Ottawa spent $1.5M to find out who has air conditioning

While Canadians sweat through a cost-of-living crisis, the federal government blew seven figures on a Statistics Canada survey to discover that most people own an air conditioner.

Sheila Gunn Reid
  |   November 04, 2025   |   News   |   3 Comments

 

It sounds like a parody headline, but it’s right there in black and white. According to a newly tabled order paper response (Q-335), the federal government spent $1.5 million on a Statistics Canada project studying which households in Canada use air conditioning.

The 2025 report, titled “A Heated Discussion: Who Uses Air Conditioning in Canada,” found that 68% of Canadian households have some kind of cooling system — a four-point increase from 2021.

The survey also broke down results by income, province and whether people rent or own their homes.

Ontario topped the charts, with 83% of households reporting AC access, while British Columbia lagged behind at 45% — likely thanks to its milder climate and sky-high hydro rates.

But the real heat came from Ottawa’s own wallet.

Despite being asked for details, the Industry Department refused to provide a line-by-line accounting of how the $1.5 million was spent, dodging questions on vendor names, contracts or whether the study was outsourced.

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Sheila Gunn Reid

Chief Reporter

Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.

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COMMENTS

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  • Ruth Bard
    commented 2025-11-05 10:55:36 -0500
    They’ll be outlawing those next. If people have to sweat in summer, it will be easier to make them believe the earth is overheating. And maybe Carney owns stock in a deodorant company.
  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2025-11-04 22:45:20 -0500
    Next we’ll hear of government funding for a research project investigating whether water is wet.
  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-11-04 19:29:14 -0500
    Every time I hear of governmental waste, I imagine all the good that the money could have done for veterans, seniors, and disabled folks. Canada would be so much better off if governments cared for citizens first instead of themselves and their cronies.