A number of Canadian cities saw house price increases averaging at or near six figures in 2021, according to Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) data obtained by Blacklock’s Reporter on Tuesday.
Members of the Finance Committee in the House of Commons reviewed the figures with Statistics Canada chief statistician Anil Arora on Monday.
“Housing inflation is homegrown,” said Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre. “The average family must spend two-thirds of their gross income on monthly payments for the average home in Toronto or Vancouver.”
CREA data showed that 666,995 homes were sold across Canada in 2021.
The year-over-year average Canadian home price increased 18% to $713,542 in December, according to the data.
“There are currently fewer properties listed for sale in Canada than at any point on record,” said CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart in a statement to Blacklock’s. “Unfortunately the housing affordability problem facing the country is likely to get worse before it gets better.”
Figures showed average price gains at or near $100,000 or more in Victoria, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.
Housing prices went up the most in the Greater Toronto Area, where they increased by $286,000 (31%) to about $1.2 million. Homes in Victoria saw their prices increase by $172,400 (24%) to $902,700.
Housing prices in Halifax went up $89,162 (22%) to $490,127. Prices for the Greater Vancouver Area increased by $181,600 (17%) to about $1.2 million.
Arora said housing prices are going up because of all of the people wanting to buy.
“First and foremost is demand,” said Arora. “We are seeing because of COVID a desire of people to have more open space.”
He said interest rates are also leading to higher housing prices, with record-low mortgage rates encouraging people to buy homes.
Canada’s inflation rate spiked to an 18-year high of 4.7% in October, according to Statistics Canada data.
The high rate is the most inflation Canada has seen since February 2003.
The cost of housing has increased by 4.8% in the last year alone.
The situation is worsening for families at Ronald McDonald House (RMH) in Vancouver who are still being told to get their young children COVID shots.
The reaction of one family to RMH’s new vaccine policy made international headlines, first appearing on True North and later on Fox News and numerous other outlets. Austin and Lindsey Furgason, whose four-year-old son Jack has leukemia, have since left RMH for nearby Easter Seals House, which has no vaccine policy. The Furgasons, whose children were both under the policy’s five-year age threshold, had chosen not to get the COVID shots themselves.
Two parents of another family who are still at RMH tell True North they are already fully vaccinated but will not get the shots for their children. They did not want to share their names for fear of reprisal and say they are torn between gratitude toward the staff at RMH and frustration with the board for adding more stress to their lives.
“I’m not going to risk them using my kids like a lab mouse,” one parent told True North. “I’ll be honest – it’s killing me.”
“We weren’t going to do a shot with (our sick child) because we were pretty adamant that from the treatment procedure, there’s no way he could take this,” said the other parent. “It would probably kill him. It’s not tested on a child with (his disease).”
Last week, families staying at RMH in Vancouver received a letter stating that “everyone five years and older who are working, staying or visiting our facilities” would be required to show proof of full vaccination (two shots) or an “accommodation” approved in writing by RMH Charities by Jan. 17. Those already staying at RMH had until Jan. 31 to receive their first dose – a so-called “grace period.”
The parents said the policy created immense stress and confusion, especially upon learning that the decision was not a government mandate. They said the policy’s threshold, which involves children only recently eligible for the COVID vaccine, wasn’t made with kids in mind.
“We’d do anything in our lives for our kids,” one of the parents said. “You’d probably jump in front of a car for your kid. But as the decision-makers of a company, you can’t make that decision. You should leave it to people to make that decision. But give some alternatives.”
The parents say they chose to get their own shots out of precaution and because of increasing difficulties with accessing services but that they made the decision not to vaccinate their two children, both of whom are under ten. The parents say they suffered reactions to the shots and that the experience steeled their decision to not risk their children.
They and their severely ill child are staying at RMH while receiving aggressive treatment at nearby B.C. Children’s Hospital. Their other child stays during cherished family visits, partaking of RMH’s long-standing policy and slogan, “Keeping Families Close.”
