Â鶹´«Ã½

Politics

    • Poilievre criticisms of Housing Accelerator Fund 'categorically' false: Fraser

    Share

    Housing Minister Sean Fraser is dismissing criticisms from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre that the federal government's Housing Accelerator Fund is an attempt to incentivize mayors to give the Liberals public credit for acting on the housing crisis. 

    On Tuesday, Fraser announced the latest project in Calgary through the Housing Accelerator Fund, $228 million for that city to build 6,800 housing units over the next three years, before reaching 35,000 homes over the next 10 years.

    The Housing Accelerator Fund incentivizes municipalities to speed up new housing builds by cutting red tape and updating their zoning and permit systems.

    The $4-billion fund was a pledge by the Liberals in the 2021 federal election, with the money earmarked in the 2022 federal budget as part of a larger $10-billion housing-focused package.

    But the first project — a $74-million deal with London, Ont. — was only announced this September.

    Since then, the federal government has committed funds through the program to build approximately 21,000 homes over the next three years — nearly 170,000 homes over the next decade — across eight municipalities.

    Poilievre has been critical of the fund, calling Fraser and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s string of announcements through the program since September a “travelling circus.â€

    “Sean Fraser and Justin Trudeau have been paying off mayors to give federal Liberals credit for housing that was already going to be built," he said.

    In an interview on CTV’s Power Play with Vassy Kapelos, airing Tuesday, Fraser rejected the criticism, saying the Conservative leader’s assessment is “categorically†false.

    “I expect the leader of the Opposition is concerned because we're making progress on the housing file,†he said.

    In response to questions about the number of projected builds through the fund falling far short of the 3.5 million new units the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates are needed by 2030 to improve housing affordability, Fraser said every unit helps.

    “Every single home this bill is going to add to the progress that we're going to make, and the more supply that's in the market, the better level of affordability that we're going to actually see benefit Canadian communities,†he said.

    He added the 170,000 projected units over the next 10 years that the federal government has announced are just the beginning of the Housing Accelerator Fund, and that the program is only one aspect of his government’s overall housing commitments.

    With files from CTVNews.ca’s Senior Digital Parliamentary Reporter Rachel Aiello 

    IN DEPTH

    Opinion

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

    A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

    opinion

    opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

    When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Police say a toddler in Cambridge, Ont., who was reported missing early Monday morning, has since died.

    The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has provided new data on the number of employees who were found to have received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    It was a tragic ending to the search for a six-year-old boy in northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since Wednesday.

    Canada

    • The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has provided new data on the number of employees who were found to have received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • There are 'no restrictions' on the right to receive health services in Quebec for English speakers, according to a new clarification document issued by the Quebec Health Ministry on Monday.

    • Police say a toddler in Cambridge, Ont., who was reported missing early Monday morning, has since died.

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) should investigate how some students on a recent school field trip ended up at a rally where pro-Palestinian slogans were shouted.

    • Authorities are investigating a report that violence erupted on a pickleball court in B.C.'s Lower Mainland over the weekend.

    • A U.S. family whose son is pursuing an education in Vancouver is speaking out following their 'quite alarming' experience with a housing site.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

    A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

    A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

    Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    • Authorities are investigating a report that violence erupted on a pickleball court in B.C.'s Lower Mainland over the weekend.

    • A woman chased her alleged attacker down a South Vancouver street Sunday night, leading to him being arrested with the help of two bystanders, police say.

    • The NDP has shared a video of B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad saying he regrets getting the "so-called vaccine" against COVID-19.

    • A Toronto rapper who was charged in a fatal 2021 shooting has been released after a judge dismissed social media evidence in the case.

    • Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) should investigate how some students on a recent school field trip ended up at a rally where pro-Palestinian slogans were shouted.

    • A Brampton man has been charged with fraud after allegedly leading someone to believe they bought Guaranteed Investment Certificates (GICs) through a legitimate investment company in British Columbia.

    • The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is urging the provincial government to implement a new compensation model for doctors and adopt a plan to stabilize acute care.

    • Calgary police have released a photo of a suspect wanted in connection with a fire in the community of Riverbend that damaged multiple homes.

    • On Sept. 20, Justice R.E. Nation of the Alberta Court of King's Bench found Craig McMorran guilty of fraud, money laundering and stealing a cottage from its rightful owners.

    • There has been an apparent spike in the number of reported violent crimes in Ottawa this month. Police Chief Eric Stubbs says it's a concern.

    • The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has provided new data on the number of employees who were found to have received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • The City of Ottawa says it is recruiting a 'nightlife council' to aid the city's recently appointed nightlife commissioner.

