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Canada must build 50% more homes amid immigration: report

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As Canada prepares to ramp up immigration levels, a new report says the country will need to build 50 per cent more housing than what’s already being planned.

The report, published by economists from Desjardins on Monday, says in order to keep up with the federal government’s immigration targets without causing substantial increases to home prices, 100,000 more homes need to be constructed annually in 2023 and 2024.

“Increasing the housing supply beyond the typical demand response would also take pressure off prices but requires extraordinary policy intervention and resolve,” the authors wrote. “Indeed, we estimate that housing starts would have to increase immediately by almost 50 per cent nationally relative to our baseline scenario and stay there through 2024 to offset the price gains from the increase in federal immigration.”

Last fall, Ottawa unveiled plans to increase the number of immigrants entering Canada, with a goal of 500,000 newcomers arriving per year by 2025.

The report notes that the federal government’s target of 100,000 new housing units over the next five years falls short of the 100,000 new homes needed annually. However, the Ontario government aims to get 150,000 new homes built per year in the province with Bill 23, also known as the More Homes Built Faster Act.

Ontario’s target of 150,000 new homes per year is far more than the 100,000 per year that Desjardins says is needed across the entire country. If the province can meet this target, the report says this could have a “disproportionate offsetting impact on the average home price in Canada.”

The impact of immigration on housing affordability also depends on where newcomers decide to move. If newcomers predominately move to the Prairies, the authors say this would put less pressures on housing prices in areas where affordability is already stretched. Desjardins also says the Prairies are expected to have “the best performing economies in Canada” and having more immigrants move to these provinces “would support higher economic growth there and nationally.”

Since 2018, Ontario and B.C. have received the greatest share of immigrants, despite also being the two provinces with the least affordable housing. If these provinces continue to receive the most immigrants, the authors of the report say this could “boost prices and erode affordability there and nationally.”

Lowering immigration levels to what they were from 2018 to 2021 would reduce the impact on home prices, the report adds. However, the authors stress that higher immigration levels are still desperately needed to address labour shortages and that it’s “wrongheaded” to blame immigration as the primary cause of rising home prices.

“Rather than being considered a reason to curb immigration, it should instead be a catalyst for reducing barriers to building more housing. The contribution of immigrants to the Canadian economy well outweighs their impact on the housing market,” the report says.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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