 By Tom Parkin
November 11th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Fewer employers who skirt workplace safety laws are paying consequences under the Ford PCs, according to data from the Ontario Court of Justice.
But workers continue to pay the price. At least 305 Ontario workers died from workplace injuries or exposures in 2023, the most recent year of settled data from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. That’s an eight per cent increase from 2015, when 283 were killed.
Yet the number of employers who pay any court cost for violating health and safety law has dropped by more than half under the Ford PCs.
In 2015, prosecutors working for the Ministry of Labour brought 2,974 OHSA charges to court. By 2023 it had fallen by half to 1,524.
Workers paying the price for Ford PCs, says OFL
“Doug Ford lowers costs for unsafe employers, and workers are the ones left paying the price – sometimes with their lives,” said Laura Walton, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour.
Under the PCs, not only have OHSA charges dropped by half, but charges against employers for violating the Employment Standards Act have fallen 90 per cent, the Ontario Federation of Labour and Data Shows recently revealed.
The Employment Standards Act (ESA) is intended to protect workers and prosecute employers who commit wage theft, stealing tips or not paying wage premiums, such as vacation pay, holiday pay or overtime rates.
 By Joe Gaetan
November 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Nova Scotia MP Chris d’Entremont resigned from the Conservative caucus to join the Liberals, a move that nudges Prime Minister Mark Carney closer to a majority government.
 Prime Minister Mark Carney and MP Chris d’Entremont. In Canadian politics, this kind of move isn’t new. From time to time, an elected member who ran under one party’s banner decides to “cross the floor.” One side pops the champagne, the other fumes. It’s the political version of a player switching teams mid-season, except the fans who bought the tickets don’t get a refund.
Crossing the floor always comes down to choice. A member can stay loyal to the party they ran for, sit as an independent, or, as d’Entremont just did, join another party altogether. Those who defend the move often say it’s about principle. Maybe the party changed. Maybe the leader lost their confidence. Maybe they believe they can do better somewhere else. Fair enough.
But here is another side to this story that rarely gets airtime: What about the people behind the scenes?
Every election campaign runs on an army of volunteers, ordinary folks who knock on doors in the rain, answer phones after work, deliver and collect lawn signs, and stay up until midnight as scrutineers making sure every vote is counted properly. Then comes election night, the hugs, the cheers, the victory speech, and the thank-you. Everyone there feels part of the winning team.
So when an elected MP decides to cross the floor, it’s not just their party that’s blindsided, it’s the very people who helped put them there. Were they given a heads-up? An explanation? Or did they find out on the evening news, coffee in hand, wondering what all that hard work was really for?
 Politics will always be a mix of principle and pragmatism. This image is the pragmatism angle. Politics will always be a mix of principle and pragmatism. But at the heart of it, what about the lost trust, what about the people who believed in you enough to give you their time, effort, and vote.
Standing up for your values is one thing. But crossing the floor sends a confusing message: are you standing on principle, or simply finding a more comfortable seat?
Maybe it’s time Canada and the Provinces took at a better look at how to handle this. When an MP of MPP, MLA,OR MNA changes teams, voters deserve a say. A simple rule should be: Holding a by-election. This would give constituents the final word. It would restore trust, show respect for the volunteers who made it possible, and remind every elected official who they really work for: us the people, not the party.
By Tom Parkin
November 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
In October, Ontario lost 14,700 full time jobs and total hours worked fell by 20.7 million hours.
Though full-time employment fell by 14,700 jobs in October, Ontario’s unemployment rate dropped 0.2 points to 7.6 per cent due to a large increase in part-time employment, according to Statistics Canada’s October Labour Force Survey, released Friday.
Part-time work increased by 100,400 positions, offsetting the full-time job losses.
The trend to part-time work and a cut in average hours of full-time employees resulted in 20.7 million fewer paid work hours in October.
StatsCan estimated the total hours worked in October was 256.9 million, down from 277.6 million hours in September.
Ontario’s construction sector lost 3,000 more jobs in October, seasonally adjusted. Construction job losses now total 41,000 since an employment peak in 2023.
Despite falling job numbers, the Labourers Union continues to publicly praise the Ford PCs and very activity deflect corruption concerns over management of the government’s $2.5 billion Skills Fund, from which LIUNA has received tens of millions of dollars.
LIUNA representatives have characterized the opposition NDP’s questions about public fund misuse as an attack on workers. LIUNA recently withdrew from the Ontario Federation of Labour after the labour umbrella group raised concern about misappropriation of money intended for worker skills training.
Jobs in retailing rebounded in October after slumping to a 13 month low of 821,000 in September. Jobs rose by 23,000 to 844,300, but October employment in retailing remained the second-lowest over the past years and remains 5,300 jobs below levels of October 2024.
Retail sector employment strength is an indicator of affordability and consumer strength.
By Aria Wilson
October 31st, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Smooth talking and buzzwords just won’t cut it for the upcoming Canadian generation. Until action is taken, we all know the truth—talk is a whole lot cheaper than rent.
 Prime Minister Mark Carney speaking to students at the University of Ottawa. Prime Minister, Mark Carney, delivered a speech at the University of Ottawa last Wednesday detailing the Liberal government’s plan looking to the budget drop on November 4.
As a second-year journalism student living in Canada’s capital, I wanted to feel hopeful about the November 4 budget drop, but these glossed-over promises seemed more like fancy marketing to soothe my generation’s fears than any proof that it’s really possible to conquer them.
At a time more disconnected than ever, it’s important that young Canadians and the Canadian government are on the same page.
“My generation was connected by wires, your’s is connected by code, and yet our society today is becoming ever more disconnected,” Carney said.
 This is not a partisan issue, it’s a generational problem that will shape the future of our nation. This is not a partisan issue, it’s a generational problem that will shape the future of our nation.
Carney spoke at length about the fantastical plans he has for the nation—affordable housing, job opportunities, immigration standards and legislation to make Canada safe, but is he biting off more than he can chew?
Students and young adults are tired of hearing the same promises jumbled around a rephrase machine and spat back out; they’re nothing but a campaign poster slogan until we see real action.
The Trudeau government launched the National Housing Strategy in 2017, a plan that pledged $82 billion to build affordable housing, but between 2015 and 2024 the average house price doubled, making housing feel more like a privilege than a fundamental right.
But housing isn’t supposed to be a privilege. It’s a fundamental right under the National Housing Strategy Act and affirmed by international law.
While former strategies mapped out the building of more homes, it’s clear that the government was not on the same page as young Canadians when it comes to affordability.
The government built homes, just not ones that we young adults could dream of affording any time soon.
Now Carney says he will double construction in half the time, which seems almost too good to be true.
