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Study finds high levels of meth in Moncton’s wastewater

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A new survey has found high levels of methamphetamine in Moncton’s wastewater.

Statistics Canada released results of the Canadian Wastewater Survey conducted from January 2024 to March 2026. It looked at eight Canadian cities.

Moncton ranked third per capita, with Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and Saskatoon in first and second.

According to Statistics Canada, Moncton’s elevated levels are consistent with data showing meth was involved in nearly two-thirds of stimulant toxicity deaths in New Brunswick in 2024.

It adds that this information can assist in public health responses and law enforcement activities.

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Inflation holds steady at 3.0% as grocery costs ease

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Canada’s annual inflation rate remained unchanged in August, with the Consumer Price Index rising three per cent compared with a year earlier, according to Statistics Canada.

The agency reported Tuesday that the August increase matched the three per cent annual inflation rate recorded in July.

While gasoline prices continued to climb compared with last year, the pace of those increases slowed, helping limit overall inflation growth.

Statistics Canada said gasoline prices were up 22.8 per cent year over year in August, following a 25.7 per cent increase in July.

Despite the slower growth rate, gasoline prices remained elevated as conflict in the Middle East continued during the month.

The slowdown in gasoline price growth was offset by higher costs for rent and travel tours.

Travel tour prices rose 26.1 per cent from a year earlier, compared with a 15.2 per cent annual increase in July.

Statistics Canada attributed part of the increase to a base-year effect tied to a sharp decline in Canadian travel to the United States in 2025, which had previously put downward pressure on airfare and travel package prices.

On a monthly basis, travel tour prices fell 2.9 per cent in August.

At the same time, Canadians saw some relief at grocery stores.

Prices for food purchased from stores increased 2.8 per cent year over year in August, down from a 3.1 per cent increase in July.

Statistics Canada said it marked the first time since July 2024 that grocery price growth was lower than the overall inflation rate.

The slowdown in grocery inflation was led by dairy products, which rose 0.7 per cent compared with a year earlier, down from a 3.1 per cent increase in July.

Cheese and yogurt were the main contributors to the easing in dairy prices.

Smaller price increases for fresh or frozen pork, condiments, spices and vinegars, and fresh fruit also contributed to slower grocery price growth.

Despite the moderation, grocery prices remain significantly higher than in recent years.

Statistics Canada reported that food prices purchased from stores have risen 29 per cent since August 2021.

Consumers also paid less for clothing in August than they did a year earlier. Clothing prices fell 1.1 per cent following a 0.9 per cent increase in July.

The decline was driven by lower prices for men’s and children’s clothing. Women’s clothing prices were unchanged from a year earlier after declining in July.

Regionally, price growth accelerated in six provinces in August.

Statistics Canada said the Atlantic provinces recorded the highest inflation rates in the country, with inflation accelerating in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia.

The agency said rising fuel oil and other fuel costs were a key factor, with prices increasing 43.7 per cent year over year compared with 29.5 per cent in July.

Nationally, rent prices increased 2.8 per cent year over year in August, up from 2.5 per cent in July.

Statistics Canada said higher rent costs in Manitoba and Ontario contributed to the acceleration.

On a monthly basis, the Consumer Price Index fell 0.1 per cent in August.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the index rose 0.2 per cent.

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Fewer jobs as national unemployment rate holds steady

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After four months of rising job numbers, Canada saw a downturn in August.

New data from Statistics Canada released Friday showed the country lost 42,000 jobs last month.

That followed a cumulative increase of 181,000 from April to July.

Employment dropped slightly in Quebec and Ontario, while New Brunswick had a slight uptick.

There was little change in other provinces.

Sectors like business, natural resources and public administration saw declines.

Manufacturing jobs were up in the last month.

The national unemployment rate remained at 6.4 per cent.

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Canada adds 75K jobs as jobless rate hits 2‑year low

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Canada’s labour market strengthened in July with a 75,000‑job increase, according to new figures released Friday by Statistics Canada.

The agency says the national unemployment rate fell to 6.4 per cent, the lowest level in two years and the third straight monthly decline.

Core‑aged workers drive July’s gains

Statistics Canada reports most of the job growth came from people aged 25 to 54, with women in that group gaining 33,000 positions.

The unemployment rate for core‑aged women dropped to 5.2 per cent, while the rate for core‑aged men held at 5.8 per cent.

The agency also stated that the employment rate for core‑aged women reached 81.2 per cent, which is higher than the pre‑pandemic average.

Youth unemployment held at 12.6 per cent, though the agency notes rates remain higher for some racialized groups.

Statistics Canada said Black youth had an unemployment rate of 22.6 per cent, while rates for Chinese and South Asian youth declined compared with last year.

Industry and provincial job changes

Employment rose in several industries. Statistics Canada says wholesale and retail trade added 21,000 jobs, while finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing gained 18,000.

Professional, scientific and technical services increased by 17,000, and construction added 16,000. Public administration lost 15,000 jobs and agriculture declined by 9,600.

Provincial job gains were led by Ontario, which added 52,000 positions.

Employment rose in British Columbia by 18,000, in Manitoba by 5,900, and in Nova Scotia by 4,600, according to Statistics Canada.

Unemployment rates fell in several provinces, including Ontario and B.C., while remaining little changed in Quebec and Alberta.

The agency also reports a more favourable summer job market for returning students.

Their unemployment rate dropped to 15.1 per cent, though it remained above pre‑pandemic levels.

Most employed students worked in retail, accommodation and food services, or information, culture and recreation.

Average hourly wages rose 2.8 per cent year over year to $37.17. Statistics Canada says this follows a 3.3 per cent increase in June.

Overall, the agency says more people have been finding work compared with last year, though job‑finding rates remain below pre‑pandemic levels.

