C.D. Howe Institute Releases a Series of Recommendations to Boost Canada’s Productivity October 15, 2026 – Canada needs coordinated reforms across multiple policy areas to address its longstanding productivity problem, according to the C.D. Howe Institute’s Productivity Blueprint, released today with recommendations for policymakers across different sectors and levels of government. Canadians’ living standards have […]
L’Institut C.D. Howe publie une série de recommandations pour stimuler la productivité du Canada 15 Octobre 2026 – Le Canada doit mettre en œuvre des réformes coordonnées dans plusieurs domaines de politique publique pour remédier à son problème persistant de productivité, selon le Productivity Blueprint de l’Institut C.D. Howe, publié aujourd’hui et proposant des recommandations […]
October 14, 2026 – Canada has the highest household debt in the G7, but the country is not facing a systemic debt crisis, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. Instead, financial strain is concentrated among particular groups of Canadians. In “Beyond the Headlines: Where Canada’s Household Debt Problem Lies,” authors Mawakina […]
Le 14 octobre 2026 – Le Canada affiche le niveau d’endettement des ménages le plus élevé du G7, mais cet endettement ne constitue pas une crise systémique, selon un nouveau rapport de l’Institut C.D. Howe. Les difficultés financières sont plutôt concentrées au sein de certains groupes de Canadiens. Dans « Beyond the Headlines: Where Canada’s […]
by Mawakina Bafale and Peter MacKenzie Canada’s high household debt warrants concern, but the aggregate data do not point to a systemic debt crisis. The debt-service ratio (DSR), a more timely measure of financial strain than the debt-to-income ratio, has eased from its 2023 peak and sits slightly below its pre-pandemic level. Canada’s DSR is […]
From: Frank Clayton To: Housing observers Date: August 20, 2026 Re: Buyers Want Houses, Not More Apartments Housing policy in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area cannot address the housing crisis if it continues to ignore homebuyers’ preferences. Land-use policy has prioritized increasing housing density without giving sufficient consideration to the kinds of homes Ontarians actually want to […]
Published in the Globe and Mail. Housing policy in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area cannot address the housing crisis if it continues to ignore homebuyers’ preferences. Land-use policy has prioritized increasing housing density without giving sufficient consideration to the kinds of homes Ontarians actually want to buy. As surveys done by Ipsos and Environics have […]
Municipalities across Canada rely heavily on property tax revenues to support their operating expenditures. Halifax and Montreal have the highest share of municipal operating revenues from property taxes, while Toronto gets just 31 percent of its operating revenues from property taxes. Analyzing property tax contributions to municipal operating revenues relate to development charges as these […]
From: Andrew Sancton To: Canadian Housing Watchers Date: August 6, 2026 Re: The Hidden Costs of Taming Housing Development Charges The federal government’s introduction of the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program, and a new partnership with British Columbia to lower municipally levied development charges for multi-unit housing, represent a promising step toward addressing these fees, but come with key issues. Under […]
Published in The Globe and Mail. The federal government’s introduction of the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program, and a new partnership with British Columbia to lower municipally levied development charges for multi-unit housing, represent a promising step toward addressing these fees, but come with key issues. Under the Ontario agreement, the federal and provincial governments will […]
Is the Greater Toronto Area housing shortage just a supply problem? Despite strong demand for ground-related homes, planning policies have favoured apartment construction for decades. Frank Clayton and Benjamin Tal discuss why solving the housing crisis requires building not just more homes, but the right homes.
Is the Greater Toronto Area housing shortage just a supply problem? Despite strong demand for ground-related homes, planning policies have favoured apartment construction for decades. Frank Clayton and Benjamin Tal discuss why solving the housing crisis requires building not just more homes, but the right homes.
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October 14, 2026 – Canada has the highest household debt in the G7, but the country is not facing a systemic debt crisis, according to a new report from the C.D. Howe Institute. Instead, financial strain is concentrated among particular groups of Canadians. In “Beyond the Headlines: Where Canada’s Household Debt Problem Lies,” authors Mawakina […] 
From: Frank Clayton To: Housing observers Date: August 20, 2026 Re: Buyers Want Houses, Not More Apartments Housing policy in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area cannot address the housing crisis if it continues to ignore homebuyers’ preferences. Land-use policy has prioritized increasing housing density without giving sufficient consideration to the kinds of homes Ontarians actually want to […] 
Published in the Globe and Mail. Housing policy in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area cannot address the housing crisis if it continues to ignore homebuyers’ preferences. Land-use policy has prioritized increasing housing density without giving sufficient consideration to the kinds of homes Ontarians actually want to buy. As surveys done by Ipsos and Environics have […] 
Municipalities across Canada rely heavily on property tax revenues to support their operating expenditures. Halifax and Montreal have the highest share of municipal operating revenues from property taxes, while Toronto gets just 31 percent of its operating revenues from property taxes. Analyzing property tax contributions to municipal operating revenues relate to development charges as these […] 
From: Andrew Sancton To: Canadian Housing Watchers Date: August 6, 2026 Re: The Hidden Costs of Taming Housing Development Charges The federal government’s introduction of the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program, and a new partnership with British Columbia to lower municipally levied development charges for multi-unit housing, represent a promising step toward addressing these fees, but come with key issues. Under […] 
Published in The Globe and Mail. The federal government’s introduction of the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program, and a new partnership with British Columbia to lower municipally levied development charges for multi-unit housing, represent a promising step toward addressing these fees, but come with key issues. Under the Ontario agreement, the federal and provincial governments will […] 
Is the Greater Toronto Area housing shortage just a supply problem? Despite strong demand for ground-related homes, planning policies have favoured apartment construction for decades. Frank Clayton and Benjamin Tal discuss why solving the housing crisis requires building not just more homes, but the right homes.