Premier Doug Ford's Ontario

[lenaitch]

To me, an Associate Minister is right up there with 'Minister Without Portfolio'. Give some folks some extra pay and a seat at the adult's table for doing a piece of a mandate that the Minister should be responsible for anyway.

The specific mandate of "attainable housing and modular homes" is curious and it remains to be seen what it means. The concept of a 'modular home' can mean different things to different people. To some, it means trailers/mobile homes, usually plunked on leased land; to others, what I would call 'engineered homes', that are built on jigs indoors and shipped in blocks to the site (think Royal Homes). It almost sounds like they want to further dink around with zoning rules and possibly building standards.

I don't know how to interpret the movement of Mulroney to TB. Much like Freeland's recent move at the federal level, is it a promotion or demotion?

 

[Northern Light]

No surprise to see Stan Cho get a promotion, as he appears to be a rising star in the party.

Agreed. Seems odd to me though that the didn't just give him Transport, since that's where he's been an associate minister and he knows the files.

Likewise, I would have though of moving Tangri up in Housing; though, perhaps her move is a clean-slate type thing, given the scandal there.

Calandra has always seemed like a bit of a dud, imho.

He is, he's very partisan, and I would rate him as a 'yes man' type.

I imagine he's being rewarded largely for keeping his proverbial nose clean, and largely achieving what was asked of him. (Though, several LTC projects are way behind schedule)

 

[Northern Light]

The specific mandate of "attainable housing and modular homes" is curious and it remains to be seen what it means. The concept of a 'modular home' can mean different things to different people. To some, it means trailers/mobile homes, usually plunked on leased land; to others, what I would call 'engineered homes', that are built on jigs indoors and shipped in blocks to the site (think Royal Homes). It almost sounds like they want to further dink around with zoning rules and possibly building standards.

I would have assumed this has to do with type of housing in Toronto's Rapid Housing Initiative; similar having been designed into 2 LTC projects as well.

I don't know how to interpret the movement of Mulroney to TB. Much like Freeland's recent move at the federal level, is it a promotion or demotion?

Freeland didn't move; I assume you mean Anand.

 

[christiesplits]

I don't know how to interpret the movement of Mulroney to TB. Much like Freeland's recent move at the federal level, is it a promotion or demotion?

Some Ministers also like cabinet gigs that have less travel, especially if you have a young family.

 

[lenaitch]

Freeland didn't move; I assume you mean Anand.

You're right. Too much heat.

 

[Northern Light]

The Globe's Editorial Board again lighting into the Ford gov't over the Greenbelt Scandal:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opi...ibly-fatal-flaw-in-doug-fords-greenbelt-plan/ (behind the paywall)

From the above, the following, which for context comes after a discussion that the government altered criteria for considering removing sites from the Greenbelt, that had required they already be serviced....

 

[W. K. Lis]

 

[Thinker]

OK folks, I will be making consultations at any if not all Tim Hortons and I am working 24/7 at the cottage making sure the snowmobiles are in tip top shape. But seriously the above press conference is utter tosh. It makes me want to hurl. Those who cannot afford a home are certainly not going to afford the homes that are being build, the mention of a person whose home burned down and cannot afford to rebuild is crap, -if- that person had a mortgage, the bank would have made sure he had homeowners insurance, if they didn't have insurance it's not a fault of the system. Sadly those who cannot afford the down payment for a brand new home will have a hard time finding a mortgage lender. Also if these so called affordable homes of under 500 thousand dollars, where previously homes were build/sold at current market rates, home owners are not going to be happy because their property holds no longer the value. Furthermore, builders build what the market demands and building homes at a loss is not a solid business plan. This crap makes me angry. He is guilty of dodgy deals and he knows it.

 

[Northern Light]

More on how certain parcels came to be excluded from the Greenbelt.

I believe what IS in this story, but I feel confident there is more that is not...

'They were looking at the Greenbelt:' Inside the deal from 2 developers' perspectives

While no one explicitly told developers that Ontario planned to open up the protected Greenbelt for housing last year, the government telegraphed that message to builders through actions – and silence, the province's integrity commissioner found.

www.cp24.com

 

[DSC]

The dripping has certainly not stopped!

Toronto, Canada & Global Breaking News – CP24

Most recent News News business news stories and video from CP24

www.cp24.com

Ontario watchdog calls for probe into Mr. X's purchase, donation of tickets to Premier Ford's gala​

Plus this in G&M (behind paywall):

Ford government’s appointee to Greenbelt Foundation had family ties to developer​

And this shows 'the people' (or "Folks"!) are still pissed off!.

‘This is what democracy looks like’: Huge crowd overwhelms public meeting on Greenbelt in Ancaster

There wasn’t enough room to fit everyone who wanted to vent about development in Hamilton’s former Greenbelt at a city meeting Wednesday

www.thestar.com

 

[afransen]

Doug Ford trying to change the channel. He's promising $500k detached homes with fenced back yards, driveways, and finished basements.

Doug Ford promises $500,000 homes but offers few details

The Ontario Premier, under fire for Greenbelt process that favoured certain developers, also warns against teachers who ‘indoctrinate’ students on gender in schools

www.theglobeandmail.com

“Let me give you a promise. We’re going to make sure that we’re going to donate land. We’re going to work with our municipalities. We’re going to offer a 1,600-square-foot home, with a basement that’s finished that you can rent out or have family there. You’re going to have a backyard with a fence. You’re going to have a paved driveway – under $500,000,” Mr. Ford told cheering supporters.

Such a plan would require a large discount in today’s market, or extensive subsidies. The average price of a home in the Greater Toronto Area last month was $1.08-million, according to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.

How are these going to be allocated? Do I get one if I buy a ticket to Doug's fundraiser?

We don't need gimmicks. We need to streamline the creation of new housing supply.

 

[PinkLucy]

But Doug, what if i don’t want a white picket fence and a basement tenant and to live who knows where this might even be possible?

 

[Northern Light]

But Doug, what if i don’t want a white picket fence and a basement tenant and to live who knows where this might even be possible?

Well then, you're not part of Ford Nation! And you won't be invited to Ford Fest; and your name will not go on the waiting list for the 24 homes to be available at this price, in honour of the 24 beers that were actually a buck; you're loss! LOL

 

[Thinker]

Doug Ford trying to change the channel. He's promising $500k detached homes with fenced back yards, driveways, and finished basements.

Doug Ford promises $500,000 homes but offers few details

The Ontario Premier, under fire for Greenbelt process that favoured certain developers, also warns against teachers who ‘indoctrinate’ students on gender in schools

www.theglobeandmail.com

How are these going to be allocated? Do I get one if I buy a ticket to Doug's fundraiser?

We don't need gimmicks. We need to streamline the creation of new housing supply.

I don't know if he's just grabbing the house prices out of his hat, or is he planning to subsidize his builder buddies with taxpayers money? After all he has plenty unspent money in the koffers for such things as: healthcare and education etc. The prices he is quoting are unrealistic given the land these house are going to stand on is probably 25.000 or more at market rate.

 

[lenaitch]

He's getting desperate. I await the math on this one. Would the development/neighbourhood be ghettoized in terms of future resale value or would the prices rise to the prevailing open market at the time? The amount of public money that would have to be put into a house to bring it down to that price in most major markets is significant, and I'm wondering if the CRA might have some thoughts on it.

Besides, at any price, it is a continuation of SFH low density development.