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5 expert tips to protect yourself from financial fraud when the banks won’t

Canadians are being drained of their life savings by scammers — and many are shocked when their banks refuse to reimburse them.

Bank fraud is a significant concern in Canada, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Every week, Go Public hears from people whose accounts have been emptied by fraudsters using everything from phishing emails and fake banking apps to phone spoofing, hacked passwords and unauthorized e-transfers.

All too often, investigations by financial institutions end not with accountability, but with banks blaming the very customers who trusted them with protecting their money.

  • Got a story you want investigated? Contact Erica and the Go Public team gopublic@cbc.ca

“It’s very disappointing,” said Claudiu Popa, a cybersecurity expert who’s spent decades investigating cybercrime and educating the public. 

“Banks appear to be protecting themselves and their own reputations, rather than trying to remedy a situation.”

Popa says he’s seen firsthand how criminals exploit everyday habits and security gaps. To help, he’s sharing five tips that can reduce your risk of becoming the next victim of bank fraud.

WATCH | How to respond if you’ve been defrauded and your bank’s blaming you: 

Hit by fraud, but the bank’s blaming you? How to protect yourself

1 month ago

Duration 5:42

CBC News reporting reveals that banks are increasingly blaming customers for falling victim to fraud and errors involving their accounts. The National’s Erica Johnson asks cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa to break down the current risks and what Canadians need to know to protect their money.

1. Use strong, unique passwords

The first tip is the most basic: change your password regularly — every three months is recommended — and make it unique. 

According to password manager NordPass, the most common password used in Canada and dozens of other countries in 2025 is “123456.” The second most common password? “123456789.” 

Popa says we should stop thinking of passwords as short codes, and instead think of them as memorable passphrases. 

“Choose your favourite line from a movie or poem or whatever, and sprinkle in some personal punctuation,” he suggested. Something like, H@staLaV1staBaby!

Make sure it’s 15-20 characters, and never reuse passwords across different websites. Reused passwords are one of the most common ways criminals can gain access after a data breach. 

He also recommends using a password manager to store passphrases, so you can just copy and paste them, instead of typing them out.

“Viruses latch onto the keyboard and track the keys you’re typing, which it can’t do if you’re pasting it directly.”

2. Enable two-factor authentication, account alerts

Even the strongest password isn’t enough if a hacker gains access through a data breach or phishing scam — which is why Popa says two-factor authentication (2FA) is so important.

It adds a second layer of security, typically through a code sent to your device or generated by an authentication app. 

“It needs to be a separate platform, so that’s why you should always try to have a different device that you’re getting your second factor on,” said Popa.

Graphic showing logos of Canada's big five banks.
None of Canada’s big five banks allow users to set up two-factor authentication for all transactions. (CBC)

He advises against using SMS text messages for 2FA when possible. Instead, opt for a secure authentication app like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator.

Also turn on every available account notification — for logins, password changes and transactions.

“Time is of the essence when you get defrauded,” said Popa. “The sooner you find out, the more likely it is that your banking institution will work with you, rather than protect themselves against you.”

Go Public asked the big five banks — BMO, CIBC, RBC, TD and Scotiabank — if they allow customers to set up two-factor authentication. All said they give users the option to get codes via text message, which the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says are vulnerable to being intercepted. 

All the banks also offer a more secure option — push notifications sent through their mobile apps. But only TD offers an authenticator app, which Popa says should be standard in the industry.

Popa also thinks customers should have the option to set up two-factor authentication for all purchases where a physical card is not used — not just when they log in to their online banking. 

Currently, none of Canada’s big five banks offer that. The banks do allow customers to set up alerts for every transaction, so they can know right away if there’s a fraudulent charge. 

3. Guard personal information

Bank fraud doesn’t always involve hacking. Scammers often trick people into handing over information themselves.

Popa says social engineering scams, phishing emails and phone scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. 

One common tactic people have written to Go Public about is call spoofing.

Graphic of hand holding a smartphone with an incoming call.
Fraudsters often manipulate caller ID, a process known as ‘spoofing,’ to make it look like someone from your bank is calling you. (L.J. Cake/CBC)

Fraudsters make it appear as though they’re calling from your bank, then ask you to confirm details like your login credentials or account number to “prevent fraud.” 

They might also ask you to share a “one-time passcode” sent to your phone. 

“Many of these scammers intentionally make these calls at dinnertime because you’re busy doing something else, because your bank branch might be closed, because it happens to be a weekend,” said Popa. “They know exactly how to play with your emotions and your instincts.

Never share your passwords, PIN, one-time passcodes, or banking information with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly, either by phone, text or email. 

Popa advises calling your bank directly using the number on their official website or your bank card. And don’t click links in unsolicited messages claiming to be from your bank, he warns. Many lead to fake websites designed to steal your credentials. 

