Latest news with #CaptainObvious
Toronto Sun
09-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
RESCON: Lots of talk but little action
An annual construction rate of 350,000 homes, including low-rise and high-rise, is needed to tackle the affordability crisis. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Housing industry is nowhere near reaching the number of homes that need to be built to ensure affordability This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Let me play Captain Obvious for a minute. To solve the housing supply and affordability crisis, we must build more homes. But we must also build them at a price tag people can afford. The common rule of personal finance is that a home should cost no more than three times your gross household income. With the average price of a new single-family home sitting at more than $1.55 million in the Greater Toronto Area, and a condo at $1.02 million, that means families would need incomes of $517,000 and $340,000, respectively, to afford a new home. Sadly, that metric is not realistic for most. A report done for the Ontario Home Builder's Association found that 11 of 26 municipalities analyzed in Ontario were 'completely unattainable' for middle-class households. Meanwhile, young people in Ontario are spending more than 40 per cent of their monthly income on housing in many areas. We are in dire straits. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Missing Middle Initiative at the University of Ottawa reported that in 2005, in only three of 26 markets in Ontario, a middle-class buyer of a single-family home would have to pay 25 per cent or more of his or her pre-tax income on mortgage payments. Today, this is the case in all 26 markets. Housing is being addressed by political leaders of all stripes and at all levels of government. And, in light of comments made by elected leaders on the provincial and federal campaign trails, we expect changes are forthcoming on sales taxes on new housing, development charges and red tape. However, the changes were needed yesterday. There is no time for dilly-dallying. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has promised to bring in reforms to speed up the cumbersome permitting and approvals process. Housing Minister Rob Flack recently declared that we must lower fees, speed up approval times and make sure we have the talent in place to build homes faster. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to eliminate the GST for first-time homebuyers on homes at or under $1 million. He also committed to cutting municipal development charges in half for multi-unit residential housing, as well as reduce the bureaucracy and red tape for builders. These are all positive commitments. But presently, they are still promises. Governments must now walk the talk. To start, it is critical that we speed up the municipal planning applications and approvals system. A study done by Altus Group for the Canadian Home Builders' Association showed that Ontario municipalities are far behind their counterparts in other parts of Canada when it comes to efficiency. For example, in the City of Toronto, the application approval timeline is taking an average of 25 months when they are supposed to be cleared in 90 days. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This is outrageous. We must speed up the system so that we can build up the stock of housing. In a LinkedIn post, Murtaza Haider, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, wrote that to address the current crisis, Canada must significantly increase its housing output. He noted that the country needs to build far more homes annually than it has over the past decade. He figures that raising the annual construction rate to 350,000 homes, including a mix of low-rise and high-rise housing, is essential to tackling the affordability crisis. Sadly, we are headed in the opposite direction. Ontario housing starts between January and March 2025 were 38 per cent lower than during the same period in 2024. Toronto has seen the condo market slow to its worst point in more than 30 years. In Toronto, starts in the same period in 2025 were 58 per cent below those of 2024. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Urbanation reports that eight Toronto projects have been cancelled since the beginning of 2024, encompassing 1,899 condo units. Three projects, with 338 units, are on hold. Six developments, with 1,434 units, are being converted to rentals. The Frasier Institute recently reported that although Canada's population has more than tripled since the 1970s, housing starts have not kept up. In 2023, Canada added 5.1 new residents for every housing unit started and, without an acceleration in homebuilding, a slowdown in population growth, or both, Canada's housing affordability crisis will likely persist. A lower tax burden and speedier approvals are necessary to kick-start the residential construction industry. Delays stymie new development and significantly add to project costs which are ultimately borne by consumers. Hefty taxes, fees and levies make new homes too costly. We are nowhere near reaching the number of homes that need to be built in order to ensure affordability. Chinese philosopher Confucious once said, 'When it is obvious that the goals can not be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.' It is time to modify our approach and up our game. Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at media@ Canada Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Canada Toronto Maple Leafs
USA Today
25-04-2025
- USA Today
Pinehurst makes planning more precarious in the best possible way
Pinehurst makes planning more precarious in the best possible way At the risk of sounding like Captain Obvious, Pinehurst is a must-play destination. If you have never visited the quiet North Carolina hamlet for golf, it's time to start considering a trip. And with news this week from Pinehurst Resort of a new course slated to open in two years, there's more reason than ever to start considering a either a maiden voyage or a return trip to the Sandhills. Pinehurst No. 11 will be designed by the esteemed team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and the new course will sit alongside the resort's No. 10 course designed by Tom Doak and Angela Moser. Anywhere else in the world, those two courses alone would be enough to warrant the construction of a new interstate offramp and a possibly a runway extension. In the Pinehurst region, they are just two more spectacular courses in a rolling green world of incredible options. Pinehurst No. 2 is famous as a U.S. Open site packed with history and pedigree, and the resort is also home to Pinehurst No. 4 by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. As the numerical naming convention implies, there are plenty of other courses at the resort worth checking out, including the par-3 course, the Cradle. Away from Pinehurst Resort, the classic Mid Pines is a personal favorite, and it's just one of three historical treasures managed by Pine Needles Lodge. Less than an hour away are two Mike Strantz playgrounds, Tobacco Road to the northeast and Tot Hill Farm to the northwest – both of these turn classic golf architecture on its ear. If you were fortunate enough to book a five-day stay in the region, you would be lucky to see half of what is on tap – and blissfully tired after all the walking. No. 11 will only complicate such destination planning in the best possible way, as golf's game of what to leave in and what to leave out soon will be even more interesting. Check out more on the new No. 11 below.
