Canadian home energy costs to spike by up to 100 per cent on average this winter: analyst:

Some consumers could see their bills rise by as much as 300 per cent
while others could see minimal increases, but the overall trend is
clear, says EnergyRates.ca founder Joel MacDonald.

“In general, Canadians join the global community in seeing 

exceptionally high electricity and natural gas bills,“ MacDonald told
CTVNews.ca in a phone interview on Friday. “There are a few provinces
where some of those increases are muted by the structure of the
marketplace, but in general the answer is very high energy bills.”

Most of what will drive up the cost of home energy this winter is the 

rising price of natural gas, which generates 8.5 per cent of Canada’s
electricity.

COVID-19 hospitalizations on the rise in Canada:
More than two-and-a-half years into the pandemic and hospitals across
the country continue to grapple with the effects of COVID-19.

According to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada,
between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15 2022, Canadian hospitals saw an average of
about 4,700 hospitalizations a day due to COVID-19. During the same
period last year, the average had only been 2,000 per day.

Among the hardest hit provinces, <a href="https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-covid-19-hospitalizations-rise-as-health-officials-urge-residents-to-get-boosted-1.6107504" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quebec</a>

reported over 2,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations for the first-time since
August as the province’s minister of health urged residents to get their
boosters for added protection.

<a href="https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-s-top-doctor-warns-of-more-recommendations-to-public-on-masking-ahead-of-difficult-winter-1.6107774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ontario health officials</a>

have also reported similar trends as hospitalizations rose to 1,629
this week marking the highest number of COVID-19 related hospital
occupancies since May 4 of this year. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are
also seeing increased hospitalizations among older patients between the
ages of 70 and 80-years-old.

Infectious disease experts have previously reported an uptick in 

COVID-19 cases was likely to happen in the fall as the influenza season
approaches. However, a myriad of factors like emerging variants, other
viruses and health concerns have put a strain on hospitals.