Across Canada, the demand for rental housing is intensifying. The unprecedented demand for rentals is a result of several factors, including Canada’s population growth, ongoing inflation, constraints on the existing rental stock and obstacles related to the construction of new apartment buildings.

In the middle of 2023, Canada’s population eclipsed 40 million people. Currently, the World Bank estimates the population to be 41.3 million people — with expectations to reach 44.8 million people by 2040.

The biggest driver of such population growth has been described as “migratory increases” or, more simply, immigration. As a result, the demand for housing — specifically rental housing among new Canadians — has increased and is expected to continue to grow.

Housing affordability crisis continues

For many Canadians, homeownership remains out of reach. A report from RBC found that 68 per cent of Canadian households are unable to buy a home due to inflation and wage stagnation.

Together, inflation and wage stagnation have created demand for rental housing. Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman once described inflation as “taxation without legislation.” Wage stagnation is the phenomenon that occurs when wages lag behind inflation as a result of the two not moving in lockstep.

My recent research shows that indeed, two-thirds of Canadians are in unaffordable housing situations, making the proverbial dream of homeownership unlikely — or at the very least delayed significantly.

Not surprisingly, over the last five years, homeownership rates in Canada have fallen from 68.5 per cent to 66.2 per cent and declines are projected to continue.

This downward trend underscores the growing reliance on rental housing as an alternative — but the current rental market is ill-equipped to handle the demand.

Aging rental stock

The answer to Canada’s housing crisis isn’t as simple as building new rental units. As my previous work has shown, almost half of Canada’s rental properties (1,026,020 units) were built between 1960 and 1979.

Put differently, over 80 per cent of the rental properties in Canada were constructed before the year 2000. These older units remain the backbone of the rental market, but many need to be modernized to remain viable.

Read more: More housing supply isn't a cure-all for the housing crisis

While policymakers and the real estate industry have traditionally focused on the construction of new properties, equal attention should be paid to maintaining and preserving older ones as to building new ones.

The dual challenge of constructing new rental properties and preserving existing ones requires the real estate industry and governments to adopt a dual focus on both new developments and upgrading existing rental properties.

Industry’s role in addressing the crisis

To effectively plan and manage the existing and forthcoming challenges in the rental market, both the private sector and governments need to focus on making investments for the long-term.

Playing the long game will result in the greatest value creation for society and businesses. In real estate, this includes consciously and deliberately committing to innovation, such as retrofits and energy efficiency upgrades. Doing so requires the shift of thinking from fiscal years to decades.

For rental property operators, this process starts with investing in existing properties. Financialized operators — those that have sophisticated management, utilize multiple sources of capital and operate in a variety of geographies — are perhaps the best positioned to do this. They have the financial means and scale of ownership to upgrade and modernize existing rentals, ensuring they can meet the rental demands of today and tomorrow.

Financialization is a natural progression for industries as they grow in size and scope. In the context of real estate, financialized operators are large, sophisticated and often securitized, meaning assets are pooled together and turned into financial products for investors.

Beyond their financial and operational abilities, financialized operators have a broader responsibility to a diverse group of stakeholders beyond shareholders. New research has shown that financialized firms have deep environmental social and corporate governance commitments that emphasize other stakeholders such as renters and society at large.

Of course, it’s also important for the industry to invest in new property construction to help combat the intensifying demand for rentals. However, adding to the rental universe is complex, bureaucratic and often doesn’t address affordable housing solutions.

The cost-push inflation — when input costs increase the price of final goods — of materials makes new builds more appealing than affordable housing. Cost-push inflation results in higher prices. Nevertheless, “building anything helps everything” when it comes to rentals.

Government-industry collaboration

The federal government’s $1.5 billion investment to purchase existing apartment buildings to protect and maintain affordable rental units is an important step in the right direction, but it isn’t enough.

Collaboration between governments and the real estate industry is needed to make a deeper impact. While the importance of preserving existing rental properties is well understood, to date there is only one affordability program for aging and existing stock in Canada.

To make a significant impact, more programming and incentives need to be established for operators — particularly those that are financialized and well-equipped to create large-scale change.

