Racial disparities played a significant role in shaping unequal COVID-19 mortality rates. What is less widely understood is how overcrowded housing conditions were an even deadlier variable.

In California’s Bay Area, for instance, residents of overcrowded apartments — many of them recent immigrants — were found to be significantly more likely to die from COVID-19 than residents of demographically similar, but less crowded, apartments.

Even less examined is the root cause of this overcrowding. Overcrowding is not just a matter of zoning or population growth, but something more systemic and difficult to confront: the speculative financial forces acting on the land beneath our feet.

Urban land is now assessed by people not for its consumption value for a home but for its ability to hold and increase in cash value — in other words, its “speculative value.”

My recent book, Broken City, paints a picture of how the same market logics that defined the Gilded Age of the late 19th century have quietly returned in our own century, with similarly corrosive consequences for urban life.

Echoes of the Gilded Age

A growing share of average workers’ incomes is being swallowed up by housing costs, often for homes that fail to meet their basic needs. This is not the result of natural scarcity, but mechanical economic processes that inform the price of urban land.

We now find ourselves in circumstances uncomfortably close to those of Victorian England or Gilded Age America, when mass migrations to urban centres were driven by the need for jobs.

Read more: What's behind Canada's housing crisis? Experts break down the different factors at play

Back then, as now, a small number of urban landowners were able to extract enormous wealth — what political economist Henry George called the unearned increment — from the labour of others by virtue of owning the right patch of ground.

The demands for the unearned increment, George explained, was only limited by how much a region’s wage-earners and entrepreneurs collectively produced. Almost all of that value eventually went into land price.

Today, we appear to be experiencing the same phenomenon. The social and epidemiological pressures produced by inflated land prices are no longer confined to historically marginalized racial or ethnic groups.

As my book explains, millennials and Gen Xers, who are increasingly working service-sector jobs that dominate today’s economy, especially in countries like Canada and the U.S., are facing housing pressures once reserved only for the poor.

In short, housing precarity has gone mainstream.

Skyrocketing land prices

At the heart of the housing crisis lies a deeper problem: runaway urban land prices are not just a crisis of housing affordability, but a problem of equitable urban design. They are eroding our political capacity to solve many urban problems.

The same inflated land values that burden tenants and aspiring homeowners also restrict what cities can do to address housing and transportation needs, whether through planning, taxation or direct provision.

Urban land prices are spiralling due to the collision of two long-term trends. First, the global economy has shifted from being primarily driven by wages earned through labour to one dominated by returns on assets. Urban land is now the single largest category of fixed capital asset in the world.

Second, this asset-driven economy has widened the gap between wages and home prices, and helped drive the explosion in inequality. Housing has become the primary site where that inequality is expressed.

Public frustration over this yawning gap between stagnant incomes and sky-high housing costs has erupted into political conflict. Many now blame local governments and planning regulations for blocking the supply of new homes. If only we could build more, they argue, prices would fall.

But the evidence tells a different story. Take Vancouver, a city that has tripled its housing stock since the 1960s, largely through infill development. If the supply theory held true, Vancouver should be the most affordable city in North America. Instead, it is the least affordable.

A landmark study published in March by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that supply constraints didn’t explain rising housing prices or housing growth across American cities. In other words, building more housing isn’t enough to bring down prices.

A path out of the housing crisis

My book offers several solutions and examples for how cities can reclaim land wealth for the common good.

One promising approach lies in tying new housing approvals to affordability requirements. This policy framework — known as inclusionary zoning — requires developers to include a certain number of permanently affordable units as a condition for increased density.

Without such requirements, upzoning — meaning increasing the maximum building size the city authorizes for a parcel — can inflate the value of land, rewarding speculation and driving prices further out of reach.

Examples of effective inclusionary zoning abound. In Cambridge, Mass., an affordable housing overlay mandates 100 per cent affordability in exchange for permission to double density across the city. In Vancouver, new legislation related to inclusive zoning was introduced in 2024 and a development tax on new high-density projects has helped finance non-market housing directly.

The path forward is not mysterious. But it does require confronting the truth that the housing crisis is not the result of broken systems — but of a speculative financial systems working exactly as designed.

Patrick Michael Condon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

With 20 staff and a million-dollar budget, Hillhurst United in Calgary is an anomaly within The United Church of Canada. If you’re a longtime United Church member, you might have even heard of it. Clearly, this congregation is doing something right. But what, exactly is it?