4. Avoid public wi-fi for banking

Checking your account while at a café might seem harmless — but public wi-fi is one of the riskiest ways to access financial information, Popa warns.

Hackers can use “man-in-the-middle” attacks to intercept your connection, steal your login credentials, or even install malware.

Instead of relying on wi-fi, use your cellphone data plan, which is more secure or connect through a trusted VPN (Virtual Private Network), which encrypts and protects your information.

WATCH | Do banks do enough to compensate customers who are victims of fraud?

Why few bank fraud complaints lead to compensation

1 year ago

Duration 1:12

Sarah Bradley, the ombudsman and CEO at Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments, responds to a report that found only a quarter of banking complaints resulted in monetary compensation in 2023.

5. Be careful with banking apps

Banking apps are convenient — but they can also pose risks, especially if downloaded from unofficial sources or used on devices with other background apps.

Many cybersecurity experts Go Public has spoken to — including Popa — decline to bank on their phone.

Person typing on laptop while holding a credit card.
Cybersecurity expert Claudiu Popa urges people to never use public wi-fi for banking. (Shutterstock / Yulia Grigoryeva)

“Many apps can run spyware or malware without your knowledge,” Popa said. “They can take screenshots, track your activity or steal your credentials.”

Popa’s advice if you do use mobile banking: only download apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

“Those are the only app stores that should ever be trusted with any apps at all,” he said.

Better yet? Consider using your bank’s website on a secure browser at home.

Bonus tips

Also consider implementing these additional safety measures:

  • Monitor accounts regularly. Check your bank statements and transaction history frequently to catch suspicious activity early.

  • Shred financial documents. Don’t toss bank statements, cheques or credit card offers without shredding them first.

  • Secure devices. Install antivirus software, enable automatic updates and use screen locks on all devices that access your financial accounts.

A preventable crime

Bank fraud can feel overwhelming — but it isn’t inevitable. Popa says small changes in how you manage accounts and devices can make you a far less attractive target.

“You can’t control what banks do,” he said. “But you can control how easy it is to scam you.”

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Go Public is an investigative news segment on CBC-TV, radio and the web.

We tell your stories, shed light on wrongdoing and hold the powers that be accountable.

If you have a story in the public interest, or if you’re an insider with information, contact gopublic@cbc.ca with your name, contact information and a brief summary. All emails are confidential until you decide to Go Public.

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Montreal asking rents up nearly 71% since 2019, says StatsCan

The average asking price of rent in Montreal has shot up nearly 71 per cent since 2019, according to a rent report released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday.

Between 2019 and the first quarter of 2025, asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the country’s second-largest city has grown from $1,130 to $1,930, the data agency said in its first-ever quarterly rent statistics report.

Elsewhere in Quebec, the cities of Drummondville and Sherbrooke — which had the lowest average asking rents at the start of this year — saw the biggest uptick in average asking rents for two-bedroom apartments since the first quarter of 2019.

The report draws from asking rents to illustrate the latest market trends, because “prospective renters typically face higher rents compared with long-term tenants” whose rents reflect past leases, the report said.

Some Canadian cities with large renter populations, including Montreal, “have experienced very, very high rent growth” in just a few years, said Mike Moffatt, an assistant professor of business, economics and public policy at Western University’s Ivey Business School.

Some of those rates are now coming down year-over-year: in Montreal, for example, asking rent for a two-bedroom declined slightly between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. That drop is more pronounced in places like Ontario’s Kitchener-Waterloo region or Kelowna, B.C.

While “it’s nice to have a decline of three or four per cent, that doesn’t necessarily make up for the big changes that we’ve seen since 2019,” said Moffatt.

A for rent sign is shown in French tacked to a railing.
A ‘for rent’ sign is shown in Montreal on April 11, 2023. The average asking price of rent in Montreal has shot up nearly 71 per cent since 2019, according to a rent report released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)

In the rest of Canada, the average asking rent for a two-bedroom apartment was highest in Vancouver, where the figure stood at $3,170 in the first quarter of 2025. It was followed by Toronto ($2,690), Victoria ($2,680) and Ottawa ($2,490).

Montreal ranks 17th on that list, according to Statistics Canada.

Advocates for affordable housing recently told Radio-Canada that they’re on high alert in the lead-up to Quebec’s July 1 moving day, with the province’s housing tribunal having authorized the largest rent increase in at least three decades earlier this year.

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Some evacuees heading home as forest fire on Eastern Shore slows

A forest fire is still burning on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore, but the union representing Halifax firefighters says they’ve made headway as rain continues to fall in the area.

The RCMP, Halifax Fire and Emergency and the Department of Natural Resources have been on the scene of a forest fire along Ostrea Lake Road, which is located near Musquodoboit Harbour, since Sunday afternoon.

But in an update shared on Facebook around 7 p.m. Sunday, the Halifax Professional Fire Fighters association said the “situation has stabilized” and resources were being “gradually released from the scene.”