    • There are 'no restrictions' on the right to receive health services in Quebec for English speakers, according to a new clarification document issued by the Quebec Health Ministry on Monday.

    • A 30-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder after a man died of his injuries from an assault in Montreal's Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough earlier this month.

    • As the difficulties mount for battery manufacturer Northvolt, the PQ is calling for an emergency debate in the Quebec legislature on Tuesday to find out more about the agreement between the Quebec government and the Swedish multinational.

    • The Alberta Medical Association (AMA) is urging the provincial government to implement a new compensation model for doctors and adopt a plan to stabilize acute care.

    • Charges are pending against a driver who was headed the wrong way before a crash on Anthony Henday Drive early Monday morning, police say.

    • Arts of the Ave Edmonton Society will receive tens of thousands of dollars in grant money from the Canada Post Community Foundation.

    • Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

    • Public health officials in Prince Edward Island are investigating an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness reported among 50 people who attended a shellfish festival over the weekend.

    • Cape Breton Eagles forward Jacob Newcombe has been named the team's new captain.

    • It was a tragic ending to the search for a six-year-old boy in northeastern Manitoba who had been missing since Wednesday.

    • A classic car stolen from a Winnipeg man's garage earlier this month has been recovered.

    • A 26-year-old man wanted by police for two months in connection with the homicide of a woman found in a downtown Winnipeg apartment building has been arrested.

    • With the federal government’s plan to phase out coal power stations by 2030 the provincial government says another $10 million dollars will be given to the Coronach and Estevan regions to help those in the area with the transition.

    • Moose Jaw police say an investigation is underway after a body was found in a vehicle on fire Sunday night.

    • Regina police say a motorcyclist was seriously hurt but suffered from non-life-threatening injuries following a crash on Ring Road late last week.

    • Three people were killed Monday morning in a crash north of Wellesley.

    • Police say a toddler in Cambridge, Ont., who was reported missing early Monday morning, has since died.

    • Police are investigating a sudden death at Bishop Street North and Duke Street in Cambridge.

    • Fire crews are battling a blaze at the Candle Lake Golf Course clubhouse on Monday morning.

    • A First Nation in northeastern Saskatchewan is conducting a search this week for potential unmarked graves.

    • More than a year after the Government of Saskatchewan introduced the pronoun policy, the constitutionality of it continues to be questioned.

    • A family dispute related to a property matter turned ugly over the weekend when a 71-year-old hit their head on the pavement after being pushed.

    • The sexual assault trial for Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard, the former frontman for the band Hedley, is expected to begin in northern Ontario this week, following a jury selection process.

    • 519 Meets organized a car rally in south London on Saturday in a Value Village parking lot, and it turned out to be their largest ever.

    • In early August, Gord Leaman proudly put up a billboard on his front lawn that says 'Screw Trudeau, Screw Singh, Capitalism not Socialism, and White Lives Matter.'

    • The victim has been identified and two people have been arrested following a suspicious death investigation in London.

    • A Brampton man faces charges after police say a dispute over an unpaid bill at Blue Mountain Resort turned into a confrontation.

    • Casino Rama announced three new performances will hit the stage this winter.

    • Provincial police laid charges in a luring and child pornography investigation involving an Orillia man who worked at a local recreation centre.

    • Windsor police have arrested one suspect and is looking for another after shots were fired during an altercation downtown.

    • Windsor police say they are investigating two residential fires that were deliberately set on Sunday morning.

    • Windsor police arrested two suspects after seizing numerous illegal firearms and recovering three stolen motorcycles.

    • The NDP has shared a video of B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad saying he regrets getting the "so-called vaccine" against COVID-19.

    • Conservative leader John Rustad is unveiling his party’s plan to address a key issue for the majority of voters in this election: affordability.

    • British Columbia's provincial wildfire service is battling an out-of-control blaze discovered Sunday on Vancouver Island.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Medicine Hat man faces charges after police say they found him in possession of drugs and a .22-calibre pen gun.

    • Despite the heavy rain, plenty of muscle turned up for United Way’s annual Pull the Bus fundraiser in Lethbridge Friday.

    • Lethbridge County has rescinded its fire restriction as a result of the recent cool, wet weathr.

    • After playing the lottery for more than 40 years, a Greater Sudbury woman made a huge windfall playing a scratch ticket game.

    • A family dispute related to a property matter turned ugly over the weekend when a 71-year-old hit their head on the pavement after being pushed.

    • Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 36-year-old suspect with drug trafficking and other charges following a weekend raid of a residence on Robin Street.

    N.L.

    Stay Connected
    Follow Â鶹´«Ã½