Former evangelical pastor Doug Schroeder came to Hillhurst 12 years ago, shortly after blessing his daughter’s same-sex marriage — a gesture that ended his relationship with his evangelical church. He knew that Hillhurst was an Affirming congregation, but it was the warm welcome and focus on cultural relevance that kept him coming back. As a preacher himself, he was impressed with lead minister Rev. John Pentland’s ability to speak from his own life experience with complete vulnerability. “I didn’t want Biblical exposition without human connection and I get that at Hillhurst,” he says.

Pentland has been the minister at Hillhurst since 2004. Under his leadership, the congregation grew from 40–50 people on Sundays to about 350 worshippers every week, both in person and online.

Pentland’s predecessor had laid the groundwork for innovation, clearing the decks for him to bring radical change to a church facing closure. Using his recent work experience at the United Way, along with lessons from his previous churches, Pentland immediately started on the work of transformation. He says it took years — and that the supportive congregation was invaluable in creating the church that exists today.

When asked the reasons for Hillhurst’s success, Pentland names three practices: “Be curious about the people who are not there as well as those who are present. Engage in public theology and speak to the community using different forms of media and lastly, never be afraid to take a risk.”

The church has 20 ongoing programs, including book clubs, social justice groups, contemplative practices and a speaker series.

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• ‘By any metrics you choose,’ this northern B.C. congregation is thriving

Hillhurst recently added a second location, about a 20-minute drive away, after another United church closed its doors . A ministry student runs contemplative practice-based programs there, including daily “mindful mornings” from 7:00 -7:30 a.m., Wednesday evening worship followed by a meal, along with other spiritual practices throughout the week.

Other congregants feel the same warmth that Schroeder does.

Hearing the words, “you are loved, forgiven and set free” during worship every week has had a tremendous impact on member John Glenney. “It touches you in a very deep place,” he says. “Many people have never been told these things and it can be life changing.”

Glenney also appreciates that there is no sense of hierarchy in the church, and there are a multiplicity of speakers every week. “When there is a baptism, the parents always share why they are having their child baptized and that really builds connection,” he says.

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Anne Yates Laberge is an active Hillhurst member and church consultant. She believes that if churches want to grow, they need to very clearly design their ministry to draw in new people.

“We take our online ministry very seriously and have invested financial resources in it and as a result we have people from all over the world joining us for our weekly programs and in worship,” she says. That investment has paid off — last year, the church’s two largest donors attend exclusively online.

Pentland says that there is “no secret sauce” to Hillhurst’s growth, but other churches may have a thing or to learn.

***

Rev. Christopher White is a United Church minister in Hamilton.

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The post This Calgary church nearly closed. Now it’s flourishing. appeared first on Broadview Magazine.

Premier Doug Ford says new bill introduced Wednesday will help strengthen the economy of the province and country. Ford also signed MOUs with the premiers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to support free trade between the provinces.

The Ontario government is introducing its promised legislation to begin the removal of barriers that frustrate trade between provinces, changes the province says are needed to boost economic growth within Canada as the country faces down U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

In material provided to reporters, the government cites a Macdonald-Laurier Institute study suggesting the reduction of various regulatory barriers between provinces could add as much as $200-billion a year to the country’s economy. But some economists say the real impact may be harder to measure and that lifting what are in some cases obscure regulations may not immediately translate into a huge economic boon.

Neskantaga First Nation is evacuating vulnerable community members to Thunder Bay after its only nursing station was closed due to flooding. Here's what we know about the evolving situation in the remote northwestern Ontario community, which comes on the heels of evacuation efforts in Kashechewan, another First Nation in the north.

SIN3056843 is a lighthearted prairie-centric thriller that was made in Saskatchewan. Writer and producer Dustan Hlady joined The Morning Edition to discuss the making of the 19-part series that will be streaming on Amazon Prime Video this summer.

Winnipeg Police responded to reports of a truck that drove through Hidden Pocket Billiards, Bar & Bistro on Scurfield Boulevard at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

No injuries were reported. 

Police took a man into custody. Police say it’s too early to say if charges will be laid. 

Staff at the bar were busy cleaning up glass this morning.

Despite the gapping hole in the wall, the bar opened today.