To restore hope in young Canadians is going to take a lot more than just affordability, but efficacy and efficiency. We want to see economic, societal, and environmental change.
 Canadians wondering whether their future careers are secured or being used as a gambling chip. We no longer dream of buying our first house, but of being able to rent an apartment using less than half of our paychecks every month.
It’s difficult to rely on promises of affordability when you’re nineteen and coughing up $1000 a month for a room barely big enough to fall asleep in, let alone dream of a better future.
Carney didn’t neglect environmental concerns in his plans. Investing in cleaner construction done for and by Canadians gives hope to young people like me looking for opportunities in the workforce.
“We will be our own best customer, so the welder who’s working on a contract in St. John’s can get a full-time job,” Carney said.
Unfortunately, it just feels as though students have been asking for more job opportunities for years with very little to show for it. In fact, a 2025 CBC survey found that 40% of newcomer students would consider leaving Canada if given the opportunity.
With the job market being so sparse, this isn’t a question of why people want to leave, but why can’t we seem to generate innovation in Canada?
Luckily, it seems like Carney has some ideas for this as well.
“We used to build things in this country,” he said. “We can build again.”
If this is the case, maybe it’s possible to rebuild the trust and hope young people once had in the Canadian government. With this will come the stronger economy, a larger job market, and new opportunities for Canadians.
Carney says it’s time to take big, bold risks, which leaves young Canadians wondering whether their future careers are secured or being used as a gambling chip.
There’s no doubt that we need change. Maybe big risks are the only way forward, but it’s difficult to feel enthusiastic about these drastic changes being taken on our behalf.
These are huge promises from the Prime Minister, and young Canadians will be watching closely to see if Carney can stay true to his word.
Carney says, “Canada has what the world wants” and if by that he means young Canadians sitting in wait for change he’s absolutely right.
 Aria Wilson is a second year journalism student at Carleton University specializing in Health Sciences and minoring in Neuroscience and Mental Health. She graduated from Nelson High School in 2024, after serving as Student Council President.
At University, she has been a part of the Carleton Journalism Society as the VP of Communications and writes for The Charlatan frequently. She is also an Associate Editor for the Carleton branch of Her Campus.
 By Tom Parkin
October 28th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Almost $1.2 billion in steel and lumber was imported in August even as Canadians paid the price in jobs and gold for Trump’s steep tariffs on saw mill and steel mill workers.
Despite 10 months of Trump and his campaign of economic force against Canada, neither Canada or Ontario has yet put in place “Buy Canada” laws. The federal government has refused to match tariffs. The import of lumber and steel continues.
 Budget due in November will include Buy Canada provisions to come into effect in spring 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney has recently said his budget next month will include Buy Canada provisions to come into effect in spring 2026.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford has yet to signal any timeline for Buy Ontario provisions, though Opposition NDP leader Marit Stiles recently announced her plan to give priority to Ontario-made products
In August, 2025, $945 million in basic and semi-finished iron or steel products were imported into Canada and $217 million in lumber came into our country, according to Statistics Canada’s report on August merchandise trade, released earlier this month.
While the imports continue, Canada is paying the price in workers’ jobs and taxpayer subsidies.
The Canadian government is spending hundreds of millions to keep steel mills afloat and has recently vowed to accelerate saw mill access to $1.2 billion subsidy fund.
Meanwhile, saw mills close in Ear Fall, Ontario, and go on temporary idle in Atitokan and Ignace, Ontario.
 When a sawmill shuts down – it is very hard to reopen. A failure to defend industries at this key moment can result in closures impossible to recover from. When plants are closed and equipment torn out and sold, the jobs rarely come back. Many Canadian communities will rust if Trump’s economic force leaves Canada exporting logs rather than lumber or minerals rather than steel.
If Canada allows Trump to crush value-adding industries, Canadians, who live on a land of forests and minerals, will become dependent on imported lumber and steel.
 By Pepper Parr
October 15th,2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
City Council killed the current iteration of Sound of Music; a musical festival that entertained millions during the decades; they put on a great show that was free.
When it was evident that the city was going to put the boots to the ask submitted by the Sound of Music (give us more money and forgive our debts) I was a bit surprised when the city said they would put out a Request for Expressions of Interest; first thing that came to mind was: Is the fix already in?
In a media release, the city announced that:
 The City of Burlington is taking steps to ensure that a community-focused music festival remains part of Burlington’s waterfront experience. In the coming weeks, the City will issue an Expression of Interest (EOI) inviting event organizers to deliver a refreshed festival at Spencer Smith Park beginning in 2026 — one that continues to bring people together while reflecting the evolving needs and values of our community.
This next step is about renewal and continuity — building on a long-standing tradition while ensuring future events are inclusive, sustainable, and reflective of Burlington’s priorities. The City’s goal is to see a waterfront music festival continue to thrive in a way that evolves with the community and continues to bring people together for years to come.
The city put out a survey – the usual and expected questions were asked. The city said the feedback will play a vital role in shaping the future of music programming in Burlington and ensuring it continues to celebrate community, creativity, and connection.
To complete the survey, visit GetInvolvedBurlington.ca/MusicFestival. The survey will be open until Nov. 17, 2025.
The lingering question for me was: Who is there out there that could pull together a decent event for June of 2026 – eight months away?
If you think about it – and there are people both on Council and within the community, who have done a lot of thinking about this. While the EOI has yet to be released, there are people already talking to people about who could do what.
Does whoever comes forward have to be a not-for-profit? It would have more flexibility if it were an Ontario Business Corporation.
If there were experienced business people holding the equity, expect much better business decisions. People with money are not in the habit of losing money.
The Sound of Music was always terrible at governance.
Deciding if the city is going to do business with a new organization is not something the public should expect anything in the way of public engagement.
My take: The fix is already in.
By Tom Parkin
October 15th,2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Unemployment is up in Canada, most sharply in Ontario, where joblessness has gone from 5.1 per cent to 7.9 per cent over the past 39 months.
At a moment when working families need a job creation plan to kick-start a struggling economy, federal Conservatives leader Pierre Poilievre is diverting people’s attention to the scapegoats historically used by conservatives to protect the status quo.
Poilievre is complaining about immigrants taking jobs.
Poilievre has recently called for expelling temporary foreign workers. Many temporary foreign worker programs were built to suppress wages. But Poilievre opportunistically hides behind that injustice, one conservative governments never cared about before, as he tries to conflate a demand to end an exploitative wage program with a push to expel immigrant workers.
And notice this is not a job creation plan. It’s a depopulation plan. It’s a claim that kicking out one working person will free up a job for someone else. But economics just doesn’t work that way — and if Poilievre doesn’t know it, he has smart people around him who do. They just doesn’t care.
