Health Canada is recalling several types of smoke alarms, warning they “may fail to operate.”
In a recall notice issued on Thursday, Health Canada says the issues are with the following products.
PGST Independent Smoke Detector Sensor Fire Alarm System for Home Office Security Smoke Alarm Fire Protection, model S11D-EN
Photoelectric Smoke Alarm, model PG-S11
GauTone Independent Smoke Alarm Fire Protection Smokehouse Home Security System Smoke Detector, model GT-441B-1
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Hundreds of the devices have been sold across the country, according to the recalls.
Health Canada has recommended that those with these products “immediately stop using the affected products and dispose of them according to municipal hazardous waste guidelines.”
The PGST and GauTone Photoelectric smoke alarms were previously sold on AliExpress, and the safety alert says that “Health Canada’s sampling and evaluation program has determined that the product may not meet the Residential Detectors Regulations in Canada.”
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All of the products were made in China, the recall says.
The alert also states that the products do not have “a Canadian certification mark and it is unknown if the alarm operates in the presence of smoke or fire, posing a potential fire hazard. ”
“Health Canada reminds consumers that products that do not have a recognized Canadian certification mark may not meet Canadian performance standards and could fail or operate incorrectly. This could pose a risk to consumers who may not be alerted to a fire incident in their home.”
Most Canadians are paying higher insurance premiums overall for their home and car, a new report by Rates.ca shows.
Three in four Canadians (75 per cent) say their insurance premiums, for all types of insurance, have gone up in the last two years, the Leger survey conducted for Rates.ca has found.
This figure refers to Canadians who have at least one insurance policy on a home, apartment, condo and/or vehicle.
Canadians over 35 — who are more likely to own a car and home —experienced a higher rate (78 per cent) compared to Canadians aged 18-34 (64 per cent).
Six out of 10 (63 per cent) insured Canadians said they took steps to lower insurance costs, including shopping around (40 per cent), asking for discounts (30 per cent), changing or removing parts of coverage (21 per cent), the report said.
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Home insurance costs rose steadily from 2022 to 2025 across six Ontario cities —Toronto, Hamilton, Oshawa, Windsor, London and Ottawa — with the sharpest increases in 2024 before easing off in 2025, it added.
Aside from severe weather events, from fires to floods, home insurance costs were also impacted by construction costs going up because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada.
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A look at local data reveals that car insurance premiums have been rising rapidly, accounting for most household expenditure on insurance.
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Between 2022 and 2025, the average auto premium increased from $3,453 to $3,997 in Toronto, accounting for 70 per cent of all household insurance costs in Canada’s most populous city.
Across six major cities in Ontario, auto insurance consistently makes up the majority of the average household’s insurance cost burden, ranging from 60 per cent to 70 per cent of total premiums.
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This is, in part, because repair costs have risen sharply since 2022, owing to labour shortages and parts delays caused by supply chain disruptions.
“If insurance companies have to pay more money than anticipated … premiums will go up,” said Daniel Ivans, Rates.ca insurance expert and licensed insurance broker, who authored the report.
Every stage of a repair, including diagnostics, parts, and labour, costs more than it did just a few years ago, Ivans said.
“As incomes inflate, the cost of living, goods, parts, and labour inflate. Insurance premiums have to match the cost of losses,” he added.
Ontario home insurance rates ‘snowballing,’ and flood claims are to blame: report
The kind of car you buy can also determine your insurance premium, said Dan Park, CEO of Clutch Canada, a platform that facilitates the sale and purchase of pre-owned vehicles.
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If a car is “fancier,” it is not only more likely to be a target for thieves, but also more likely to cost more to repair, Park said.
“We’ve had customers cancel purchases on CR-Vs and Civics specifically because their premiums spiked when they quoted a high-theft model,” he said.
“One customer saw their premium nearly double and walked away entirely.”
The Oromocto Food Bank and Clothing Bank serves a population of more than 27,000 people. But with the cost of living going up and up, staff say it’s becoming more and more challenging to keep up with demand.
“People calling us begging, ‘Do you have any money that I can just borrow?’ and I mean people are calling churches and they’re calling service clubs and everybody they can find to try and get some help,” said Jane Buckley, the food and clothing bank’s executive director.
Rising prices are hitting people hard throughout the region and province, which makes next week’s provincial budget all the more important.
