The federal government’s new budget was approved this week, and while it touches many important national priorities, we’re looking at it through a specific lens at Toboggan Flats: What’s missing Housing for young people. This budget places strong emphasis on economic growth and competitiveness. But if young people are expected to help fuel that future, […]
When a big-bank CEO starts talking about youth, we listen. In his recent pieces for the Financial Post, Victor Dodig, CEO of CIBC, makes a clear argument: if Canada wants to grow, it has to invest in young people. He’s worried our economy has drifted into “suspended animation” — stalled by high costs, slow policy, and
Wow! That was fast. Toboggan Flats cofounder Robert Barnard had a chance meeting with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and a National Housing Day event in mid-November. On December 6th we were presenting to Toronto’s Planning and Housing Committee prior to the Chair Gord Perks putting forward a motion for staff to create a plan for
Launching a new idea takes time—especially in the housing sector. Add the challenge of introducing a new category of housing—coliving—to Canada, and you’ve got yourself a patience-building exercise for the ages. But we need affordable housing for young people downtown NOW. We have felt that tension every day for the past 365. Hills, bumps, turns, thrills,
Last month, we shared that we were headed back to school—two Toboggan Flats team members joined the Artof.Co coliving incubator to learn from successful coliving operations around the world. We want to learn from the best so that we can be the best. The Artof.Co was launched by Gui Perdrix and Mayank Pokharna, two founders
How can you learn when you can’t count on a roof over your head? The lack of student housing in Canada affects us all. Thousands of university and college students are back on campus this week, but it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows as they begin a new academic year. For many, the start of
Last fall, our Toboggan Flats adventure got started thanks to powerful, data-driven insights from our founding partner, Youthful Cities. We heard that young people need more housing—and fast! They feel left out of the conversation, with little hope of getting in. At Toboggan Flats, we’re committed to building affordable co-living for young workers downtown. We
Less than a month after our visit to Calgary and voilà! The city just updated its terms of reference for office-to-residential conversations. Co-living is now in the mix: The Downtown Calgary Incentive Program is a cornerstone of The City’s Downtown Strategy and a major driver of the vision and goals of Calgary’s Greater Downtown Plan. The
On July 18, 2013 Detroit went bankrupt. A hollowed-out downtown was the cause. If you’ve taken a stroll in the downtowns of Canada’s largest cities recently, they may seem quieter than usual, lacking energy and hustle. That’s because our cities have not rebounded from COVID. We need more people living and working downtown… and fast.
Affordable housing may be a hot topic, but when it comes to information on the housing situation for young people in Canada, we’re flying blind. Canada is facing a national housing crisis—both about the availability and affordability of homes. Cost, inventory, housing form, location; all sectors and factors in Canada’s housing calculus are being called