In an earlier statement, the association had described fire conditions are “serious, fuelled by thick brush, dry vegetation, and gusty winds.”

It said crews had been pulled from the woods for safety reasons and were focused on protecting structures.

On Sunday night, the Department of Natural Resources said the fire is now being held. As of 7:37 p.m., the size was estimated to be 30 hectares.

Many homes nearby were evacuated due to the fire, but the Halifax Regional Municipality said some people will be allowed to return home this evening.

In a release, the HRM said those living on Birchwood Lane, Lailia Lane, Sunset Lane, and Ostrea Lake Road from civic number 320 northwards to Highway 7, will be permitted to go back home after 8 p.m.

An evacuation order remains in place for Reflection Lane, Heselton Drive, and Ostrea Lake Road from civic number 320 to the south as far as civic number 655.

On Sunday afternoon, the Department of Natural Resources posted that the size of the fire was estimated at 35 hectares — an area about the size of 50 soccer fields.

It said the department had 12 firefighters on the scene and a helicopter.

The No. 7 highway was temporarily closed to traffic from Pond Road to Strike Lane, but has since reopened.

Fire began around 1 p.m. 

According to David Hendsbee, the municipal councillor for the area, the fire began around 1 p.m. AT. 

A map shows Ostrea Lake Road.
The fire is located near Ostrea Lake Road. Some homes have been evacuated. (Google)

He estimates at least 100 homes in the area have been evacuated.

“I just ask people to be patient during this time,” he said. “The RCMP and the fire department are doing the best they can do.”

An evacuation centre has been established at the Eastern Shore Community Centre in Musquodoboit Harbour for those impacted by the fire.

The Halifax Regional Municipality has advised those close to the fire should shut all windows and doors, turn off air exchangers and stay inside until air quality improves.

A bald man wearing a hoodie is shown, with a body of water in the background.
Mike Palmer lives in the area affected by the evacuation order. He said he felt helpless because he couldn’t re-enter his home. (Josh Hoffman/CBC)

Mike Palmer lives in a home affected by the evacuation order. He was out getting groceries when the order happened, so his partner has been alone gathering necessities before leaving.

When Palmer spoke with CBC News, he said he wasn’t allowed to go home despite being only 140 metres away from his front door.

“I feel very stressed. I feel helpless,” said Palmer, who moved to the area from Ontario six months ago.

‘Definitely a forest fire I smelled,’ says business owner

Ronnie Poan owns a bowling alley, UnBOWLievable Lanes, located on Strike Lane. He said he could smell smoke around 1 p.m. AT.

“I was thinking that’s awful weird for somebody to have a fire in the house today because it’s warm out, not because it’s cold,” he said. “But it was … definitely a forest fire I smelled.”

A police roadblock is shown.
Emergency vehicles block the turn from the No. 7 highway to the Ostrea Lake Road. (Josh Hoffman/CBC)

Poan said the bowling alley was holding a youth club banquet today. He said some people stayed behind because they couldn’t head home with traffic only moving in one direction on Highway 7 before the road reopened.

The public is being advised to avoid the area. A burn ban is currently in effect in Halifax County.

Environment Canada is forecasting rain for the area until around 9 p.m. and says there’s a chance of more showers overnight.

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Museums often present Indigenous cultures as ‘frozen in time.’ Artist Kent Monkman on shifting that narrative

Museums are inherently colonial, according to Cree artist Kent Monkman. 

“You don’t see Indigenous people going around the world collecting artifacts and material and putting them under a roof like the way that these colonial European cultures have done,” he says in this bonus clip from So Surreal: Behind the Masks. “We would never do that.

“You can’t really decolonize [museums] because they are inherently colonial. But you can change the conversation about what’s inside them.”

In 2019, two of Monkman’s paintings were unveiled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Great Hall in New York. 

“[The Met] commissioned me to create two paintings for the Great Hall,” he says. “They decided to open their collection and have artists come in and do interventions.” 

Monkman explains that the Met’s collection includes romantic, idealized representations of Indigenous people. Works like Eugène Delacroix’s The Natchez, for example, reinforce the theme of the dying or vanishing race. 

The painting shows a couple with their newborn after they fled the French forces that decimated their tribe. According to Monkman, it implies this is the last of the Natchez people, but in fact, they are very much alive. 

“I’ve really taken to task artworks of that period to examine how devastating those kinds of representations are,” he says. “It reinforces over and over again that Indigenous people only existed in the past and that we’re not relevant today or in the future.”

Monkman says he wanted to celebrate the life and resilience of Indigenous people in his two murals for the Met. 

A man at a table full of paint brushes and paint, painting a large mural featuring naked people on a rocky shore.
Monkman works on Welcoming the Newcomers. Along with Resurgence of the People, it was part of the installation mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People) at the Met. (Rezolution Pictures)

While change in museums is slow, there is movement, Monkman says. He has served on museum boards and has seen museums hire Indigenous curators over the last 20 years. 