Inflation isn’t just impacting everyday people, as the province is facing a record deficit that’s now in the billions, not millions.
One Fredericton resident, Betty Blanchard, says to help deal with the cost of living, she sometimes walks to get her morning coffee, rather than driving, to help save on gas.
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“Try to find that balance of what I can do less of but still get enjoyment from,” she said.
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Gas prices are also hitting the pocketbook of Wendy Rogers. She lives about 15 kilometres from downtown Fredericton and now has to ask herself if the drive into the city is worth it.
“Sure makes me cautious about how many times I drive into town and combine all my errands,” Rogers said.
Businesses in New Brunswick are feeling the hit too.
Alex Scholten, who co-owns Victory Meat and Produce Market in Fredericton, says it’s not easy putting up prices, but as a business, they have few options.
“Seeing the prices going up and down and mainly up these days, it certainly has a huge impact on our business interactions,” he said.
With a $1.3-billion projected deficit this fiscal year, the Susan Holt Liberal government has promised cuts and “difficult decisions” when the budget gets announced on March 17.
That type of wording has many around the province worried about what will be coming.
“I’m very concerned about it because the people that I serve are the vulnerable population…. They’re affected by it in the fact that in order to maintain the higher costs, we have to increase the taxes or whatever it is we do,” Buckley said.
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Rogers said, “If they’re going to save money on anything, it better not be health or education.”
Provinces around the country are mostly projecting historic deficits, so New Brunswick isn’t alone in this.
For example, next door in Nova Scotia, politicians are embroiled in never-ending debates amid controversial cuts to that province’s budget by Premier Tim Houston.
The federal Conservatives are pushing to allow Canada Post to ship alcohol between provinces, saying the Liberals have failed to live up to their pledge to remove interprovincial trade barriers.
B.C. MP Dan Albas, whose riding includes the Okanagan wine region, has introduced a private member’s bill that would amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to remove restrictions on direct interprovincial shipments of alcohol to consumers.
Albas said the change would “free the beer.”
“We need to be our own best customers. This is a valid way to do that,” he said.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said there are more barriers to trade between provinces than there are with many countries.
“It is currently against the law for Canada Post to deliver Canadian alcohol to Canadian consumers in six of 10 provinces,” he said. “That is a federal law that Mark Carney refuses, so far, to change.”
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Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed during last spring’s federal election campaign to eliminate trade barriers and have free trade in Canada by July 1.
The Liberals and Conservatives worked together last June to pass an omnibus bill that reduces restrictions on internal trade and speeds up permitting for large infrastructure projects.
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The law targets federal restrictions on interprovincial trade and labour mobility, though most of the trade barriers within Canada are a product of regulations and laws that exist at the provincial and territorial level.
Premiers agreed at the Council of the Federation last year to tackle interprovincial trade barriers.
B.C. producers frustrated over new provincial trade deal exclusion
Some progress has been made, including a memorandum of understanding that commits all 10 provinces and Yukon to allowing consumers to buy Canadian alcohol directly from producers.
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The agreement also says jurisdictions with personal use exemption limits on the amount of alcohol an individual can take across a provincial or territorial boundary “will work to either remove or increase these limits.”
The provinces and territories have agreed to develop frameworks to make that happen by May of this year.
Nova Scotia and Ontario signed a deal on March 2 to allow people to buy alcohol from producers in either province.
A spokesperson for One Canadian Economy Minister Dominic LeBlanc did not respond directly to questions about whether the government would support the Conservative legislation.
In an emailed statement, Gabriel Brunet pointed to the deal between Nova Scotia and Ontario and said it’s “something the federal government wholly supports and hopes to see replicated across the country.”
“We will continue to exercise federal leadership through the Committee on Internal Trade, which will meet on March 30, and all relevant (federal-provincial-territorial) forums to go further in breaking down internal trade barriers and unlocking Canada’s economic potential,” Brunet said.
Poilievre said the agreements that have been signed on interprovincial trade are “meaningless” and Carney pledged to fix the problem.
“He didn’t put an asterisk next to that and claim that he wouldn’t be able to do anything because the provinces would get in his way. He said he would be a strong national leader that would bring truly free trade,” he said.
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The federal government estimates that eliminating all federal, provincial and territorial trade barriers could boost GDP by as much as $200 billion.
An Uber rider is warning customers to check their receipts after she was charged an unexpected cleaning fee.