Forbes
30-03-2025
- Forbes
Is Your Hotel Room Vulnerable To Theft? Here's How To Tell
Is it safe to leave valuables in your hotel room? Here's how to tell, according to experts. It's that moment of hesitation before you head out the door. The one where you ask, "Is it safe to leave my valuables in my hotel room?" It happens to me often, not just because I practically live in hotels, but also because I often help travelers whose belongings are stolen. Hotel security has been a hot topic lately. One recent survey found that thieves are becoming increasingly bold, taking everything from bathroom fixtures to the grand piano in the lobby. And the question always is: Could you have avoided the theft? Before we get to the answer, here's some good news: Hotels are generally safer than home-sharing accommodations, according to Harding Bush, associate director for security operations at Global Rescue, a provider of medical, security, evacuation and travel risk management services. Hotels staffed around the clock make it much harder to commit a crime. "With Airbnb and Vrbo, there is no inherent support network for guests," he adds. But theft is still possible. Based on my experience of mediating travel complaints, the worst types of thefts are the ones you don't notice. Thieves will enter your room when you're not around, steal something, and you don't discover it until after you've checked out. That makes it much more difficult to file a police report or catch the perpetrator. And that brings me to the number one piece of preventative advice: Pack like a minimalist. Don't bring jewelry or expensive electronics with you. If you don't bring them, they can't get stolen from your room. I know, Captain Obvious — thanks! But it had to be said. To determine whether a hotel room is vulnerable to theft, experts say you should look for these physical signs: "Crime is often linked to opportunity," explains Carrie Pasquarello, CEO of the security consulting firm Global Secure Resources. "Don't give anyone the chance to take advantage of you." If you find yourself in a hotel room or hotel that raises security red flags, you don't have to stay. First, ask the hotel to address the issues. If you are uncomfortable with the overall security of the hotel, you can ask the hotel management to remedy the specific issues. For instance, you can ask for a room with a working lock or a safe that is securely attached to the wall. You can also request a room change. Experts say you can explain that you are uncomfortable with the security features in your current room, such as faulty locks or an easily accessible location. When you request the room change, specify your preference for a room on a higher floor, away from fire escapes, back exits, and other potential entry points. Emphasize your desire for a room with robust and functional locks. If the hotel won't address the security concerns and can't move you, you'll have to consider a different hotel. Prioritize hotels with a demonstrable commitment to security, such as visible security cameras in public areas, well-lighted hallways, a 24/7 staffed front desk, and positive reviews regarding safety. Before booking, check for mentions of security concerns in online reviews and research the crime statistics for the neighborhood (more on that in a moment). Look for hotels located in areas with lower crime rates and good overall safety reputations. Remember, if you feel uneasy about a hotel or room, there's probably a reason. Trust your instincts. Explore alternative options to ensure a safer and more comfortable stay. You can also take steps to better understand the security of a hotel. Joe Cronin, CEO of International Citizens Insurance, says he always looks for signs that the locks have been poorly maintained, such as loose deadbolts. "I look for security cameras in the hallways, too, that's very important," he says. "Also, the state of a room safe is a good reflection of how seriously the hotel takes security. If the safe is portable or mounted to the wall with screws, it's a huge red flag. That's a hotel that doesn't take security very seriously." I mentioned before that I practically live in hotels. I don't always get to choose the place I'm in, so when I get the sense that my accommodations might not be secure, I make sure that my essential items stay with me at all times — my passport, my phone, my laptop computer. I also have a few hacks for keeping thieves out of my room. They include putting up the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign and hiding anything that might be of value in a place where an opportunistic thief wouldn't look, like under a pile of dirty laundry. So far, so good. Frank Harrison, the regional security director of the Americas for World Travel Protection, has a few security hacks of his own. "Bring portable security devices such as travel locks or door stoppers," he told me. I feel extra safe in places like Turkey or Qatar, where guests pass through metal detectors and most hotels only allow guests to access the elevators through their key card. But I have also felt safe in many other places, including the United States. You just have to choose the right hotel in the right neighborhood. (Note: If price is the only consideration, you may end up on the wrong side of the tracks. So make sure you consult a crime map before you click the "book" button.) The key to hotel security is simple: if your room feels less secure than a sandcastle when the tide is coming in, it's time to check out. Your vacation shouldn't feel like a heist movie, and the only mystery you should worry about is the novel you're reading at the beach.
