 By Diana Kharchenko
May 27, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Properly installed flagstone lasts and adds value to a home.
Flagstone patios are timeless. Natural, durable, and undeniably charming, they bring texture and personality to any outdoor space. But even the most beautiful surfaces aren’t immune to wear and tear. One day you’re sipping coffee on your back patio, and the next—crack. A hairline split turns into a spiderweb. Suddenly, your yard’s crown jewel doesn’t feel so flawless.
If you’ve noticed cracks forming and don’t know where to start, you’re not alone. Early flagstone repair can save time, money, and the overall look of your landscape. And understanding what causes flagstone to crack in the first place? That’s the first real step toward a lasting fix.
What Makes Flagstone Special—and Vulnerable
Flagstone isn’t just one kind of stone. It’s a group. Sandstone, slate, limestone, and bluestone all fall under its umbrella. These sedimentary rocks split naturally along flat planes, creating those iconic slabs we all know and love.
But here’s the catch: flagstone’s beauty lies in its irregularities. Each piece is unique—formed by nature, not a machine. That natural appeal also comes with quirks. Some stones are denser. Some absorb more water. Some handle cold like champs, while others crumble under frost.
Translation? Even when installed perfectly, flagstone isn’t invincible.
It performs well under the right conditions. But add moisture, shifting ground, or repeated pressure, and cracks become part of the story.
 Flagstone ready for installation. Freeze-Thaw Cycles: The Silent Saboteur
Live in a region with cold winters? This one’s for you.
Moisture is a flagstone’s best friend and worst enemy. Water seeps into tiny pores and settles into joints. When temperatures drop, that water freezes. And when it freezes? It expands—like popcorn in a microwave.
Crack. Pop. Push. That expansion places stress on the stone, causing splits, flakes, or full-on breaks. It can lift slabs from their bedding, shift joints, and widen existing cracks in just a few freeze-thaw cycles.
Over time, even the toughest flagstone can’t stand up to the pressure. Especially if it wasn’t sealed or graded correctly.
The result? A once-smooth surface starts to feel more like a jigsaw puzzle.
Improper Installation: A Faulty Foundation
Even the best flagstone needs a good base. Without one, it’s like building a castle on sand.
 Installation is critical – don’t crimp on what you pay. Many cracks trace back to poor installation. Weak bedding layers, loose subgrade, or the wrong mortar can set the stage for disaster.
Sometimes installers cut corners with materials. Skipping gravel layers. Using thin mortar. Failing to compact the soil. It saves time upfront—but costs more later when the stones shift, settle, or break.
Think of flagstone like a puzzle laid over a trampoline. If the base isn’t solid, pieces will move—and eventually crack under pressure.
A proper foundation should include compacted base gravel, bedding sand or mortar, and solid edge restraints. Anything less, and you’re walking on borrowed time.
Heavy Loads and Repeated Pressure
Flagstone isn’t made for everything. Yes, it’s sturdy. But it’s not concrete.
Driveways, heavy furniture, large grills, or frequent foot traffic in tight areas can cause stress. Over time, that pressure leads to hairline fractures that deepen with each season.
Even smaller issues add up. A wheelbarrow rolling over the same joint. Patio chairs scraping back and forth. The repetitive motion works like erosion—small changes, day by day, until something finally gives.
To keep your flagstone patio intact, distribute weight evenly. Use protective pads under furniture. Avoid placing heavy objects on unsupported slabs. And most importantly, install stones thick enough to handle their environment.
Water Drainage and Erosion
Water is nature’s sculptor. Left unchecked, it carves, shifts, and moves everything in its path—including your patio.
Poor drainage is one of the biggest culprits behind flagstone damage. Water that pools under or around your stonework gradually erodes the bedding layer. As the support weakens, stones sink or tilt. The added movement increases the chances of cracking.
Erosion around edges also leads to exposed joints and shifting stones. And if the joints aren’t sealed or filled correctly? Water goes straight down—and the cycle begins.
Simple fix? Grade your patio correctly. Water should always flow away from the structure, never toward it. Add perimeter drains or French drains if necessary. And maintain joint integrity by checking and refilling regularly.
Age, Weathering, and Natural Wear
Even the best-built patios eventually show their age. Flagstone may last decades—but like anything exposed to the elements, it weathers.
Sunlight fades colors. Wind and rain wear down edges. Freeze-thaw cycles slowly chip and crack. It’s not neglect—it’s nature doing its thing.
 The mortar used today is much more resilient than five years ago. Older patios may also have outdated materials. Mortars used 20 years ago weren’t always flexible or weather-resistant. Today’s products are designed to move with the stone, not fight against it.
So if your flagstone has seen a few decades, minor cracks could simply be age lines. Not a crisis—just a sign it’s ready for a bit of love.
What to Do About Cracked Flagstone
Now for the good part—what you can actually do.
Inspect and identify.
Start with a close look. Are the cracks deep or superficial? Are they isolated to one area or spreading? Check the joints, edges, and slope. Understanding the cause helps guide the solution.
Repoint joints.
Loose or crumbling mortar can often be replaced without removing whole stones. This not only improves appearance but helps prevent water intrusion.
Replace damaged stones.
If a stone is beyond saving, lift it out and install a new one. Make sure the base is leveled and compacted before placing the replacement.
Seal selectively.
Not every flagstone needs sealing—but in damp or high-traffic areas, a breathable sealer can help prevent moisture damage without trapping water beneath.
Improve drainage.
Sometimes the fix isn’t the stone—it’s the slope. Adjust grading, add drains, or reshape the layout so water flows properly.
Call in pros when needed.
If cracking is widespread or your patio feels unstable, it’s best to bring in a team that specializes in flagstone repair. They’ll assess the problem from the ground up and offer long-term solutions.
Preventing Future Cracks: A Smarter Approach
Prevention is always easier than repair. And luckily, keeping flagstone in shape isn’t rocket science.
Sweep regularly. Remove debris that holds moisture. Keep an eye on drainage after heavy rain. Use pads under furniture. And every few years, inspect your joints and re-fill where required.
 Check the qualifications of the people doing the installation. If you’re doing it yourself – read up before starting. When installing new flagstones, insist on proper grading and base layers. Choose thicker stones for high-traffic areas. And don’t forget to ask about frost-proof mortars or sand blends if you live in a freeze zone.
A little effort now saves a lot of work later.
Flagstone may crack—but that doesn’t mean it’s broken. Like any natural material, it needs a bit of care, some smart design, and the occasional fix to stay beautiful.
The good news? Every repair is a chance to improve. Stronger joints. Better drainage. A more durable surface that lasts longer and looks even better.
If your patio’s showing signs of age or damage, don’t wait for a bigger problem. The experts at GTA Sunrise know flagstone inside and out. With the right tools, trained hands, and an eye for detail, they’ll bring your outdoor space back to life—stone by stone.
 By Tom Parkin
May 27th, 2025
BURLINGTON. ON
Sales at building and garden stores are falling, most sharply in Ontario, a possible index of household discretionary income.
May is when sales of building and garden supplies peak each year as Canadians get ready to plant and start summer household repair projects.
But for the past three years, Canadians have been pulling back on that spending, and regional patterns echo other data about household financial strength.
In May 2022, sales at building and garden centres hit $5.70 billion, according to Statistics Canada inflation-adjusted data. But May sales have fallen in each of the past two years, peaking at $5.34 billion in May 2023 and just $5.27 billion in May 2024.
Totals sales for 2022 were $50.1 billion, $46.6 billion in 2023 and $46.0 billion in 2024, an eight per cent fall. And the spending declines come despite Canada’s population increase from about 39 million to 41 million.
The decline may be another signal that the cost of essentials — housing, transit, food and monthly bills — are eating up a larger share of income, causing many Canadians to cut back where they can, affecting retail sales and employment.
But the latest data from Statistics Canada, released Friday, does offer a sliver of hope that more Canadians are feeling able to spend on their home environment in 2025.
 Ontarians have been pulling back on garden spending in each of the past three years. In March 2025, the latest month reporting, Canadians rang up $3.24 billion in sales at building and garden centres, slightly up from $3.22 billion in March 2024. Sales in March 2023 were $3.30 billion and in March 2022 were $3.93 billion.