Economists can explain the theory of why depopulation is a doomed economic policy. In short, it’s less people working and less people consuming. Depopulation shrinks GDP. Shrinking GDP kills jobs.
But the best explanations are from evidence. And right now, as Poilievre blames immigration for unemployment, the fact is Canada has had near-zero population growth for the past year — even as unemployment rises.
Statistics Canada estimates Canada’s population increased by only 389,000 people from July 31, 2024 to July 31, 2025. On a population of about 41.5 million, that’s less than one per cent annual growth. It’s like watching the population of a room increasing from 100 to 101 — over a year. It’s no change.
But though population has almost ceased, unemployment continues its climb.
Poilievre’s claim has the benefit of getting him off the hook for having not much of a job creation plan. And it helpfully gives permission to the small group of outright racists to push their race-war agenda under the pointy-hooded guise of Poilievre’s legitimate-sounding argument. Great job, Pierre, I’m sure they appreciate it.
But surely last weekend we all discussed our thanks for being in Canada — and not on the United States where division pushed by the president and his corrupt billionaire friends have everyone wondering whether the mid-term 2026 elections will even happen. Or when confrontations with hooded ICE agents will trigger mass violence. Or if what’s coming are even more catastrophic outcomes that lie on the trajectory they are travelling.
Emotions are running high in America, and when that starts, it doesn’t matter what the facts say. You can’t argue facts against a feeling. And that’s something to consider as we try to stop Canadians from getting swept into U.S. political currents.
Yes, the fact is Canada’s population growth is non-existent. That it may even show negative growth in Q4 2025. That we have controlled boarders. They we have processes to determine asylum cases from those that are not. That claims of “mass immigration” or “mass migration” are completely manufactured fantastical nonsense.
But the feelings don’t stop — not even in the people who may not feel happy or proud about having them. But they still do have them.
For us in Canada, our ability to resist being drawn into the MAGA nightmare rests heavily on developing feelings that displace the MAGA emotion, ones that instead build social solidarity.
Against those in Canada who pit worker against worker using zero-sum stories, pressing political leaders for their plan for job creation and renewed economic growth may be an important project of unity in diversity, of building feelings that we are all together in defending jobs and Canada.
 By Gazette Staff
October 11th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Susan Delacourt, a columnist with the Toronto Star did a piece that has to be widely shared.
She asked: “… is the perfect time to ask what kind of friend the United States is to us now, or even if it’s a friend at all. Do real friends ask us to shut up and accept what’s being hurled in our direction — no matter what — with a smile? Is it real friendship when it has to be constantly couched in flattery and genuflection?
 U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: He was clearly talking with Trump’s consent. Lutnick was the president and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald, a a global financial services firm that had offices on the 101st and 105th floors of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He invested significantly in technology, establishing an electronic trading platform. In the September 11 attacks, Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees, including Howard’s brother, Gary. Lutnick decided to no longer pay salaries to families of deceased employees after the tower collapsed.. Several days before the column appeared U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick offered Canadians a glimpse into what this U.S. administration expects of this country, and it also could be summed up as: shut up and smile through whatever Trump is throwing this way.
Although Lutnick had been hoping his remarks would remain private, he was talking to a roomful of chatty people and the Star managed quickly to confirm his provocative words as they reverberated through the corridors of the conference.
“America is first, and Canada can be second,” Lutnick said at one point, also advising that this country should be braced to see its auto industry migrate south. Moreover, he said, Canada should just get used to the idea that the trade relationship of the past three decades is over.
“If you look at it where Canada was to where it will be, you’ll be disappointed.”
That, in sum, is where the Canada-U.S. relationship stands now under Trump — in an existential struggle to define how to manage what feels like an affront to the professional and the personal. It’s about where to draw the line.
Even Trump acknowledged that this line is in flux when he was sitting with Carney in the Oval Office. “It’s a complicated agreement, more complicated maybe than any other agreement we have, on trade because, you know, we have natural conflict,” he said. “We also have mutual love.”
 “I wore red for you,” “I wore red for you,” Carney told Trump at the White House.
For a man of Mark Carney’s stature to have to make a comment like that has to be humiliating, unless it is part of a strategy.
At a conference the day after the White House visit Carney repeatedly returned to this whole business of how Canada can be a friend and a business competitor to Trump’s America.
“We also understand it’s America first, not America alone. So the question is where does it go from there?”
“Nostalgia isn’t a strategy. Our relationship will never again be what it was. In terms of that aspect of it, that’s and that’s not a criticism,” he said. “It doesn’t lessen the ties between us as a people,” the prime minister said, but it does alter the economic ties, irreversibly.
That’s a pretty shaky ground on which to navigate a personal or a professional relationship, no matter what business you’re in, let alone the colossal and complicated ties between Canada and the United States. The audience at the Canada-U.S. summit was all ears when any speaker gave them glimpses into how Trump works. Little wonder. It’s ever-shifting terrain.
All over the country this weekend, Canadians will be sitting down with friends and family for Thanksgiving dinner. As often happens when people gather around the table, the conversation may take an unexpected turn. Someone may say something outrageous. Some may realize that a relationship they thought of one way has changed, maybe for the worse, maybe for the better. People will weigh whether to say things out loud or opt for diplomatic silence.
 Susan Delacourt, currently a 10-year veteran with the Toronto Star has worked for the National Post, a columnist and feature writer at the Ottawa Citizen and, for sixteen years, a parliamentary correspondent and editorial board member of The Globe and Mail. She is a graduate the University of Western Ontario (1982, majoring in Political Science). She is also a Masters student in the School of Political Studies at Carleton University. This week in Canada-U.S. relations has very much been an exercise in that same realm, unfolding in front of us at the top levels — Trump and Carney in Washington; top business leaders and players on the field of politics between the two nations, absorbing it all at the summit in Toronto.
It all comes back to one man — Trump, who reportedly just wants to make friends. But Canadians at all levels are asking whether the friendship even works any more and more importantly, what it is going to cost this country.
By Tom Parkin
October 10th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
It will be pretty hard for Ontario PC Premier Doug Ford to today distract from 47,000 fewer jobs in Ontario in September, but he’ll come up with something. Or maybe hide until he makes his Thanksgiving pumpkin pie video.
 Opposition NDP leader Marit Stiles has routinely pivoted from Ford’s distractions to his jobs record. Ford has been under opposition attack for having no jobs plan despite an unemployment rate that has been on a steady rise since spring 2023. Opposition NDP leader Marit Stiles has routinely pivoted from Ford’s distractions to his jobs record, which has seen 172,000 jobs disappear in the past three months.
Stiles has also seized on recent comments from Ford when he told an elite downtown Toronto business luncheon club that workers just need to “look harder” to find a job.