“These are all significant changes in terms of how Indigenous people are able to interact and reflect on the stories that have largely been told by the settler culture,” he says.

The documentary So Surreal: Behind the Masks explores how Indigenous masks from B.C. and Alaska made it into the hands of European Surrealists. Watch it now on CBC Gem and the CBC Docs YouTube channel.

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‘Tariff the seagulls?’ These are the remote islands on Trump’s tariff list, and what they export

An uninhabited Antarctic outpost populated by penguins. One of the smallest economies in the world. An Arctic archipelago with more polar bears than people.

To quote Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, it really does appear that “nowhere on Earth is safe” from U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

Trump rattled markets, manufacturers and more Wednesday announcing a baseline of 10 per cent tariffs on imports into the United States — and far higher on goods from some places, notably those with high trade surpluses with the States. In enforcing his steep and broad tariffs, analysts have suggested Trump has upended the global order.

But to many observers, the most puzzling aspect of Trump’s list was that it included some of the most remote and smallest territories and islands in the world. Places that, in some cases, are largely inhabited by penguins.

Like Australia’s Heard and McDonald Islands in the sub-Antarctic region, one of the most remote places on earth, and which, according to the Australian government website, have only been visited by humans about 242 times since 1855.

“The Heard and McDonald Islands are completely uninhabited. Population zero. I guess we’re going to tariff the seagulls?” wrote Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, on X.

With that in mind, here are some of those territories, the tariffs they face — and what they actually export.

British Indian Ocean Territory: 10% 

The British Indian Ocean Territory is an archipelago of 58 islands covering about 640,000 square kilometres of ocean, about halfway between East Africa and Indonesia.

An island seen from above
An undated file photo shows Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago, the site of a major U.S. military base and part of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on the territory. (Reuters)

It’s not a tourist destination. Access is restricted and you need a permit to travel there, according to the territory’s website. It has no permanent population, but about 3,000 U.S. and U.K. military personnel and civilian contractors live on the island of Diego Garcia, according to the CIA Factbook.

Its U.S. imports totalled about $462,500 US in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Its top commodities were computer and electronic products, followed by livestock and livestock products.

According to the CIA Factbook, all economic activity is concentrated on Diego Garcia, where “construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US.”

Heard and McDonald Islands: 10% 

The Heard and McDonald Islands in the remote Antarctic together form an uninhabited Australian territory. The mostly barren islands between Madagascar and Antarctica have two active volcanoes and can only be reached by sea. 

“Due to the extreme isolation… together with the persistently severe weather and sea conditions, human activities in the region have been, and remain, limited,” says the Australian government’s Antarctic program website.

And yet, for reasons not immediately clear, U.S. imports by the uninhabited islands totalled $13,590 US in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This mostly consisted of electrical equipment and appliances, computer and electronic programs, and transportation equipment. 

A report in The Guardian suggests that some of the data for these islands, and for Norfolk Island, may come from mislabelled shipments.

The CIA Factbook doesn’t list any economic activity for Heard and McDonald Islands, saying they are “populated by a large number of bird species, seals, and penguins,” and that “the islands are primarily used for research, with limited fishing permitted in the surrounding waters.”

WATCH | ‘Meticulously planned’ tariffs:

Trump’s tariffs target a U.S. airbase and penguins

3 months ago

Duration 1:21

U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs were described as ‘meticulously planned,’ but among the targets are the landlocked African nation of Lesotho, an island home to a U.S. airbase, and Australia’s Heard Island and McDonald Islands — where most residents are penguins.

Norfolk Island: 29% 

Norfolk Island in the Pacific, another Australian territory, with a population of around 2,000 people, received more severe tariff treatment.

The Trump administration, in its calculation, says the former British penal colony charges 58 per cent tariffs on the U.S. — and it responded with a tariff of 29 per cent on the island, whose economy revolves around tourism. It’s about 1,600 kilometres east of Sydney.

A cow rests near a park bench and trash bins
A cow rests near a park bench and trash bins on Australia’s remote Norfolk Island, on Aug. 12, 2002. The island now faces a 29 per cent tariff. (Rick Rycroft/The Associated Press)

Norfolk Island Administrator George Plant, the Australian government’s representative there, was looking into it.

“To my knowledge, we do not export anything to the United States,” he told The Associated Press. “We don’t charge tariffs on anything. I can’t think of any non-tariff barriers that would be in place either, so we’re scratching our heads here.”

Their U.S. imports in 2024 totalled around $191,000 US, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The vast majority of these were under a category called “goods returned,” which is merchandise sent back after it has been imported to the U.S. Otherwise, it was mostly transportation equipment ($25,000 US), and computer and electronic products ($14,770 US).

The CIA Factbook says the territory’s economy is high-income, with key tourism and re-exportation industries.