While in March 2025 Manitobans spent 10 per cent more at garden and building centres than in March 2024 and Albertans spent nine per cent more, Ontarians’ March spending fell nearly four per cent from a year ago. The second largest annual decline was in Quebec, where consumers pulled back one per cent.
 Weak sales at Ontario building supply centres may help us understand why Ontario had GDP growth of just 1.2 per cent in 2024 and the second-highest rate of unemployment in April, 7.8 per cent. Ontarians have been pulling back on building and garden spending in each of the past three years with lower peaks in May and deeper troughs each February. Last week’s data release showed $1.10 billion in Ontario sales in March 2025. In March 2022, sales were $1.53 billion. While several other provinces have seen declines, Ontario’s has been the fastest.
Consumer spending is by far the largest component of GDP, about double the amount contributed by government and business spending combined.
Weak sales at Ontario garden and building centres may help us understand why Ontario had GDP growth of just 1.2 per cent in 2024 and the second-highest rate of unemployment in April, 7.8 per cent: businesses extracting wealth from households have put consumers under attack and in retreat, starving other businesses and any need to hire workers.
The data below is interactive.
 By Jeannie Løjstrup
May 28th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Let’s get straight to the point: online slots are legal in Ontario. However, that doesn’t mean you can just log into any flashy gambling site and start spinning. There’s a legal framework in place; if you’re not following it, you’re gambling in the dark, and that’s precisely where bad things happen. In 2022, Ontario overhauled its online gambling laws. Now in 2025, it’s one of North America’s most tightly regulated iGaming markets. Still, with offshore sites still accessible, knowing the rules matters more than ever.
The Law
 Everything legal about online gambling in Ontario runs through two names:
- AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario): They write the rules.
- iGaming Ontario (iGO): They enforce them by striking deals with private operators.
However, this didn’t appear overnight. For years, online gambling in Canada operated in a legal grey zone. Before 2022, Ontarians could access offshore sites without regulation, oversight, or protection. The Canadian Criminal Code technically restricted gambling to government-run entities, but enforcement was loose, and foreign operators flooded the market.
That changed in April 2022, when Ontario became the first Canadian province to launch a fully regulated, competitive online gambling market. AGCO created a framework, and iGaming Ontario was set up to manage it. This model allowed private companies to enter the market under strict conditions.
If you’re playing online slots legally in Ontario, the operator signed a contract with iGO and follows AGCO’s playbook. That means independent testing, data protection, responsible gambling features, and real accountability.
Offshore casinos? None of that. It’s the Wild West, and that’s being generous.
Age Matters
The first rule is clear. If you’re under 19, you cannot play online slots in Canada. That’s the law. It doesn’t matter if you find a site that doesn’t verify IDs. If you’re underage and gambling, it’s illegal.
Ontario enforces this hard. Licensed platforms will allow you to go through identity verification: ID, address, the whole thing. It’s a bit of a hassle, but that’s what legal compliance looks like.
Underage gambling is a gateway to addiction, and that’s not some overblown moral concept. Every major study on the subject backs it. That’s why the rules are strict.
Spotting a Legal Platform
 So, how do you know a site is legal? Here’s the checklist:
- iGaming Ontario Logo: Should be visible at the bottom of the site. No logo? Bounce.
- AGCO Listing: You can Google it. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario publishes a running list of every licensed operator.
- Responsible Gambling Tools: Legal sites have deposit limits, time trackers, self-exclusion options, and direct links to support services that provide 24/7 mental health and addiction support.
Licensed platforms are upfront about these things because they’re required to be. If a site hides this info, doesn’t verify your ID, or pushes you to deposit with sketchy payment methods? It’s offshore, and you’re gambling without a safety net. No protections. No guarantees. And when things go sideways, no one’s coming to help.
This Isn’t Just About Rules, It’s About Risk
This system exists for two reasons: player safety and money.
Let’s start with safety. Unregulated sites are a breeding ground for scams. Payouts can vanish. Odds can be rigged. Customer support? Don’t count on it. And if these sites shut down overnight, which happens more than you think, you’re out of luck and probably out of cash.
Regulated sites in Ontario play by the book. Their games are audited. Their RNGs (random number generators) are tested. And if you hit a snag, there’s a formal complaints process through iGaming Ontario that doesn’t vanish into thin air.
Then there’s the money. Part of that revenue goes to Ontario’s public budget every time you play on a licensed platform. We’re talking hundreds of millions that fund healthcare, infrastructure, and public education. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Ontario’s regulated iGaming market brought in $3.2 billion in gross revenue.
Offshore sites? They take your money and run it through tax havens.
The Blueprint of Legal iGaming
Now that we’ve gone through the basics, let’s talk about legal online gambling.
BetMGM is one of Ontario’s flagship licensed operators. It’s reputable, fast, and secure. It offers hundreds of online slot titles from big-name developers. More importantly, it runs on AGCO-approved software. If you win, you get paid.
You can set your limits. You can take a timeout. You can self-exclude entirely. Every move you make is logged and protected.
BetMGM isn’t your back-alley corner bookie. It’s a transparent, regulated online gambling platform built for people who want to play responsibly without getting burned.
Play Smart, Play Legal
 If you live in Ontario and you’re still gambling on sketchy offshore sites in 2025, you’re playing yourself. The province has built a legal system that works. It protects players, it keeps the odds fair, and it gives back to the community. Ignore it, and you’re not just risking your wallet; you’re risking your identity, peace of mind, and future. So yeah, play online slots if you want. But play smart. Play legal. And don’t fall for the illusion of “easy access” on some unlicensed site run out of nowhere. You’re not being slick. You’re being scammed.
 By Staff
May 26th, 2029
BURLINGTON, ON
Exploring the Randle Reef Project with featured guest speakers Roger Santiago from Environment and Climate Change Canada and Sara Yonson from the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority
Thursday, June 5, 2025 @ 5:30PM
 Site of the contamination. Randle Reef—once the largest and most contaminated site in the Canadian Great Lakes is in the southwest corner of Hamilton Harbour
Cleaning up Randle Reef is one of the biggest steps to remediate the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern, and it is now in its final stages.
The third and final stage to remove sediment at Randle Reef is underway.
The $150-million project is cleaning up of the once-most contaminated site on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes.
Randle Reef had over 615,000 cubic metres of sediment — enough to fill a hockey rink three times over. The contamination dates back to the 1800s, after years of industrial pollution.
The clean up started in 2016 and was originally set to be done by 2022 but the pandemic resulted in some delays.
The last step involves removing and treating the remaining water from the container before releasing it back into the harbour and installing the final capping of the container.
The project, now expected to be completed by 2025. The Great Lakes are an essential to the health and well being of millions of Canadians, our ecosystems and the economy. Pollution has been putting all this at risk.
An opportunity to learn about the Randle Reef problem, and one of the largest sediment cleanups in Canada and how they decided to solve the problem.
 Steel pilings were driven into the floor of the harbour. This multi-year, multi-million dollar project ($150 million) is a joint initiative involving the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, City of Hamilton, Halton Region, City of Burlington, Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority and Stelco.
Register for free by clicking the link below.
This event is presented by the HHRAP and hosted by Conservation Halton.
Click HERE to register
 By Natalia Buriy
May 26th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Walk into a home with gleaming hardwood floors, and you instantly feel a sense of quality and warmth. It’s a feature many homebuyers actively seek and homeowners cherish. But beyond the immediate appeal, does laying down timber planks in your home truly stack up as a sound financial decision? Let’s get to the bottom of whether hardwood flooring is a worthwhile place to put your money.
 Hardwood makes a statement. The Initial Question: What Makes Flooring an “Investment”?
When we talk about an “investment” in home improvements, we’re usually looking at two things: first, will it increase the monetary worth of your property? And second, how much will it enhance your quality of life while you live there? A true investment should ideally offer a return on both fronts. This piece will explore if hardwood flooring hits that mark, looking at everything from resale value to daily enjoyment.
The Financial Upside: How Hardwood Boosts Your Home’s Worth
For many, the primary driver for any significant home upgrade is its impact on the property’s bottom line. Hardwood flooring generally performs very well in this arena.
Increasing Resale Value: What the Numbers Suggest
Many real estate professionals will tell you that homes with hardwood floors often command higher prices. While the exact percentage can vary by market and the quality of the wood, it’s widely accepted as a value-adding feature. It’s not just about recouping the cost; it’s about making your property more attractive and potentially more profitable.