 A classic Ford distraction. The premier has fought back by pouring out whiskey bottles, doing ice cream photo ops, reviving his fantasy tunnel plan, and picking a fight with municipalities over speed cameras, a tactic that seems to be backfiring. Ford has done everything but acknowledge the province has a severe jobs problem and workers are paying the price for no job creation strategy.
Ontario’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 7.9 per cent in September. While some may try to divert the discussion to Trump’s tariffs or immigrants taking jobs, neither fits the data.
Ontario’s unemployment rate has been steadily rising for more than two years, long before Trump’s election. And it now continues to rise even as Ontario’s population barely even rises, adding only 10,000 people over age 15 in September after adding just 7,000 people in August. Those are increases of just 0.07 and 0.06 per cent, respectively. Ontario’s total population increase thus far in Ontario has been just 0.77 per cent. Ontario’s population has essentially stopped growing this year.
Diversions aside, the problem is in Ontario’s sick economy, which has been hit by manufacturing and construction job losses. Two of eight Ontario vehicle assembly plants have not build a vehicle since 2023. And construction is down from the 2022 housing bubble bust. Those trends and a have rippled into the service economy, especially retail jobs as consumers pull back. And it’s all been deepened by Trump’s tariffs and a mood of malaise.
Ontario’s jobs gloom is showing up in the labour participation rate, the percentage of people 15 years or older who are employed or looking for work. In September a seasonally-adjusted 64.8 per cent of Ontarians were participating in the labour market, down from 66.0 per cent in April 2023.
In September, construction was down by 51,000 jobs since the peak in July 2023 and down 32,000 jobs since the same month in 2023.
In manufacturing, 44,000 jobs have been lost since its peak in July 2023 and down 7,000 jobs from the same month in 2023.
Retail jobs have nosedived, dropping 98,000 jobs since June, after finally climbing back above a jobs peak set back in May 2022, the month after the Bank of Canada raised interest rates from historic lows, busting the real estate bubble.
By: Joseph A. Gaetan BGS
September 29th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
I no longer delegate or comment directly on the Burlington municipal budget. Not because I lack interest, but because the process has become predictable. Council listens politely, then proceeds as they intended. For this taxpayer, very frustrating — and it raises deeper questions about accountability.
Having been a Condominium Board Director and Treasurer for 10 years I can attest to the fact that under Ontario’s Condominium Act, 1998, a condo board operates with a much higher standard of stewardship. A Board cannot simply add significant new expenses. Section 97 requires them to notify owners, allow for a meeting if requisitioned, and in some cases obtain a two-thirds vote of approval. As an example, if the cost of a change is greater than 10% of the annual budgeted common expenses, it is automatically considered a “significant change.”
 If condo rules applied to municipalities, the development of this site would have had much more public involvement. Still not a firm date on when the project will be completed. Example:
If the corporation’s annual budget = $1,000,000
Any change costing over $100,000, triggers the significant change process. This means the board cannot approve the project on its own – it must notify owners, and in some cases, call a meeting and hold a vote.
Reserve funds are tightly regulated, supported by professional studies, and restricted to major repairs and replacements. Owners are not just consulted; they are formally protected.
By contrast, the Municipal Act gives councils broad latitude. Councils can create or draw from reserves, introduce new programs, and make spending decisions entirely within the annual budget process. While municipalities do consult, the statutory framework does not provide the same direct safeguards that the Condominium Act requires for unit owners. Yet taxpayers contribute far more each year in property taxes than most pay in condo fees.
This imbalance is hard to justify. If stewardship of a condominium’s budget and reserve funds requires statutory guardrails, why not municipal finances? Both involve compulsory contributions. Both are meant to preserve shared assets and services. And both deserve protection from short- term decision-making.
It is time for the province to strengthen the Municipal Act by borrowing from the Condominium Act’s best practices:
Require thresholds that trigger direct taxpayer approval for substantial new spending. Restrict reserve funds to their intended purposes, with clear rules against diversion.
Municipal councils will always need flexibility. But flexibility without stewardship risks eroding public trust. Adopting condominium-style safeguards would restore confidence that taxpayer dollars are managed with the same care, discipline, and transparency already required of condo boards.
 Joseph A. Gaetan is a Burlington resident who comments frequently on municipal matters. He has been wise enough to refrain from thinking about elected office.
 By Joseph Gaetan, Bsc
September 28th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
By any fair measure, the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD) saga has left our community shaken. Parents, athletes, and residents have watched a respected club—one that has served Burlington for decades—pushed aside in a process that raises more questions than answers.
Until now, it was right that Council respected procurement protocols and did not wade in. Rules exist to prevent elected officials from interfering with active bidding processes. But the procurement phase is over, and with it, the firewall that shielded staff decisions from political scrutiny. What remains is not just a contract, but a matter of public trust.
A Timeline That Demands Scrutiny
The Gazette has laid out a troubling timeline. From March to June, BAD followed the rules, submitted documents in good faith, and even provided a legal opinion to support its standing. Yet on June 25, after 5:00 p.m., the club was told it was rejected on a technicality over a document that does not exist in Ontario law. Hours later, GHAC was elevated to the status of “successful bidder.” Days later, the City had to quietly change its press release to account for GHAC’s failure to meet the 85% Burlington residency threshold.
These are not trivial details. They are red flags.
The Stakes for the Community
The most painful part of this story is not buried in policy—it is visible in the faces of the young swimmers who came to Council chambers. BAD has 400 members and 100 more on a waiting list. GHAC, by contrast, is still building its Burlington base. This is not a transition of equals. It is, as one councillor bluntly put it, a zero-sum game. Children will lose opportunities. Families will face higher fees. Burlington risks losing a legacy program that has carried our city’s name across the country.
Why an Audit is the Right Next Step
 The allocation of swimming pool time touches on governance, fairness, and whether Burlington families can trust the City to act in their best interests. Councillor Lisa Kearns’ per the Gazette, has expressed an intention to request an independent audit of the procurement process. This is not interference—it is accountability. An audit would examine whether staff applied the rules in good faith, whether the process aligned with best practices.
This above all is a matter of public interest because it touches on more than pool time. It touches on governance, fairness, and whether Burlington families can trust the City to act in their best interests.
Council’s Duty
No one is suggesting that procurement staff acted with malice. But the appearance of inconsistency, combined with shifting explanations, is enough to warrant a thorough and independent review. Council owes it to the public to ensure that this decision—and any future ones—are beyond reproach.
In the end, this is about restoring trust. Council was right not to interfere while the process was live. After many months BAD and the public is still asking questions. An audit is the only way to answer that.
 By Ray Rivers
September 25th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
We laugh with a comedian and laugh at a clown but there is nothing funny about a fool.
