The Weekly Review, September 28 to October 2, 2026

Real gross domestic product was essentially unchanged in July. The goods-producing industries grouping was essentially unchanged in July as increases in construction and utilities were offset by declines in the other sectors comprising the aggregate. The construction sector increased 1.3% in July, rising for a fourth consecutive month. These four consecutive increases offset the declines recorded during the final months of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. Meanwhile, the services-producing industries aggregate was essentially flat in July. Overall, 10 of 20 industrial sectors expanded in the month.

Source: Gross domestic product by industry, July 2026

Primary energy production rose 2.7% year over year to 2.1 million gigajoules in July. Production of crude oil and equivalent products rose 2.7% year over year to reach 27.8 million cubic metres in July. Furthermore, production of finished petroleum products declined 0.4% year over year to 10.4 million cubic metres in July. Production of distillate fuel oil (-3.5%) and finished motor gasoline (-1.9%) led the decrease, while kerosene-type jet fuel was up 5.1%.

Source: Energy statistics, July 2026

In the 2024/2025 academic year, there were 2.3 million enrolments in public colleges and universities, up slightly (+0.1%; +3,174) from the previous year. The 2024/2025 academic year was the first to reflect the year-over-year effects of federal policy changes announced in January 2024, including a temporary cap on new international study permits. In 2024/2025, international student enrolments declined, with colleges (-22,323; -7.7%) seeing a more pronounced decrease than universities (-17,259; -6.1%). Meanwhile, domestic student enrolments increased by 2.1% (+37,626).

Source: Canadian postsecondary enrolments and graduates, 2024/2025

In spring 2024, most Canadians aged 15 years and older reported feeling at least a little or somewhat hopeful about the way democracy works in Canada. When asked to think about the future, 71% said they were a little or somewhat hopeful about the way democracy works, while 12% reported being very hopeful and 17% reported being not at all hopeful. In 2024, respondents who were very hopeful about the way democracy works in Canada were more likely to report feeling high confidence in the federal parliament (67%) than those who were a little or somewhat hopeful (38%), while those who were not at all hopeful were less likely to report feeling high confidence (11%).

Source: Study: Taking the pulse: Perceptions of democracy in Canada

The 2021 Census of Population found that there were about 14,020 people who reported learning an Indigenous language as a child and, while they were still able to understand it, they could no longer speak it well enough to conduct a conversation. This situation is sometimes described using the concept of “silent speakers.” Silent speakers were disproportionately represented among people aged 50 years and older compared with active speakers, a pattern consistent with generations directly affected by the residential school system. Many children now have access to Indigenous language instruction at elementary and secondary schools: in 2023/2024, there were 62,928 students in public elementary and secondary schools participating in regular Indigenous language programs, up from 46,341 in 2013/2014.

Source: Truth, reconciliation and the resilience of Indigenous languages