A conventional mortgage with 20 percent or more down is not bound to the same 600 floor in the same way, since a lender without mortgage insurance sets its own risk tolerance, which is one reason two buyers with the same score can get different answers from different banks.
Debt ratios matter as much as the score itself. CMHC looks for a gross debt service ratio around 39 percent of income and a total debt service ratio around 44 percent, so a buyer with a strong score but heavy existing debt can still be offered less than expected.
The number that actually gets you approved depends on your whole file, not the score alone, so a review with a mortgage broker before you start touring near Saskatoon's $444,700 benchmark saves time. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.