details—both financial and practical. Start With Your 5- and 10-Year Plan Before you get swept away by the perfect view or your dream destination, take a step back and ask yourself: Will you use it enough to justify the cost? Are there other financial goals that take priority right now? What’s the opportunity cost of tying up your money in a second home? Owning a vacation home can be incredibly rewarding, but it should fit comfortably within your long-term financial goals—not compete with them. Financing a Vacation Property: What to Consider If you don’t plan to pay cash, then financing your vacation home will be your next major step. Mortgage rules for second properties are more complex than those for your primary residence, so here’s what to think about: 1. Do You Have Enough for a Down Payment? Depending on the type of property and how you plan to use it, down payment requirements typically range from 5% to 20%+ . Factors like whether the property is winterized, the purchase price, and its location all come into play. 2. Can You Afford the Additional Debt? Lenders will calculate your Gross Debt Service (GDS) and Total Debt Service (TDS) ratios to assess whether you can take on a second mortgage. GDS: Should not exceed 39% of your income TDS: Should not exceed 44% If you’re not sure how to calculate these, that’s where I can help! 3. Is the Property Mortgage-Eligible? Remote or non-winterized properties, or those located outside of Canada, may not qualify for traditional mortgage financing. In these cases, we may need to look at creative lending solutions . 4. Owner-Occupied or Investment Property? Whether you’ll live in the home occasionally, rent it out, or use it strictly as an investment affects what type of financing you’ll need and what your tax implications might be. Location, Location… Logistics Choosing the right vacation property is more than just finding a beautiful setting. Consider: Current and future development in the area Available municipal services (sewer, water, road maintenance) Transportation access – how easy is it to get to your vacation home in all seasons? Resale value and long-term potential Seasonal access or weather challenges What Happens When You’re Not There? Unless you plan to live there full-time, you'll need to consider: Will you rent it out for extra income? Will you hire a property manager or rely on family/friends? What’s required to maintain valid home insurance while it’s vacant? Planning ahead will protect your investment and give you peace of mind while you’re away. Not Sure Where to Start? I’ve Got You Covered. Buying a vacation home is exciting—but it can also be complicated. As a mortgage broker, I can help you: Understand your financial readiness Calculate your GDS/TDS ratios Review down payment and lending requirements Explore creative solutions like second mortgages , reverse mortgages , or alternative lenders Whether you’re just starting to dream or ready to take action, let’s build a plan that gets you one step closer to your ideal getaway. Reach out today—it would be a pleasure to work with you.
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