“I forgot about the whole incident until the next week when I noticed one of my Uber rides cost me $85,” said Karen Plangg.
The Vancouver resident says the incident happened in January when she ordered an Uber to pick up her children from school. Plangg brought her five-pound Yorkipoo along for the ride and selected the Uber Pet option, which costs a few extra dollars. However, Plangg says the trip shouldn’t have cost more than $25.
“When I emailed Uber and messaged through their app, they told me it was a $60 cleaning fee, plus an extra three-dollar tax on top of the $5 Uber Pet fee they already charged,” said Plangg.
Plangg says Uber sent her a link to its cleaning policy, which stated it charges cleaning fees for excessive messes like vomit or food spills. In addition, the company sent Plangg photo evidence of the mess her dog had supposedly made in the vehicle. Plangg says the photos didn’t fall in line with the company’s cleaning policy since the photos revealed a few pet hairs on the seat and a small amount of debris on the floor mat.
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“They had sent me the cleaning policy and clearly the pictures they sent me as evidence didn’t support the fact I was charged a cleaning fee,” Plangg told Consumer Matters. “I feel like the mess on the floor mat is pretty normal. I’ve been in Ubers that are just as messy as the so-called mess that I left,” she added.
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Plangg reached out to Uber to dispute the charge, but says despite the ride-hailing company telling her she was a valued customer, it stood firm with its original position. “The company should be fair in the way they handle disputes and I don’t think they were fair at all,” said Plangg.
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“At no point was there a phone number I could chat with a human to let them know I was upset with the extra fees.”
Digital and technology expert Andy Baryer says Plangg’s experience with Uber is common and could be prevented.
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“The thing that I would like to see that if somebody is submitting a photo for evidence to an Uber about a cleaning issue, Uber needs to be able to access the metadata and inside the metadata it will tell you the time that photo was taken, the date it was taken, and all of that should align with the trip,” said Baryer.
When Consumer Matters reached out to Uber, Plangg received a refund within hours. However, Uber refused to answer questions around Plangg’s case.
She says she has since donated her refund to the BC SPCA and has deleted her Uber app.
“When there are so many options out there, I don’t have to go with a company that’s not going to help their customers when they have disputes,” said Plangg.
For 15 years, Find Edmonton has helped thousands of people transition out of homelessness by supplying essential furniture while also providing an opportunity for bargain hunters.
Find, operated by Homeward Trust, opened its thrift store in a vacant grocery store at the corner of 51 Avenue and 122 Street in 2011.
While many know it as a second-hand shop, Find also runs a furniture bank that provides free furnishings to people and families transitioning out of homelessness into stable housing.
“I think furniture is something we take for granted. It’s around us all the time. We don’t always give it its due,” said Janine Tremblay, Find Edmonton marketing and events supervisor.
The furniture bank was created to help vulnerable people set up their lives, she said.
“There was this barrier between landlords letting folks into their apartments without furniture. So the team got together, and decided let’s break that barrier down, and let’s get some furniture.”
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That first year, Tremblay said Find provided items for just over 400 homes. In 2025, Find furnished 1,861 homes — a number the organization says reflects both the scale of need and the strength of community support.
“If you really put that into perspective, the amount of furniture year to year to year, it’s just incredible what we’re able to do with the community support,” Janine said.
Donations needed at Find Edmonton thrift store that furnishes the recently housed
Find relies entirely on donated items, which are either given directly to clients or put out on the floor to be sold in the thrift store.
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“We’re furnishing between seven and 14 homes per day,” Janine said.
Once items arrive, they move quickly.
“As soon as it comes in, it gets cleaned, it gets ready to go, and then right out, delivered the next day, usually.”
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But the organization says inventory is currently low, even as demand remains high.
To celebrate 15 years in the community, Find is launching a donation drive aimed at collecting 150 of its five items in demand the most: dressers, couches, loveseats, kitchen tables and TV stands. Those who donate between now and March 31 will be entered into a draw for a $150 grocery gift card.
For Find, the work is about more than furniture — it’s about dignity, comfort and stability.
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“We really see the importance and the value of furniture and just how it makes you feel. You’re comfortable, you’re safe, and it just really helps make that house a home.”
Canadian Suit Drive outfits out-of-work people with professional attire
Furniture donated to Find must be in good condition and not damaged by pets. Donations can be dropped off at the thrift store just north of Whitemud Drive, but Find can also arrange for items to be picked up.