WATCH | Canadians on Norfolk Island react to tariffs:

Tiny Australian island hit by Trump’s tariffs. These Canadians are affected | Hanomansing Tonight

3 months ago

Duration 8:47

Norfolk Island, an external territory of Australia in the Pacific Ocean, was hit by 29 per cent tariffs by U.S. President Donald Trump despite having no known exports to the States. Jesse Schiller and Rachel Evans, two Canadians who run a business on the island, explain how they’re reacting to the tariff.

Svalbard and Jan Mayen: 10% 

Jan Mayen is a small Arctic island, possibly featuring more polar bears than people. The CIA Factbook describes it as “desolate” and “barren.”

The only inhabitants on Jan Mayen, part of Norway since 1930, are staff of the Norwegian military and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The island — 600 kilometres northeast of Iceland — is partly covered by glaciers.

A small low building on a snowy landscape
The meteorological station on the Norwegian island Jan Mayen in the Arctic Sea is seen on Sept. 23, 2009. The CIA Factbook doesn’t list anything for Jan Mayen’s economy, saying that it has been ‘visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the centuries.’ (Heiko Junge/NTB Scanpix/The Associated Press)

Svalbard is a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. Just under 3,000 people live there, most of them in the world’s northernmost urban community, Longyearbyen, according to the Svalbard tourism website.

The two regions now face 10 per cent tariffs. Their U.S. imports in 2024 totalled just under $42,000 US, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.This largely consisted of non-electrical machinery, followed by computer and electronic products.

According to the CIA Factbook, Svalbard’s economy largely consists of coal mining, tourism and research, a key whaling and fishing base, and is also home to the Global Seed Vault. The factbook doesn’t list anything for Jan Mayen’s economy, saying it has been “visited only occasionally by seal hunters and trappers over the centuries.”

Rows of buildings on a snow-covered land
This photo taken on May 16, 2024, shows the view of Longyearbyen, located on Spitsbergen island, in the Svalbard Archipelago. Svalbard and Jan Mayen now face 10 per cent tariffs. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

Tokelau: 10% 

This nation is made up of three tropical coral islands and is home to 1,500 people on a combined land area of 10 square kilometres.

One of the smallest economies in the South Pacific, Tokelau survives on subsistence agriculture, fishing, and finance from New Zealand, which counts the islands as one of its territories.

People unload a  small boat on a beach
This undated photo shows villagers unloading goods from a barge in Nukunonu atoll, Tokelau. According to the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce website, Tokelau has one of the smallest economies in the world. (AFP/Getty Images)

Their U.S. imports in 2024 totalled $177,600 US, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nearly all of that was under a category called “other special classification provisions,” or items that don’t fit neatly into other categories. The CIA Factbook says the majority of Tokelau’s exports are cars, telephones, garments, iron fasteners and fabric. The U.S. is not listed as one of its major trading partners. 

According to the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce website, Tokelau has one of the smallest economies in the world, and its main sources of revenue are sales of copra (dried coconut products), postage stamps, souvenir coins, handicrafts and remittances from relatives in New Zealand.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands: 10%

Another Australian territory, these 27 coral islands are located in the Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia, and make up about 14 square kilometres. Only about 593 people live there, according to the CIA Factbook.

Its economy is largely based on agriculture (such as bananas, pawpaws, and coconuts), tourism and copra products.

For a small set of islands, its U.S. imports were on the larger side at about $1.1 million US, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The largest category was “goods returned,” followed by computer and electronics products and transportation equipment.

The CIA  Factbook says the islands send 31 per cent of its exports — ships — to the U.S.

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How clothes that would otherwise go to the landfill end up in vintage lovers’ closets

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Lindsay Scarrow first stepped foot into a thrift store at six years old when her father took her to buy a leather jacket. She fell in love with vintage clothing and hasn’t looked back since.

“I remember thinking, ‘Why would I ever want to buy something new if I can just get it second hand?'” Scarrow said.

Now, Scarrow is breathing life into clothes that other people have discarded. She sells garments that would have ended up in a landfill, giving them a second chance in Saskatchewan closets.

Scarrow is the owner of Replacing You Curated Vintage in Saskatoon, a business that restores discarded clothing.

She began Replacing You on Instagram in 2019, selling thrifted men’s pieces. Since then it’s turned into much more.

The inside of a vintage clothing shop with sports jerseys, pants and sweaters on the wall.
Lindsay Scarrow fills her vintage shop, Replacing You, with Y2K fashion and sports jerseys. (Halyna Mihalik/CBC)

Scarrow said she and her business partner would initially hit the thrift stores in Saskatoon every morning. 

“He would go to the north end and I would go to the south end,” Scarrow said. “Then the next day we would switch.”

As the business grew, so did their need for vintage clothing. Scarrow eventually opened a physical store a few months ago, with an emphasis on women’s vintage pieces. With a surge of demand, Scarrow switched to receiving her clothing in bulk from a rag warehouse in Vancouver.