RMH did not respond to True North’s request for comment, but the charity’s statement to other media claimed that “(a)ll requests will be approved for exemption for child patients undergoing treatment, and therefore unable to be vaccinated. Ronald McDonald House will support any family in need of alternate accommodation if needed after the grace period. No family will ever be evicted from our House.”
The parents told True North that after much scrambling and stress they were able to obtain a temporary exemption for their sick child and that he would be able to stay at RMH until after his current stage of treatment.
When the next stage begins, however, it is unclear whether he will be allowed back in.
Last week, the family received a letter from a social worker saying they could “postpone (the child’s) COVID vaccination” until an interim period of his treatments and that staying at RMH might not be an option in the future. The parents noted that their child’s treatments are expected to continue for up to two years.
The parents are also concerned about other families. They say some of them are getting themselves and their children vaccinated just so they can stay because moving isn’t an option. They gave the example of an extremely sick child whose mother and siblings hardly ever leave the hospital.
“You just got air-flown in, you just landed, you’re on the eighth floor, you’re finished your treatment. Oh, you’re not vaccinated? Sorry, I thought you were going to Ronald McDonald House. No, you can’t go there. That’s my worry right now.”
“This just puts more stress on them, and they’ve been living in a hospital for two weeks.”
The parents say that because they will not vaccinate their other young child, their family visits will also no longer be possible. They appealed to RMH to make testing an option, arguing that COVID can be spread asymptomatically with or without shots, and that RMH families have always been extremely vigilant about not exposing their children to outside illnesses.
They say they were turned down.
“How do we keep the family together now?” said one parent. “We can’t. There’s so much confusion and no answers. It’s beyond stress.”
“Are (they) trying to say, ‘we’re Ronald McDonald House; we’re here for vaccinated people’ – if you’re unvaccinated, go somewhere else?”
They confirmed that while RMH has offered to refer noncompliant families to Easter Seals House a short distance away, RMH is by far the best suited to their needs. Not only is RMH right across the street, they say, but it also offers programs and amenities specifically tailored for families in their situation.
“Being able to walk across the street is a lifesaver,” one of the parents said. “An average treatment for (our child) could be three to four days in the hospital – one day he could be in for 4 hours, one day he could be in for 8.”
“It takes the worry of daily life out of it so you can focus on getting your kid healthy.”
“Places like this have to exist,” the parent said. “It’s not the people, it’s the board. And the only way you get up to the board of directors is that they have to hear from people. They have to hear from their donors, hear from sponsors, saying ‘hey, what’s going on?’”
The Canadian response to COVID-19 has been confusing, contradictory, heavy-handed and ultimately, ineffective at ending this pandemic. What started off as “14 days to flatten to curve,” has turned into two years of endless lockdowns and moving goalposts. But is there an alternative?
Today on The Candice Malcolm Show, Candice is joined by the Chair of the Strategic Advisory Committee for the Canadian COVID Care Alliance Deanna McLeod. The Canadian COVID Care Alliance is a group of health care professionals that publish and aggregate medical information about COVID-19, COVID treatments and vaccinations for educational purposes.
Candice and Deanna discuss Canada’s failed approach and alternative measures Canadians can take to get out of the pandemic.
Despite much of the country back under COVID-19 lockdowns, a tourism advertisement made by Crown corporation Destination Canada is claiming Canada is “now open” and “ready to welcome (tourists) back.”
According to Destination Canada spokesperson Jennifer Peters, the “in-flight entertainment” ad is airing on American Airlines and United Air flights. It debuted on Dec. 1, 2021 and will continue to be broadcast to travellers until Feb. 28, 2022.
“When Destination Canada initially provided this content, there were signs of recovery and the current restrictions were not in place, so the messaging was appropriate at that time,” Peters told True North.
When asked what the advertising campaign cost Canadian taxpayers, Peters claimed that the price tag was confidential.
“We do not disclose costs of specific campaigns, as this is commercially competitive information,” said Peters.
According to Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano, taxpayers have a right to know the cost of such campaigns.
“Taxpayers are paying the bills so we deserve maximum transparency. Bureaucrats need to remember that they work for taxpayers, and we have a right to see the total bill,” said Terrazzano.