Ontario’s premier Ford has flip-flopped on speed cameras. Perhaps one of his family or friends got a ticket? In all fairness there have been rumours of abuse – people claiming they were billed $100 for going 3 kms over the limit. But rather than fix that abuse, he’s decided to throw the baby out with the bathwater and just ban municipal speed cameras all together.
 Speed Cameras: They are resource efficient, indisputably accurate, corruption-proof, and non-invasive, – People who know speed will tell you that cameras work. They are resource efficient, indisputably accurate, corruption-proof, and non-invasive, – only the license plate appears on the ticket. Your ticket doesn’t affect your driving record, only your pocket book.
To defend the ban Ford is claiming speed cameras don’t work – in the face of ample evidence that they do, slowing traffic by almost 50% in one study. His solution is to pepper our city streets with even more of those dreaded speed bumps. You know the ones that can blow out your shocks, scrape your car’s undercarriage and exhaust system and so on. So you’ll pay for speeding one way or another it seems – a speeding ticket or a car repair.
And what about life saving fire-engines and ambulances which will now have to slow down as they bounce over miles of these new Ford bumps. Of course Hamilton with the worst roads in Ontario is well ahead of Mr. Ford’s new policy because pot holes the size of giant Halloween pumpkins work just as well. Speed bumps may be called traffic calming. They are anything but calming – I bounce over these obstructions in getting to where I want to be.
And since speed bumps slow traffic on city streets, don’t be surprised if the genius running this province decides to place them on highways as well. After all, that is where most fatalities actually happen. Ironically, Mr. Ford normally seems to want us to drive faster. He’s been taking out bike lanes, building new highways, increasing speed limits – so one has to wonder what is driving Ford.
 How pouring prime Canadian whiskey on the ground protects Ontario is hard to understand. Colbert and Kimmel are comedians and Doug Ford’s brother Rob was an unfortunate clown. But Doug Ford, still the most popular Ontario political leader, is just a fool when it comes to speed cameras. So what does that make the rest of us?
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Ford Popular Speed Cameras Camera’s Work 45% Reduction How They Work Speed Bump Damage
 By Ray Rivers
September 20th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
After Dalton McGuinty was elected in 2003, one of the first things his government did was to develop Canadian/Ontario-made renewable energy. Solar systems were as much as 80% Canadian made. Canadian Solar, a private company established in 2001 became a global leader in renewable energy, and still is today.
 There are thousands of small solar panel installations like this across the province – they work very well and in many cases provide revenue for the owners. The solar panels for Ontario’s systems were manufactured largely by Canadian Solar in Guelph Ontario and the steel frames were locally sourced. Unfortunately McGuinty was accused of breaking international trade rules by demanding in-province manufacturing. The Harper government, who never supported renewable energy, presumably pressured McGuinty to discard his buy Ontario policies as violating GATT international trading rules (General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs).
Some twenty years later, GATT and it’s successor WTO (World Trade Organization) have become a sad joke. The so-called leader of the free world imposed tariffs and other trade restrictions willy-nilly to suit his mood of the day. He imposed 50% tariffs on everything Brazilian because his buddy there had been convicted for trying to stage a coup – ironically what Trump is alleged to have attempted on January 6th 2001.
 Canadian steel mills are among the best in the world. Keeping them alive is a critical part of realigning the Canadian economy. So Canada’s new prime minister is pushing ahead with a broad-based buy Canada policy. The steel industry hopes that this could move Canadian content of their products to 80% from its current 30% and help offset Trump’s whacking big steel tariffs. Carney is hoping for the buy Canadian policies to be in place by next year at the latest.
 The true story behind this photograph is yet to become public. Prime Minister Mark Carney with Chrystia Freeland as she ends her political career. Her memoirs should be fascinating. But a good place to start would be cancelling the loan the federal infrastructure bank is giving the BC government to purchase four Chinese built ferries. Shame on Premier Eby for not getting the message. He was one of the loudest critics of Trump’s tariffs yet allowed BC ferries to develop an acquisition tender which effectively excluded Canadian ship builders. There is an email trail indicating that Chrystia had almost gone almost postal with rage about the Chinese aspect of this project. Perhaps that why she thought it a good time to leave.
No premier made more noise about against the tariffs than Ontario’s Doug Ford. But his highest priority has long been to build an American led mini-nuclear facility. And once built it will require a steady diet of imported American enriched nuclear fuel for its twenty or thirty year life cycle. That is if it even lasts that long. It is first off the block with untested technology and expected to generate more nuclear waste than the current Candu reactors. No other nation is interested in this kind of reactor- why is Ford?
 Doug Ford’s highest priority has long been to build an American-led mini-nuclear facility. And this experiment will take longer to get into production and will cost an estimated two to eight times more per kWh than the renewable wind and solar Ford killed in his first term. So one has to wonder why Mark Carney would even allow this pig of a project to make into the first five major projects for consideration under Bill C5.
Perhaps Carney is catering to these premiers just in the interests of keeping them onside. I mean they talk a good story about buying Canadian but are full of it when it comes to walking the talk, Still, sucking up to these hypocrites may keep Carney in their favour for the short run but risks destroying his credibility and our national unity in the longer term. Just tell them no!
 Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background links:
Big Five Projects Canadian Solar BC Ferries Eby Complaint Ford’s Folly –
By Pepper Parr
September 17th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
OPINION
At some point, one hopes, City Council will begin focusing on the concerns and issues of the people that Live, Play and Work in Burlington.
Right now the mistakes and the downright incompetence that surrounds the allocation of limited swimming pool capacity in the city is hurting people.
 Burlington Aquatic Devilrays (BAD), a swimming club that has operated for 40 years, could be close to ending its existence.
It’s membership has plummeted – because the swimming pool space they used to have is no longer available to them.
Pool time has been given to an organization that operates in Hamilton, Waterdown, Dundas, Ancaster, and Stoney Creek.
Mayor Meed Ward and Councillors Galbraith, Kearns, Nisan, Stolte, Sharman and Bentivegna have gone mute. They are hiding behind the argument that Council has no business sticking its nose in procurement matters.
They have muzzled the President of the club.
Some have concerns about the quality of the management of BAD – in our conversations with that organization, we’ve seen nothing that is of serious concern. Keeping everyone happy is not as simple as it sounds.
Councillor Kearns has said she will ask Council to do an audit of the procedure that was followed in the allocation of swimming pool space. For a number of reasons that don’t make all that much sense, what some people thought was going to take place in September has been moved to October. There is no certainty that it will actually happen, and that would be unfortunate.
The people in Burlington who put in hours of volunteer time to run a swimming club are going to have to pressure City Council to reverse the decision that was made by the department that handles procurement matters. Council is in place to represent the needs and wishes of its citizens.
They need to be told to do the job they were hired to do.