The private and public participants need to collaborate to enact and engage in initiatives that reduce costs and prioritize affordable rental housing and the preservation of existing rental stock for Canada’s long-term interests and sustainability.

Grant Alexander Wilson has consulted for, and received funding from, Avenue Living Asset Management.

After two weeks of unseasonably mild weather, get ready to hunker down, as things are about to change.

Christy Climenhaga with Environment Canada says right now there is a change in our weather pattern as a large ridge of high pressure is allowing Arctic air to flow south. She notes this will lock in cooler than normal conditions for much of the Prairies. 

Climenhaga explains that the polar vortex is air that spins around the North Pole year-round. She notes when it starts to weaken or dislodge, it will track south, pushing cold air toward the United States. 

"That's kind of what we're seeing, some dislodged Arctic air that is really bringing us that cooler weather," she notes. 

Thursday night's low for Steinbach is -20 degrees; a temperature not felt since December 20th. Daytime highs for the next few days will then hover around -20 degrees, with overnight lows near -30 degrees. 

"By Saturday night into Sunday morning, you could be close to -30," says Climenhaga.

And, she says do not expect a lot of recovery next week, particularly in the early part of the week. 

"By next weekend that's when we start to see a little bit of wavering," she notes.

But, because that is still a week away, Climenhaga says her confidence is not very high for that to happen. 

"So, when that warmup will come, we're still kind of having a look," she says. "At this point maybe next weekend."

Just how cold it might get could depend on the cloud cover. Climenhaga says clouds at night will act as an insulator, trapping in any heat and preventing the air from turning really, really cold. 

"If we do have those clear skies where you are, that's when you're looking at that risk of extremely, extremely cold temperatures," she warns. 

Further to that, Climenhaga says if there is any wind on top of that, we could be dealing with extreme wind chills. 

In southern Manitoba, an Extreme Cold Warning is issued when the temperature or wind chill is expected to reach -40 degrees for at least two hours.

But one thing that the cold weather should do is keep any storms at bay. Climenhaga says we do not usually experience stormy weather when we are under a ridge of high pressure. Rather, it is the low-pressure systems that spark storms. 

"When we're dealing with extreme cold like this, you can get some snow but often you are dealing with that clear, cold, very stable but very chilly conditions," she explains. 

Meanwhile, Climenhaga reminds the public of the threat of frostbite or hypothermia in extremely cold conditions. She says it will be very important to cover your skin when heading outdoors and to seek shelter if you are getting too cold. 

A day-long power outage that started Dec. 30 caused by strong winds and ice accumulation on power lines disrupted electricity service to 73 customers in the remote Nunavik community of Umiujaq.

The outage affected residents in the area, which is served by Hydro-Québec’s off-grid system, Lynn St-Laurent, the corporation’s senior communications adviser, said in an email to Nunatsiaq News.

Communities like Umiujaq, with a population of about 550 people, are not connected to Hydro-Québec’s main electricity grid and rely instead on local power plants to generate their power.

Due to severe weather conditions, line crews — who can only reach the region by plane — were unable to travel immediately.

St-Laurent said local operators and linemen in Umiujaq worked quickly to isolate the problem, restoring power to the entire community except for the airport terminal by Dec. 31.

For now, a backup generator is providing power to the airport terminal.

Because weather conditions have improved, Hydro-Québec’s line crews are now able to travel to the affected areas. Workers departed Québec City on Thursday, with stops scheduled in Akulivik, Puvirnituq and Inukjuak before reaching Umiujaq.

The exact arrival time remains uncertain, St-Laurent said, as the itinerary depends on weather in those villages.

Hydro-Québec has stated it cannot yet determine when the airport terminal’s power issue will be fully resolved.

St-Laurent said the utility is remaining in communication with Umiujaq residents and regional authorities to provide updates as the situation progresses.

Polar Knowledge Canada gave its 2024 Northern Science Award to Aklavik's hunters and trappers committee for the group's conservation and education work.

Yukon's Gavin McKenna says all the penalties his team has been racking up at the world junior hockey championships have been frustrating, as he and the rest of the team prepare to take on the Czech Republic Thursday night.