“Taxpayers should question whether these ads are good value for money when many Canadians are locked down and can’t even go to the gym or a bar.”
Quebec instituted its latest bout of lockdown shortly prior to the New Year. At the time, Premier Francois Legault announced that a curfew would be in effect for all residents of the province and that restaurants would shut down their businesses for indoor dining.
Ontario followed soon after with Premier Doug Ford revealing an indoor dining ban and school closures.
British Columbia announced Monday that it was indefinitely prolonging several of its COVID restrictions, including closing gyms and bars, and 50% capacity at numerous venues.
New Brunswick returned to a level 3 lockdown last Friday, the most restrictive stage of its government’s COVID response system.
Meanwhile, Canadian airlines including Air Canada and WestJet along with the Toronto Pearson International Airport have urged the federal government to drop mandatory testing requirements at airports.
Due to federal and provincial COVID-19 orders, Canada’s tourism industry has taken a crushing blow during the pandemic. Estimates show that tourism in Canada has collapsed by more than 50%.
Prior to the pandemic, the industry was raking in $105 billion a year, compared to $53 billion annually since it began.
Destination Canada already has another ad campaign ready for this spring that will be shown to travelers on the same airlines beginning March 1.
“The updated video will be more aspirational in nature and aligned to future travel considerations,” Peters told True North. A copy of the updated advertisement is currently available for viewing on Youtube.
A Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) teacher was cut off and cancelled partway through her speech to trustees Monday night for expressing concern about some highly sexualized books available in elementary school libraries.
Board chairman Scott Piatkowski cautioned and then stopped Carolyn Burjoski barely four minutes into her talk when she raised the age appropriateness of two books that include highly sexual references to homosexuality and transsexuality.
Piatkowksi told Burjoski that what she was saying violates the discriminatory provisions of gender expression and gender identity under the Ontario Human Rights Code and ruled that she be stopped.
Burjoski, a teacher for 20 years, had referred to a book called Rick by Alex Gino in which a young boy talks to his friend about loving “naked girls.” The young boy is confused and thinks he’s asexual.
She also discussed The Other Boy by M.G. Hennessey in which a doctor informs a teen about to transition from female to male with hormone blockers and testosterone that he may end up infertile. In the book, the young girl thinks that’s “cool.”
“This book makes very serious medical interventions seem like an easy cure for emotional distress,” Burjoski said, noting the materials are “misleading,”
She added that the books pressure kids to grow up and think about sex too soon.
What ensued was a nearly 15-minute debate and procedural wrangling on whether Piatowski’s ruling was fair or right. Vice-chair Kathleen Woodcock didn’t seem to have the slightest clue how to handle objections from those brave trustees who felt the attempts to cancel Burjoski were wrong.
Trustee Mike Ramsey said it was a “stretch” to say the talk violated the Human Rights Code.
“The delegate hasn’t made any personal attacks …she’s actually quoting from books that are in our schools,” he said.
Ramsey added that the chair was “ill-informed” on this issue.
After a 5-4 vote in support of the chairman’s ruling, Piatkowski gleefully reiterated that Burjoski needed to stop.
“I ask that the delegate be removed from the meeting,” he said, “and we will continue with the next delegation.”
After the meeting Piatkowski mocked a parent on Twitter who opposed the ruling, even pointing out the parent’s low number of Twitter followers.
Fritz AND his 45 followers.
As Chair, I intend to stick with upholding the Ontario Human Rights Code and our own WRDSB Human Rights Policy.
The delegate was cautioned. The delegate continue further down the same path. The presentation was stopped. That was confirmed by Trustees
Trustee Jayne Herring – who had also made her support of mandatory vaccines very clear on Twitter – also tweeted that there was no place for hatred at the Board.
There is no place for hate or derogatory speech against anyone. Ever. My sincere apologies to anyone who was harmed by tonight’s @wrdsb delegation presentation.
