Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the rest of Canada, outside of parts of British Columbia, could soon be subjected to a national vacancy tax for the first time, reported Business Vancouver (29 November 2019). The proposed tax was part of the platform of the federal Liberal Party of Canada, which won the October federal election. It is not yet clear whether the new vacancy tax on foreign homeowners would be added on top to B.C.'s Speculation and Vacancy Tax, or whether it would replace it. The B.C. and Ontario foreign buyer taxes shifted the attention of Chinese buyers — the largest group of foreign homebuyers in Canada — from Vancouver and Toronto to other centers, according to Juwai.com, a China-based real estate portal.