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Find will accept:
Couches, sofas, chesterfields, loveseats
Dressers and night stands
Apartment-sized kitchen tables
TV stands
Chairs – dining, accent, living, etc.
Antiques and collectibles
Artwork and mirrors
Shelves and book shelves
Tables – coffee, side, end, etc.
Home decor, tchotchkes and knick-knacks
Kitchen and housewares – pots & pans, cutlery, plates, cups, etc.
Small desks – home sized
Area rugs in good condition
Weights and sporting goods
Small kitchen appliances
Newer-style TVs
Seasonal items like patio and garden accessories – depending on capacity (in the summer)
The store does not have space to accept large, heavy items such as entertainment units, china cabinets, exercise equipment and older style TVs and can’t take mattresses, as it has no way to properly clean them.
With a free play in Lotto Max, an Ontario man went from just making a grocery run to becoming a millionaire.
Francois Masse of Hawkesbury, Ont., said Wednesday that he can still hardly believe it two months after winning in the Jan. 9 draw.
He said in a news release from OLG that he was leaving the Asselin’s Your Independent Grocer on Cameron Street when he remembered he had a free play ticket from a previous draw to redeem.
“I added ENCORE for $1, put the ticket in my wallet, and went on about my day,” he recalled.
Masse was at the OLG Prize Centre on Wednesday to collect his winnings.
He said it was a few days after he remembered he had three tickets to check and scanned them with the OLG app.
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The first ticket won him another free play, the second was worth $40, but when he scanned the last one, he was in “disbelief.”
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“I saw the ‘Big Winner’ message on the screen and went numb with disbelief — it was like the world stopped for a minute,” he said. “It was an out-of-body experience. I kept telling myself it couldn’t be true.”
Masse said that after pacing around the house for five minutes, he checked the ticket again and saw the same message.
He then made a call to OLG for information about the prize claim process, and took another three hours to process before he called his family to tell them the news.
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But even that took some convincing since he said his family likes to joke a lot.
“We all know we’ll commit to a joke and pull each other’s legs, so they thought I was just really committed to my prank! Even my mom didn’t believe me,” Masse said.
The retired education worker said he knew he wanted to tell his children about the win in person, so he invited them over and, when they were together, had his kids scan the winning ticket for themselves.
“There were a lot of happy tears,” he said. “It was a wonderful, incredible moment to share as a family. I was filled with joy.”
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Plans are already starting to take shape, Masse said, including a family trip to celebrate and then checking items off his bucket list, such as Formula 1 races and touring NFL stadiums.
He added he will be taking steps to ensure his family is taken care of, saying the win is for his family and “the legacy we’ll leave behind.”
The chief executive of Capital Power Corp. is expressing enthusiasm about opportunities to power new data centres in Alberta, as the province prepares to hammer out rules for connecting more projects to the grid without jeopardizing consumer reliability and affordability.
“The market environment is increasingly becoming more attractive for Alberta. The pace at which the announcements are coming out may not be at the pace that the market is expecting,” Avik Dey told analysts on a conference call Wednesday to discuss the company’s fourth-quarter results.
“But I think below the surface, the work that’s being done to facilitate new generation coming in… has been in some ways leading North America.
“We continue to be excited about it, and frankly more excited today than I’ve been at any other point in time.”
Data centres are enormous facilities that house the computing firepower needed for artificial intelligence and other applications. Such operations require massive amounts of energy to run and cool the computer servers.
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The Alberta government aims to attract $100 billion in data centre development by the end of this decade, hoping to lure tech behemoths like Meta Platforms Inc.
Some power generators have been looking at opportunities to provide power exclusively to a tech partner, while others have been eyeing options to add more juice to the overall grid.
The province aims to fast track the “bring your own power” proposals through the regulatory process.
Surging growth continues in Albertas tech sector
The Alberta Electric System Operator is allowing the connection of up to 1,200 megawatts of large-load projects until 2028 — a small fraction of what had been requested — so as not to compromise reliability.
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That capacity has been snapped up by TransAlta and a joint-venture between Pembina Pipeline Ltd. and Kineticor.
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The grid operator is consulting industry as it develops a long-term plan to enable more data centre investment without overburdening the province’s power system.