Attracting Potential Buyers: The “Wow” Factor
Picture two otherwise identical homes for sale. One has worn carpets, the other has polished hardwood. Which one makes a stronger first impression? Hardwood floors are a significant visual draw. They create a sense of luxury and permanence that can make your home stand out in listings and during viewings, drawing in more interested parties.
Potential for Faster Home Sales
Because hardwood is such a desired feature, homes that boast it can often spend less time on the market. Buyers may see it as one less renovation project they need to undertake, making your home a more turnkey solution and potentially leading to quicker offers.
Durability and Longevity: An Investment That Lasts Generations
Hardwood isn’t just about looking good for a sale; it’s built to last, making it a long-term player in your home’s story.
 The “return on investment” for hardwood isn’t just counted in dollars. The Lifespan of Well-Maintained Hardwood
Unlike carpets that might need replacing every 5-10 years or laminate that can show its age, solid hardwood floors can endure for decades, even a century or more. Their inherent strength means they can handle the daily traffic of a busy home and still look fantastic.
The Ability to Refinish and Renew
One of hardwood’s most significant advantages is its capacity for a comeback. When scratches or wear eventually appear, the floor can be sanded down and refinished, bringing it back to its original glory. This process is often more cost-effective than completely replacing other types of flooring, offering remarkable long-term value.
Beyond Monetary Value: The Lifestyle Benefits of Hardwood
The “return on investment” for hardwood isn’t just counted in dollars; it’s also measured in daily enjoyment and practical benefits.
Improved Indoor Air Quality
For families concerned about allergens, hardwood is a breath of fresh air. Unlike carpets that can trap dust, pet dander, and pollen, hardwood surfaces are easy to clean thoroughly, contributing to a healthier environment inside your home.
Warmth, Comfort, and Underfoot Feel
There’s an undeniable natural warmth and comfort that wood brings to a space. It feels solid and pleasant underfoot, a quality that synthetic materials often struggle to replicate.
Ease of Cleaning and General Maintenance (with caveats)
Generally, a quick sweep or vacuum and occasional mopping with a wood-appropriate cleaner are all that’s needed to keep hardwood looking its best. While it does require some mindfulness to prevent damage (more on that later), daily upkeep is straightforward.
Counting the Costs: Understanding the Initial Outlay and Long-Term Expenses
It’s true that hardwood flooring often comes with a higher price tag upfront compared to some other options.
Upfront Purchase and Installation Costs
The decision to buy hardwood flooring involves considering the price of the materials themselves and the cost of professional installation. Solid hardwood, particularly exotic species, will typically be at the higher end of the spectrum.
Factors Influencing Cost (Type of Wood, Plank Size, Finish, Installation Complexity)
Not all hardwood is priced equally. Common domestic species like oak or maple might be more budget-friendly than imported woods. Wider planks, intricate patterns like herringbone, and the type of finish chosen can also influence the final bill, as can the complexity of your room layout.
 While durable, hardwood isn’t indestructible. Factor in the potential cost of refinishing every 10-20 years (or as needed) to keep it pristine. Maintenance Costs Over Time (Refinishing, Repairs)
While durable, hardwood isn’t indestructible. Factor in the potential cost of refinishing every 10-20 years (or as needed) to keep it pristine. Minor repairs for deep scratches or gouges might also be necessary over its long lifespan.
Potential Downsides and Considerations: When Hardwood Might Not Be the Best Fit
Despite its many advantages, hardwood isn’t universally the perfect choice for every single situation or room.
Vulnerability to Scratches, Dents, and Water Damage
Sharp objects, pet claws, and dragged furniture can scratch or dent hardwood. Spills, especially if left unattended, can lead to water damage and staining. This means a certain level of care and vigilance is needed.
Noise Considerations (Can be louder than carpet)
Sound can travel more readily on hard surfaces. In multi-story homes or apartments, this might be a concern, though area rugs can help mitigate this.
Suitability for Specific Areas (e.g., bathrooms, basements – or the need for engineered hardwood)
High-moisture environments like full bathrooms or below-grade basements are generally not ideal for solid hardwood due to the risk of warping or cupping. Engineered hardwood, with its layered construction, often offers better stability for these trickier spots.
 Look carefully at your specific circumstances and preferences. Lifestyle Factors (Pets, Young Children – impact on wear and tear)
A bustling household with active pets and young children will inevitably subject floors to more intense wear. While hardwood can handle it, you might opt for harder wood species and a durable finish, and be prepared for more frequent signs of life.
Making the Right Choice for Your Situation
Deciding on hardwood flooring requires looking at your specific circumstances and preferences.
Assessing Your Home’s Current Value and Neighbourhood Trends
Consider if hardwood is common or expected in homes in your area and price range. If so, not having it could be a disadvantage when it’s time to sell.
Evaluating Your Budget and Long-Term Plans for the Property
If you plan to stay in your home for many years, you’ll reap the long-term lifestyle and durability benefits. If it’s a shorter-term prospect, focus more on the potential for resale value uplift.
Comparing Hardwood to Other Flooring Alternatives
Weigh the pros and cons of hardwood against options like luxury vinyl plank (LVP), laminate, or tile, considering factors like your budget, the room’s use, and your aesthetic preferences.
The Importance of Professional Installation for Investment Protection
To ensure your hardwood floors look their best and last as long as possible, proper installation is key. This is where turning to seasoned flooring experts can make all the difference, safeguarding your investment from the outset. They understand the nuances of subfloor preparation, acclimatization, and fitting that are crucial for a lasting result.
 Rich deep colors lend comfort and prestige to rooms. The Verdict: So, Is Hardwood Flooring a Smart Move for You?
For a great many homeowners, installing hardwood flooring is indeed a smart and rewarding investment. It offers a compelling combination of enhanced home value, exceptional longevity, timeless style, and improved living quality. While the initial cost can be higher than some alternatives, and it requires a degree of care, the long-term benefits often significantly outweigh these considerations.
Ultimately, the “best” flooring is subjective. But if you value enduring beauty, robust performance, and a feature that consistently appeals to homebuyers, hardwood flooring makes a very strong case for itself.
Ready to Explore Your Hardwood Options?
If you’re considering the warmth and value of hardwood, take the time to research the best types for your home and lifestyle. Speaking with professionals can clarify your choices and help you understand the full scope of bringing this beautiful material into your space.
 By Julie Andreasen
May 26, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Online casinos in Canada have surged in popularity, especially as players look for more flexible, private, and efficient gaming experiences than what traditional land-based venues can offer. While many stick to provincially run sites, a growing number of Canadians are turning to offshore platforms that provide faster withdrawals, crypto payments, and fewer verification requirements.
 These features make them particularly attractive to tech-savvy players. One of the standout reasons for this shift is the appeal of no-KYC casinos, which are sites that don’t require extensive documentation like ID scans or bank statements. According to casino expert Viola D’Elia, these online platforms are favoured for their speed, anonymity, and the ability to cash out almost instantly with crypto, all while offering access to thousands of games (source: esportsinsider.com). These features make them particularly attractive to tech-savvy players who value control over their gaming experience.
Naturally, when convenience is this high, the next logical question is: Are these platforms safe? The short answer is yes, but with conditions. Safety largely depends on choosing a licensed, well-reviewed operator. Many of the best online casinos in 2025 operate under respected international jurisdictions, like the Malta Gaming Authority or Curaçao eGaming. These licenses aren’t just decorative. They require casinos to meet strict standards for data protection, fairness, and transparency.
 It’s essential to dig deeper before you deposit a dime. However, not all sites are created equal. There are fly-by-night operators out there looking to exploit unsuspecting users. That’s why it’s essential to dig deeper before you deposit a dime. Look for recent player reviews, test customer support responsiveness, and always double-check the site’s licensing information. A legitimate casino will make this information easy to find.
Payment options can also tell you a lot about a casino’s credibility. Canadian-friendly casinos in 2025 support everything from Interac and iDebit to e-wallets like Skrill and PayPal. Increasingly, though, crypto is the method of choice for many players. It’s fast, globally accessible, and sidesteps some of the more tedious elements of traditional banking. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and even Tether are commonly supported, with some platforms now processing withdrawals in under 15 minutes.
