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Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Spending on restaurants takes a bite out of ability to save for a home
Take a pass on the costly steak dinner and save more for a down payment. A new survey examining the impact of spending choices has suggested that Calgary first-time buyers seeking to save up for a home would need to forgo 40 years of steak dinners at a restaurant to come up with a 20 per cent down payment on the average priced home. Zoocasa recently released a report with tongue — or maybe steak bite — firmly planted in cheek to illustrate how Canadian first-time buyers' spending habits impact their ability to save for a down payment. Article content Article content It points to Statistics Canada data showing households spend on average about $3,351 annually on dining out and delivery, or about $65 a week. Article content Article content Article content The national realty firm then compared how many years, based on that sum, it would take if a first-time buyer instead saved the money for a down payment to purchase the average-priced home. Article content In Calgary, it would take about 40 years to save about $133,000, or roughly 20 per cent of the average priced home of about $667,000. Article content That's slightly above the national average of 41 years to come up with about $138,000 for a down payment for the average priced home in Canada of about $666,000. Article content If that seems like a long time, consider Greater Vancouver, where the average price exceeds $1.268 million. There, it would require a buyer to go without restaurant visits and takeout for 76 years to come have a 20 per cent down payment of about $254,000. Article content Zoocasa notes that giving up this discretionary expense can help individuals save more for a down payment, but the strategy is obviously not sustainable or practical. Article content
CTV News
4 hours ago
- CTV News
A Gaza ceasefire is the closest it has been in months. Here's what we know
Palestinian children check the rubble of a residential house in Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on July 1, following overnight Israeli strikes. (Eyad Baba/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource) U.S. President Donald Trump says he's 'optimistic' a ceasefire deal in Gaza could be agreed next week after Hamas announced that it had 'submitted a positive response' to a proposal for a 60-day truce with Israel. 'We have to get it over with,' Trump said Friday. 'We have to do something about Gaza.' Israel and Hamas have long had conflicting demands that negotiators have been unable to bridge, but with both now agreeing the revised proposal, for the first time in months an agreement seems within reach. The renewed efforts gathered steam following a truce between Iran and Israel but also reflect U.S. pressure and a shift in Israel's war goals. Here's what to know. Why now? Since the Israel-Iran ceasefire on June 24, mediators Qatar and Egypt – as well as the United States – have redoubled their calls for a new Gaza truce. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesman told CNN the Israel-Iran agreement had created 'momentum' for the latest talks between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu's government has faced mounting international criticism for the suffering its war is inflicting on Palestinians in Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian deliveries to the enclave in March. It somewhat eased the blockade in May, after a chorus of global experts warned that hundreds of thousands of people could soon starve. Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israeli strikes in recent days. And aid distribution has been marred by violence, with hundreds killed on their way to try to obtain food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the controversial U.S.-backed aid initiative that began operating at the end of May. Pressure is also growing on Netanyahu from within Israel. His government is propped up by far-right figures who want to escalate the fighting in Gaza, but opposition leader Yair Lapid said Wednesday that he would join the coalition government to make a hostage deal possible. Polls have repeatedly shown that a majority of the country wants a deal to bring the hostages home, even if it means an end to the war. What are Israel's demands? In addition to the aim of bringing the hostages home, Netanyahu has not wavered from his more maximalist aims: disarmament of Gaza and the destruction of Hamas' military capabilities and governance abilities. But last weekend, the prime minister made a rhetorical shift in laying out Israel's goals – for the first time prioritizing the return of hostages ahead of what he once called the 'supreme objective' of defeating Hamas. Netanyahu said 'many opportunities have opened up' following Israel's military operations in Iran, including the possibility of bringing home everyone still held captive by Hamas. 'Firstly, to rescue the hostages,' he said. 'Of course, we will also need to solve the Gaza issue, defeat Hamas, but I believe we will accomplish both missions.' The comments were welcomed by families of hostages held in Gaza, who have criticized him for not clearly placing releasing their Ioved ones as Israel's primary goal. Only a small number of hostages have been rescued in military operations rather than freed under truces. The Israeli military this week recommended pursuing a diplomatic path in Gaza after nearly two years of fighting and the elimination of much of Hamas' senior leadership. On Tuesday, a military official told CNN that Israel has not fully achieved all of its war goals, but as Hamas' forces have shrunk and gone into hiding, it has become more difficult to effectively target what remains of the militant group. 