This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news for professionals in the financial industry, banking, credit unions, insurance, payment processing, fintech, credit card issuing, asset management, venture capital, private equity, and crypto-currencies. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

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Dates: 2026-04-19 to 2026-04-25

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Provincial Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• House of Commons Finance Committee to Discuss Household Debt and Federal Spending Power: On April 27, 2026, the Finance Committee will meet from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to continue its study of household debt in Canada, followed by a session on federal spending power. Witnesses will include academics and experts from the Montreal Economic Institute.
• Committee on Status of Women to Examine Abuse and Financial Vulnerability of Senior Women: Set for April 28, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the committee will hear from organizations such as the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario regarding senior women's financial security and vulnerability.
• Senate Committee to Examine SME Access to Credit and Capital Markets: On April 29, 2026, the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy will meet at 4:15 p.m. to hear from Canaccord Genuity Group’s CEO and other witnesses on the topic of small- and medium-sized enterprise access to capital.
• Senate Committee Session on SME Financing with Council of Canadian Innovators and Canadian Bankers Association: A hearing is scheduled for April 30, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., where witnesses from the Council of Canadian Innovators, National Angel Capital Organization, and Canadian Bankers Association will discuss SME opportunities in credit and capital markets.

Federal Government News

FCAC Commissioner and OSC CEO Address Competition and Consumer Protection at Dialogue 2026

On April 21, 2026, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Commissioner Shereen Benzvy Miller and Ontario Securities Commission Chief Executive Officer Grant Vingoe held a public discussion at the OSC’s annual conference. The exchange centered on the benefits of coordinated regulatory oversight in supporting competition and robust consumer protection across Canada’s financial markets. Miller noted that consistent and strong consumer protections are essential and stated that clear regulatory frameworks make competition more effective, ultimately benefiting consumers. Both officials identified greater transparency in fees and product features as a prerequisite for consumer trust and informed decision-making. The conversation examined the need for systems that do not place the complexity of compliance burdens on consumers. Miller indicated support for reforms and measures that allow Canadians to engage confidently with the financial sector. The session formed part of FCAC’s ongoing strategic plan for 2026-2029, which seeks to advance market integrity and public trust.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Competition Bureau Warns Against Bid-Rigging and Collusion in Public Contracts

On April 24, 2026, the Competition Bureau issued a public warning reiterating that illegal agreements involving public procurement, such as bid-rigging and price-fixing, are prosecutable criminal offences. The Bureau noted an elevated risk of such conduct in periods of rising government procurement activity. Criminal sanctions for collusion include substantial fines and potential imprisonment of up to 14 years. Companies found complicit in bid-rigging may also face debarment from future government contracts and exposure to civil class actions. The Bureau encouraged market participants to utilize existing compliance guidance tools to avoid inadvertent breaches and underlined the responsibility to compete independently. The potential cost implications of collusion for public sector contracts were indicated to exceed 30%, with broader effects on government spending and competition.

Sources: www.canada.ca

StatsCan Releases Lending Services Price Index, Q4 2025

Statistics Canada has made available the Lending Services Price Index for the fourth quarter of 2025 (2017=100). The data reflect price shifts in Canadian lending services, which are used to monitor cost trends across major lending activities. Participants in banking and credit markets may reference the dataset for updated metrics on lending services pricing.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

StatsCan Reports Decline in February 2026 Investment in Building Construction

For February 2026, Statistics Canada reported a 2.1% decrease—or $503.2 million—in the total value of investment in building construction, reducing the aggregate to $23.0 billion. The residential segment led the contraction, falling by 3.3%. These figures are used in part to gauge underlying trends in mortgage demand, loan origination, and exposure to the real estate market for banks and other lenders.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

New Economic and Social Reports Released by StatsCan

On April 22, 2026, Statistics Canada released five new articles within its Economic and Social Reports series. The release offers in-depth analysis on various issues which may include aspects relevant to household finances and sectoral employment, supporting broader macroeconomic decision-making for financial institutions.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca

FINTRAC Flags New Risks in Transnational Extortion Schemes

FINTRAC, Canada's financial intelligence unit, has reported a trend in which criminal networks are exploiting young people from India as part of extortion schemes. This development was publicized as part of ongoing anti-money laundering and financial crime surveillance efforts. FINTRAC's observations signal continued adjustments in the typologies used to launder illicit proceeds, maintaining compliance pressures on Canadian financial institutions with respect to onboarding, transaction monitoring, and reporting.

Sources: www.thestar.com

Provincial Government News

BC to Strengthen Pension Benefits Standards Act

British Columbia will implement amendments to its Pension Benefits Standards Act in 2026, offering automatic escalation of contributions in defined contribution plans and adjusting beneficiary options for surviving spouses. These revisions are also set to remove specific registration requirements for certain high-earning executive pension plans and are intended to reduce employer administrative costs.

Sources: news.gov.bc.ca

AMF Québec, OSC, and AMF France Conclude Cross-Listing Securities Agreement

AMF Québec, OSC, and AMF France have signed a cooperation agreement to streamline prospectus-based cross-listings between Canadian and French exchanges. The agreement establishes channels for regulatory information-sharing, although no regulatory exemptions are granted.

Sources: www.quebec.ca

Alberta Announces New Technology and Innovation Strategy, ATIS 2.0

Alberta has released ATIS 2.0, allowing direct provincial co-investment in local technology ventures and launching an in-house IP office. Legislative changes authorize Alberta Innovates and the Alberta Enterprise Corporation to hold minority equity stakes in provincial tech firms.

Sources: www.alberta.ca

Ontario Allocates $27.8 Million to Thunder Bay via Municipal Partnership Fund

Ontario will invest $27.8 million in Thunder Bay through the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, targeting improvements in core infrastructure and services. The province’s total OMPF support in northwestern Ontario now approaches $64 million.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Criminal networks using young people from India for extortion schemes, Fintrac warns: An overview of how overseas criminal actors exploit immigration pathways for financial crimes.
• Manuel Morales: How Canada's financial system should deal with the threat posed by Mythos: Analysing financial sector vulnerabilities in the context of emerging synthetic identity threats.

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