Tax-wise, the situation is surprisingly favourable for most casual players. Winnings from games of chance (whether at a physical casino or online) aren’t taxed in Canada. This applies whether you’re using a government-run platform or playing at a licensed offshore site. The only time taxes might apply is if you’re gambling professionally or earning substantial income from it, in which case the CRA may expect a cut.
 Canadian online casinos are as safe as the effort you put into finding the right one. The increase in mobile gaming is another indicator that online casinos are adapting fast to user expectations. Whether it’s through dedicated apps or responsive browser-based platforms, players expect (and usually receive) a seamless experience on their phones. Many casinos even offer mobile-exclusive bonuses or faster payment tools optimized for smaller screens.
At the end of the day, Canadian online casinos are as safe as the effort you put into finding the right one. Whether you’re drawn to the simplicity of no-KYC crypto platforms or prefer the familiarity of platforms like Interac or PayPal, 2025 offers no shortage of secure, entertaining options. All you need to do is take time to verify the site’s licensing, read user reviews, and understand the terms around withdrawals and bonuses. With a bit of caution and research, enjoying online gambling in Canada can be both exciting and low-risk.
 By Julia Borg
May 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The OLG (Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation) revealed in April that it made a whopping CA$27 million in the fourth and final quarter of the 24/25 financial year. This came from gaming revenue and will be paid out in installments to 29 different Ontario communities that host gaming facilities. The most came from Casino Woodbines municipality in Q4 as they returned just over CA$4 million back to the community.
These payments are paid back into community programmes and support local programs and infrastructure as part of the Canadian government’s scheme for returning money into the communities that it earns from land-based casinos. Winnings from online and offshore betting companies are not part of this scheme yet, but it could be worth checking out the best crypto casinos Canada list to see where’s best for your next online wager, regardless. These sites accept cryptocurrency as a payment method, which holds such benefits as anonymity, fast transaction speeds, and security.
For land-based casinos in Canada, however, the boom continues to be very much present for them. Whilst the return in Q4 is smaller than Q3’s massive CA$33.5 million return, there continues to be strong returns made to the community through the casino’s scheme. Indeed, since 1994, host communities have received more than CA$2.5 billion in non-tax gaming revenue. It seems Canada have found a good model that allows the casinos to work in tandem with the local communities to provide a source of entertainment and prizepots yet still allow for their chance to give back through this scheme and help out locals in the community with the total payouts to municipalities during the 24/25 financial year returning around CA$142 million.
The OLG advised that the host gaming communities are made a lot stronger through these payments and seems to be a good model of symbioticism in the community. Stan Cho, the Ontario Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming advised that ‘Gaming sites continue to provide good local jobs and other positive impacts across the province’ and was pleased to see the revenue being invested.
The revenue is based on a set percentile return of revenue made on slot machines, table games and sportsbooks and puts a positive spin on an often stigmatised section of society.
The news of these returns comes in tandem with the reports made in February that the iGaming industry in Ontario had seen continued year-on-year growth once again. February 2025 saw around CA$7 billion worth of bets made, which marks a 26.9% increase on the previous year. The market performance report seems to show that it is traditional online casino games that are thrusting the majority of this increase, generating around CA$6 billion of the reported increase and marking a 30% increase in this section of the industry from Februrary 2024, whilst sports betting markets were not reflecting quite as large a boom. It is believed that the implementation of Gigadat online transactions has really helped with this boost.
One thing is for sure, and clear to see. Ontario remains one of the most lucrative markets in North America for betting both with land-based casinos and in the iGaming industry. Competitive markets and strict regulations do not seem to have hampered the industry which continues to see huge growth.
By Staff
May 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Burlington’s very first coffee party—Private Coffee Sessions Vol. 1—happening this Sunday, May 18 at Hola Café & Market.
The event drops May 18th, at Hola Café & Market: Latin beats, specialty brews, and the city’s best vibes, turning your Sunday plans into something unforgettable. —one Sunday only.
In collaboration with Montañeros Coffee Corp and DJ collective MXJ, the first-ever coffee party in Burlington taking place Sunday, May 18th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Hola Café, 2156 Mountain Grove Ave, this RSVP-only event is free to the public (with limited capacity) and promises an afternoon full of soul, sabor, and seriously good coffee.
Here’s the brew:
- Burlington’s first-ever coffee party
- Official Listening Party for MXJ’s latest project
- Live DJ sets by MXJ and 2 special guest DJs
- Specialty coffee by Montañeros Coffee Corp
- Latin snacks like empanadas and tequeños available for purchase
- Giveaways for the fastest guests:
First 15 – unlimited coffee
Next 15 – one free cup
PLUS – we’ll be announcing the winner of our online giveaway live at the party.
To enter, follow us on Instagram and join the celebration: @holacafemarket, @musicbymxj, @montaneroscoffee
 Food and drink will be available throughout the party, and if you’re craving a full meal, head over to the restaurant side patio (open 10 AM – 5 PM) to enjoy full service and our special weekend dish: lechona, a traditional slow-roasted pork feast from Latin America. “At Hola, we believe food and music are the two most powerful ways to bring people together. Private Coffee Sessions is our way of inviting the community into that magic—natural flavors, Latin rhythms, and a space that feels like home,” says the Hola Café team.
This promises to be a new tradition for Burlington—an intimate, music-infused coffee party that blends community, culture, and curated vibes. It’s free, but once we hit capacity, doors close. Be early, be ready, be part of the story.
Location: Hola Café & Market, 2156 Mountain Grove Ave, Burlington, ON Date & Time: Sunday, May 18th, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM
 By Tom Parkin
May 15th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario needs a significant plan to reverse the trend in housing construction and today’s Ontario budget is unlikely to deliver it.
Only 67.6 new housing units per 100,000 population were built in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest level since the Q1 of 1996, according to Statistics Canada.
Thousands of Ontario residential construction workers are unemployed in a province where the need for housing has never been greater. Ontario unemployment now stands at 7.8 per cent with significant construction sector job losses in April. Construction unions and real builders can only remain complacent about this for so long.
Yet, the province’s most recent legislation, Bill 17, introduced Monday, offers no reason to believe it will succeed where the many earlier iterations of the same approach have so evidently failed.
The legislation continues to play with development charges and approvals processes. Streamlining approvals is fine, but off-target in a province where very few are seeking project approvals.
 Two-thirds of Canadians choose to buy their housing and many more would like to own. Construction of single-family housing, typically owner occupied, has collapsed due to a lack of demand under current unaffordable prices. The average price of a benchmark home in the Greater Toronto Area rose from $757,000 in Jun 2018 to $1,313,000 in June 2022. Prices are since down, but financing costs are up from the low levels of 2020-2022.
The result has been a market stand-off with investors holding back supply, trying to maintain price levels, and buyers unable to pay the prices being demanded.
The condominium sector is in utter collapse not because there’s a lack of housing demand but because developers built for demand from owner-investors, not owner-residents.
An investor buying a “dog crate” condo of less than 500 or 600 square feet could churn enough tenants through at high rents to pay a low finance cost mortgage. But with higher finance costs and falling asking rents, demand from owner-investors has evaporated.
Now the Toronto condo model premised on investor-ownership no longer makes financial sense. The result is a massive supply of terrible quality housing on the market at distressed prices. They make no sense an as investment and few people want to buy one for occupancy.
The result of market failures has been that perhaps the only housing sector holding up has been apartment buildings construction for corporate ownership. While Ontario needs all the housing it can get, more corporate rental units do not provide the same benefits as housing ownership, either of a house or condo.
Security of tenure, the possibility of one day living both rent- and mortgage-free, the end of dependance on unreliable maintenance — there are many good reasons two-thirds of Canadians choose to buy their housing and many more would like to own. They are not wrong.
Home ownership shouldn’t be a get-rich plan, but it should be a reasonable and attainable goal for far more people. While focusing on the rights of tenants and protecting affordable rents is critical, Ontarians want political leadership that helps them meet their dreams.
The Ford PCs and their federal Liberal allies have crushed those dreams. The NDP in Ontario and federally have mostly ignored them. Perhaps the social democrats should consider that protecting renters while rekindling the home ownership dream is not a sell-out or contradiction.
By Staff
May 13th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Unlock Tax-Smart Strategies for Your Business
Sun Life, Trillium District and supported by the Burlington Chamber of Commerce
 Join the Burlington Chamber of Commerce at the Burlington Golf & Country Club for a free, in-person seminar designed specifically for business owners.
