Scott
@sdlb.bsky.social
Urbanism, politics and whatever else I feel like posting about. 🇨🇦 living in 🇺🇸
How has it only been 19 days since the Venezuela operation?
January 22, 2026 at 4:48 PM
How has it only been 19 days since the Venezuela operation?
Can someone explain the link between this and the gun confiscation program the government is running?
January 20, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Can someone explain the link between this and the gun confiscation program the government is running?
Reposted by Scott
One frustrating thing about governments now saying "Housing isn't our fault. Developers just aren't building!" is that, years ago, I met with multiple politicians who assured me that it was fine to add requirements and costs, saying "Do you really think developers are just going to stop building?"
Good piece for people to think through. If you want housing prices to stay where they are now or (gasp) decrease further, we need to reduce construction costs and so you have to pick the pathways to push on. Your menu of options is here.
New piece! Governments have a choice: either lower construction costs today, or have homeprices spike tomorrow. As much as governments might like to, they can't ignore "Q".
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
January 15, 2026 at 5:12 PM
One frustrating thing about governments now saying "Housing isn't our fault. Developers just aren't building!" is that, years ago, I met with multiple politicians who assured me that it was fine to add requirements and costs, saying "Do you really think developers are just going to stop building?"
BC tried a laissez-faire decrim compared to Portugal's non-carceral but paternalistic decrim.
The former was politically diasterous, after public order decayed while public drug use skyrocketed while the later has proven politically sustainable and a model that continues to be held up.
The former was politically diasterous, after public order decayed while public drug use skyrocketed while the later has proven politically sustainable and a model that continues to be held up.
There was an interesting article on the ways BC different from Portugal's decrim policy.
Big one was BC took a much more hands off, police light approach, compared to Portugal where public drug use is is illegal and people caught are referred to treatment
www.canadianaffairs.news/2026/01/13/w...
Big one was BC took a much more hands off, police light approach, compared to Portugal where public drug use is is illegal and people caught are referred to treatment
www.canadianaffairs.news/2026/01/13/w...
What Canada failed to learn from drug decriminalization in Portugal
Experts say Canada adopted Portugal’s language of decriminalization, but not the system features that made it a success.
www.canadianaffairs.news
January 14, 2026 at 10:43 PM
BC tried a laissez-faire decrim compared to Portugal's non-carceral but paternalistic decrim.
The former was politically diasterous, after public order decayed while public drug use skyrocketed while the later has proven politically sustainable and a model that continues to be held up.
The former was politically diasterous, after public order decayed while public drug use skyrocketed while the later has proven politically sustainable and a model that continues to be held up.
Reposted by Scott
Honestly if you describe how zoning works to normies it sounds legitimately psychotic. Like, daycares are presumptively illegal in most parts of most cities. Hell, until recently in Ontario daycare was not a permitted use *in schools* as a rule.
I am committing to Childcare By Right. We will make childcare a permitted use in every residential and commercial zone. If you pass your safety and provincial licensing checks, you open. No hearings and no neighbor vetoes. We are building a city where families actually belong.
January 14, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Honestly if you describe how zoning works to normies it sounds legitimately psychotic. Like, daycares are presumptively illegal in most parts of most cities. Hell, until recently in Ontario daycare was not a permitted use *in schools* as a rule.
Slightly diminish a band: Odd Al Yankovic
Slightly diminish a band: The Beach Boy.
Slightly diminish a band: UB39
January 11, 2026 at 5:25 AM
Slightly diminish a band: Odd Al Yankovic
My kingdom for a defense procurement policy that is just get the enough quality equipment at the best price we can.
I knew Canadian military procurement is obsessed with “industrial benefits” rather than cost, but it is usually related to the the production and maintenance of the actual equipment, not some unrelated sector!
January 7, 2026 at 10:09 PM
My kingdom for a defense procurement policy that is just get the enough quality equipment at the best price we can.
Reposted by Scott
I knew Canadian military procurement is obsessed with “industrial benefits” rather than cost, but it is usually related to the the production and maintenance of the actual equipment, not some unrelated sector!
January 7, 2026 at 9:29 PM
I knew Canadian military procurement is obsessed with “industrial benefits” rather than cost, but it is usually related to the the production and maintenance of the actual equipment, not some unrelated sector!
Reposted by Scott
I've tried to understand this a few times and have sort of ended up at:
1. It's rare for Crown to recommend charges for retail theft
2. When they do, it's rare for any meaningful consequences to happen
3. The reasons for 1+2 are complex and ppl inside the justice system are very bad at explaining
1. It's rare for Crown to recommend charges for retail theft
2. When they do, it's rare for any meaningful consequences to happen
3. The reasons for 1+2 are complex and ppl inside the justice system are very bad at explaining
January 7, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I've tried to understand this a few times and have sort of ended up at:
1. It's rare for Crown to recommend charges for retail theft
2. When they do, it's rare for any meaningful consequences to happen
3. The reasons for 1+2 are complex and ppl inside the justice system are very bad at explaining
1. It's rare for Crown to recommend charges for retail theft
2. When they do, it's rare for any meaningful consequences to happen
3. The reasons for 1+2 are complex and ppl inside the justice system are very bad at explaining
Reposted by Scott
The Finch LRT will hopefully force Toronto to reckon with two things: that street based transit will *almost* never compete with driving (especially in the burbs) and that people really care about speed. My new piece in the Toronto Star highlights that and makes the case for subways and railways.
To fix transit in Toronto, we need to embrace a simple idea: subways subways subways.
Rob Ford's maligned motto contained a nugget of truth.
www.thestar.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:34 PM
The Finch LRT will hopefully force Toronto to reckon with two things: that street based transit will *almost* never compete with driving (especially in the burbs) and that people really care about speed. My new piece in the Toronto Star highlights that and makes the case for subways and railways.
