Couverture de Why the North Isn’t the Answer: Unlocking Canada’s Habitable Belt

Why the North Isn’t the Answer: Unlocking Canada’s Habitable Belt

Why the North Isn’t the Answer: Unlocking Canada’s Habitable Belt

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 Ever seen that viral map with a giant red circle over Canada’s north and wondered, “Why don’t they just build houses there?” In today’s episode, I dig deep into that question and uncover why, despite all that empty land, we simply can’t solve Canada’s housing crisis by moving north. From the brutal realities of building on permafrost and ancient bedrock to sky-high infrastructure and transportation costs, I break down the real reason why most of us live near the border. And more importantly, I lay out a roadmap for how we can actually fix our housing shortage using the land we already have.We take a closer look at Canada’s so-called “habitable belt”—that narrow band where almost 90% of Canadians call home. The true challenge isn’t land scarcity, but land-use efficiency. Imagine cities filled with “missing middle” housing, public land turned into vibrant mixed-income communities, and smarter policies that drive affordability. I walk through concrete, practical solutions: legalizing gentle density, eliminating parking minimums near transit, investing in modular construction, and fast-tracking skilled trades immigration and apprenticeships, all to unlock more housing and better neighborhoods.Finally, I explore the numbers: How can we truly build 3.3 million new homes in the next decade while keeping our communities affordable, sustainable, and ready for climate change? With a mix of innovative policy, smart investments, and a big-picture shift in how we think about our cities, we really can tackle Canada’s housing crisis without venturing into the frozen north. If you have thoughts or questions about today’s episode, don’t forget to visit our website or drop us a line at hello@micme.com. Let’s keep the conversation going—because the solution is right here, in how we choose to build.Takeaway List (Top 12):Building in northern Canada is prohibitively costly and challenging due to terrain and permafrostThe real solution is optimizing land usage in the southern “habitable belt”Around 90% of Canadians live within 160 km of the U.S. borderCanada faces a land use efficiency problem, not a land shortage“Missing middle” housing can multiply unit count without city sprawlFederal infrastructure funding could be tied to upzoning and density goalsEliminate mandatory parking minimums near rapid transit to cut costsUnlock public land for mixed-income, affordable housing on long-term leases, not outright saleUse "mega-batches" for large-scale modular housing to tap manufacturing discountsFast-track skilled trades immigration and expand apprenticeships to address labor shortagesRetrofit and legalize millions of secondary suites and convert underused officesEvery housing initiative should factor in climate resilience and genuine affordabilityChapters:0:00 – Introduction and the social media “red circle” myth3:12 – Why building in the Canadian Shield and Arctic is so tough7:04 – Cost breakdowns: Permafrost, ice roads, and infrastructure10:46 – Housing needs where people already live12:30 – What “using land better” looks like15:11 – Missing middle: gentle density explained18:02 – Policy tools: upzoning, funding, parking reform20:25 – Transforming public land and Build Canada Homes23:10 – Addressing labor shortages (immigration, apprenticeships)25:30 – Smart growth: transit-oriented development28:42 – Unlocking housing capacity: suites and office conversions31:19 – Embedding affordability: co-ops, rentals, targeted incentives34:06 – Climate resilience and sustainable design36:45 – The math: how to build 3.3 million homes in 10 years39:54 – Accountability, transparency, final thoughtsCurious about how we can really fix Canada’s housing crisis?Visit canadashousingcrisis.transistor.fm for more episodesRead the full blog post here: https://canadashousingcrisis.transistor.fm/canada-unlock-the-habitable-5-10-for-real-changeShare your questions and ideas by emailing hello@micme.comSources:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ci_YR27Yohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxi4xrddNYohttps://pcvwh.ca/podcast/https://thecanadianinvestorpodcast.com/podcast/the-canadian-real-estate-investor/episode/how-we-solve-canadas-housing-crisishttps://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/the-housing-trilemma-why-you-canthttps://assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/sites/cmhc/professional/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-research/research-reports/accelerate-supply/canadas-housing-supply-shortages-new-framework/2025-canadas-housing-supply-shortages-new-framework-en.pdfhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/75qWyLTSmXA91GUgkHmSp5https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2025/09/14/prime-minister-carney-launches-build-canada-homeshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee11JmcbpcIhttps://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/housing-logement/progs-initiatives/index-eng.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABhQ4X4CA5shttps://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/bch-mc/index-eng.htmlhttps://...
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