 Led by Paul Thorne & Katelyn Culliton, Directors of Advanced Planning at Sun Life, this session will explore the latest tax-efficient planning opportunities to help you:
- Keep more of what you earn
- Make smart decisions for the future
- Navigate evolving financial landscapes with confidence
You’ll walk away with real-world strategies and the chance to connect with other local entrepreneurs who share your drive for growth.
Location: Burlington Golf & Country Club – Banquet Room
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Choose from two FREE sessions:
Session 1: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Session 2: 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Space is limited, so register now to secure your preferred time.
By Gabriela Pelayes
May 12th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
You can improve your experience when you play slots. One of the best ways is to use promotions at casinos like AllySpin casino. Bonuses guarantee different advantages like more spins or balance, but you must know how to use them wisely.
Always read the rules, choose slots with beneficial conditions, and complete the wagering requirement quickly. This article explains approaches to using promotions to your advantage.
Types of Promotions for Slots
 Purely a game of chance. But read the terms to determine whether you get a bonus. You can use different types of promotions to play slots without spending too much of your own money. Here’s a list that explains the most popular types of slot bonuses:
- Free spins. Casinos like AllySpin give a set of spins on specific slots. You can win real money, but you must complete the wagering requirement to withdraw it. Most free spins have a fixed value per spin.
- Reload bonuses. You get a promotion on your payments after a welcome bonus. This gift increases your balance, so you can play longer.
- No deposit promotions. You get a promo without a condition to spend money. These bonuses have wagering requirements, and they’re rare.
Other potential bonuses are available at sites like AllySpin, but these are more common. All of them have conditions.
Terms and Conditions of Promotions
You must read the requirements and rules for bonuses at casinos like AllySpin before you claim them. It’s the most important part, as these terms determine whether you get a bonus and can withdraw funds. These are some of the conditions in general:
- Wagering requirements. Users must wager the amount they get a specified number of times. For example, 20, 25, 30 and so on.
- The minimum deposit unlocks the bonus, which you can get if you invest a lower amount.
- There are restrictions on titles. You should check if some slots are excluded, as they won’t count toward wagering.
- Maximum winning limits. Some gifts have maximum amounts on how much you can win. It can be a sum, like €200, or a multiplier, like x10.
- Expiration dates. The length of time you can use a promo, for example, is limited to 1 to 30 days.
- A maximum bet limit. Most bonuses often have limits on wagers. You can’t make larger bets to complete wagering requirements.
Read the rules in detail before you use the promotion. You may want to skip bonuses at casinos if they’re not for your favorite slots.
Guide to Select a Slot and Use Bonuses
You should select slots that you like, but also that are compatible with the bonus. Here’s a list of tips that help you use promotions to your benefit:
Plan every session when you use bonuses. Choose the right game, follow the rules, and play responsibly.
By Leonard Fergus
May 4, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
A reliable internet connection is essential for everything these days, be it work, school, entertainment, socializing, or staying connected with loved ones. With so many internet providers and plans available out there, it can be difficult for an average user to choose the right one. The right provider can make your online experience seamless and allow you to enjoy the internet hassle-free, while the wrong one can leave you frustrated and annoyed all the time.
So, if you are in a situation where you have to choose an internet provider, then you must consider these factors before choosing a provider, as these are the most important factors to judge how good or bad a provider is.
 Fibre optic cable has improved the speed at which data runs through the internet – it will continue to get better and better Internet Speed and Bandwidth
Internet speed is usually measured in megabits per second (Mbps) and it is a measure of how quickly the data can be downloaded or uploaded. The higher the Mbps or Gbps, the faster your internet connection is. While choosing an internet provider, make sure that you choose an internet speed that can handle most of your internet needs. Here is a quick breakdown of different internet speeds required for different activities:
- 10–25 Mbps: Suitable for basic browsing, email, and streaming in standard definition.
- 50–100 Mbps: Ideal for HD streaming, online gaming, and working from home.
- 200+ Mbps: Perfect for 4K streaming, large file downloads, and multiple devices.
You should look for an internet provider like Rogers that offers internet speeds that match your usage requirements. Don’t go for the cheapest plan, instead make sure that the plan you are choosing has enough speed and bandwidth to handle your internet needs.
Reliability and Uptime
There is nothing more frustrating and annoying than having an unreliable internet connection that experiences frequent disconnections, outages, and slowdowns, as these can disrupt your work, studies, and entertainment. Committing to an internet provider that provides a reliable internet connection with 99.99% uptime guarantee is what you should opt for.
Although every internet provider will promote itself by promising reliability and maximum uptime, you should check customer reviews and ratings on the internet to get better insights into how reliable an internet provider is.
Coverage and Availability
 The price might be right – but the coverage your getting might be terrible. Not all internet service providers provide their internet coverage in every area throughout the country. Although there are some internet providers, such as Bell, which provide coverage over a wide range of areas, most internet providers have limited internet coverage and you should check the coverage and availability in your area to ensure that the provider provides coverage in your area. Along with coverage, make sure to assess available internet connection types, as choosing a fiber internet connection is much better than sticking with a slower connection like DSL or satellite internet.
Pricing and Contracts
As an average internet consumer, you should be aware of the fact that many internet providers often advertise low promotional rates and increase the rates significantly once the initial promotional period is over. Before committing to any provider, make sure that you check the long-term costs. Along with this, also check for additional and hidden charges like installation fees, equipment rentals, early termination fees, etc.
Some internet providers may require you to sign a long-term contract with them, while others may offer flexibility and month-to-month plans. If you are not sure about a long-term commitment, then look for an internet provider that has more flexible terms.
Customer Service and Support
 Service is often spotty – ask around and listen to what others customers tell you. Good customer service and support are very important to assess how good an internet provider is because when something goes wrong, you want to have an internet provider with a proactive, responsive, and helpful customer support team that can resolve the issue. Poor customer service can turn a minor issue into a major one, and it is what you should try to avoid at all costs.
Look for feedback on the customer support of the internet providers that you have shortlisted. Pay special attention to how they handle complaints and resolve issues, and whether they have 24/7 support available or not.
Additional Features and Services
Lastly, you should not forget about additional features. Because of the increasing competition, internet service providers are offering additional features and services. Many providers offer bundles that include TV, phone, and mobile services that are usually cost-effective if you need multiple services. Make sure to assess for additional features and the equipment provided by the provider. If the provider is offering equipment of subpar quality, then consider investing in your own.
Additional services and bundles provided by internet providers are usually cost-effective, but ensure that you are not being overcharged before committing to a provider.
 By Staff
May 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Kelly’s Bake Shop; opened in 2012 and became a reason to visit Burlongton.
Owners Kelly and Erinn closed their downtown Burlington location after 13 years. It wasn’t a decision they made – the property owner made it for them – giving them sixty days to vacate the premises.
 Planning a day – when the days were good. Kelly and Erinn
 Rendering of the proposed development. Interesting to note that the Bake Shop is included in the rendering which suggest that the developer was open to the idea of the Bake Shop being part of the development. No word from the developers as to when the demolition of the site will begin. Most recent information was that a development application has yet to be approved. Property taxes will be lower once the site has been levelled.
The site is bound by Brant, John and James with the southern end the parkette.
Proposed Development
To modify the Zoning for the previously approved development as follows:
- Reduce the parking rate to 0.74 parking spaces per residential unit (overall number of parking spaces),
- Reduce the parking stall dimensions,
- Reduce the second-floor height from 3.8 metres to 3.7 metres,
- Reduce setbacks to the parking structure and
- Increase the overall building height from 65m to 66 m to make room for a mechanical penthouse.”
Statutory public meeting and recommendation report
May 13, 2025
9:30 a.m.
Virtual Meeting held in hybrid format
By Fiona Stein
May 3rd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Ontario has always dominated the gambling scene – big, bold, and buzzing with energy. From glitzy slot machines to poker tables, betting has long been a go-to activity for Ontarians. But the rise of technology has changed this scenario now. Now, you don’t need to get into your car, steer through traffic, find a parking spot, and then step into a physical casino. Just open your laptop from the comfort of your home, the casino is there. What’s driving this shift? How it’s shaking up the way you play? Let’s have a look.
