THEY'LL BE CUTTING BY HALLOWEEN:

Bank of Canada holds rates unchanged (DAVID PARKINSON, 9/07/06, Globe and Mail)

The Bank of Canada held its overnight rate target steady Wednesday, a non-move widely expected by the markets, and indicated it expects to remain on hold for the foreseeable future.

The central bank maintained its benchmark rate at 4.25 per cent. It was the second straight rate announcement in which the bank held the rate steady, following seven consecutive 25-basis-point increases that began in September 2005. (A basis point is one-hundredth of a percentage point.)

“Looking forward, the bank continues to expect the Canadian economy to operate at about its production potential, with total CPI inflation returning to the 2-per-cent inflation target in the second half of 2007,” the bank said in its statement accompanying the rate announcement.