By Tom Parkin
September 16th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
 Beating Doug Ford’s communications strategy will require some tough message discipline from the Ontario NDP, starting with setting the story.
On most tested issues, large majorities of Ontarians give poor marks to the Doug Ford PCs, but 45 per cent say they would vote PC anyway, according to an Angus Reid poll released Friday.
 The bottom 12 are pocketbook issues – Ford doesn’t rate well in any of them. That group who rate the PCs poorly yet support them electorally is the mysterious key to Doug Ford’s continuation as Ontario premier.
Unravelling that mystery is the opposition’s central challenge, and that job now falls to Marit Stiles and her Ontario NDP after the Ontario Liberals’ implosion at their weekend convention.
Until yesterday the Ford PCs had the advantage of being able to pick their preferred competitor between two opponents. The PCs picked Crombie and spent heavily on advertising, driving up her negatives, greatly increasing awareness of her, and driving the narrative, eagerly encouraged by the Toronto Sun and key Toronto Star writers, that Crombie’s Liberals were the main threat to the PC Party.
As an opponent, Crombie offered three things: few ideological reasons to prefer her over him; high negatives the PCs could drive higher; and the Liberals’ horrible vote inefficiency.
Framing Ontario politics as a choice between Ford and Crombie goes some way to explaining how only 27 per cent believe Ontario is on the right track but 45 per cent would vote for the PC party, according to Angus Reid.
 Marit Stiles now has a second chance to tackle the root problem, which is Ford’s media dominance. The Liberals’ disarray will at least temporarily disrupt the presumption that the main threat to the PCs comes from the Ontario Liberals, allowing the NDP’s Stiles a new chance to redefine the Ontario political narrative, with herself in the role of main protagonist against Doug Ford.
But it won’t be easy. The end of Ford’s ability to pick his preferred competitor is no guarantee Stiles can cast herself in the key role opposite Ford. It is possible Ford can continue as an unopposed political force in a unipolar media environment.
Ford floods the media zone with opinionated comment, often on issues not in his bailiwick. But whether he is excusing vandalism of municipal speed-check machines, asking the federal government for U.S.-style “castle laws,” or attacking a school board trustee in Tiny Township, Doug Ford dominates as a news source.
As a result, only four per cent can’t state an opinion of Doug Ford while 36 per cent don’t know enough about Stiles to make a judgement, according to Angus Reid.
But Stiles’ low voter awareness is a symptom, which is why a previous attempt to fix it with a name recognition advertising campaign did not work. Stiles now has a second chance to tackle the root problem, which is Ford’s media dominance.
In the United States, debate over how to counter a flood-the-zone strategy has taken several directions. Some focus on the strategy’s ability to sensationalize media, and put an emphasis on — oh so gently, of course — reminding some reporters that journalism is a lot more than writing down the comments of government leaders or dressing up planted partisan gossip as accidental information leaks.
Another direction, recently used with some success by California Governor Gavin Newsom, has been to troll the absurdity and inanity frequently deployed to keep the zone fully flooded.
And there is redirection. Flooding the zone generates white noise and redirects media and voters to minor themes, obscuring the big story.
A counter-tactic of pivoting from the latest distraction to the big story could put Ford on the defence and create policy contrast opportunities. But the challenge is being able to articulate the One Big Story. The U.S. Democrats, in their leaderless ideological and policy incoherence, have been unable to rally around one story.
 Nothing strategic in this stunt. Basically all Ford has is stunt after stunt. Uniting around the big story takes research, personal-political work, fieldwork and discipline. There’s a lot to be done and though the Liberals are in shambles now, they will come back if the opportunity is open long.
Angus Reid’s data points to one pillar of strength for the Ford PCs. Among the 15 issues tested, only on the province’s relationship with Ottawa do a majority find the Ford PCs have done a good job.
But if a good relationship simply means not fighting with Ottawa, perhaps Ford is only getting over a low-set bar and expectations should be raised.
This spring Prime Minister Carney asked premiers to recommend nation-building projects. Doug Ford’s response was poor for Ontarians and a bit offensive to Carney’s offer.
Ford requested federal help building his fantasy tunnel under highway 401, a silly idea that made Carney’s entire nation-building concept look dumb. And while developing the Ring of Fire is important, Ford pushing it on the feds after seven years of making zero progress is throwing his mess onto Ottawa’s lap. It’s actually quite disrespectful.
A better provincial partner would seek federal help on a plan to revive Ontario’s industrial base in a province where 800,000 Ontarians are now jobless. But Ford doesn’t appear to believe there’s a jobs problem, judging from his recent comments blaming unemployed workers for their unemployment. So Ontario has no plan to revive the manufacturing sector.
 Tell the big story about what’s wrong with Ontario. A stronger Ontario partner with a plan to strengthen manufacturing innovation, productivity and investment could ask for federal policy co-ordination to bolster its effectiveness. But there is no plan and Ottawa can’t co-ordinate with a plan that doesn’t exist.
A better partner that wants to keep forward momentum on health care might also seek to sign a pharmacare deal with Ottawa, an idea the Ford PCs have let drop. Four other jurisdictions have signed deals which financially help individuals and businesses while expending coverage.
Kicking down the one strong pillar of Ford’s support might be easier than thought and could combine well with an effort to tell the big story about what’s wrong with Ontario, and why it doesn’t get fixed. Doug Ford should figure prominently in that story because he does.
By Richard Warnica, Toronto Star
September 12th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Charlie Kirk, one of the most influential organizers and activists in American right-wing politics, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah. I probably didn’t need to tell you that. If you’re reading this, you likely know the details already: of the shooting and the backlash; of the manhunt (such as it was. The police didn’t catch the shooter. His dad turned him in); and the fiery and largely pointless online debates about who has and has not condemned whom with enough clarity and zeal.
As I typed this Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump had just finished telling Fox News that authorities had a suspect in custody. As I finished the piece, that suspect was identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident. Police apparently found both fired and unfired bullets tied to Robinson’s gun engraved with messages that all seemed less ideological than just deeply online: “Hey fascist! Catch!”; “If you read this, you are gay LMAO;” and, in a reference to an obscure meme, “Notices Bulges, OwO.”
By the time you read this, we may know more about Robinson’s background and motivations. But based on past experience, I don’t expect those details, no matter what they reveal, to change much about the debate over Kirk’s killing.
 Charlie Kirk: “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” If there’s one thing America has proved again and again, it’s that no shooting, no matter how deadly or high profile, ever changes much of anything. In the U.S., gun murders are part of the fabric, not just of school life and work life, but of political life too. Kirk himself knew that. He considered gun deaths part of the grand American bargain. “I think it’s worth it,” he said in 2023. “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.”