A New Era Kicked Off in 2022
Things changed on April 4th, 2022, when Ontario launched its iGaming market. Before the iGaming market, OLG was the only site regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), and online gambling was a grey market. Offshore sites were making it possible, but they weren’t well-regulated. But, with iGaming Ontario, the province took charge of overlooking this industry. It wasn’t just a bureaucratic flex but a pivotal move for local bettors. Suddenly, running gambling sites in Ontario wasn’t a shady operation. It was a legit, licensed, and well-regulated industry. This change lets people place safer bets, lesser risks, better odds, and a lot less guesswork.
Convenience That’s Hard to Beat
People are busy. They usually don’t have time to go to a casino on the weekends when their family wants to spend some quality time with them. Online casinos have cracked this problem. Not feeling like driving? Sitting in a remote location? Or chilling in your living room? You can access these virtual casinos. Just open your smartphone or laptop, and you’ll be spinning slots in no time.
Who doesn’t need such convenience? And it’s this convenience that’s rewriting the Ontario gambling rules. Obviously, why would you wear a suit if you can play poker in your shorts and favorite hoodie from your living room?
Banking That Keeps Up with the Times
 Land-based casinos require cash. And cash withdrawals bring sketchy ATM fees and other stress. But those days are fading fast. That’s because online gambling sites offer payment options you already use every day. One such method is Interac e-transfers—quick, local, and trusted.
Not a fan of Interac? Or just don’t want to use it for your online gambling transactions? There are e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller to deposit money with ease, without linking it to their bank accounts.
And that’s not the end. For the tech-savvy, Crypto is the option. Bitcoin and Ethereum are popping up on many gambling platforms, providing a safe, secure, and futuristic transaction vibe. And for those preferring old-school methods, credit card options aren’t going anywhere.
So, where physical casinos stick with a few payment options, virtual ones offer you a bunch of them for flexibility.
More Than Just Slots and Poker
 This is the interesting part. Casinos usually conjure a picture of slot machines and basic blackjack tables in your mind. But that’s not the case with online gambling sites. These virtual playing spots can offer thousands of games, catering to different individuals with different preferences.
Not a fan of those old-school poker or blackjack? No problem. You have thousands of other games on the list. Table games, card games, slots, roulettes, wheel of fortune, arcade games, specialty games, there’s a lot to keep you entertained for an eternity.
Safety Nets That Actually Work
That’s where things get in their favour. Responsible gambling has always been a talking point when it comes to gambling. And just a while ago, this virtual area felt like the Wild West. But iGaming Ontario with AGCO changed this scenario. Now, online sites have to adhere to some strict gambling rules.
Mandatory age checks for casinos (19+) and lotteries (18), spending limits, and easy access to physical and mental health services are a must. You can’t say that’s flawless; nothing is. But that’s way better than those old unregulated days.
The Bottom Line
The way online gambling sites are thriving, the digital shift is not at all going to slow down. In fact, in the future, we might witness more complex technologies like VR, etc., integrating with gaming, making the experience more exciting and fun. So, what’s the verdict? Ontario’s online gambling scene is upgrading, and people are embracing it quite well. It’s safe, secure, and flexible, and who wouldn’t love such an experience?
By Anton Lucanus
May 3rd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Finding casinos that offer the best payouts is vital because it boosts your returns and heightens the excitement of playing your favourite casino games. Casino brands like Golden Tiger Casino, Yukon Gold Casino, Zodiac Casino, Luxury Casino, and Captain Cooks Casino also provide top casino payouts through their carefully curated list of games and partnerships with the best software providers.
Top Canadian Casinos with the Best Payouts
Yukon Gold Casino is a trusted Canadian casino which has maintained an outstanding payout record over the last two decades. Players have also endorsed it as a reliable and transparent gaming partner and platform where they can enjoy the best payouts due to its top casino payouts.
Zodiac Casino provides a consistent payment structure and high RTP rates for all its games so that players can enjoy the best winning outcomes. The casino also ensures player satisfaction by making all its games available on its mobile app and using customer service agents who are always available to assist players or answer their questions.
 Golden Tiger Casino is one of the best high RTP online casinos with a unique selection of table, slot, and live dealer games. It has EXCELLENT reviews on Trustpilot and other platforms, making it a credible option for many players.
Luxury Casino blends premium offerings through its Casino Rewards loyalty program and high payments through its high RTP games. It is also one of the most profitable casinos for players due to offering additional opportunities to increase payouts through its additional bonuses and regular promotions.
Captain Cooks Casino provides the best return to player and win rates alongside secure payment options. Its generous payment providers charge the lowest fees and ensure the lowest withdrawal times so players can receive the highest percentage of their winnings promptly.
Bigger Returns with the Highest Win Rate Guarantee
Each Casino Rewards group brand offers a HIGHEST WIN RATE GUARANTEE. This guarantee assures players that all games on their platforms have the best Return to Player and win rates.
It optimizes player returns on Golden Tiger Casino by providing the biggest wins more frequently. It also makes sure that players preserve their bankrolls.
Players who can do this can play many more rounds or hands of their favourite casino games, which translates into longer play times and better player experiences.
 The highest win rate guarantee also improves player experiences by making choosing casino games simple. Instead of researching different games to see which offer the best payout rates, players can pick any game on these casinos’ platforms and know they will enjoy significant earnings due to their guaranteed casino payouts.
These guaranteed casino payouts also benefit players who prefer progressive slot games. These games have the highest payouts, typically in the hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars range. Casinos with the highest win rate guarantee optimise their win frequencies so players have an increased chance of landing the biggest wins.
Trust Factors in High-Payout Casinos
Players should always consider trust factors like casino ratings and reviews when choosing the casino brands to engage with. Trustpilot ratings and reviews are so important because they represent the unfiltered and raw views and opinions players have about the specific casinos they have experience with.
Players can leverage these trusted casino reviews to make better decisions, verify the best return on casinos with payout guarantee, and ensure a better gaming experience. They can check if a casino has a long history of consistent and reliable casino returns, secure casino payments, and great player experiences.
You can also use Luxury Casino reviews to see that the casino has passed third-party audits. Player-favoured casinos that are registered with and licensed by various bodies including eCOGRA allow regular audits that check their systems and processes to verify that they keep player data safe, guarantee fair outcomes, and provide consistent casino returns.
These audits also check that the casinos use verified, secure, and trusted processors to guarantee secure casino payments, including efficient casino withdrawals and deposits. By passing payment checks, players can trust that they will receive their winnings without issue and that they will be charged favourable fees after making a withdrawal request.
Strategies to Increase Your Casino Payouts
The best strategies for increasing casino payouts include choosing games with high Return to Player and win rates and using available casino bonuses effectively.
High RTP online casinos post the return and win rates of all games on their websites. These platforms become an essential research tool for players deciding which games to pick that will ensure the best winning outcomes.
You can also check review websites to find out information about specific games. These players tell you everything you need to know, including which games have the highest payouts, the best bonuses, and fast payout times.
Casino Rewards Group brands offer welcome and deposit bonuses as well as additional in-game bonuses. You can take advantage of welcome and deposit bonuses by spreading out your deposits to leverage bonus matches.
 Captain Cooks Casino, for example, provides a 100% match for the second and fifth deposits. Spreading out your money can help you leverage all five of its deposits to increase your bankroll soon after signing up.
You should also use your bonuses as soon as possible to avoid losing your casino bonus opportunities. As you do this, you pick games with favourable wagering requirements that fulfil your requirements much faster. Slot games are the best option for minimizing the impact of wagering requirements on your bonus, but credible casinos like Captain Cooks Casino will tell you which games give you the best odds of withdrawing the largest winnings.
Key Takeaways – Selecting the Best Casino for Maximum Payouts
The best payout casinos give you access to fast wins and have enhanced Return to Player and win rates to increase your winnings significantly. Each of them has numerous positive reviews and EXCELLENT ratings on Trustpilot and other platforms, making them credible options for enjoying high-earning casino games.
The casino brands Yukon Gold Casino, Zodiac Casino, Golden Tiger Casino, Luxury Casino, and Captain Cooks Casino offer unparalleled payout and gaming experiences. With their high rankings and credibility, why would you play anywhere else?
