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Cost of housing in Canada

Well…back in 1969, and the federal government with the compliance of the provincial government, expropriated nearly 1/10 of a million acres of land surrounding the St. Scholastique region, thereafter becoming more commonly known as Mirabel…

So not unprecedented. 😉
Didn’t realise there was a Mirabel was in Ontario…that or didn’t realise the reach Queen’s park has.
 
The way the housing and the rental market is going, I honestly wonder how many reservists might be secretly living at their Armoury at this point.
 
Interesting. Has Queen’s park actually intervened in small towns where developers were trying to expand into?
yes they have but subtly through the appeals court. It is reflected in changes ordered to the official planning acts especially for height limitations, parking areas and green spaces.
 
Cost of living in an urban environment -

When Mangham spoke with representatives from the Vancouver Police Department, he learned that local crime had actually exploded after Insite was opened and that public order was only restored after police assigned more than 60 officers to the area. This crucial fact was omitted by the aforementioned evaluations.
the scale of policing needed to stabilize crime around Insite shows that non-profits cannot reasonably be expected to keep the peace on their own. Assembling a private militia of several dozen security guards would likely cost more than their annual budgets.



As noted in the comments - cops on patrol at Insite are likely cops not patrolling elsewhere.
 
"the scale of policing needed to stabilize crime around Insite"

Unsurprising. Supervised injections aren't free injections - the product has to be purchased separately, and users aren't noted for going very far afield to acquire the means to purchase product.
 

So for those unfamiliar with the area, it is close to transit and a mall. But it is close to Alta Vista. That neighbourhood is somewhat expensive to say the least. I am sure the NIMBY types there will be fighting this.
They're not against more housing, just not on that site... it will ruin the character of the community. Preventing development is for the greater good.

Animated GIF
 
Well…back in 1969, and the federal government with the compliance of the provincial government, expropriated nearly 1/10 of a million acres of land surrounding the St. Scholastique region, thereafter becoming more commonly known as Mirabel…

So not unprecedented. 😉
Different circumstances. Governments acquire and re-zone land for public infrastructure (roads, airports, etc.). This is typically, but not exclusively, done through expropriation. I'm not saying they are always particularly good at it or on the side of the angels; Mirabel, Pickering and that poor farmer in Trenton are evidence of that.

Ministerial Zoning Orders change zoning/land use for the benefit of private owners/developers. Not that housing isn't a 'public good' particularly around Toronto, but there is strong evidence that the GTA already has several decades worth of land that was designated for development. MZOs don't have to be consistent with local land use planning (which the provincial government demands each local government have), environmental legislation, farm land protection, natural heritage, etc. They are also beyond appeal.

MZOs over-ride and bypass local decision-making. True that some MZOs were at the behest of local governments. I can speculate that some part-time councils simply got tired of battling entrenched NIMBYism, often from people or groups that don't live in the area.
 
They're not against more housing, just not on that site... it will ruin the character of the community. Preventing development is for the greater good.
Preventing development is for preserving what they bought into. Property is one of the few things subject to occasional expropriation, whether outright or indirectly (by changing rules such as zoning), and represents the largest commitment of capital most people ever make. We don't really have an effective way for compensating losers or taking from winners when rules changes move valuations down or up. At least densification policies generally push land values up. No question that it also aggravates problems - traffic, parking, noise.
 
Re expanding cities, increasing urbanization, more powerful mayors, rural losses, personal influence and increasing costs.


 
Re expanding cities, increasing urbanization, more powerful mayors, rural losses, personal influence and increasing costs.


I’m skeptical of anything Brian Lilley publishes regarding provincial government policy given his apparent romantic relationship with Ivana Yelich, Premier Ford’s communication secretary. Not surprising to see him running interference and trying to soften this current controversy over the land approvals.
 
I’m skeptical of anything Brian Lilley publishes regarding provincial government policy given his apparent romantic relationship with Ivana Yelich, Premier Ford’s communication secretary. Not surprising to see him running interference and trying to soften this current controversy over the land approvals.

You are probably right on the personalities but my larger point is that this is how cities are built.

The institutions and the impulses are common over time and geography.

The objective benevolent bureaucrat is a myth which renders all rational planning arguments moot.
 
The objective benevolent bureaucrat is a myth which renders all rational planning arguments momoot.

And yet somehow Ontario managed to get this far without a goverment issueing MZO's in unprecedented numbers and unilaterally expounding city development boundaries against the wishes of all interested parties- to the sole benefit of their doners.

Ontario has been sold, and it seems a large swathe of this site's base have decided its ok because of the jersey colour of the seller
 
And yet somehow Ontario managed to get this far without a goverment issueing MZO's in unprecedented numbers and unilaterally expounding city development boundaries against the wishes of all interested parties- to the sole benefit of their doners.

Ontario has been sold, and it seems a large swathe of this site's base have decided its ok because of the jersey colour of the seller
So it’s your contention that Ontario was just sold recently by one colour of jersey? 🤔
 
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