The post Truck drives through wall of local bar in Winnipeg appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.

A flood in the nursing station has forced the transfer of 131 vulnerable members of Neskantaga First Nation to Thunder Bay, Ont., 450 km away.

“Our vulnerable people require full and immediate access to health services that, unfortunately, is not available in Neskantaga,” said Chief Gary Quisses in a statement on Tuesday. “We are not willing to put any high-risk people in a compromising position due the nursing station being closed.

“We acknowledge the support of Indigenous Services Canada in responding to the seriousness of this crisis and we hope that some other logistical challenges we are experiencing with other partners, like the City of Thunder Bay will be resolved.”

On April 13, the community declared a state of emergency after health care staff noticed water seeping in from the walls and a strong smell of fuel.

Neskantaga is a fly-in community.

According to Quisses, the community met with government officials on Monday to look for a potential site for a temporary nursing home until current issues are resolved.

“Locations within the community are very limited and are not without disruption to programs and services,” said Quisses. “The plan is to return vulnerable evacuees to the community after a temporary site in the community has been identified, retrofitted and supplied with medical equipment.”

Officials are assessing the situation at the nursing station to determine the cause of the flood and smell of fuel.

The post Vulnerable members of Neskantaga First Nation to be evacuated from community appeared first on APTN News.

In this conversation with Jason James, I break down why the U.S. government could still be examining senior TD Bank executives for failing to stop large-scale money laundering—while Canada imposed wh…

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New podcast will be a lot like a CBC show, but ‘without the guardrails’

The post Adrian Harewood launches podcast that tackles the elephant in the room appeared first on Ricochet.

A New York Times investigation has cast doubt on the financial capacity of the company that is partnering with the Province on the Ontario Place redevelopment. Further the article suggests that Therme misled the province on the number of projects it had already completed. The time article notes “The investigation, based on corporate filings in three countries and interviews with a dozen people involved in the company’s operations and the bidding process, found that Therme falsely presented itself as an industry player that operated as many as half a dozen spas in Europe.”

“In fact, it had built and operated just one, outside Bucharest, Romania. And as it pitched its vision for Toronto, Therme’s finances appeared to be shaky. Auditors found it was losing money and had less than 1 million euro (about $1.1 million) in equity.” The article says Therme is leveraging the Ontario deal to trigger the other 5 projects.

The latest financial figures on the project show Therme spending $700 Million to create what has been billed as a water park and ‘wellbeing destination’ on the land, as well as a 16 acre public park. The province is on the hook for a large parking lot.

According to the Times, Theme is trying to raise funding for five other similar spas costing a combined $2.5 Billion. Noted the Times, “Companies often use hyperbole to raise private-sector money. But Therme first won a key government contract based on its business portfolio — and then set out to build that portfolio.”

A teenager, who only held a learner’s permit, has been charged with impaired after a single vehicle collision last Friday in Springdale.

An off-duty RCMP officer came upon the scene around 5:30 p.m. along the main highway near the TCH and called 911.

A vehicle, which was heavily damaged, was resting on its roof in a ditch.

The driver was transported to the hospital in Springdale for treatment of minor injuries.

The driver refused to provide blood samples according to police.

The accused is now facing charges of impaired driving and refusing to comply with a blood demand. The teen’s license was suspended and vehicle impounded.

Cocaine has been identified as the leading cause of overdose deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador and the RCMP and Chief Medical Examiner’s Office are warning users of the dangers.

RCMP say street level quantities of the drug are of an “extremely high potency.”

The OCME has reported a total of 158 toxicity deaths in Newfoundland and Labrador between 2023-2024, of which 87 per cent were accidental deaths. 49 per cent of those deaths involved cocaine alone, while 18 per cent involved fentanyl and/or analogs of fentanyl alone.

In the remaining deaths, a number of other drugs were detected, including other stimulants such as methylphenidate, ecstasy (MDMA), and amphetamines, other opioids such as morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, as well as various Benzodiazepines.

While fentanyl is a highly toxic and dangerous substance, the office of the Chief Medical Examiner has confirmed that cocaine is the most prevalent cause of death, though there has been a marked increase in deaths related to both drugs since 2023.

Dr. Nash Denic says cocaine has caused “significant harm” in this province. He says the number of deaths where cocaine has been implicated has risen steadily since 2021 with sharp increases in 2023 and 2024.