“Hawkish” refers to a type of monetary policy that favours higher interest rates and less stimulus to restrain economic growth and employment.
If the Bank of Canada has a hawkish stance, it means it wants to make borrowing harder for consumers and businesses, which can decrease spending, demand, and production.
Hawkish monetary policy is the opposite of dovish monetary policy, which favours lower interest rates and more stimulus to lift inflation and economic growth.