Another trustee who supported Piatkowski tweeted the following:
Sending love to all. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜What I heard tonight was harmful to many including people in my own home. When I gather my composure, I will have more to say. Tonight was harmful . #wrdsbmtg
— Karen Meissner (she/her/elle) (@Karen_Meissner_) January 18, 2022
The Monday night meeting was the best example of wokeness gone wild. Piatkowski and his supporters certainly made their highly dysfunctional Toronto District School Board (TDSB) counterparts seem tame.
I wonder if any of these trustees have actually read the books or whether this was a knee jerk reaction to anyone who disagrees with their incredibly absurd view of the world.
The Conservatives are demanding the Canadian government look into the takeover of Canadian mining company Neo Lithium by Chinese state-owned Zijin Mining Group.
“The fact that this review did not take place is part of a troubling pattern with the Trudeau government,” said Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole at a press conference on Monday.
"By not conducting a national security review, the government is putting a strategic sector of our economy at risk," warns Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole as he urges review of the proposed takeover of Canadian mining firm Neo Lithium by a Chinese state-owned company.#cdnpolipic.twitter.com/AHTBRYIjHv
O’Toole said the Conservatives are requesting an emergency meeting of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology in the House of Commons to demand that the Liberals explain why they did not conduct a security review.
A review of this sale should be done for two reasons, according to O’Toole.
The first reason, O’Toole claimed, is that Canada must “safeguard supply and access to critical minerals like lithium to protect our economy and our competitive advantage.” This, O’Toole said, is because Canada is set to play a role in the growth of electric vehicles.
O’Toole added that companies such as Neo Lithium are Canadian because Canada is a mining finance leader. As electric vehicles become more common, he said, Canada needs to ensure “it has capital, market access, and the capacity” to thrive in this industry.
The second reason for a review of the sale, O’Toole said, is that Canada has to stay ahead of competitors in autocratic countries such as China. He said Canada should be working with democratic countries to build a reliable supply chain of minerals.
O’Toole went on to say that Canada’s relationship with the USA is not as strong as it used to be and that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has failed to stand up for Canada. He claimed Trudeau has “curried favour with bad actors and has been out of step with our traditional partners and friends.”
In 2015, Trudeau had promised closer relations between Canada and China.
“I’m well aware we have an opportunity to set a fresh approach in our relationship right now,” said Trudeau at a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015. “I certainly hope that this is going to be an era of greater cooperation and mutual benefit for both Canada and China in the coming years.”
O’Toole called the takeover’s lack of a security review “a critical failure.”
“The Trudeau government’s pivot to Beijing was viewed as a pivot to our most important ally and trading partner,” he said. “A pivot that has diminished our reputation and reduced our influence in Washington.”
Canada did not conduct a security review of Zijin acquiring Neo Lithium, which led to the deal being closed.
“The law states they have 45 days after announcement to start a review if they believe there is a specific concern,” said Neo Lithium spokesperson Carlos Vicens in an email to The Globe and Mail. “The timeline passed in early December and no review was done.”
Zijin announced in October that it would be buying Neo Lithium for $960 million. The Canadian company was looking at developing a mine in Argentina and hoped to supply the electric vehicle industry with lithium for batteries.
An online petition demanding the removal of Quebec premier François Legault has surpassed 200,000 signatures.
It comes amid growing frustration over Legault’s hardline COVID-19 measures, which include plans for a tax on the unvaccinated.
The petition published to Change.org states that Legault must be removed because he has contravened the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for over a year.
It adds that Legault acts in a dictatorial manner and has coerced Quebecers into following his orders by depriving them of their rights. The petition also claims that Legault has opposed and even oppressed those who disagree with him.
Quebec was the first province in Canada to introduce a vaccine passport, which bans unvaccinated people from most non-essential businesses and activities. The petition claims that the passport has divided the province’s population.
The Legault government also announced that the vaccine passport would soon require a third dose, meaning that those who have not received their booster shot would eventually lose access to non-essential settings covered by the passport.
Despite one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, Quebec currently has the strictest lockdown restrictions in North America. This includes the closure of restaurants, gyms, event venues and places of worship (except for funerals) as well as a ban on private indoor gatherings.
The province also twice imposed a strict police-enforced curfew. The most recent, lasting from 10pm to 5am, is expected to end today.