Between courts giving sentencing discounts to non-citizens and this, one could be forgiven for coming away with the impression that the Canadian system was actively trying to undermine the public's confidence in itself
globalnews.ca/news/1159270...
globalnews.ca/news/1159270...
Toronto hate crime suspect denied refugee status in 2018 | Globalnews.ca
The case of Osman Azizov could raise new questions for the government about public safety.
globalnews.ca
December 31, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Between courts giving sentencing discounts to non-citizens and this, one could be forgiven for coming away with the impression that the Canadian system was actively trying to undermine the public's confidence in itself
globalnews.ca/news/1159270...
globalnews.ca/news/1159270...
Britain is trying to arrest its national decline by...
...trying to root out secret freemasons in the police force
Wait, what!?
...trying to root out secret freemasons in the police force
Wait, what!?
December 30, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Britain is trying to arrest its national decline by...
...trying to root out secret freemasons in the police force
Wait, what!?
...trying to root out secret freemasons in the police force
Wait, what!?
"Merry Christmas" - fine normie sentiment
"Merry Christmas, u mad Eby?" - catastrophic levels of cringe
"Merry Christmas, u mad Eby?" - catastrophic levels of cringe
December 24, 2025 at 6:52 PM
"Merry Christmas" - fine normie sentiment
"Merry Christmas, u mad Eby?" - catastrophic levels of cringe
"Merry Christmas, u mad Eby?" - catastrophic levels of cringe
Reposted by Scott
automating your transit system is inherently good.
December 21, 2025 at 6:08 PM
automating your transit system is inherently good.
🎵 I was told we'd cruise the seas...🎵
December 19, 2025 at 8:32 PM
🎵 I was told we'd cruise the seas...🎵
Reposted by Scott
Don't get me wrong, we are all poorer in the long run for this huge u-turn in immigration policy, but it a very real consequence of our continuing failure to deal with the housing problem.
December 18, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Don't get me wrong, we are all poorer in the long run for this huge u-turn in immigration policy, but it a very real consequence of our continuing failure to deal with the housing problem.
The more this keeps happening, the more I'm convinced the province should have just copied the Japanese planning model, written a permissive provincial zoning code, and then let cities pick when zone from the provincial standard do the want where
For those not following what is happening here:
1. Cities banned family friendly infill housing for decades
2. The province stepped in and forced them to stop blocking them
3. Some family friendly homes got built
4. Cities immediately panicked and moved to block them again
Incredible
1. Cities banned family friendly infill housing for decades
2. The province stepped in and forced them to stop blocking them
3. Some family friendly homes got built
4. Cities immediately panicked and moved to block them again
Incredible
holy @!#
It looks like the final adopted update to Burnaby's R1 zoning is really bad.
The allowable footprint area for a house and LWH is now capped at either 30% or 40% of the lot.
This change appears to kill the current design for one of our projects, and the housing library designs.
It looks like the final adopted update to Burnaby's R1 zoning is really bad.
The allowable footprint area for a house and LWH is now capped at either 30% or 40% of the lot.
This change appears to kill the current design for one of our projects, and the housing library designs.
December 18, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The more this keeps happening, the more I'm convinced the province should have just copied the Japanese planning model, written a permissive provincial zoning code, and then let cities pick when zone from the provincial standard do the want where
At a time when Canadian sovereignty is under threat, a front runner for the NDP wants canada to disarm and abandon Ukraine to Putin.
Completely unserious and fails to meet the moment.
Completely unserious and fails to meet the moment.
Carney is throwing money at the war machine; we're fighting for a Canadian Green New Deal. Who's going to turn down cheaper bills for heat, AC, & their commute in favour of sucking up to weapons contractors?
Join the NDP, & let's fund our future! avilewis.link/join
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pFV...
Join the NDP, & let's fund our future! avilewis.link/join
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pFV...
We need a Canadian Green New Deal
YouTube video by Avi Lewis
www.youtube.com
December 17, 2025 at 5:29 PM
At a time when Canadian sovereignty is under threat, a front runner for the NDP wants canada to disarm and abandon Ukraine to Putin.
Completely unserious and fails to meet the moment.
Completely unserious and fails to meet the moment.
Reposted by Scott
I love that this is what Craig is spending his post-Bond time doing
I could watch a million Benoit Blanc mysteries
December 16, 2025 at 10:16 PM
I love that this is what Craig is spending his post-Bond time doing
The ACLU really jumped the shark, eh?
The California ACLU is staunchly opposed to the ignition interlock device program and is a big reason that it has not been expanded. Despite the fact that California heavily subsidizes the cost for low-income drunk drivers, the ACLU says that the program is a form of "racialized wealth extraction."
December 12, 2025 at 9:38 PM
The ACLU really jumped the shark, eh?
The claims that the Cowichan decision would have no impact on private property does not seem to have panned out in reality
globalnews.ca/news/1157315...
globalnews.ca/news/1157315...
Cowichan case blamed for sinking B.C. property deals, including luxury hotel purchase | Globalnews.ca
Court documents show that the 14-storey Versante Hotel was instead bought by a Hong Kong purchaser in October for the lower price of $51.5 million.
globalnews.ca
December 11, 2025 at 4:56 PM
The claims that the Cowichan decision would have no impact on private property does not seem to have panned out in reality
globalnews.ca/news/1157315...
globalnews.ca/news/1157315...
Sam Altman is going to make some therapist rich
Jimmy Fallon: "And do you use ChatGPT when raising your baby?"
Sam Altman: "I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT."
Sam Altman: "I cannot imagine figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT."
December 9, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Sam Altman is going to make some therapist rich