People talk about the price of houses or the cost of housing. The real cost of housing and what appreciates is the land. People think government is supposed to do something about the cost of housing. Government can't make more land.

Your 100% right in urban settings the government cannot make more land, However in rural settings Canada is about 89% crown land as comparted to the East Coast of the USA where nearly 95+% is privately owned.

Governments could unlock more via rezoning or Crown land sales, but politics (environment, Indigenous rights) slow it down

World Example (as of Nov 2025)

Federal Government Action: In Budget 2025, Canada announced $1.8B to map and prepare 100,000+ hectares of public land for housing—mostly ex-military bases and remote lots.

BC Example: Sold small Crown parcels near Kelowna in 2024 → 1,200 new homes planned.

But delays: A proposed 500-home project on Crown land near Kamloops stalled 18 months due to First Nations consultation.

You're right ,Dan. Do whatever feels right for you. Left or right, either or both.

Yah, to each their own, but everyone is different and they have to understand what feels right for them.

This right here. All this talk about strong arm, off-dominant hand etc is irrelevant if it doesnt feel right to you. There are some people that have mixed handed-ness ie. swing baseball/golf right, but shoot hockey left etc. I'm one of those. Cant explain it other than I know it feels very wrong and cant do it properly the 'wrong' way.

Between fly, CP, levelwind, spinning, I do a mix of left and right; just depends on what feels right. Yes there is a large degree of ingrained muscle memory involved, and yes it's weird to those who dont have that tendency.

Here is some perspective from me on housing prices:

my wife's now deceased Uncle bought a nice little house in Surrey in the mid to late 30s for 6k

In 1966 my parents bought a house in the same area for 12k. Sold in 2011 for 300k+. Current assessment is 1.34million built in '56 with some improvements. Land valuation is 1.24m.

we bought our house in 1985 for 101k. Current assessment is 1.63million. Built in the late 30s Land value is 1.53million.

So my parents former house appreciated about 112 times the original value in 60 years. That's an annual inflation rate of 8.13%

Our house appreciated 16 times in 40 years. That's an annual inflation rate of 7.18%.

People talk about the price of houses or the cost of housing. The real cost of housing and what appreciates is the land. People think government is supposed to do something about the cost of housing. Government can't make more land.

These days new houses tend to be big. I'd say even huge. Typically they cover 1/2 or more of the lot. Maybe the square footage is cheaper but the house itself costs more.

Much of what people see as housing inflation is actually something else.

Hey Darko

Ya blaming the previous generation is an old, old tradition.  The very boomers you complain about used to go on and on about the "establishment".   Glad to see the generation gap is still in full swing  . 

Ffs Bobby, it's a secret ballot.  No one knows how anyone voted unless the voter reveals their choice, and Elections Canada will never ask.  Phone and exit polls are the only source of demographic information.

As for the Richmond ruling, it's the first time UNDRIP has come into direct conflict with common law in Canada.   It is true that the band originally didn't ask for title to private land, but now that they won, they are asking for way more on appeal.  Clearly it has to end somewhere, as UNDRIP is not a blank cheque. 

Excellent post Roderick. In many cases the polls cited didn't even ask the specific question about voting intention. How each respondent answers a question like what issue matters most to you (ie negotiating with the Trump administration vs affordability) can be interpreted differently. Perhaps universal daycare, pharmacare and dental care means more in terms of affordability than spending reductions. People are also notoriously reluctant to tell pollsters their voting intention or how they voted. Polling has become more of a crap shoot over the last several years or more.

Also forgotten is that polling by Nanos, Ipsos and Angus Reid  did show a shift in voting intention during the campaign. In first part of the campaign a very strong Liberal majority looked probable. By the end the question was a Liberal majority possible? Also overlooked was the wipe out of other progressive parties like the NDP and the Greens. The result reflected a broadening split in the electorate as they moved to support one party or the other in the center or the right.

Wow Gord, you and so many others of your generation are out of touch with reality.

The reality for todays youth, is that the policies of the last ten years have had severe and measurable consequences. The notion that elections don't matter is a luxury of established financial security that todays youth does not share.

Public safety has significantly deteriorated. Violent crime rates are up. Repeat offenders are the norm, but not to worry the liberals took away the right for legal firearms buyers to purchase restricted firearms. That will fix the problems. Their approach of banning any firearm that "looks dangerous" is surely not a logical one.

Though the boomer generation surely doesn't notice any of that as they live in wealthy communities.

