Cost of housing in Canada

[mariomike]

Google shack. It’s a hut or a house that is falling apart.

Like this shack for $2.5 million five years ago.

Tiny Toronto shack on sale for $2.5 million

Location, location, location... and literally nothing else is what you'll get for $2,500,000 at 14 Grange Avenue in Toronto right now. A small, dilap…

www.blogto.com

Or,

From August 2020,

This tiny Toronto house just sold for $800K over asking​

This tiny Toronto house just sold for $800K over asking

A tiny Toronto house that hit the market for $1 million has just sold for $800,000 over its asking price.

toronto.ctvnews.ca

 

[Quirky]

The renter in that house took offense to what was perceived as a derogatory comment to make a point.

People take offence with anything these days, including non sense like hurting their delicate emotions on a RENTAL shack. I can’t imagine how that person deals with real life problems….

More homes like that one in greater numbers are needed to make housing more affordable. Build more for less, sell low for entry level people.

Need the land first, which isn’t cheap in densely populated areas like the GTA and GVA. Then you’ll have to find builders willing to construct these things on the cheap. A RTM assembly factory can be set up indoors where trades people can build without Mother Nature slowing things down. We can call things emergencies all we want, but unless the problem is addressed nothing will change.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

The GTA is not, repeat not, densely populated - That is actually the main problem with their housing situation.

 

[Quirky]

The GTA is not, repeat not, densely populated - That is actually the main problem with their housing situation.

I can’t imagine how much worse traffic would be if it was.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Adopting foreign levels of density without simultaneously implementing foreign solutions to moving people around and foreign solutions to having people live where they don't need to move around much, would be predictably disastrous.

 

[Eaglelord17]

I can’t imagine how much worse traffic would be if it was.

Traffic would be better if they didn’t have to travel nearly as far. Its only so bad because so many people have to travel in, require tons of parking, and take up so much space for the commute.

I just spent the day in Toronto. I am shocked with how sparsely populated it is compared to places like New York, or most other major population centres. I never really noticed before but it really is lacking in the high rise buildings many other large cities I have been to possess. Even the lack of multi-story buildings, like say in Paris where most buildings are at least 3 stories when many in Toronto are 1-2.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . . how sparsely populated it is compared to places like . . .. Even the lack of multi-story buildings, . . .

And it applies to even smaller communities. Using two well known examples (well known to some of us old farts anyway), Belleville and Lahr (they're sister cities) are close enough in population, Belleville 51k vs Lahr 47k, to make a useful comparison. Belleville is 247.21 km2 while Lahr's footprint is 69.86 km2. That's a population density per square km (approx) of 205 for Belleville and 690 for Lahr. While not a scientific analysis it would suggest that my observations of 30 years ago were correct that even small European communities (rural hubs?) made greater use of multi-unit, multi-story residential buildings compared to similar North American communities that were predominantly single family residences.

 

[Weinie]

And it applies to even smaller communities. Using two well known examples (well known to some of us old farts anyway), Belleville and Lahr (they're sister cities) are close enough in population, Belleville 51k vs Lahr 47k, to make a useful comparison. Belleville is 247.21 km2 while Lahr's footprint is 69.86 km2. That's a population density per square km (approx) of 205 for Belleville and 690 for Lahr. While not a scientific analysis it would suggest that my observations of 30 years ago were correct that even small European communities (rural hubs?) made greater use of multi-unit, multi-story residential buildings compared to similar North American communities that were predominantly single family residences.

I don't want to live in an area with 690 people per sq km.(or Belleville)

 

[mariomike]

That's a population density per square km (approx) of 205 for Belleville and 690 for Lahr.

Reminds me of a Joseph Goebbels quote: "It drives one mad to think some Canadian boor, who probably can't even find Europe on the globe, flies here from a country glutted with natural resources to bombard a country with a crowded population."

I can tolerate ( sort of ) local traffic and parking. Sometimes by leaving the car at home, and taking Uber.

As far as the GTHA - Golden Horseshoe and beyond goes, I'm a Union - Pearson Express and GO Train fan.

Just tap your Presto. No need for cash, tickets, tokens etc. I've even used Presto in Ottawa.

Eg: Oshawa to Niagara Falls direct by GO Train ( no buses ) costs $12.45

System Map

Here is the system map of train and bus routes for the entire GO network.

www.gotransit.com

 

[YZT580]

Reminds me of a Joseph Goebbels quote: "It drives one mad to think some Canadian boor, who probably can't even find Europe on the globe, flies here from a country glutted with natural resources to bombard a country with a crowded population."

I can tolerate ( sort of ) local traffic and parking. Sometimes by leaving the car at home, and taking Uber.

As far as the GTHA - Golden Horseshoe and beyond goes, I'm a Union - Pearson Express and GO Train fan.

Just tap your Presto. No need for cash, tickets, tokens etc. I've even used Presto in Ottawa.