Capital Power has said its Genesee Generating Station west of Edmonton would be an ideal spot for a data centre partner to set up shop.
Capital Power’s Genesee plant is seen near Edmonton in an Oct. 19, 2022, handout photo.
Jimmy Jeong/Capital Power via The Canadian Press
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“I could not be more emphatic about the fact that we think we’ve got a world-class site that can materially increase generation,” Dey said.
He said its access to land, water and transmission infrastructure makes Genesee “probably one of the most attractive generation sites anywhere in North America” with an ability to expand.
In December, Capital Power announced a memorandum of understanding with New York-based Apollo Funds to form a US$3-billion investment partnership to buy U.S. merchant natural gas power assets.
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Separately, it said it had entered into a binding MOU to negotiate a 250-megawatt electricity supply agreement with an unidentified investment-grade data centre developer in Alberta with an expected 2028 start date.
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Earlier Wednesday, Capital Power reported a $13-million net loss for the fourth quarter, compared to net earnings attributable to shareholders of $240 million a year earlier.
The loss amounted to 12 cents per share versus a profit of $1.75 per diluted share during the final three months of 2024.
The Edmonton-based utility says its revenues and other income were $1.08 billion, an increase from $853 million in the prior-year quarter
Adjusted funds from operations rose to $244 million from $182 million year-over-year.
The five-day-old Iran war has “supercharged” oil prices that Canadian motorists are already seeing reflected at the pumps.
Drivers in British Columbia and Prince Edward Island are feeling the pinch the most with prices at the pumps there well above the national average of $1.38.1 per litre Wednesday morning.
CAA data shows that figure is a four cent increase from Tuesday and nearly a nine cent increase a week ago.
Oil prices soared to levels not seen in more than a year on Tuesday as Iran launched a series of attacks against the United States, Israel and neighbouring Gulf countries.
The attacks come after the U.S. and Israel began an aerial bombardment of Iran Saturday, targeting leaders within the Iranian regime and killing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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U.S. President Donald Trump has said the strikes were intended to ensure Tehran does not obtain a nuclear weapon and aimed at “eliminating imminent threats” from the Iranian regime.
“The early fallout from this dangerous situation will be obvious the longer it goes on and depending on who joins the conflict. Geography is taking centre stage due to the importance of a crucial global crude oil conduit: the Strait of Hormuz, the passage of which is controlled by Iran,” Roger McKnight, chief petroleum analyst with En-Pro International, said in a statement Tuesday.
“Any restriction of tanker movement, whether in fact or rumored, will increase the price of crude, and this will quickly be reflected in consumer costs for all refined products such as gasoline and diesel.”
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A fifth of all oil traded passes through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf; Iran has disrupted tanker traffic through it, sending global oil and natural gas prices soaring. Iran has also struck energy facilities in oil-rich Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
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McKnight said the price of crude is “being supercharged not by facts but by headlines,” which are spurred on by traders and investors worldwide.
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“The consumer is in for a very rough ride if this war extends in time and/or location. A crude oil increase from $67 to $80 per barrel would mean an increase at the pump of eight cents per litre. A jump to $100 per barrel would work out to a boost of 20 cents per litre,” he said.
“This could all be reversed should the political temperature be reduced. But right now, the pot is on full boil.”
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As of Wednesday morning, the price of West Texas Intermediate was trading at nearly US$74.30 per barrel, while Western Canadian Select was at US$62.21 per barrel.
Data from GasBuddy, a technology company that helps people find cheap gasoline, showed B.C. motorists were paying $1.61.9 per litre for regular unleaded gas Wednesday morning.
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PE.I. drivers found themselves paying $1.54.2 per litre, data from the province’s Regulatory and Appeals Commission shows.
The prices for other Canadian provinces were as follows:
Quebec: $1.52 per litre via Gasbuddy.
Newfoundland: $1.51.8 per litre via Gasbuddy.
Nova Scotia: $1.47.7 per litre via the Nova Scotia Energy Board.
New Brunswick: $1.42 per litre via the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board.
Ontario: $1.36.6 per litre via Gasbuddy.
Alberta: $1.33.5 per litre via Gasbuddy.
Saskatchewan: $1.32.5 per litre via Gasbuddy.
Manitoba: $1.32.4 per litre via Gasbuddy.
The Nova Scotia Energy Board used its interrupter mechanism at midnight Wednesday to increase the price of fuel because it was “necessary due to significant shifts in the market price,” it said in a news release.
