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When shopping for mortgages, you’re likely to come across terms like insured, insurable, and uninsured mortgages. These classifications impact the type of property you can purchase, how much you need for a down payment, and the interest rates available to you. Let’s break down what these terms mean, their requirements, and examples to clarify how…
If you’re a buyer considering purchasing a property for the short-term or a seller looking to sell within the first 730 days of ownership, there’s an important new tax you need to know about. Starting January 1, 2025, the BC Home Flipping Tax will apply to certain property transactions, and it’s important to understand how it…
The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) is now accepting more applications. Implemented in 2023, the program aims to decrease dental costs for Canadians earning less than $90,000 annually. The federal government says the dental plan will help up to nine million uninsured people get the care they need. Applications opened for eligible Canadians ages 18 to 34 on Thursday. The CDCP will expand eligibility even further later this month, on the 29th, for those aged 35 to 54. “The Government of Canada will send letters to Canadian residents aged 18 to 64 who may be eligible to the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP), based on their 2024 adjusted family net income, inviting them to apply,” reads a government notice. “If you (and your spouse or common-law partner, if applicable) have filed your 2024 tax returns and received your notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency, you can apply once applications open up for your age group, even if you haven’t received this letter.” If you’re already covered by the dental care plan, you’ll need to renew for the 2025 to 2026 period before June 1 to avoid a possible gap in coverage. To do this, you must have filed your 2024 tax return and received the notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency. Who qualifies for the Canadian Dental Care Plan? You must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible for the dental care plan: You’re a Canadian resident You don’t have access to dental insurance through your employer, student organization, a family member’s employer benefits, your pension, or a family member’s pension benefits You’ve filed your tax return Your adjusted family net income is less than $90,000 Canadians who are part of their province’s or territory’s dental program can still qualify for the CDCP if they meet all eligibility criteria. What does the CDCP cover? These are some of the dental services it covers: Preventive services, including scaling (cleaning), polishing, sealants, and fluoride Diagnostic services, including examinations and X-rays Restorative services, including fillings Periodontal services, including deep scaling Oral surgery services, including extractions It expanded the services it covers in October to add the following: Complete specialist examinations Crowns Root canal re-treatments Removable partial dentures, overdentures, and immediate dentures Major surgical procedures Moderate sedation, deep sedation, and general anesthesia The government notes that the dental plan does not directly pay eligible members for the cost of dental care services. Even if you’re eligible, you may still have to pay your oral health provider any amount not covered by the CDCP. This article was originally published on May 11, 2025. It has since been updated.
As temperatures start to drop, homeowners make the switch to heating to ensure the home remains comfortable. However, the warm air can often be accompanied by a burning smell that quickly permeates your space. However, there are ways to prevent this odor in the first place and other methods for handling unfamiliar odors, like a musty or electrical burning smell. Use this guide to discover how to prevent the furnace smell when you turn it on for the season, other mysterious furnace smells you might encounter, and when to call a professional. Why Does the Furnace Smell When You First Turn it On? In most cases, when a furnace smells after being turned on for the first time in the season, there’s no need to worry. The smell of burning dust should fade quickly. But, if the smell persists or you notice a different smell from the furnace, it could be due to a serious issue with the HVAC system. Consider these common reasons why the furnace may smell when you first turn it on. Burning dust smells are relatively common when first turning on the furnace for the season. This is typically due to a buildup of dust on the burners, heat exchanger, air ducts, and other heating unit components. Generally, this odor will fade quickly as the thin layer of dust is burned away. Musty odors coming from the furnace usually indicate that there is mold or mildew trapped inside the HVAC system. It may be in the heating unit, the ductwork, the furnace filter, or even the humidifier pad. Electrical burning smells are not normal and should be addressed as soon as possible. Sometimes the smell is due to a foreign object stuck in the ductwork or vents of the HVAC system, but on other occasions, this smell may be due to burned or frayed wiring, or can also be a result of the furnace overheating. Rotten egg scents produced by the furnace are a sign of a gas leak. Since natural gas is odorless, the gas companies add a sulfur-based chemical to give off the distinct odor of rotten eggs as a way of warning homeowners that there is gas in the vicinity. Gas is flammable, putting the home at risk of a fire or an explosion, and it’s also harmful if inhaled, so you should vacate the home immediately. Smoke smells can occur if the exhaust vent is blocked, forcing the combustion exhaust from the furnace to escape into the home. This smell may also be a result of flammable material inside the ductwork, near heating vents, or too close to the furnace. Animal odors are often due to pets. Pet hair and dander are taken into the ducts through the cold air return, where they will remain in the ducts. Every time the furnace turns on, it recirculates pet hair and smells, until you have your ducts professionally cleaned. It’s also not unheard of for a pest to enter the ductwork of the home, where droppings and hair will produce a foul odor when the furnace is turned on. Oil smells can indicate that the filter on the furnace is clogged. This is typically due to a problem with the filter, which can be easily resolved by an experienced DIYer or a professional HVAC tech. Sewage stenches are powerful and off-putting, but can also help identify when there is a problem with the home sewage system. If the furnace starts to smell like sewage when it is first turned on then there may be a broken wastewater line or an open sewer line nearby that will need to be located and repaired. Chemical smells from the furnace should not be ignored. This could indicate that the heat exchanger is broken or not operating properly, which may lead to the release of odorless, invisible carbon monoxide gas; a known risk of gas-based heating systems. How to Prevent the Furnace Smell When You Turn It On Burning Dust Smell While the burning dust smell that comes from the furnace when it is first turned on is relatively harmless, that doesn’t mean you need to just deal with it each year. Instead, you can have the furnace and evaporator coil cleaned by a professional before the cold season begins. DIYers with enough experience and confidence can clean the evaporator coil in a furnace on their own by turning off the furnace, removing the access panel, then gently cleaning the coil with a soft cloth or brush, while being careful to avoid damaging the fins. Wipe down the condensate pan and the surrounding areas, then replace the panel and turn the furnace back on. You should also take this opportunity to replace the air filter, where dust might be trapped from the previous season. If the burning dust smell persists, then it’s recommended to turn off the furnace and contact an HVAC professional to inspect and repair the HVAC system. Musty Odors Musty odors are typically produced by mold and mildew. In some cases, the mold or mildew is attached to dust or other debris, so it burns off relatively quickly, but if the musty odor doesn’t go away, then you should start by replacing or cleaning the air filters. Similarly, you can replace or wash the humidifier pad using a solution of water and vinegar to kill any mold or mildew. However, if the musty odor still
The law calls you and your partner spouses if: If you divorce or separate, there are laws that say how the property and debt of spouses should be divided. The law divides property into: If you were married, you must apply to BC Supreme Court to divide family property or debt no later than two years after you got…
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