Teranet-National Bank House Price Index rises sharply in July
Before seasonal adjustments, the Teranet-National Bank Composite House Price Index™, which covers the country’s eleven largest CMAs, rose by 1.8% from June to July, the fifth consecutive monthly increase.
After adjusting for seasonal effects, the Teranet-National Bank Composite House Price Index™ rose by 2.4% from June to July, the fourth consecutive monthly increase and the second-highest growth rate ever recorded in a single month, following the 3.1% increase in July 2006. In July, 8 of the 11 CMAs included in the index recorded increases: Halifax (+4.9%), Hamilton (+4.4%), Vancouver (+3.9%), Toronto (+3.5%), Victoria (+1.6%), Winnipeg (+1.3%), Ottawa-Gatineau (+0.6%), and Edmonton (+0.3%). Conversely, prices fell during the month in Quebec City (-1.2%), Montreal (-0.9%), and Calgary (-0.3%). On the other hand, growth was observed in 17 of the 20 CMAs not included in the composite index for which data is available in July. The strongest monthly increases were seen in Abbotsford-Mission (+7.2%), Saint John (+6.3% after a 4.0% decline the previous month) and Guelph (+6.0%). Conversely, the biggest decrease was in Sherbrooke (-3.8% after a 5.4% rise the previous month).
YEAR-OVER-YEAR
The Teranet-National Bank Composite House Price Index™ fell by 1.9% from July 2022 to July 2023, a smaller annual contraction than the previous month. Increases were nevertheless observed in 3 of the 11 cities making up the composite index in July. Calgary led the way with a 3.3% year-on-year price increase, followed by Halifax with a 2.1% gain and Quebec City with 1.1% growth. As for lagging markets, prices fell most sharply in Hamilton (-7.9%), Ottawa-Gatineau (-5.4%) and Winnipeg (-5.2%). As for the other 20 CMAs not included in the composite index, annual gains were observed in 3 of them. The strongest growth was recorded in Lethbridge (+7.2%) and Trois-Rivières (+5.8%), while the steepest declines were in St. Catharines (-10.5%), London (-9.3%) and Branford (-9.1%).
School survival guide: Tips for a strong start
(NC) The start of the new school year is an exciting time, but it can also be stressful without a plan for success. Aside from standard tips of easing into a routine and stocking up on supplies, here are three ideas to help your student engage in learning this year.
Embrace gaming
So many kids love technology and their screen time. Take advantage of the screen’s magnetic pull with some online gaming resources that allow you or the student to create content. You can find plenty of digital tools to make quizzes, crosswords, scavenger hunts and add flair to presentations. It’s a great way to help keep students interested and ready to learn – plus, it doesn’t feel like schoolwork. Meeting kids on their terms and getting their imaginations fired up is a smart way to foster keen thinking.
Break away
Examining the details in everyday life sounds dull, but it can re-ignite a spark for learning in many students. For instance, encouraging younger kids to keep tabs on changing seasons improves observational and communication skills. Activate critical thinking and boost their note-taking abilities by asking older kids to recap the main points of some of your conversations, their favourite media, or a news story. Visiting the library, local museums or community events can also open up their world and awaken new interests for any age group. Look for children’s discounts, free admission days or free passes to events that can inspire learning outside of the classroom.
Get relatable
Educators love to see students learning about their community. It shows they can apply different skills and put their critical thinking skills to use. So, why not get students thinking about their own community in a larger context? Do they know the number of people in their community, or how many households have kids in their age group? What about the population trends – is the community growing or decreasing? Once they have the answers, see if they have any theories or come up with some explanations together.
This kind of information, and other details about your community, is freely accessible online through census data. Relating to information because it’s about a place they experience everyday makes the information more interesting and memorable for a student. Census data can be a trusted resource for independent research or as a super tool for the next school project.
Find census data and free online data tools at census.gc.ca.