Saving clothes from the landfill

Clothes that are rejected by thrift stores and would otherwise go to the landfill are sent to rag houses: huge warehouses covered floor-to-ceiling in garments.

Every month, Scarrow works with The Room Vintage, a rag house based in Langley, B.C.

Scarrow sends her inspiration list and budget to the head picker at the warehouse, where he digs through hundreds of thousands of pounds of clothes to find what she’s looking for. She gravitates toward vintage sports jerseys, college sweatshirts and women’s Y2K fashion.

A man stands in a warehouse holding a sweatshirt.
Kelly Jimeno-Hansen, the head picker at The Room Vintage, a rag warehouse in Langley, B.C. (Submitted by Kelly Jimeno-Hansen)

“I’ll have two people up on a platform sorting a sweatshirt bale and have two people down below sorting a T-shirt bale or a mix-clothing bale,” Kelly Jimeno-Hansen, head picker at The Room Vintage, said.

In an average month, The Room Vintage receives more than 110,000 kilograms of clothing sent from thrift stores, clothing organizations and charities across Canada. The rag house then resells the best finds to stores across North America.

“I don’t think people realize how much we’re really polluting the planet at the end of the day and how much second hand can really help off-set the effects of it,” Jimeno-Hansen said.

Woman look sat camera while grabbing a piece of clothes from the rack.
By working with a rag house in B.C., vintage clothing lover Lindsay Scarrow is helping save the environment while teaching people what’s trending in the world of fashion. (Submitted by Ava Henderson)

Scarrow pays by the pound and receives a few boxes of items picked for her.

“I do feel like it’s spot on in the sense that it’s like the same esthetic, but it might not necessarily be the exact same items,” Scarrow said. “Which is completely fine with me because that would be crazy if they found the exact things that I wanted.

“I like the aspect of it that’s like a mystery. It’s a surprise when I open the bulk orders. There’s a lot more variety because it’s coming from the Vancouver area, so it’s different brands than we would see here.”

Clothes that don’t sell from the warehouse get turned into rags for mechanics or cleaners, so nothing goes to waste. Last summer the warehouse created rags to send to firefighters during the B.C. wildfires.

“What kind of drew me to vintage in the first place was that aspect of sustainability and I think just knowing that we can keep all this clothing from going to a landfill or polluting the world honestly just helps me sleep at night,” Jimeno-Hansen said.

When clothes hit the rack

Once Scarrow receives her bulk orders, she launders every piece in bleach and soap to bring them back to life before pricing them and displaying them at her shop.

In the last few years, she’s noticed a surge of people looking for vintage in Saskatchewan.

WATCH | Saskatoon thrifter shares vintage fashion trends:

This Saskatoon thrifter shares vintage fashion trends

4 months ago

Duration 1:37

Lindsay Scarrow is the owner of Replacing You Curated Vintage in Saskatoon, a business that restores discarded clothing.

Scarrow said the business has inspired her to shop more sustainably in every aspect of her life. She said her apartment is filled with Facebook Marketplace finds. 

“Textile waste is astronomical nowadays,” Scarrow said. “It definitely feels good to know that I’m contributing, even in a small way, to helping that.

“Anything that you could possibly want is already made, you just need to find it second hand.”

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It’s easier than ever to transfer money around the world. So why can it be a hassle for Canadians?

When Victoria resident Dick Newson tried to send €1,000 to a friend in France through a money transfer from his Scotiabank account, he didn’t expect it to be a hassle. 

“We were able to submit it, and it said ‘Done,'” said Newson in an interview with CBC News last week. “Two weeks later, our friend said, ‘I don’t have my money yet.'”

He’s not alone in his frustration, according to one banking researcher, who notes that transferring money internationally can be costly, difficult or confusing if your point of origin is a Canadian bank.

Typically, an international wire transfer requires information including the recipient’s name, the name of their bank and codes including the International Bank Account Number (IBAN), the Bank Identifier Code (BIC) or Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).

Newson told CBC News he had all the codes required, but was frustrated by the bank’s website, which he found confusing.

A man poses next to his computer showing the Scotiabank website.
Dick Newson tried to send 1,000 euros to his friend in France via Scotiabank. Weeks later, it still hasn’t arrived. He wishes the international money transfer process wasn’t so confusing. (Submitted by Dick Newson)

“I went to their international money transfer web page and tried to enter all this information and had a lot of difficulty,” he said. While Scotiabank’s website offers the service for $1.99, Newson said he was told that price didn’t apply when he asked for assistance, and he’d have to pay $25 if he went into a branch.

Newson told CBC News via email Monday that Scotiabank had “determined that the money had been deposited, but in a business or corporate account, and not the personal one of our friend.”

In an emailed statement Tuesday, Scotiabank said it’s “working closely with our client to ensure that this matter is solved to their satisfaction.”