Edmonton police are seeking help from the public in their investigation into the deaths of two women following a suspicious house fire last summer.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida Gov. Buddy MacKay, who lost to Jeb Bush in 1998 but still served 23 days in office after the sudden death of Gov. Lawton Chiles, has died. He was 91.

The former Democratic governor took a nap after lunch at his home in Ocklawaha, Florida, on Tuesday and never woke up, his son Ken MacKay told The Associated Press. All of the governor’s adult children were present at the time, he said.

“It was a very peaceful end to a great life,” said MacKay, who hopes his father is remembered as a defender of Florida’s environment and an advocate for minorities.

Floridians honored MacKay not just for his brief service as governor, but his time as a state legislator, Congressman and diplomat.

“We mourn the passing of Buddy MacKay,” Gov. Ron DeSantis posted on X. “A U.S. Air Force veteran and lifelong public servant, MacKay was dedicated to our country and our state. May he rest in peace.”

In a social media post, Bush offered his condolences to MacKay’s family, saying that his one-time competitor had served the state “with honor and distinction.”

MacKay, Chiles’ lieutenant governor for two terms, had been trounced by Bush in the 1998 gubernatorial election when Chiles died six weeks later on Dec. 12, 1998, at the governor’s mansion. That put MacKay in the top job for three weeks, where he focused on overseeing the final stages of the transition to Bush’s administration.

“It was overwhelmingly sad,” MacKay recalled in a 2012 interview with The Associated Press. “(Chiles had) gotten that far through his term and it all just stopped. For me, there was nothing but to be a caretaker and try to help with the transition. The main thing we could do was stay out of the way.”

The MacKays never moved into the mansion and Florida hasn’t had a Democrat in the governor’s office since.

“He was very, very sensitive to the fact he was there as the final caretaker,” the late Democratic political strategist and MacKay adviser Jim Krog once said. “He was clearly conscious of the fact that he was governor and there were some loose ends that needed to be tied up.”

MacKay was out of politics in 1990 when he persuaded Chiles, who had retired from the U.S. Senate two years earlier, to run for governor against incumbent Republican Bob Martinez. The Chiles-MacKay team was elected that November and again in 1994.

MacKay, who also served in the Florida Legislature and U.S. House of Representatives, ran statewide three times and lost each time, but never lost his quiet sense of humor.

“I got out of politics because of illness,” he said the day after being defeated by Bush. “The voters got sick and tired of me.”

An inveterate policy wonk, MacKay finished his political career as a special envoy to Latin America for President Bill Clinton before retiring to his central Florida home near Ocala. MacKay stood by the former president when many Democrats distanced themselves from Clinton in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He kept busy in the final years of his life doing pro bono work for the Southern Legal Counsel and also serving in a mediation role in the juvenile court system.

MacKay narrowly missed winning election to the U.S. Senate race in 1988 when he lost to Republican Connie Mack III by less than 1 percentage point. It was the closest statewide race in the state’s history until the 2000 presidential contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore.

In a Democratic primary field that at one time included former governors Claude Kirk — a one-time Republican — and Reubin Askew, who withdrew before the election, MacKay rebounded from a runner-up finish in a six-way primary to win a runoff against then-Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter.

With Democrats still largely in control of Florida politics, MacKay was expected to sweep past Mack and hold Chiles’ seat.

But Mack, who had also been in the U.S. House, came up with a “Hey Buddy, you’re a liberal,” catchphrase that MacKay couldn’t shake at a time moderate Florida was moving away from traditional Democratic politics.

It took two days after the 1988 election before the official vote count showed Mack had won, by fewer than 34,000 votes out of more than 4 million cast.

Like many of Florida’s leading Democratic politicians of the second half of the 20th century, MacKay began his political career at the height of the state’s integration movement.

MacKay had grown up working in the fields with Black laborers but went to segregated schools and ate in segregated restaurants.

“It was fairly wrenching,” he said. “It was always very awkward. My family was involved with agriculture and I worked many days in the field with African American crews and some of those adults were part of our family and raised me.”

MacKay’s views on race and the potential for desegregation changed dramatically during his time in the U.S. Air Force between 1955 and 1958.