Legault is also planning to charge Quebecers who have chosen not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 a “significant” health tax, a move which has received condemnation and outrage across the country.
Change.org says that if the petition to remove Legault reaches 200,000 signatures, it will become one of the top signed petitions on their site.
Canadian ambassadors who once held posts in the federal cabinet are currently being paid lavish salaries and bonuses that tower over what ministers currently make in the House of Commons.
According to the French-language outlet La Presse, ambassadors who were once ministers can receive close to $400,000 yearly when salaries and bonuses are taken into account.
Among those ambassadors who once held a ministerial profile are Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Rae and Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Ralph Goodale.
Rae’s base salary scale reaches $305,000 discounting bonuses, while ordinary ambassadors only get paid $212,000 per year. In comparison, the average federal minister earns $274,500 in taxpayer compensation.
As pointed out by the outlet, Rae can also receive a 33% performance bonus, all the while enjoying a personal cook and a residence paid for by taxpayers.
Former minister-turned-diplomat Stéphane Dion and disgraced ambassador to China John McCallum were also given similarly exorbitant sums by the Liberal government while serving abroad.
According to Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano, the Liberal government needs to end the “special treatment” these former ministers receive.
“Those are some big paycheques. Why would taxpayers pay former ministers more money as ambassadors than when they were making decisions in cabinet?” Terrazzano told True North.
“With the federal government more than $1 trillion in debt, and many Canadians having lost their job or business during the pandemic, now is the perfect time for the government to end this special treatment for former ministers and rein in those salaries.”
In a comment given to La Presse, the office of Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly defended the lavish compensation.
“Salaries are determined based on the complexity of the assignment, the difficulty of the position, and the qualifications and expertise of the person proposed for the position,” Joly’s spokesperson told the outlet.
“Canada’s representatives abroad work tirelessly to promote Canadian values, such as democracy, human rights and inclusion, around the world. Canada faces the pressing challenges of our time and our diplomats are essential to doing so. Canada continues to be well represented abroad and Canadians should be proud of the work our diplomats do on their behalf.”
While jurisdictions around the world are trying their best to live with COVID-19, parts of Canada are locked down more than ever.
In the United States, both Republican and Democrat governors look for ways to re-open and a positive path forward. Here in Canada, we’re looking for ways to lock down further.
Anthony Furey discusses Canada’s embarrassing approach to COVID-19.
According to the MNP Consumer Debt Index, 43% of Canadians say they’re struggling with their personal finances and paying off their debts while another 45% are concerned about meeting their living expenses.
“It is getting harder for Canadians to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said MNP LTD president Grant Bazian on Monday.
“Unexpected expenses are one of the biggest contributors to household financial turmoil, and many are starting the new year being dealt another round of unexpected business closures, reduced working hours or job loss, and COVID-related health concerns.”
When broken down further, the numbers show that only 27% claimed they could cope with serious crises without plunging themselves further into debt. Half of the respondents said they are $200 or less away from being overburdened financially.
“We have seen households resorting to credit to make ends meet as their finances have been stretched thin over the course of the pandemic,” said Bazian. “With the cost of living on the rise, those households who were already overextended may feel they have to take on more debt just to afford basic necessities.”
Canadians also generally regret the debt they have had to take on to get by, with 45% expressing misgivings about their financial situations.
The survey was conducted by Ipsos between Dec.1 and 7, 2021 and included 2,000 Canadians over the age of 18. The poll is accurate within +/-2.5%, or 19 times out of 20.
Conservative critics have accused the Liberal government of mismanaging Canada’s finances, leading to a rise in the price of goods across the country.
“We have an emergency in this country. And it is that our economy has become a gigantic inflated balloon,” said Conservative Finance Critic Pierre Poilievre.
Poilievre recently spearheaded a move to have the Commons Finance Committee hold a hearing on Canada’s housing and inflation crisis when Parliament returns at the end of this month.
Inflation levels in Canada are currently the highest they have been since 2003, marking an 18-year record. According to Statistics Canada’s latest Consumer Price Index, inflation reached 4.7% in October.