By Shireen T. Singh
April 28th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
The world of fintech has gained a lot of attention since 2018, and for good reason. Simply looking at the numbers, you can just tell that the industry is growing rapidly. At the end of 2023, the F-Prime Fintech Index, which tracks the industry’s growth, estimated the market cap of the industry to be $573 billion. And that’s double what it was in 2019!
 Trade with a firm’s money for profit from the comfort of their home. Today, financial services are becoming more efficient and user-friendly than ever, making fintech a mainstay in today’s economic climate. One area where fintech’s relevance is growing significantly is proprietary trading. So, let’s examine how fintech is transforming prop trading and what its future is shaping up to be.
Understanding Prop Trading
When a financial institution, like a bank or hedge fund, trades with its own money in the forex market, stock market, or other financial markets, that’s called proprietary trading. These financial companies typically make trades on behalf of their clients and earn a commission, but prop trading is a little different. Instead of using a client’s money to invest, they use their own capital, which means they can take on more risk and have a shot at higher rewards.
Thanks to advancements in fintech, this form of trading has become more accessible and advanced, opening up new opportunities to companies and traders globally. CFD brokers and prop trading firms now provide retail traders with access to institutional-grade trading environments, allowing them to leverage cutting-edge trading tools. For example, platforms like OANDA now allow traders (with no capital) to trade with a firm’s money for profit from the comfort of their home.
It is also important to note that financial corporations involved in prop trading do this for one major reason, and that is to make more profit. In order to keep things fair and focused, they have special sections of the company dedicated to these kinds of trades — referred to as the prop trading desk. This desk operates separately from client-focused areas and sometimes even acts as “market makers,” meaning they step in to buy or sell large amounts of security when there isn’t enough movement in the market. This keeps things flowing and adds increased stability to the market, even when things get rocky.
Evolution of Prop Trading
In the 1980s, before the internet, prop trading started as a way for retail traders who weren’t wealthy investors or big institutions to get a chance to join in on the stock market action. This was possible when financial corporations created “pool accounts” that allowed these smaller traders to access real-time data and trading tools they couldn’t get on their own.
 These people were skilled traders who worked directly from these firms’ offices to help grow the company’s capital. These people were skilled traders who worked directly from these firms’ offices to help grow the company’s capital. They then earned part of the profits they garnered for these financial institutions. This is the foundational setup that structures today’s prop trading model, where firms still partner with individual traders.
Thanks to the internet, the world of prop trading has become so advanced that it is somewhat unrecognizable. However, the concept remains the same: traders pay a fee to be evaluated, and if they pass, they get access to the firm’s capital, sharing any profits that they make. Technological advancements have made prop trading easily accessible to every trader willing to fulfill requirements stipulated by prop trading firms.
Currently, well over 100 online prop trading firms offer evaluation programs for anyone who wants to try trading. While most traders might not make it past the evaluation, the few who succeed stand to earn significantly by trading with more funds than they would have had on their own.
Three Key Fintech Innovations Transforming Prop Trading
The trading methods and tools used to carry out innovative and competitive trades have changed significantly owing to the advancement in the fintech industry. With the advantage of fintech, prop trading has become faster, smarter, and more adaptable to market changes. Here are three key fintech innovations that are transforming the world of prop trading that are available through these solutions.
High-Frequency Trading (HFT)
Today, it is much easier to use high-frequency trading in prop trading. HFT is a technological advancement that allows thousands of trades to be carried out in fractions of a second. When used together with algorithmic trading, it can boost trade volume and speed, helping traders react instantly to market changes and increase profits. This advancement has given traders and firms an upper hand in the markets but also poses a risk of increased market volatility, especially when trades are executed at high speeds in sensitive conditions.
By Anthony Lucas”
April 25th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
To ensure the best experience and winning outcomes, players should opt for the best-paying online casinos that guarantee the best payouts and biggest win rates. Casino brands like Yukon Gold, Golden Tiger, Zodiac Casino, Luxury Casino, and Captain Cooks Casino all provide the highest slot payouts in Canada, making them ideal choices.
Where Can You Find the Highest Paying Slots in Canada?
 Players can find the highest paying slots in Canada by visiting casino sites that are known to provide the best RTP slots. These include brands like Yukon Gold Casino, Captain Cooks Casino, Luxury Casino, Zodiac Casino, and Golden Tiger Casino.
Yukon Gold Casino is a player-favorite since it provides the best slot returns. It selects all the online casino games on its platform carefully and works with the best software provider so each game has the best win and payout rates.
The casino is also highly trusted due to its reputation for timely payouts. It ensures players can receive their winnings from its quick payouts and fastest payout slots by working with trusted and secure payment methods that players are familiar with.
Zodiac Casino is known for its large selection of online slots and Progressive jackpot slots. It ensures high payouts for each game through its highest rate guarantee. The “Highest Win Rate Guarantee” promises to deliver the most favorable win rates or Return to Player (RTP) percentages from the games provided by the casino’s software suppliers.
Players can choose from hundreds of video poker games with unique gameplay, features, bonuses, and payouts available through the casino’s website and mobile app.
Golden Tiger Casino aims to provide players with the largest game collection of high return slot machines. Players can choose from slot games they can find at other casinos or unique titles only found on this casino’s website. Golden Tiger Casino maintains a rotation of high payout slot games to ensure a unique gaming experience for its players.
Luxury Casino also offers high paying slot games, but it improves the player experience by providing unique bonuses and running various promotions regularly. Upon signing up, players can access hundreds of unique slot games where bets start at a few cents.
Once they start playing, players get access to bonuses like free spins, winning boosts, and mini games that increase their earnings significantly.
Captain Cooks Casino aims to replicate a similar experience to the one players get when playing slots in physical casinos. It has an easy-to-use platform that categorizes its games so players can find their favorites easily. The casino also participates in the Casino Rewards highest win rate guarantee where it ensures all the slot games on its platform provide the highest win rates.
Why Is Trust Important When Choosing a Casino?
When choosing a casino, it is crucial to pick a trustworthy one. Such casinos ensure player safety, responsible gambling tools, fantastic customer support, and fair gameplay.
The best way to know if a casino is trustworthy is to check user reviews. Players leave reviews of the various casinos they have experience with on review websites, and checking them can inform readers what they think of specific casinos.
Platforms like Trustpilot make it easy for players to leave such reviews and provide ratings for different casinos.
 Players can go through reviews of trusted Canadian casinos to see what others are saying about specific casinos and if they recommend any player-approved slots before making a choice. They should only pick casinos with consistently high praise for their payouts, customer support, transparency, and gaming experience.
Players should also check for mentions of payouts. These should be positive statements about how trustworthy a casino is regarding paying out winnings and its use of secure payment methods.
How Do RTP and Slot Payouts Work?
The RTP or Return to Player rate is a casino payout percentage that indicates how much of a player’s bet the casino returns as winnings. It is an average rate calculated over millions of slot rounds. The top slot casinos have very high RTPs, with their rates typically a few points higher than those at other casinos.
Since the RTP is the percentage of a bet that a casino returns, higher rates are better because they lead to bigger wins. RTPs also determine the house edge, the amount a casino keeps as its profit for each dollar players wager.
With higher RTPs, casinos that provide big win slots Canada keep less of a player’s bet, which means a larger amount goes to the bet and leads to better payouts.
Tips for Maximizing Slot Payouts
Players can leverage several strategies to maximize slot payouts. The easiest one is choosing high paying slot games with the highest win and RTP rates. They should also stick to casinos that provide a highest win rate guarantee so they can be assured of the best rates regardless of the slot game they choose.
To choose the right slots, players should check different casino platforms and User reviews websites. Casino websites display all the information players need to find high paying slot games.
Review websites also post information about these games and are an incredible source of reviews that tell players whether they should register and play at specific casinos.
Choosing the Best Canadian Casinos for Slot Payouts
Top slot payout casinos all provide games with the highest RTPs and win rates to ensure the biggest wins for their players. These casinos also use secure payment methods to ensure fast payouts and player data security.
The best casinos provide excellent customer service so players can find the assistance they need when they need it. Brands like Yukon Gold Casino, Zodiac Casino, Golden Tiger Casino, Luxury Casino, and Captain Cooks Casino stand out due to their exceptional slot gaming experiences beyond their high payouts.