Look what happened during covid. So many people's jobs and livelihoods were threatened if they did not inject themselves with an unproven and unsafe vaccine. For basically the common cold. 

Kids are taught in elementary schools that sex change surgery is normal and accepted.

Endless money is sent to Ukraine year after year instead of supporting tax paying Canadians.

Many of these things have happened only in the last 10 years under liberal rule. So the agenda that it doesn't matter which party wins is nonsense.

The belief that "we will still be in a great place" is true only if you bought a home when it cost 3-4 times the average income. For young people facing costs 12 times (or more) of their income, unsafe neighborhoods, and a sense of being ignored, the trajectory is one of significant decline. For us, politics are not about personality, it is about reversing a very real and damaging course.

Although I understand that is none of your concern, as your selfish generation won't be around to give a damn. The ignorance and lack of self awareness of how fortunate your generation is to have grown up in a much easier time is very frustrating.

Yeah, you are probably right. I am out of touch with reality and don't have nearly the real life experience that you have. I have had it really easy, like the rest of my generation, unlike you and yours who have had enormous struggles just to pay the cell bills. But to be clear, I didn't say that elections were unimportant but I did say that who won the elections had little impact on our lives when we look back. But your incredible experience and wisdom for outweighs mine so I guess I have it wrong. But carry on with the "oh poor me, I have it so tough" theme because it will tell people a lot about your character. As far as your anti trans, anti vax views ----go fkkk yourself.

You know, I have been voting for over 50 years and when I look back it has never really made a difference who wins the election. We have had austerity programs and wild spending and it actually hasn't made a real difference. Really, I don't remember being better off under Brian Mulroney or Jean Chretien. I think that if someone you like wins (Pierre Trudeau) you feel better and when someone that you don't like (Joe Clark) wins you feel bad. I know that somehow this is wrong but I bet that deep down most of us who have seen 10 elections look back they might agree. I liked Justin Trudeau more than any of the opposition whether it was NDP, Bloc or Cons in one of their reincarnations. John Horgan probably wasn't any more effective than Eby but on the whole we liked him better. Same with Jack Layton as opposed to Jagmeet. I can go on and on, I shook Tommy Douglas' hand at a potluck dinner, I would never have voted for John Diefenbaker. The list goes on and on. And I just don't like PP. In 15 years it won't have made any difference. But we will still be in a great place.

Wow Gord, you and so many others of your generation are out of touch with reality.

The reality for todays youth, is that the policies of the last ten years have had severe and measurable consequences. The notion that elections don't matter is a luxury of established financial security that todays youth does not share.

Public safety has significantly deteriorated. Violent crime rates are up. Repeat offenders are the norm, but not to worry the liberals took away the right for legal firearms buyers to purchase restricted firearms. That will fix the problems. Their approach of banning any firearm that "looks dangerous" is surely not a logical one.

Though the boomer generation surely doesn't notice any of that as they live in wealthy communities.

Look what happened during covid. So many people's jobs and livelihoods were threatened if they did not inject themselves with an unproven and unsafe vaccine. For basically the common cold. 

Kids are taught in elementary schools that sex change surgery is normal and accepted.

Endless money is sent to Ukraine year after year instead of supporting tax paying Canadians.

Many of these things have happened only in the last 10 years under liberal rule. So the agenda that it doesn't matter which party wins is nonsense.

The belief that "we will still be in a great place" is true only if you bought a home when it cost 3-4 times the average income. For young people facing costs 12 times (or more) of their income, unsafe neighborhoods, and a sense of being ignored, the trajectory is one of significant decline. For us, politics are not about personality, it is about reversing a very real and damaging course.

Although I understand that is none of your concern, as your selfish generation won't be around to give a damn. The ignorance and lack of self awareness of how fortunate your generation is to have grown up in a much easier time is very frustrating.

Ffs Bobby, it's a secret ballot.  No one knows how anyone voted unless the voter reveals their choice, and Elections Canada will never ask.  Phone and exit polls are the only source of demographic information.

As for the Richmond ruling, it's the first time UNDRIP has come into direct conflict with common law in Canada.   It is true that the band originally didn't ask for title to private land, but now that they won, they are asking for way more on appeal.  Clearly it has to end somewhere, as UNDRIP is not a blank cheque.  I think this ruling, and the inevitable appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, sets up a discussion that in the end will result in private property rights being upheld in Canada.  Anything else will result in a conflict that neither side wants. 

I think it's whatever your Dad put into your hand when you were a kid.  Kids can easily learn it either way, or both.