Nothing changed in America after a depressed student murdered 32 classmates at Virginia Tech university in 2007. Nothing changed after 26 children were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary. Nothing changed after Dylann Roof murdered nine Black parishioners at Emanuel Methodist Church. Nothing changed after James T. Hodgkinson shot up a Congressional baseball practice. Nothing changed after Vance Boelter murdered Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband this summer.
Trump held a parade the day Hortman died. I was there. He didn’t even mention her name.
So no, I don’t think Kirk’s murder will be an inflection point in American history. I don’t think it will lead to any actual changes, at least not the kind that would result in fewer gun deaths or less violence in America. I was in Milwaukee, at the Republican National Convention, days after Trump himself was shot and nearly killed at a rally in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2024. I remember all the columns and punditry about how everything had changed, how he had changed, how the race had changed, how politics must change.
Nothing changed. Two weeks later, it was barely a story.
 By Tom Parkin
September 5th, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Housing costs skyrocketed on low mortgage rates. But some blame immigrants, and it’s mostly partisan hackery.
Housing price surge came during low in-migration period
Average benchmark GTA house price with inflow of immigrant and non-permanent residents
No matter how much the facts show they are wrong, some people won’t stop blaming immigration for the cost of housing.
No doubt some of it is driven by anti-immigrant sentiment. But it often just seems to be sheer partisan hackery. Since immigration is a federal responsibility, blaming the housing price surge on in-migration puts the blame solely on former prime minister Justin Trudeau. As a bonus it neatly exonerates any Conservative premiers.
But the data is crystal clear. The immigrant theory of the housing price surge is flat-out wrong. Unless effects can come before their causes.
Prices surged while in-migration hit historic lows; they fell as in-migration increased
Our chart above shows the surge in housing prices started Q1 2020 and ended Q1 2022. Prices rose fastest in the Greater Toronto Area, up 53 per cent in 23 months, creating space for rents to rise behind them. Since Q1 2022, when the boom went bust, prices have fallen almost 24 per cent.
So if the immigration theory is right, high in-migration would be associated with rising prices while low in-migration would be associated with falling prices. But that’s exactly opposite what happened.
In Q1 2020, as prices began their surge, flows of immigrants and non-permanent residents fell to lows not seen for years (see chart below). This was the time of COVID restrictions. In Q3 2020, in-migration even went negative as a net 67,000 non-permanent residents left Canada and only 9,000 immigrants entered. Contrary to the “immigration caused it” theory, prices surged when in-migration was historically low.
In-migration moved above the historic trendline in Q1 2022. But house prices that quarter didn’t increase, as the immigration theory would predict. They fell. And contrary to the immigration theory, as in-migration increased to a peak in Q3 2023, house prices kept falling.
The immigration theory of the housing crisis is a totally false narrative, probably invented for partisan gain, though the Trumpian deportation urge no doubt also plays a role.
Causality 101: causes come before effects, not after
Some people are so committed to their partisan or anti-immigrant bias they will look at this data and still declare in-migration caused the price spike that preceded it.
Actually, they won’t. If they started reading this post they stopped long ago, the moment they realized it didn’t confirm their bias. All the facts and data in the world will never change instrumentally-geared minds. And there’s always a pandering politician waiting to tell them they’re right and the facts are wrong.
But for those who like causes to precede effects, the below chart goes a lot further in explaining what happened, though other factors, including government action and inaction, played a role.
A $600,000 mortgage amortizing over 25 years at 5.5 per cent interest cost over $3,600 a month. At 2.0 per cent — a rate commonly available from 2020 to 2022 — the cost of that same mortgage was just over $2,500 a month. Suddenly, a lot of people qualified for a mortgage that could buy a house, setting off a buying frenzy.
And maybe it’s just another very wild coincidence, but the very month the 0.25 per cent rates ended with rate hikes, the boom went bust. Odd, that.
House price surged during 0.25% rate, fell on rate hikes
By Ray Rivers
September 2, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Mark Carney never actually promised that he’d get rid of Trump’s tariffs. He said he’d deal with Trump and build Canada-strong but he knew that Trump was determined to apply tariffs on all of America’s trading partners. And Carney has conceded that some level of American tariffs on Canadian goods and services is inevitable.
He also knows that coping with this massive trade disruption we’re experiencing is going to be challenging. And it may be even worse next year. The USMCA agreement which still allows Canada to export most goods tariff-free expires next year. And given the US president’s feelings about tariff-free trade, the chances of a renewal are slim.
The choice of re-building our economy or becoming the 51st state. So it is up to us to reinvent the Canadian economy, turning the clock back to a time when Canada was largely self sufficient in how we earned our livelihood. Those would be the days we made things like white goods, guitars and pianos, textiles and leather clothing. Those were the days before we allowed Brian Mulroney and subsequent political leaders to sell us out to the Americans. And now we face the inevitable – the choice of re-building our economy or become the 51st state. There was a reason why Trump used that phrase.
If tariffs are good for big economies, like the USA, they are even more important for the sustainability and perseverance of their smaller neighbours, like Canada. In fact, as Mr. Trump will find out eventually, big economies benefit even more from greater access to international markets. But that door is rapidly closing for him as he alienates his allies and friends,
 Realigning the Canadian economy is going to take time. We will be a stronger, more independent nation. Carney’s decision to take down most of the retaliatory tariffs is a recognition that, with a few exceptions, they dampen economic activity in the short run. It’ll take time for the result of policies geared towards import substitution to kick in. In the meantime Carney’s job is to stick-handle the economy and the tenuous relationship he has with Mr. Trump.
Leader of the opposition, Mr. Poilievre, has voiced his concern that it looks like retreat. And our PM has made significant concessions to American negotiators in the hope of getting a deal in Canada’s favour. His plan is to cooperate rather than resist. But the puck is still on the ice. Elbows up.
Ray Rivers, a Gazette Contributing Editor, writes regularly applying his more than 25 years as a federal bureaucrat to his thinking. Rivers was once a candidate for provincial office in Burlington. He was the founder of the Burlington citizen committee on sustainability at a time when climate warming was a hotly debated subject. Ray has a post graduate degree in economics that he earned at the University of Ottawa. Tweet @rayzrivers
Background link:
Carney
August 22nd, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Economists with RBC are sounding the alarm on a housing construction slowdown that could hit Ontario far earlier than expected.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released new housing starts data this week, and, on the surface, there was something of a rosy tone. The government agency reported that the seasonally-adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of housing starts edged up 4% in July to 294,085 units, marking the highest level of starts since September 2022.
That would give you the impression that starts, defined as the moment the foundation on a new build has been poured, are on a good trajectory, however, it’s more indicative of development intention from the past. As stated by CMHC’s Deputy Chief Economist Tania Bourassa-Ochoa in a press release from Monday, the “persistently elevated national results are reflective of investment decisions made months or even years ago, highlighting the influence of previous market conditions and builder sentiment on current construction trends.”