Even before the Iran attack, gasoline prices were already rising as refiners had begun switching over to more expensive summer fuel blends.
Trump acknowledged the rising oil prices during remarks in the Oval Office Tuesday.
“We have a little high oil prices for a little while, but as soon as this ends, those prices are going to drop, I believe, lower than even before,” he said.
Trump added in a social media post after that, if necessary, the U.S. Navy would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. He also ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. to provide political risk insurance for tankers carrying oil and other goods through the Persian Gulf “at a very reasonable price.”
Residents in some south Edmonton neighbourhoods near the University of Alberta are sounding the alarm over new infill properties where individual bedroom are being rented out rooming house-style — in some cases by the day and even the hour.
People living in Belgravia and McKernan who spoke to Global News feel some of the developments are deceptive.
“As it’s being built, they’re not advertised that they’re going to be rooming houses,” explained McKernan resident Rhonda Bell.
“They say seven or eight units —a multi-family dwelling. But what they’re actually building is about 32 rooms at a time.
“Each bedroom has it’s own ensuite. So it’s misleading.”
Global News found classified posts on Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji advertising daily and even hourly rentals for individual bedrooms within a newly constructed infill in the McKernan neighbourhood.
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“It’s really questionable — who’s going to be included as a tenant?” Bell wondered.
“It can become a revolving door and that’s really not safe.”
An ad that was posted to Kijiji advertising rooms for rent in infill properties by the day or even the hour.
Kijiji
The ads say the kitchen, bathroom and laundry is shared. There is no mention of living rooms. Costs range from $35-$65 per night. The number of bedrooms in the building was not clear.
Frustrated community members sent the advertisements to their city councillor, Michael Janz.
“Ultimately, we need more accountability around landlords,” Janz said.
“We need more accountability around property owners. We need to make sure that the ad matches the delivery.”
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Rooming houses, formally called “lodging houses” are a unique development in Edmonton, as they require different safety measures.
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The city defines a lodging house as a building, or part of a building, containing four or more “sleeping units” in which each is rented individually.
According to the city, the McKernan property on the online ad is listed as a four-plex and zones for Small Scale Residential (RS), but there is an application in development for a partial change to a lodging house.
An ad that was posted to Kijiji advertising rooms for rent in infill properties by the day or even the hour.
Kijiji
There were various numbers to contact on the Kijiji ads, including some saying text-only.
A woman listed as a contact declined an interview, but told Global News she has a short-term rental license.
After Global News reached out to the phone numbers on Monday, the postings on Kijiji and Marketplace were all taken down within an hour.
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Councillor Janz said that is suspect.
“I think neighbours deserve a sense of transparency and predictability and fairness about who their neighbours are, who’s in the community, what the nature of your building is.”
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He also worries about what impact developments like this have on the subject of infill — something that’s been highly controversial in Edmonton for years.
“I think cases like this, even if they’re one or two off anecdotes, do not help.
“They undermine the social license, they undermine the public sense of surety, they make other neighbours worried.”
Janz has been fielding infill concerns from his constituents for some time now, which last year led to him bringing forward a motion at city hall.
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Now, a report will be coming forward outlining exactly what a lodging house is, and where it can be built.
In the meantime, neighbours feel there are loopholes in existing rules being exploited that the city should have caught.
“They approved the plans, knowing full well that there would be 32 bedrooms and 32 bathrooms,” Bell explained, adding the city spokesperson she was directed to said they were shocked to hear properties were being rented by the room.
“That wasn’t the plan and you can see it from the drawings of the buildings. That was never the plan. Don’t pretend it was the plan. Honesty is the best policy,” she said.
The infill home next to her has been renting individual rooms monthly to students. She said that’s created issues over parking, garbage, landscaping and snow removal.
By using unregulated classified sites to rent through, like Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace, as opposed to established short-term rental companies like Airbnb, Bell said there’s no recourse for neighbours or tenants with concerns.
Regardless of the designation, Bell said the actual use of the property is what matters.
“When it walks like a duck and moves like a duck and quacks like a duck — at some point people have to call it a duck,” she said.
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“Call it what it is, then that will help the city set out appropriate bylaws for operating it — not just for building it.”
Edmonton homeowner worries neighbouring 8-plex infill will block his solar panels
