Should you happen to be in the north Toronto area, check out the housing project busily underway at 185 Cummer Ave.

This three-storey apartment complex consists of “modular units” (a.k.a., modified shipping containers/sea crates.)

According to the City of Toronto, this development is set for completion by early next year. It will provide “rent-geared-to-income homes with supports for seniors and older adults exiting homelessness.”

The city notes these homes will be private studio apartments, each with a kitchen and bathroom. The building will also include amenity space for tenants such as a shared laundry facility, lounge and dining room, and programming space.

Stated Mayor Olivia Chow: “Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. We need to build more homes faster, leveraging new techniques including prefabricated construction. This project will create affordable housing to help seniors transition from homelessness. The City of Toronto is partnering with WoodGreen to provide services and supports so residents can age in place with dignity. Working together, we are tackling the housing crisis.”

Granted, living in a modified sea crate is an upgrade to living in a tent city (of which there are many in Toronto.) But is this where we stand as a nation – putting seniors in glorified shipping containers as opposed to standalone houses or proper apartment units?

Then again, this strategy would appear to be 100% on brand with Housing Minister Gregor Roberston’s recent statement about NOT reducing housing prices, but rather, providing more affordable homes. Translation: million-dollar plus homes for boomers and the rich; little pods for the rest of us.

And is this perhaps an early sign of the dystopian future that might await Canada in the not-so-distant future? We speak of that Privy Council report noting that by 2040, Canada could resemble a nation in which the wealthy have either left the country or live in gated communities; meanwhile, the lion’s share of residents might have to resort to illegal hunting and poaching just to feed themselves. For those keeping track of the timeline, 2040 is less than 15 years away.

Then again, as the World Economic Forum once merrily proclaimed: “You will own nothing and be happy.”

Granted, a sea crate serving as “home sweet home” is better than nothing. As for happiness? That is a state of mind. But there seems to be less happiness being embraced by Canadians with every passing month…

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Canada's urban centres are spiraling into decay and chaos, with rampant crime, open drug use, and rising poverty turning once-desirable cities into places of fear. From violent knife attacks on Toronto’s public transit to open-air drug markets in Vancouver, these cities are becoming unrecognizable and unsafe, especially for families. Homeless encampments now dominate public parks and playgrounds, where drug paraphernalia litters spaces meant for children. And it’s not just Toronto and Vancouver — cities across the country are suffering as law and order give way to failed progressive policies. Sign our petition and follow our reporters as we investigate the true causes behind this urban decay and reveal what the mainstream media won’t.

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