Meanwhile, a new report released Wednesday by economists at RBC further points out that while starts are up nationally, construction in the country’s most populated province is sorely down.
 CMHC, Statistics Canada, RBC Economics “Ontario stands out with a steep decline since mid-2024, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area. British Columbia has also seen a moderation, but to a much lower extent,” writes RBC Assistant Chief Economist Robert Hogue. “This divergence is concerning, because it threatens to perpetuate severe affordability problems that exert social and economic hardship on Canadians in these regions.”
“While homebuilders and municipalities are keen to respond, factors like the high development and building costs in Ontario, and substantial inventory are weighing on the initiation of new projects. This raises concern about whether future housing stock can meet demand,” Hogue goes on to say.
According to CMHC’s data, Ontario saw 62,700 starts in July, compared to 77,900 the same month last year, representing a massive 24% drop. “Ontario’s six-month average has fallen to the lowest level in a decade — trending in the opposite direction of what’s needed to achieve the provincial government’s ambitious goal of building 1.5 million new homes over 10 years,” says Hogue. “It’s a similar, albeit less pronounced, situation in BC.”
 Statistics Canada, RBC Economics Alberta and Atlantic Canada are experiencing all-time highs in residential construction, the report posits, so what’s holding back starts in Ontario?
“High development and construction costs are major barriers. Builders saw a rapid escalation of expenses for land, labour, and materials, compounded by municipal development charges and other fees in the past several years,” writes Hogue. “These costs make it exceedingly difficult to bring new housing projects to market at prices prospective buyers can afford, particularly in the expensive GTA.”
Beyond that, Hogue underscores that the supply overload in Ontario, which makes new inventory less attractive than resale, is due to the lower price-point and high availability of the latter. “Meanwhile, investor interest in pre-construction condos — a key driver of housing starts in the GTA — has nearly collapsed,” he adds. “The Bank of Canada’s earlier interest rate hikes, a cooling rental market and declining condo prices have deterred investors, leading to a sharp drop in pre-construction condo sales. Without investor confidence, many projects are unable to get off the ground, further stalling new construction.”
 Canadian Real Estate Association, RBC Economics On top of all of that, Ontario municipalities like Toronto are “issuing more building permits than builders are acting on,” which points to a “major bottleneck” in costs, says the report. Hogue specifically points to development charges, which oftentimes prevent projects from pencilling out.
“The full impact of the current slowdown in housing starts won’t be felt for years in Ontario. It can take two, three or more years to complete a large multi-unit project once the foundation has been poured,” he adds. “Indeed, the GTA market is still absorbing the wave of condo units completed in 2024 started during the pandemic or even earlier. Units currently under construction (more than 93,000 units as of July) are just 11% off from all-time highs in the region, which suggests completions are likely to stay relatively plentiful (albeit diminishing) in the near term.”
 CMHC, Statistics Canada, RBC Economics Hogue underscores that Ontario’s housing construction pipeline, if not addressed, will taper outby 2026. “Any material drop in completions causing a slowdown in the housing stock’s expansion would make it that much harder to close the province’s housing supply gap,” he adds. “It could increase the shortfall and aggravate the affordability crisis if it coincides with a rebound in population growth once Canada’s immigration policy is readjusted.”
This is a topic that has been discussed at length by industry stakeholders, and some are calling the impending reality a “construction cliff.”
Even more troubling is the fact that industry leaders were calling for the “cliff” to materialize by 2027 or 2028, but economists with RBC are forecasting it to happen even sooner.
Originally published in Storey
By Tom ParkinAugust 21st, 2025
BURLINGTON, ON
Young worker unemployment is up. But it’s not them, it’s the economy (stupid).
As the national unemployment rate has climbed, many news reports have focused on a specific group of victims: young workers.
Unemployment is most sharply up in Ontario, with now 700,000 joblessness. Ontario’s unemployment rate has increased from 0.1 percentage point below the national rate in April 2023 to a full point above in July 2025.
Within Ontario, unemployment is highest in the manufacturing cities of Windsor and Oshawa, at 10.2 and 9.7 per cent. Unaffordable Toronto, the recent ground-zero of a housing inflation and market explosion, is third at 9.0 per cent.
But there’s an alternate view on unemployment, one that shifts the focus from Ontario’s economic problem in manufacturing and affordability to the victims. That narrative shift has real dangers. Or opportunity.
A focus on economic problems can lead to economic analysis, public pressure and hopefully economic solutions.
A focus on who is unemployed can easily divert people into moralizing, helping a politician dodge responsibility for lousy economic management. And it doesn’t take much work to divert people onto age-old moralizing about what’s wrong with young people today.
Aiding dodgy politicians are systemic reasons news media prefers the youth employment narrative rather than focusing on economic problems.
It’s a simpler story. Explaining that soaring housing costs crushed affordability, in turn crushing consumer spending, in turn crushing jobs means maintaining public attention on the bouncing ball. That’s hard. Victim stories are simple. The interviews and pictures are more compelling.
And youth unemployment is a story for a national audience. For almost any news reporter, there is a bias toward crafting a story interesting to a bigger audience. The economic problems of Ontario manufacturing and Toronto unaffordability that are driving national unemployment (including among young workers) are not national stories.
There are some great reporters who take their local or topic beats seriously. But business and economics reporters are full up with Trump tariff stories. Those reporting on Ontario politics are overwhelmed by Ford’s “flood the zone” approach.
At press conferences, Ford yarbles from flights of fantasy to threats of action not in his jurisdiction. Some of those words deserve a mention at the end of a news story. But in a celebrity-focused media space, this inanity gets top space. In the gossipy style of the Toronto Star, inanity doesn’t just lead, it headlines.
Do we need to remind business reporters that Canada can’t fight Trump with 700,000 Ontario workers’ hands tied behind their backs? Or tell certain Queen’s Park reporters to leave gossip, celebrity and inanity to the National Inquirer, 700,000 Ontarians don’t have a job?
Those reminders bring us back to young workers.
It’s always those least integrated into the labour market who suffer most from unemployment.
As hiring slows, finding a job is tougher — and toughest for those with short resumes. And because they are just starting out, more young people are job hunting. So when unemployment rises, young people are the canaries in the coal mine.
Ontario’s 700,000 unemployed workers are a massive waste of economic potential and a massive social cost. Ontario cannot beat back Trump’s attacks when 700,000 workers are sidelined from the fight.
Politicians can try to divert attention onto victims and away from causes, using systemic media biases to help them. But actually helping unemployed young workers requires a reminder that full employment and households with paycheques is how we best protect a strong and independent Canada.
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By Zakiva Kassam
