Brendan Dawe
@dawe.bsky.social
Your friendly neighbourhood Vancouverite
Housing abundance enthusiast. Planning & Real Estate Consultant.
Vive le Canada. Elbows Up
Housing abundance enthusiast. Planning & Real Estate Consultant.
Vive le Canada. Elbows Up
thread
We have a consultation problem. I write about a Toronto rec centre that will have taken 14 years to plan, cost at least three times the original budget - and be a bad building.
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
What is the cost of consultation?
Toronto recreation centre that started as $40-million project in 2016 has ballooned to nearly $113-million before construction even starts
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 24, 2026 at 6:00 AM
thread
If it weren’t that airports are a huge nuisance that consume a large amount of land they would also benefit from being located downtown
I want to be convinced otherwise I just don't see the argument for how union has a better catchment for HSR service than Pearson.
January 23, 2026 at 6:26 PM
If it weren’t that airports are a huge nuisance that consume a large amount of land they would also benefit from being located downtown
Reposted by Brendan Dawe
We can have our cake and eat it too. Central station locations in Toronto and Montreal DO NOT REQUIRE TUNNELING. They require our governmental right hand to work with our governmental left hand.
The right answer is not stations outside the centres, but making gov work. If it doesn't we should quit.
The right answer is not stations outside the centres, but making gov work. If it doesn't we should quit.
It seems obscene to be honest, part of me feels like it's an appeal to the public reaction of the more reasonable approach of not having stations so central.
Maybe they'll show the alternative as a huge project timeline and cash savings potential and go that route ultimately.
Maybe they'll show the alternative as a huge project timeline and cash savings potential and go that route ultimately.
January 22, 2026 at 11:38 PM
We can have our cake and eat it too. Central station locations in Toronto and Montreal DO NOT REQUIRE TUNNELING. They require our governmental right hand to work with our governmental left hand.
The right answer is not stations outside the centres, but making gov work. If it doesn't we should quit.
The right answer is not stations outside the centres, but making gov work. If it doesn't we should quit.
Reposted by Brendan Dawe
“Cant sleep… i’ll just have a quick look at my phone”
January 22, 2026 at 4:21 AM
“Cant sleep… i’ll just have a quick look at my phone”
Proposal: any pedestrian pushing an occupied baby carriage should be allowed to issue a limited number of roadside summary driving bans every month
January 23, 2026 at 1:55 AM
Proposal: any pedestrian pushing an occupied baby carriage should be allowed to issue a limited number of roadside summary driving bans every month
Housing is the most important issue for city government and if you’re being bad or underdeveloped ideas to the table you are a bad candidate for mayor
I like that the r/vancouver consensus on Pete Fry is that he’s a nice guy who is not very good on housing (correct!) www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/...
From the vancouver community on Reddit: Pete Fry considering a run for mayor of Vancouver — and he could be the candidate to unite the left
Explore this post and more from the vancouver community
www.reddit.com
January 22, 2026 at 10:46 PM
Housing is the most important issue for city government and if you’re being bad or underdeveloped ideas to the table you are a bad candidate for mayor
Sorry about your townhouses bro
January 22, 2026 at 7:55 PM
Sorry about your townhouses bro
Baby’s first View Cone
January 22, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Baby’s first View Cone
Reposted by Brendan Dawe
Problem gets to a structural one. Alto was given no tools to help understand and rationalize approaches int and out of Canada’s major cities. Embrace @chittimarco.bsky.social thought.
January 21, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Problem gets to a structural one. Alto was given no tools to help understand and rationalize approaches int and out of Canada’s major cities. Embrace @chittimarco.bsky.social thought.
Reposted by Brendan Dawe
It seems Alto might be building huge tunnels to get into Toronto and Montreal, feels totally unnecessary and not the pragmatic way to actually get us high speed rail instead of creating another HS2 / CAHSR
January 21, 2026 at 6:28 PM
It seems Alto might be building huge tunnels to get into Toronto and Montreal, feels totally unnecessary and not the pragmatic way to actually get us high speed rail instead of creating another HS2 / CAHSR
This seems right to me. I suspect that Washington was seriously considering some sort of quick, “cheap” scheme to create facts-on-the-ground but the Danes and their allies failed to preform the expected fecklessness necessary for such a thing to work. Hence the pivot to ham-fisted economic coercion
Let's save crashing out about Greenland until we actually see some movement from US assets that would indicate staging for an op. With a few hundred European troops and a couple warships already in theatre or imminently arriving, a clandestine SOF raid isn't going to cut it anymore.