Eg: Oshawa to Niagara Falls direct by GO Train ( no buses ) costs $12.45

System Map

Here is the system map of train and bus routes for the entire GO network.

www.gotransit.com

not realistic. A GO train accommodates approximately 1800 people. There are slightly more than 20,000 tourists in Niagara on the Lake every weekend day. So 10 complete trains each direction just to handle NOTL and there is no stop there or even a spur line to utilize to get there. Haven't even considered Niagara Falls traffic flow yet. We don't have the infrastructure to handle the population without the private car. And we don't have the highway infrastructure to handle the cars either. Oh, the train only runs to Niagara once a day through the week and that is in the evening the last time I looked although that is scheduled to change once the new stations are complete. The rest of the time your bus will be progressing at less than 30 mph down the QEW along with the 100000 other vehicles

 

[mariomike]

The rest of the time your bus will be progressing at less than 30 mph down the QEW along with the 100000 other vehicles

Used to call the QEW the Quick and Easy Way. Not anymore. < sad emoji.

 

[Good2Golf]

Used to call the QEW the Quick and Easy Way. Not anymore. < sad emoji.

It’s stopped being that about the same time the DVP became the Don Valley Parking Lot.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I don't want to live in an area with 690 people per sq km.(or Belleville)

I don't think I'd like to live in Belleville either, however the 690 per km2 option wouldn't be too bad if that option was Lahr. It's undoubtedly somewhat different than the times I previously lived there, the biggest change of course is it's no longer home to a Canadian community. But even back then many of the aspects that made living there enjoyable had nothing to do with the Canadian community (though admittedly that made life easier). While a population density of 690/km2 may sound sardine can like, it never did feel that way (I'll accept that the population of Lahr has grown in the intervening 30 years, but it actually hasn't very much in the grand scheme of things). This is what it looks like today. Lots of open space.

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[lenaitch]

Does the Home Hardware up there sell Hunting and Fishing supplies ?

Not sure who the question was directed at but the store I just discovered in North Bay does. I'm not sure about the ones I used to go to in Central Ontario - it's not something I focused on. The one very large store in one town had a modest 'sporting goods' section, but it also shared a town with two large independent outdoor stores and not far from a Cabellas.

I can't say I've seen a HH with a significant garden centre. I'm assuming they have corporately decided not to go head-to-head with stand-alone nurseries or big box stores when many of the products are perishable and highly seasonal. Some BB stores and grocery stores that verge on BB stores set up garden centres in the parking lot that are dismantled by the end of June.

 

[YZT580]

Not sure who the question was directed at but the store I just discovered in North Bay does. I'm not sure about the ones I used to go to in Central Ontario - it's not something I focused on. The one very large store in one town had a modest 'sporting goods' section, but it also shared a town with two large independent outdoor stores and not far from a Cabellas.

I can't say I've seen a HH with a significant garden centre. I'm assuming they have corporately decided not to go head-to-head with stand-alone nurseries or big box stores when many of the products are perishable and highly seasonal. Some BB stores and grocery stores that verge on BB stores set up garden centres in the parking lot that are dismantled by the end of June.

try the Kingston Home. It appears well set up with just about everything. It is a large complex

 

[mariomike]

not realistic. A GO train accommodates approximately 1800 people. There are slightly more than 20,000 tourists in Niagara on the Lake every weekend day. So 10 complete trains each direction just to handle NOTL and there is no stop there or even a spur line to utilize to get there. Haven't even considered Niagara Falls traffic flow yet. We don't have the infrastructure to handle the population without the private car. And we don't have the highway infrastructure to handle the cars either. Oh, the train only runs to Niagara once a day through the week and that is in the evening the last time I looked although that is scheduled to change once the new stations are complete. The rest of the time your bus will be progressing at less than 30 mph down the QEW along with the 100000 other vehicles

Other than locally in an automobile, UP Express is ( ussualy ) how I handle time and distance.

Weekday, weekend and holiday service every 15 minutes. 0500 - 2400.

Tap your Presto card - 8 minutes to Union Station - $2.65

Tap your Presto card - 17 minutes to Pearson Airport - $2.85

 

[Brad Sallows]

There are literally hundreds of thousands of possible destinations in Canada. Not gonna wax lyrical that a handful are convenient by light rail.

 

[mariomike]

There are literally hundreds of thousands of possible destinations in Canada. Not gonna wax lyrical that a handful are convenient by light rail.

For sure.

Getting from Union to Pearson, or vice versa, in 25 minutes by rail makes destinations in Ontario, Canada, and elsewhere, more convenient ( speaking only for myself ) than by automobile. YMMV for your travel destinations.

 

[Quirky]

So much borrowed money out there it's scary. When the immigrants see Canada for what it is, they'll start leaving in droves and housing will collapse. Right now the fed gov is manufacturing this housing crisis, only so many houses can be built for the amount of people that keep flooding in. Our economy is basically immigration.

 

[Fishbone Jones]