The Ontario government…

The Ontario government projects that "the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is projected to be the fastest growing region, with its population increasing by 2.9 million, or 41.3 per cent, from 7.1 million in 2021 to over 10.0 million by 2046." This projection is as much aspirational as positive; given the aging of our population, we require this growth if we hope to maintain our present degree of prosperity. In the context of these numbers, it is obvious that 50,000 homes is a hopelessly inadequate measure. On the other hand, examination of the geometry of southern Ontario demonstrates that it is not possible to replicate this pattern of low-density sprawl in sufficient quantities to meet projected demand. The main effect of this development is not to increase housing for new arrivals, but to reduce the appeal of the GTA to employers, who seek concentrations of skilled workers, and those self-same workers whom we hope to attract.

And that is the critical problem. Ontario needs to shed the mindset of "admitting" immigrants and think in terms of attracting them, particularly since Canada targets the most productive, highest value immigrants who are most in demand in other destinations. Why should an immigrant come to Ontario if they can go to existing employment agglomerations in California, or Austin, or Seattle instead? For that matter, why should they come to Ontario if they can go to Calgary or Vancouver? A dismal grey tangle of suburbs and traffic jams, lacking well-paying employment and covered in snow five months of the year, is not a plausible answer to this question.