“Not until I went into the military did I see the potential for getting this behind us,” MacKay said. “I walked in there and from the first day it was totally integrated and there wasn’t a problem. It was a very freeing experience.”

Kenneth H. MacKay Jr. was born March 22, 1933, in Ocala.

“In the old South, which I was born into, ‘Buddy’ means junior,” MacKay said. “Judges and school teachers called me Kenneth, but nobody else did. I’m more of a Buddy than a Kenneth.”

He became an attorney and citrus grower after leaving the service. He won election to the state House in 1968, the state Senate in 1974 and to the U.S. House in 1982 before losing his U.S. Senate bid.

MacKay spent his final years at the home he shared with his wife, Anne, on Lake Weir. According to his son Ken, MacKay remained active in his church, and enjoyed tending to his camellias and spending time on the family farm, where they raise citrus and cattle.

___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Kallestad is a former Associated Press journalist.

Kate Payne And Brent Kallestad, The Associated Press

An argument between two occupants of a car in Niagara Falls led to a serious stabbing that was witnessed by a six-year-old girl in the back seat.

Niagara Police say a male suspect was driving a vehicle with the male victim and his 6-year-old daughter in the back seat. A verbal argument between the suspect and victim resulted in the two getting out of the car in  the area of Victoria Avenue and Centre Street and engaging in a  physical confrontation. During the confrontation the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the victim. The 6-year-old then jumped out of  the back seat, and the suspect got back in the car and fled.

The victim was suffering from serious injuries related to a stab wound and was transported to an out-of-town hospital in critical condition.

Yesterday, the suspect, a 17-year-old male from Hamilton, was located and arrested. The 17-year-old has been charged with aggravated assault and two counts of breach of bail.

The 17-year-old male was held in custody for a video bail hearing to the Robert S. K. Welch Courthouse in St. Catharines scheduled for today. The victim remains in stable but critical condition at the out-of-town hospital.

Anyone who may have information about this incident is asked to contact the police by calling 905-688-4111, extension 1022200.

Under the provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act of Canada the NRPS is prohibited from releasing the identity of the youth charged in this matter.

Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara online or by calling 1-800-222-8477.

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Conflicting evidence, a lack of details and evidence that fell outside the parameters of the charges led a judge to find a Haneytown man not guilty Thursday of sex-related charges dating back a decade.

Mathew Peter Robert Gratton, 30, of Broad Road, was surrounded by family in Fredericton provincial court Thursday to hear Judge Lyne Raymond’s decision on his trial.

The RCMP had charged him with counts of sexual assault and sexual interference involving an underage girl in Haneytown between Dec. 17, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2016, allegations he denied last year.

A court order prohibits the publication or broadcast of information that would tend to identify the complainant.

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Two people were arrested after a fiery crash involving an RCMP vehicle in Portage la Prairie on December 24, 2024. (RCMP HANDOUT)

A police pursuit in Portage la Prairie on December 24 ended with a fiery crash and two arrests.

Around 2:15 p.m., RCMP tried to stop a vehicle near 8th Street NW, but it fled. Officers later deployed a spike belt on Road 70 North. The vehicle stopped, reversed into a police car, drove over the belt, and collided head-on with another police vehicle on Provincial Road 240.

Both vehicles caught fire, but officers safely removed the two female suspects. Both were treated for minor injuries in hospital, along with an officer.

A 30-year-old woman faces charges and was released, while Michelle Whitford, 32, was remanded on multiple charges, including assaulting a police Officer and theft of a motor vehicle. Both suspects are from Portage la Prairie.

RCMP continue to investigate.

© 2025. This article Police Traffic Stop Ends in Fiery Crash in Portage la Prairie appeared first on ChrisD.ca - Winnipeg News.

The federal government plans to extend the deadline for claiming charitable donations on tax returns through to the end of February.

The announcement from Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc comes nearly a week after the premiers called on Justin Trudeau’s government to make the move.

A statement from LeBlanc’s office says the extension will help ease the effects of the four-week Canada Post strike.

Hamilton Police are hoping a member of the public can help them locate a missing 34-year-old female, Serene Maria.

