Stories by Austin Blake

Canada's group stage run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues Thursday after noon when the national team faces Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver. Kickoff is set for 3:00 PM PT/6:00 PM ET, and there are plenty of ways to watch live across the country. English broadcasts (TSN) Bell Media's TSN has the exclusive...

Freedom Mobile has updated its website to bring its service terms in line with the CRTC's new regulations targeting wireless junk fees. On Wednesday, the carrier axed its mandatory three-month subscription requirement for customers when signing up for its global Roam Beyond data plans (basically all their plans since February). The shift follows another move...

Toronto-based fintech Wealthsimple is jumping into prediction markets, teaming up with U.S. exchange Kalshi to bring the trend up to Canada. The company announced Wealthsimple Predict, a new standalone app that'll let Canadians trade event contracts on Kalshi once it launches this summer. Users will get access to roughly 4,000 contracts, though only in the...

After Telus and Bell got a tongue lashing from the CRTC, it's Rogers' turn now. The regulator sent the carrier a letter on June 16 saying its new batch of fees look like they're breaking federal rules. A staff letter just released by the telecom regulator shows Rogers started charging customers a $40 device setup...

Telus just added YouTube Premium as an add-on to its Stream+ bundle. Some Stream+ subscribers spotted promo offers pitching YouTube Premium for $7.19 a month. Turns out that price is actually for YouTube Premium Lite, the stripped down version with way fewer features. The real YouTube Premium only gets a 10% discount through Telus, bringing...

The federal government is moving to shut down committee hearings on Bill C-22, the lawful access bill, and fast-track it through the House of Commons by the end of the week (as planned), according to University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist. The government has placed a motion on the Order Paper that would limit...

Rogers and Fido have quietly added a new $40 device setup charge for customers who buy or upgrade to a new device, the latest salvo in an ongoing fight between Canada's big telecoms and the CRTC over junk fees. The fee showed up on Rogers and Fido's websites a few days ago, mirroring what Bell...

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is heading to China this week to meet with four Chinese electric vehicle makers that are eyeing potential investments in Canada, according to the Globe and Mail. BYD, Chery, Geely, and Shanghai Launch Automotive Technology have all been examining possible investments in Canada's auto sector. Joly will visit BYD's manufacturing base...

The CRTC has again sent formal warning letters to both Bell and Telus on the same day its ban on activation and switching fees took effect (back on Friday, June 12), demanding answers about new charges the regulator believes may violate the new rules. CRTC Director of Social and Consumer Policy Nanao Kachi sent the...

Apple's iOS 27 and macOS 27 betas are quietly laying the groundwork for two of the company's most anticipated new products: a foldable iPhone and a touch-screen MacBook. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recapped the clues buried in the first beta as seen by many developers, and they're pretty hard to dismiss as coincidence. Foldable iPhone The...

The US government has ordered AI company Anthropic to shut off access to two of its latest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, citing national security concerns. The directive, issued Friday evening, forces Anthropic to disable both models for all customers globally, including foreign national employees working inside the company. It's a sweeping move...

We've analyzed the latest wireless plans from Rogers, Telus, Bell, and Freedom Mobile for June 2026, including their flanker brands Fido, Koodo, and Virgin Plus. To finish our review, let's look at pricing for the prepaid brands — Chatr, Lucky Mobile, and Public Mobile — along with Quebecor's Fizz, where the best rates always require...