January 21, 2026 at 6:43 PM
This seems right to me. I suspect that Washington was seriously considering some sort of quick, “cheap” scheme to create facts-on-the-ground but the Danes and their allies failed to preform the expected fecklessness necessary for such a thing to work. Hence the pivot to ham-fisted economic coercion
One solution to this sort of thinking is thermo-nuclear weapons systems
Donald Trump at Davos: "Canada lives because of the US, remember that Mark next time you make your statement."
January 21, 2026 at 4:54 PM
One solution to this sort of thinking is thermo-nuclear weapons systems
What a nauseating headline to have at the top of your morning paper
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/8b64d4e...
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/8b64d4e...
January 20, 2026 at 5:23 PM
What a nauseating headline to have at the top of your morning paper
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/8b64d4e...
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/8b64d4e...
There is something so incredibly repulsive about this messaging
The Olympic Village Save-On Foods has come out in support of the NIMBYs opposed to the long-promised but unbuilt Olympic Village Elementary School.
January 18, 2026 at 5:26 AM
There is something so incredibly repulsive about this messaging
I don’t think the message here paints the United States or their chosen leaders in a positive light
#CBC news: "Does Canada really need a Prime Minister? The Venezuela case for 'No'."
January 18, 2026 at 1:19 AM
I don’t think the message here paints the United States or their chosen leaders in a positive light
Gotta take in the fog
January 18, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Gotta take in the fog
Did something happen to the ship that I assume brings all the good cheddar in from Britain?
January 18, 2026 at 1:08 AM
Did something happen to the ship that I assume brings all the good cheddar in from Britain?
An unexpected proposal from the folks at Alto www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Ottawa’s original grand downtown train station under consideration for city’s high speed rail hub
Original downtown Union Station, current Via Rail station both possible locations for capital’s high-speed terminus
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 18, 2026 at 12:32 AM
An unexpected proposal from the folks at Alto www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...
Reposted by Brendan Dawe
Good weekend reading that I have missed when it came out. Edmonton has been a clear success story when it comes to housing in Canada and the rest of the country should pay close attention.
NEW POST
While cities across North America struggle with housing shortages, Edmonton is proving that zoning reform works.
In 2025, for the first time in history, the number of homes permitted in 5-8 unit rowhomes surpassed detached homes. 🧵
#yeg #yegcc #yimby
www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zb...
While cities across North America struggle with housing shortages, Edmonton is proving that zoning reform works.
In 2025, for the first time in history, the number of homes permitted in 5-8 unit rowhomes surpassed detached homes. 🧵
#yeg #yegcc #yimby
www.jacobdawang.com/blog/2026/zb...
2025: The year Edmonton built the missing middle – Jacob Dawang
Edmonton’s zoning reform is working. In 2025, newly legalized eight-home rowhomes drove a record increase in homebuilding, achieved by redeveloping only 0.39% of properties in mature neighbourhoods.
www.jacobdawang.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Good weekend reading that I have missed when it came out. Edmonton has been a clear success story when it comes to housing in Canada and the rest of the country should pay close attention.
What an interesting industry to be suddenly popping up in Canada
Toronto-based Canada Rocket Company emerged from stealth on Friday with $6.2 million in seed funding from entirely Canadian investors, supporting its mission to deliver sovereign, medium-lift space launch capability.
Canada Rocket Company wants Canada to stop hitching rides to space | BetaKit
The rocket-building company has emerged from stealth with $6.2 million in funding and a plan to give Canada sovereign rockets.
betakit.com
January 17, 2026 at 5:49 PM
What an interesting industry to be suddenly popping up in Canada
The Greenland Tariffs thing has the feel of a face saving climb down more than any thing else
January 17, 2026 at 5:48 PM
The Greenland Tariffs thing has the feel of a face saving climb down more than any thing else
Reposted by Brendan Dawe
We're at the point where "should we just start bribing the president? It's working for other countries" is going on the front page www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
ANALYSIS | Countries have gotten results after enriching the Trumps. Could Canada do the same? | CBC News
Countries that have relied on traditional diplomacy to deal with the Trump administration have had less success than countries that have found ways to directly enrich the Trump family and those close ...
www.cbc.ca
January 17, 2026 at 5:06 PM
We're at the point where "should we just start bribing the president? It's working for other countries" is going on the front page www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
A small army of activists with heavy machinery occupied the capital and key border crossing with the avowed goal overturning the elected government of Canada. The local and provincial police were either unable or unwilling to restore order.
Federal use of Emergencies Act in 2022 was unreasonable: Appeal court nationalnewswatch.com/2026/01/16/a...
Federal use of Emergencies Act in 2022 was unreasonable: Appeal court
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:48 PM
A small army of activists with heavy machinery occupied the capital and key border crossing with the avowed goal overturning the elected government of Canada. The local and provincial police were either unable or unwilling to restore order.