'It's harder now to achieve tactical goals,' the official said. What about Hamas? Hamas announced on Friday that it 'submitted a positive response to the mediators, and the movement is fully prepared to immediately enter into a round of negotiations regarding the mechanism for implementing this framework.' The militant group has three main demands: a permanent end to the fighting, for humanitarian assistance to be carried out by the United Nations, and for Israel to retreat to the positions it held on March 2 this year, before it renewed its offensive and occupied the northern part of the Strip. A senior Hamas official told CNN in late May that the group is 'ready to return the hostages in one day – just we want a guarantee that war will not come again after that.' The hostages are Hamas' key leverage in negotiations, and the militant group has refused to agree to a release without a path to end the conflict. In response to the earlier Trump administration-backed ceasefire proposal in May, Hamas requested U.S. assurances that permanent ceasefire negotiations will continue and that fighting will not resume after the 60-day pause. Whether the ceasefire will be temporary or a pathway to a permanent truce is the biggest sticking point between the warring parties. While Israel wants to eradicate Hamas following the Oct. 7 attacks, the group has shown little willingness to relinquish its political and military power in Gaza. Officials in the group have given contradictory statements as to Hamas' role in a post-war Gaza. The group's spokesperson, Hazem Qassem, has said that the group is not 'clinging to power' and does not have to be part of arrangements 'in the next phase.' What's in the proposed deal? While the fine detail of the proposal is yet to be released it is clear that the revised plan is an attempt to bridge some of the differences between Israel and Hamas. A source familiar with the negotiations said that the timeline of the latest proposal calls for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 deceased hostages spread out over the full 60-day period. Of the 50 hostages still in Gaza, at least 20 of them are believed to be alive, according to the Israeli government. Similiar to previous ceasefires, on the first day of the truce, Hamas would release eight living hostages. In exchange, Israel would release an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, and withdraw its forces from pre-agreed locations in northern Gaza. Israel and Hamas would also immediately enter into negotiations for a permanent ceasefire once the initial truce goes into effect, the source said. Under the deal, hostages will be released without ceremonies or fanfare at Israel's request – unlike during the last truce, when Hamas staged public propaganda events around hostage transfers that sparked outrage in Israel. Humanitarian aid will immediately begin to flow into Gaza at the start of the ceasefire, including from the United Nations and from other aid organizations, similar to the previous ceasefire which began on January 19. This leaves the fate of the U.S.-backed GHF and its role in Gaza unclear. The U.S. and the mediators have provided stronger assurances about reaching a settlement to end the war in Gaza as part of the updated proposal, an Israeli official told CNN, something that in principle should address one of Hamas' key concerns. The official did not provide the specific language in the document, but said the wording is stronger than previous assurances. Although both sides have accepted the proposal more talks must take place before a ceasefire begins. In these proximity talks, likely to take place in Doha or Cairo, negotiators shuttle back and forth between the two sides to hammer out the final details of the agreement. One of the key issues to resolve during proximity talks will be the timeline and location of the withdrawal of Israeli forces in Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire, according to the source. When were the previous ceasefires? In the 21 months of war between Israel and Hamas, ceasefires have been in place for a total of only nine weeks. More than 57,000 people, of which more than 17,000 are children, have been killed in Gaza during the fighting, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The first ceasefire came into effect in November 2023, but lasted only a week. In that time, 105 hostages were released from Gaza, in exchange for scores of Palestinian prisoners. A second ceasefire was not struck until January 2025, shortly before Trump's return to the White House. In just over eight weeks – the first 'phase' of the ceasefire – Hamas freed 33 hostages, with Israel releasing around 50 Palestinian prisoners for every Israeli freed. Under the planned second stage, Israel was supposed to agree to a permanent ceasefire. But Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, shattering the ceasefire and derailing the talks, saying it did so to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages. CNN's Jeremy Diamond, Kristen Holmes, Kylie Atwood, Dana Karni, Michael Schwartz and Oren Liebermann contributed to this report. Christian Edwards and Lauren Kent, CNN
Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Canada's environment ministers endorse updated air quality standards
Published Jul 05, 2025 • 1 minute read Canadian flag flying with Parliament Hill in the background. Photo by File Photo / Getty Images YELLOWKNIFE — Canada's environment ministers have endorsed stronger air quality standards for fine particulate matter, while acknowledging the struggles caused by wildfires that can blanket the country in smoke advisories. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Provincial, territorial and federal environment ministers met in Yellowknife for the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. In a joint communique released Friday, they say wildfires are one of the major contributors to air pollution, which can adversely affect the health of Canadians. They say by approving updated Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards for fine particulate matter, they are 'supporting actions that will continue to improve air quality in Canada.' The standards measure the amount of a given pollutant in outdoor air, and while they are not legally binding, the ministers call them a key element of managing air quality. The council's website lists the updated standards for fine particulate at 23 micrograms per cubic metre in 24 hours by 2030, a decrease from the 2020 standards of 27 micrograms per cubic metre. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The statement says the standards were developed by federal, provincial and territorial governments collaboratively with representatives from industry, environmental, Indigenous groups and health non-governmental organizations. Northwest Territories Environment Minister Jay Macdonald, who hosted the meeting, told a news conference that the new standards will help all jurisdictions better protect communities from the growing health impacts of poor air quality. He said climate change is increasing wildfire risk. 'Strong, science-based, national standards help ensure we're prepared for these challenges and support long-term health and resilience,' he said. Next year's council meeting is scheduled to take place in Alberta. RECOMMENDED VIDEO Ontario Editorial Cartoons Other Sports Editorials Toronto Blue Jays
