The Loonie Hour Canada Cuts Trade Deal with China
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Jan 23, 2026 A deep dive into Canada’s new trade deal with China and the trade-offs it creates for industry and geopolitics. Heated Davos moments and changing corporate language at the World Economic Forum. A surge in Canadian food inflation and the role of GST rebate changes. Housing pain with Toronto pre-sales at multi-decade lows and shifting market signals from commodities to gold and AI leaders.
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Podcasting From A Ski Trip Bed
- Rich Diaz recorded the pod from his bed while on a ski trip in Solden, Austria, joking about doing it from a sauna.
- He described blue-sky ski conditions and relaxed vacation vibes before the discussion.
Food Inflation Is Driving Pain For Households
- Canada's CPI rose to 2.4% with core measures easing but food inflation accelerating sharply.
- The GST/HST rebate unwinding and higher food prices are hurting lower-income households disproportionately.
Shelter Falls But Services Are Rising
- Shelter inflation is falling due to weak home sales and rental declines, but services inflation is creeping up.
- If shelter keeps dropping while services rise, overall inflation risks proving sticky despite housing weakness.