 By Staff
April 25th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
On March 4, 2025, staff presented proposed Official Plan Amendment (OPA) No.4 to a Committee of the Whole Statutory Public Meeting through staff report DGM-13-25 Bronte Creek Meadows Proposed Official Plan Amendment No.4,in order to hear comments and questions from members of Council and the public. Staff continued to accept questions, comments and recommendations until March 18, 2025.
 City staff have reviewed and considered the feedback received, and are targeting bringing forward a Recommendation Report to Council for adoption of the OPA in May 2025.
Staff continue to be available to answer any questions about the project. Email newop@burlington.ca if you have any questions or would like to Talk to a Planner.
By Olivia Sabell
April 23rd, 2025
BURLINGTON. ON
Online casinos have been a revelation in the gambling world since the beginning of the 21st century. Canada has been one of the strongest global economies throughout this period. Still, it wasn’t until recently that Canadian provinces warmed to regulating and taxing online casinos.
 In Canada casinos are regulated by the province they are located in with Ontario having the best regulations. It has been a global surge that has pulled many countries along with it. Unlike the UK, which was one of the first countries to regulate online casinos nationally, Canada’s provincial and fractured regulatory landscape meant that the rise of online casinos has taken a different trajectory.
It’s essential to distinguish between the federal regulations in Canada and the provincial bodies that oversee gambling competitions, including online casinos, but also encompass other gambling games, such as lotteries and sports betting.
Over the last decade, this has shaped the casino market in neighboring America rather than their European counterparts. Today, we will look at some nuances in the Canadian casino market and how they have affected the current market.
A changing landscape
In the late 1980s, Canada created a new landscape for land-based casinos. The first land-based casino opened in Winnipeg and became an entertainment venue featuring restaurants, hotels and other amenities.
A few years later, Montreal got in on the action. Although the first online casino emerged just a year after that, many within the casino industry were skeptical that the internet had a lasting place in the gambling world.
In the 1990s, few people had home PCs, and internet connections were slow and extremely expensive. It was a digital world of message boards and bookshops – the internet wasn’t the ubiquitous presence we see today in modern society.
Online casinos, of course, quickly proved to be a challenging, disruptive market for the traditional industry. The cost of accessing the internet decreased dramatically and the speed of connectivity soared, bringing tens of millions of people online within just a few years.
The global market’s interconnectivity meant that the best online casinos in Canada were companies establishing a presence in several other international markets. It became such a crowded and competitive market that experts started compiling reviews and assessments of the sites they believed stood out in this growing, saturated market.
Navigating local regulation in a global market
While the internet has introduced a range of innovations, it has proved to be a regulatory headache for governing bodies that look to provide oversight. Instrumental social media companies have shown just how difficult it can be to provide broad policing and taxation to markets that span dozens of countries, and online casinos have faced a similar fate.
By the early 2010s, propped up by the success of the online gambling market that had emerged in the UK, lobbyists and influential figures in online gambling were tirelessly searching for ways to get online casinos into the North American market, the biggest continental market.
Although the federal laws oversee the gambling market and its legality, they have devolved the regulatory powers to 13 different provincial governing bodies. While most of them are similar, it’s always a good idea to check the legality of online gambling in your province before you decide to sit down and play a casino game.
A rise in convenience
 As soon as online casinos proved to be an alternative that was just as secure and as reliable as a land-based provider, interest in this new form of gambling soared. There was a time before the advent of the internet when Canadian casino gamers would have to pack a bag, head down to the airport and fly to the US to scratch their gambling itch. However, online casinos meant Canadians could do this without leaving their homes. As soon as online casinos proved to be an alternative that was just as secure and as reliable as a land-based provider, interest in this new form of gambling soared..
Generally speaking, though, Canadians have only been able to access legal and regulated online gambling markets since this century, when regulatory changes allowed some of the world’s biggest sports betting companies to set up shop on Canada’s digital shores.
However, in the mid-2000s, a black market emerged in Canada, with millions of dollars’ worth of bets placed with offshore companies. This market forced the hand of regulators to some extent, as it was simply too difficult to police. Regulating, taxing and cycling these funds into community development projects became the only viable route.
The smartphone era
If online casinos weren’t convenient enough, the mid-2010s saw the rise of gaming apps and mobile gaming. Those who played at online casinos on their home PCs or laptops now had an even more convenient option: playing on the move via their iPads, tablets or smartphones.
This rise wasn’t unique to the Canadian market. Smartphones have transformed everything about our lives; we’re sure you don’t need us to tell you that. Online casinos simply surfed the crest of the wave that presented a fresh opportunity for their casinos to expand, and the rise in usage among Canadian customers was a microcosm of what was happening in the global iGaming market.
As the competition heated up, online casinos searched for ways to incentivize these promotions, offering free spins, matched deposits and other cost-effective promotions to get people to their sites ahead of the competition.
Final thoughts
 VR gaming could well be the next technological advance that takes the sport to new heights. Although Canada opted for a provincial and localized approach to regulation, many trends that resulted in the rise of online casinos are attributed to the broader pull of the global market. Countries like the UK pioneered their digital legislation in the early 2000s, creating a foundation whereby online casinos could launch their brands into the international market.
The UK tax base soared, generating tens of billions of pounds over the subsequent decade. Canada is a little behind in this curve, but the numbers are equally promising, especially if we combine online casinos with sportsbooks and lotteries as part of the complete market.
This trend will likely continue to adapt to technology over the next decade. It may take the form of VR gaming, further integration of AI, or casinos focusing on the rise of digital payment options; it could also be a combination of any of these aspects.
However, now that the sector has an appropriate regulatory framework and the number of Canadians accessing online casinos continues to rise, expect to see quick changes and serious growth over the next decade as it begins to take shape in a legal market.
By Julieta Belen Correa
April 21st, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Online casinos in Canada provide something that brick-and-mortar establishments don’t: bonuses. Some land-based casinos offer special treatment, but it’s often reserved for high-rollers.
Online gambling websites have promotions for all types of players. For example, you can check out AllySpin and see that this casino provides bonuses not just for gamblers, but also for bettors. Here’s an important factor: these promotions have wagering requirements.
This article explains with examples what is a wagering requirement and other crucial factors.
What is a Wagering Requirement?
 It’s a term that explains how many times you must wager the bonus amount. Usually, a wagering requirement is a multiplier, like x20, x30, and so on. You must multiply the amount of funds you get by that number.
Suppose you received CAD 200 with a x25 requirement. You must spend CAD 200 x 25 = CAD 5,000. You can use gifted funds and the deposit amount to complete this requirement.
Players can’t withdraw funds without completing this requirement.
Reasons Why Casinos Implement Them
In the past, when online casinos only starting to gain popularity, companies had to compete for the attention of clients. Some users abused this system and kept claiming bonuses without playing at casinos like AllySpin.
That’s why now we have wagering requirements and other conditions. These are all other reasons:
- Prevent cash-outs without playing.
- Guarantee for profitability.
- Encouragement for longer gameplay.
- Balance of promotional attractiveness and risk.
So, wagering requirements are a strategic tool. Promotions attract users, but they can’ just cash out without gambling.
Other Important Aspects
Most promotions have excluded games on the list. This means they won’t contribute to the wagering requirement. Moreover, some games do contribute, but not as much as slot machines.
So, here’s a table with contribution percentages:
| Game type |
Contribution to wagering requirements |
Notes |
| Slots |
100% |
Most bonuses are designed with slot players in mind. |
| Blackjack |
15–25% |
Varies by casino; often lower due to skill element. |
| Video poker |
10% |
Strategic game, so contributes less. |
| Table/card games |
0–10% |
Generally low contribution. |
| Live dealers |
0–10% |
Live games are limited due to higher payout potential. |
You should also understand that all bonuses at casinos like AllySpin have time limits. They start from 48 hours to 30 days. For example, you must wager winnings from free spins within 48 hours.
Tips to Complete Wagering Requirements
 Here’s a list of a few tips that should be helpful:
- Opt for offers with wagering requirements between x20 and x40 for a better chance of complying.
- Games with a higher Return to Player (RTP) percentage are statistically more likely to result in wins. This means you get more funds to wager without additional spending.
- Play low-volatility games for smaller, but more regular winnings. Hgh-volatility games may offer huge wins, but they are rare.
To conclude, you should carefully read and understand the rules. You have a better chance to not prevent overspending when you select bonuses with reasonable requirements, and play games that contribute more.
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By Diana Kharchenko