But Newson’s criticism is not just that the money is missing. He believes the process to send money internationally should be simpler and cheaper, similar to how Interac e-Transfers work to send money within Canada.

“It should be as easy going through the bank to do the same thing [internationally],” he said.

Canadian banks don’t face much competition

International trade economist Werner Antweiler points out that Canadian banks don’t face a great deal of competition in this country when it comes to handling foreign currency and moving money around the world.

“It’s an oligopoly. It’s only a handful of banks that are in a very cozy spot,” said Antweiler, who is a professor of economics at University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business in Vancouver. 

“And that means they can keep fees relatively high. Especially those fees that are invisible to most customers.”

German Euro notes and coins pictured in the regional central bank in Bremen, northwest Germany, Friday, Dec. 14, 2001.
1,000 euros sent from Canada remains lost, with Scotiabank saying it’s ‘working closely’ with Newson to solve the issue. (Joerg Sarbach/Associated Press)

While he wasn’t speaking specifically about Newson’s situation, Antweiler pointed out that Canada’s banks don’t have to provide the same level of interconnection that many foreign banks do.

“Right now we don’t have the kind of simplified system, for example, that’s in place in the European Union where transfers are carried out in real time and at a really low cost,” he said.

“Our Canadian banks make it really hard to hold money in a foreign currency,” said Antweilier, noting that issues around transferring money can apply to markets a little closer to home as well.

He noted that while you can have a U.S. savings account at some Canadian banks, you can only deposit or withdraw funds with many of those accounts. 

“I cannot actually transact this account in the United States. It is not linked to the U.S. payment system,” he said with regard to his own U.S. dollar account in Canada.

Canadian banks even charge to receive money

Bank charges to send money internationally can be as high as $45 at institutions like RBC.

To receive a wire transfer, banks such as TD Canada Trust will charge $17.50 in either Canadian or U.S. dollars, on top of whatever fee the sender had to pay.

The Canadian Bankers Association, which represents both banks, points out that international money transfers come with costs because they’re more complex than domestic transfers.

In a statement to CBC News, the association, which represents more than 60 financial institutions, wrote that the cost to move money internationally remains consistent no matter how much money is sent, “which is why banks usually charge a fixed fee rather than a percentage of the total payment.”

Werner Antweiler, economics professor, UBC
International trade economist Werner Antweiler calls Canadian banking an ‘oligopoly’ that can keep international money transfer fees high. (CBC)

Antweiler points out that currency conversion is just one part of the process, which also includes anti-fraud measures, and he agrees these procedures cost money.

“There are always gonna be transaction fees. But the question is, how high should they be and what is reasonable?”

Antweiler also notes that often, exchange rates offered by large institutions are higher than alternative money transfer systems.

Clockwise from left, the logos for Canadian banks RBC, CIBC, BMO, TD and Scotiabank.
The Canadian Bankers Association says there are many costs involved in moving money internationally — and they can be complex transactions. (Chris Helgren/Blair Gable/Reuters)

For example, Canadian bank competitor EQ Bank offers online international transfers using a system backed by British financial company Wise. EQ Bank says its exchange rates are typically lower than the major banks, and they make it clear how much it will cost right off the bat.

“I’m gonna send … $300 Canadian … but how much is the recipient gonna receive in their bank account at the end of the day?” said Dan Broten, senior vice-president and head of EQ Bank in Toronto, highlighting his company’s belief that the higher exchange rates of a traditional bank also serve as a type of indirect fee. 

“Many customers when they’re dealing with a larger financial institution, it may not be clear to them. It’s actually completely hidden,” said Broten. 

Competitors trying to make it easier — and cheaper

Canadian alternatives to bigger banks could see opportunity in targeting clients who send money outside of Canada, and some are advertising cheaper international money transfers for their customers.

Fintech company Wealthsimple recently launched a new suite of products, with some traditional wire transfers being free for several weeks and providing access to a lower cost alternative system, also through Wise.

In addition to partnerships with Canadian companies such as Wealthsimple, Wise also offers its own accounts and a debit-style card that allows clients to receive and spend in multiple currencies or online. In a statement to CBC News, Wise said the average fee it charges is .53 per cent of the money being sent, compared with what the company claims is an industry average of two to five per cent.

The lower cost is part of the appeal for companies like Wealthsimple.

A woman poses at a wooden table.
Wealthsimple’s Hanna Zaidi says a lack of overhead such as branches allows her company to charge lower fees. (Sarah Palmer/Wealthsimple)

“You know exactly what you’re paying for and it’s gonna be significantly cheaper, or no fees,” said Hanna Zaidi, vice-president of payment strategy at Wealthsimple.

She says her company doesn’t need to charge as much for wire transfers because it just doesn’t have the same costs as a traditional institution.

“We don’t have bank branches. We don’t have all these administrative fees and overhead that we need to deal with,” she explained.