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Saint John records Canada’s biggest rise in crime severity as N.B. breaks from national trend

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New Brunswick is the only province to see an increase in its crime severity index in 2025, says new data from Statistics Canada.

According to StatCan’s 2025 Police-Reported Crime statistics, New Brunswick’s CSI rose from 84.4 to 90.4, a six per cent increase.

And according to the report, Saint John saw a 20 per cent CSI increase year-over-year — from 50 to 70 — making it the largest jump of any Canadian metropolitan area.

Unlike the crime rate, which measures the volume of crime, the CSI measures the volume and severity of crime.

The index combines all police crimes into a single score to show how serious crime is in an area.

To determine severity, all crimes are assigned a weight based on sentences handed down by Canadian Courts. More serious crimes are assigned higher weights, while less serious crimes are assigned lower weights.

As a result, more serious offences have a greater impact on changes in the index.

Saint John Police Force Staff Sgt. Shawna Fowler believes that’s the main reason behind Saint John’s CSI increase.

In an email statement, she said in 2025 SJPF had seven murders and three attempted murders, compared to three murders in 2024.

“The seriousness of those offences would significantly impact the CSI,” she said.

Fowler also pointed out that while the CSI increased by 20 per cent, the city’s crime rate only increased by three per cent — which, according to her — suggests that the increase was driven largely by the severity of a small number of incidents rather than a significant increase in overall crime volume.  

Fowler added that implementation of the Versaterm Records Management system in 2025 — a cloud-based platform designed for law enforcement and public safety agencies across the U.S. and Canada to capture information, reduce administrative work, and streamline workflows — could have also impacted the index due to the differences in reporting practices.

She explained in Versaterm that more calls for service are requiring a file number, and said Statistics Canada collects data based on incident reports rather than calls for service.

“Some of the increase may reflect reporting and file-creating changes rather than the changes in criminal activity itself,” she said.

Additionally, Fowler noted that the Saint John metropolitan area consists of the city plus neighbouring communities around it, meaning that the crime statistics would also include data from the Kennebacasis Regional Police, Hampton RCMP, and Grand Bay-Westfield RCMP, and changes in those jurisdictions would also be reflected in the overall CSI reported.

Two other major metropolitan areas in the province also saw significant increases.

Fredericton’s CSI rose seven per cent, and Moncton’s increased by 11 per cent, going from 73.5 to 80.5 and 94.6 to 105.6, respectively.

The national CSI average in 2025 is 75.01, a five per cent decrease from last year, and the second straight annual decrease following an upward trend that began in 2015, according to StatCan.  

The report said most areas in the country saw reductions, besides New Brunswick and Nunavut, which was the only territory to see an increase, up by 11 per cent.

According to StatCan, some of the changes that contributed to the decline of the index last year include an 11 per cent decline in break and enter, a 16 per cent decrease in motor vehicle theft, a 21 per cent decline in incidents involving child sexual abuse and exploitation material, among others.

The data also showed an overall decrease in Canada’s crime rate in 2025, declining by two per cent.

Editor’s note: The headline of a previous version of the story wrongly characterized that Saint John lead crime severity index in Canada, when the metropolitan area saw the highest increase in 2025. The story’s headline has now been changed to: Saint John records Canada’s biggest rise in crime severity as N.B. breaks from national trend, to better characterized the increase. We apologize for the mistake.

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Rising fuel prices push Canada’s inflation to 3.2%

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Rising fuel costs pushed Canada’s inflation rate higher in May as the annual rate reached 3.2 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.

The agency said gasoline was the main factor behind the increase.

Gas prices rose at a faster pace than in April as supply uncertainty continued in the Middle East, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

StatCan highlighted that Canadians paid the highest gasoline prices since June 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine created similar concerns about global oil supply.

Inflation also increased even when gasoline was removed from the calculation.

StatCan said the Consumer Price Index excluding gas rose 2.2 per cent in May, up from 2.0 per cent in April.

Grocery prices continued to climb

StatCan reported that fresh fruit rose 5.3 per cent and fresh vegetables increased nine per cent compared with last year.

Tomato prices saw the largest jump after poor weather and reduced planting in Mexico led to a tighter supply.

The agency explained those increases pushed food purchased from stores up 4.3 per cent, marking the 16th straight month grocery inflation has grown faster than the headline rate.

StatCan said prices for travel tours increased after a sharp drop in April, and air transportation rose 7.4 per cent as airlines faced higher jet‑fuel costs.

Shelter inflation continued to ease

The agency stated shelter prices rose 1.7 per cent year over year, down slightly from April.

The homeowners’ replacement cost index and other owned accommodation expenses both declined, and rent growth slowed to 3.5 per cent, the lowest rate since early 2022.

Price growth for durable goods held steady at 1.9 per cent.

StatCan said computer equipment and related supplies rose 3.9 per cent because of higher costs for components such as RAM and solid‑state drives.

The agency links the increase to strong demand from artificial‑intelligence data centres and limited production capacity.

StatCan said inflation accelerated in every province, with gasoline having a larger impact in Atlantic Canada because households spend more on fuel.

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Haven’t filled out the Census? Statistics Canada warns of possible $500 fine

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Statistics Canada is contacting households that have not yet completed this year’s Census, reminding residents that failing to do so could result in a fine.

Under the Statistics Act, anyone who refuses or neglects to complete the Census may face a penalty of up to $500.

To encourage participation and help residents comply, Statistics Canada has hired thousands of surveyors to follow up with households by phone. Surveyors are able to assist residents with completing the questionnaire.

In addition to phone calls, surveyors will also be going door‑to‑door in communities to provide in‑person support.

Statistics Canada says millions of households have already completed the Census online, by phone, or on paper.

The information collected is used to help guide decisions on government programs, services, and infrastructure in communities across the country.