Serene Maria was reported to be last seen at approximately 10:50 p.m. on December 31, 2024, in the area of Upper Paradise and Mohawk. She is described as female, brown, with a dark complexion, black long hair, 5’5, and 150lbs. She is known to ride a black and red electric scooter.

Anyone with any information that could assist investigators are asked to call the Division 30 Staff Sergeant at 905-546-3886.

To provide information anonymously, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com

Toys "R" Us Canada says it is closing five Ontario stores and revamping several others as it works to "optimize" its business.

Partially in effect since the start of the year, the legislation forces employers to eliminate such requirements. It aims to streamline doctors' workloads by reducing paperwork and unnecessary clinical visits.

Bird lovers or just someone looking to enjoy some nature can participate in Eastend's annual bird count tomorrow.

"Every year we have certain routes that we take," said volunteer Roxie Binkley. "We just go out and we spot the birds (and) record every bird that we see. We do also record mammals, but the main records are for the birds. We can travel over 100 kilometers in the area."

Binkley noted they will meet at 9:30am at the town square in Eastend before dividing into groups for travel.

"We drive and if we spot birds then if we can't determine the type of bird that is immediately, we will get out of the car and we'll wander around," she added. 

Some years they've been able to spot several large birds.

"We've seen a snowy owl," Binkley said. "That's always one of our delights. We have seen some unusual birds. We often will see Golden Eagles. The bigger birds are the ones that delight us the most."

Binkley noted they also have some volunteers counting birds that come to their feeder.

They will pass on the data to an institute in Regina.

Anyone is welcome to join the bird count tomorrow morning. 

As hundreds of Manitobans continue to die every year as a result of toxic and poisonous drugs, one group is hoping to bring a new approach forward when it comes to addressing addictions.

Adult and Teen Challenge Canada is currently asking for funds to renovate a warehouse into supportive housing for people struggling with substance use, potentially creating a new reality for many Manitoba families, say leaders with the group.

“The Life-Transformation Centre here at 83 Kate Street, really is going to serve families with a full continuum of addiction treatment and recovery services under one roof,” said President and CEO of Adult and Teen Challenge of Central Canada, Daniel Emond.

Hoping to have roughly 100 beds across the warehouse, Emond says the project will meet families where they are at when it comes to receiving support and they want to ensure the facility is ready when they are, stressing to support the family unit as a whole is critical.

“Nine of the 10 calls we get are usually from a family member saying: ‘My loved one is struggling with addiction, what do we do?’” said Emond drawing on almost two decades of experience.

“It saddened my heart to tell families that: ‘Sorry, Dad has to go into in-residence programming and Mom is left with the kids at home and a mortgage and what to do.’ And I’ve seen families being broken apart.”

Emond says through their approach, families can stay together and be supported while one member is in recovery. Years in the making, the organization’s new facility, which will serve as the group’s HQ and will offer a number of programs, ranging from “step-down” initiatives for users of opioids and other chemical substances, to long-term recovery beds.

The cost of the project is pegged at roughly $18 million and Emond says the organisation is reaching out to all levels of government for financial support as they try to reach their goal, but stresses anyone can contribute to their work. 

“We’re asking everyone,” he said.

“We’re asking families, we’re asking foundations, we’re asking corporations and businesses and we’re asking our government. We’ve been here for 30 years helping families and our organization is worthy of all levels of government support to help families find freedom from addiction.”

On Thursday, a statement from the Government of Manitoba’s Ministry of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness said conversations with the group are already happening.

“We deeply appreciate all organizations working to support Manitobans in recovery. Our government has been working diligently with many local and provincial organizations to ensure Manitoba families are safe and can access the help they need when they need it,” said the statement.

The department of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness has met with Adult and Teen Challenge over the past couple of months and will review any proposals we receive.

As for Emond, he says he’s hopeful. So far conversations with various stakeholders have been positive, but said they still have roughly $14 million they need to raise when it comes to projected costs, and they don’t want to start construction without 80 per cent of funding secured and plans for the remaining 20 per cent in place.

“Everything is project-ready,” he said. “We’re ready for permitting.”

The post Group raising funds to keep families together while addressing addictions appeared first on CityNews Winnipeg.