The increased competition may drive the traditional banks to respond, with Antweiler pointing out that there’s more profit to be made as more customers seek international money transfers.

“Entering the market as a new competitor and offering a cheaper product will grab your market share,” he said.

Victoria man’s money refunded after article published

Back in B.C., Newson was able to get a refund offered from Scotiabank after CBC’s article was published, though he said he had to sign a release form to get the money back — and it was a bit less than he originally spent due to exchange rates changing.

While he said he felt Scotiabank “stepped up” to get him some help, he’d like to see banks compete more when it comes to making it easier to send money abroad. 

Scotiabank declined additional comment on the situation and referred to a Canadian Bankers’ Association statement that includes encouragement for customers “to speak with their bank to find the best option to meet their needs.”

For Newson? The best option is unclear — but he won’t be trying to send money exactly the same way again.

He’ll head into the bank branch at a minimum to avoid confusion or turn to the alternative services now available in Canada.

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Phytoplankton, key to ocean life, falling 2% per year in North Atlantic

Two main types of phytoplankton have been decreasing in biomass in the North Atlantic by two per cent each year for the past 60 years, a new study has found.

Dalhousie University researchers analyzed data collected over more than half a century to assess how two types of phytoplankton — diatoms and dinoflagellates — are responding to climate change.

The analysis found that while the makeup and distribution of phytoplankton varied in different parts of the North Atlantic, overall, there was a decrease over the period, from 1960 to 2017, except for the eastern and western continental shelves.

“Changes are a concern,” says Andrew Irwin, a professor in the department of mathematics and statistics at Dalhousie University and one of the authors of the study published this month in PLOS One, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal.

“It’s such an important part of our ecosystem that any change, especially a change we don’t fully understand, is of concern.”

A man in an orange T-shirt smiles for the camera.
Andrew Irwin is a professor in the department of mathematics and statistics at Dalhousie University. He worked with colleagues in the oceanography and math departments on the study. (Submitted by Andrew Irwin)

Phytoplankton are tiny but mighty.

The microscopic organisms are the root of the ocean food web, feeding larger creatures such as zooplankton, which are then consumed by fish, which go on to feed mammals and birds.

They also play a key role in the planet’s carbon cycle, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sinking it to the bottom of the ocean when they die — thereby helping mitigate the effects of climate change.

Irwin says the evidence points toward climate change as the cause of the decrease in phytoplankton.

“It’s not an experiment. We’re observing things. So I can’t say for certain that’s the reason,” he says. “But our models suggest that our changes to the atmosphere, changes to the temperature of the Earth, are leading to this decline in biomass.”

Continuous Plankton Recorder

The data for the new study, conducted with colleagues in Dalhousie’s math and oceanography departments, came from a fascinating project that began in 1931 and has continued virtually unchanged for decades.

The Continuous Plankton Recorder is a sampler that is towed by ships in oceans around the world. Inside the torpedo-shaped casing is a roll of silk that slowly unwinds, capturing phytoplankton as the ship moves through the water. The rolls are preserved for the duration of the ship’s journey and then sent to laboratories for analysis.

The CPR has so far sampled more than seven million nautical miles.

A diatom phytoplankton, seen under a microscope, looks like a string of attached boxes with long strands coming out from the string.
Researchers expected to find a smaller proportion of diatom biomass in the phytoplankton population compared with dinoflagellates, but that wasn’t reflected in the data. (Ruby Hu/Dalhousie University)

Douglas Campbell, the Canada Research Chair in Phytoplankton Ecophysiology at Mount Allison University, called the CPR a “fascinating old-school approach.”

“It’s like steampunk technology,” says Campbell, who is a professor of biology at Mount Allison and who was not involved in the study. “But because it goes back so far, it’s this unparalleled window into what things were like over a long period of time and of course through a critical period of change.”

Study bucked expectations

Irwin says one limitation of the study is that the CPR’s silk is not able to grab smaller phytoplankton.

“The smaller phytoplankton that don’t get counted could be doing something very different,” he says. “We don’t know.”

Campbell says other research has found evidence that some smaller phytoplankton are becoming more abundant and dominant, which he says could be a concern over the long term, as they are not as high quality a food source and don’t sink carbon as well as larger ones.

A microscope's photo shows a translucent blob pictured against a black background.
Dinoflagellate phytoplankton are understood to be less valuable food than diatoms for the creatures that consume them. (Ruby Hu/Dalhousie University)

Irwin says based on previous studies, he and his colleagues expected to find a shift toward dinoflagellates at the expense of diatoms. Dinoflagellates have lower nutritional concentrations and do not remove carbon from the atmosphere as efficiently as diatoms.

However, the data showed that diatom biomass actually grew in proportion to dinoflagellate biomass everywhere except in the Arctic area of the North Atlantic.

“The message there is that the ocean is complicated,” Irwin says. “It’s not just temperature, it’s not just one factor that’s going to tell us what’s going to happen.”

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