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Tackling homelessness will be a key challenge for incoming Ontario mayors, councils
Homelessness a key challenge for incoming mayors
The rise in homelessness is one of the most pressing issues mayors and councillors elected next week across Ontario will have to face as the struggle to fund housing, mental health and addiction services persists.
A seminal study from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario warned last year that the province was at a "tipping point" in the homelessness crisis.
It found nearly 80,000 Ontarians were homeless in 2024. That number rose to about 85,000 people in 2025 and the association expects it to rise again.
"Eighty-five thousand is breathtaking in the sense that it's shocking how big that number is in a province as wealthy as we are," said Riley Brockington, president of AMO, which represents the province's 444 municipalities.
More than half of those people have been homeless for more than six months, the association said.
The vast majority of Ontario's municipalities are struggling with the issue and it's eating up more and more of their annual budgets, Brockington said. Without the ability to run deficits, it puts municipalities in a bind.
Brockington, an Ottawa city councillor who was acclaimed in his ward ahead of Monday's election, said the province and the federal government need to step up with stable, long-term funding.
It's the only way to try to get a handle on homelessness, he said. "We're calling for a national housing strategy with some real money."
The AMO's ask is big: $11 billion over 10 years. That would cover supportive, transitional and community housing for 75,000 people, along with money for prevention programs.
The association is also asking for $2 billion over eight years to deal with the rise in encampments. There were nearly 2,000 encampments across Ontario last year, it said.
The encampments have been popping up all over the province, including in many smaller towns where there are no shelters.
"We believe every person in Ontario needs a safe place to call home every night, but it's very expensive," Brockington said. "This is why the burden cannot be on the shoulders exclusively of municipalities."
The frustrating part for municipalities, Brockington said, is the fact that every level of government agrees on the path forward: more housing, particularly supportive housing.
While municipalities are appreciative of every dollar from the federal and provincial governments, much of that comes in the form of time-limited funding, Brockington said.
"Municipalities need to be able to budget and have some assurances going forward that the money will still be there," he said. Otherwise, it will be the same scramble every year, he said, with little ability to plan long term.
A recent report from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario said provincial spending on homelessness programs has fluctuated since 2020, before reaching a projected $948 million in 2026-27. But that figure is expected to decline to $708 million in 2028-29 because of time-limited funding, the report said.
Northern and rural Ontario are driving the growth of homelessness, which is increasing 37 per cent in northern Ontario and 31 per cent in mostly rural communities in one year, AMO found.
Another troubling statistic the association uncovered: about 20,000 youth are homeless across the province.
And on any given night in Toronto, more than 1,000 teens and children are in the city's shelters or on its streets.
For Mark Aston, the CEO of Covenant House Toronto, Canada's largest charity serving youth in crisis, prevention is key. Covenant House has a crisis shelter, offers transitional housing and wraparound support services including education and employment support.
"It is getting more difficult for young people to get out of that situation because of a whole bunch of things: affordability, the job market, and also acute crisis and disabling conditions that need co-ordinated specialized services to help young people," he said.
Covenant House has seen great prevention results by going into Toronto's schools, Aston said, adding that the program is very successful, with more than 90 per cent of at-risk young people avoiding homelessness.
"We have solutions, we just really need to get attention to this and do a bit of scaling," Aston said, arguing that the program should be in every single school in the province. Covenant House also has its own on-site school that helps youth complete their secondary education.
The reason is simple, Aston said. Between 30 to 50 per cent of adults experiencing chronic homelessness can trace their journeys back to their youth.
"That's when they first experienced homelessness," Aston said. "So if you don't solve the problem when somebody's young, it can become really entrenched, really pervasive."
For young people, the largest driver of homelessness is family pressure, conflict or breakdown, he said, while for adults the leading cause is eviction.
When a young person becomes homeless, early intervention is key. Aston said Covenant House gives them space to breathe, connects them with health-care workers, mental health professionals and tries to reconnect them with family -- but not necessarily the family that may have driven them away.
"If you can do that and you can maintain those connections and you can provide them with housing, with social supports, with community, it can really be life altering for those young people," he said. "You can change the trajectory of where they're going."
Aston has a message for all incoming mayors.
"I think the mayors across Ontario should make a commitment to end youth homelessness," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2026.
By Liam Casey | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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B.C. election latest: Voters go to the polls to decide next provincial government
Latest happenings on B.C.'s election day
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
British Columbia is voting on its next government as the snap provincial election called one month ago reaches its culmination.
Here's a look at the latest from polling stations and campaign headquarters of each major party as votes are cast and tallied across B.C.
All times are local.
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6:21 p.m.
Supporters have begun arriving at the B.C. Green Party's election night event in the Greater Victoria area, including outgoing MLA Rob Botterell.
Botterell decided not to seek re-election, clearing the way for Leader Emily Lowan to run.
He says he is proud of Lowan and the party's campaign after NDP Leader David Eby called a snap election.
The outgoing MLA says people in his riding have told him they are "totally impressed" with Lowan's poise and advocacy for Green causes, as well as her passion and vision.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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Immigration remains contentious in Alberta following referendum
Immigration proposals passed by 52 to 55 per cent in preliminary results.
The Alberta referendum results last week have been celebrated across Canada as a victory for national unity over separatism. With more than three-quarters of voters rejecting a move towards independence, the outcome has also been hailed as a political victory for Prime Minister Mark Carney.
But beneath the headlines lies a less reassuring result for Alberta's immigrants.
Unofficial returns showed the Yes side leading on eight of the nine other referendum questions, including all five concerning immigration and access to public services.
The votes could strengthen Premier Danielle Smith's as she seeks greater provincial control over immigration and restrictions on services for temporary residents.
For Alhan Arsal, a temporary resident from Bangladesh who is pursuing a master’s degree in international relations at the University of Calgary, the results were disappointing although the rejection of separation came as no surprise.
"I can hardly make ends meet as a student," he said. "Paying more for less health care would put many people off from coming here as students in the future."
Arsal said the results of the referendum "make me uneasy and solidify my conviction to leave the province after graduation."
New Canadian Media previously reported on growing unease among Alberta’s immigrants over the referendum and its anti-immigration rhetoric.
Mixed reactions
Dozie Anyaegbunam is a Calgary-based marketing professional and managing editor of The Newcomers. The online publication and podcast explore immigrant experiences in Canada.
Anyaegbunam said the results were "not that surprising, but nonetheless sad to see."
He said he had hoped the No side would prevail, particularly given how temporary residents — who account for less than 10 per cent of Alberta’s population — had been singled out during the referendum campaign.
"We have a lot of work to do about immigrants and their value to the system in every way," he said, describing newcomers as having been used as a "lightning rod" during the referendum campaign.
Imtiaz bin Hafiz, a lawyer who moved to Alberta from Bangladesh in November 2022 and took his citizenship oath on Oct. 21, said he was also unsurprised by the referendum outcome.
"I expected that a large portion of the people would be in favour of the immigration proposals," he said.
However, he pointed to the narrow margins. With roughly 52 to 55 per cent supporting several of the immigration proposals in the preliminary count, Alberta appeared deeply divided.
"In any case, the majority was in favour of the immigration proposals which will, in my opinion, legitimize these sentiments over immigration in the province," Hafiz said.
For Avnish Nanda, an Edmonton lawyer and co-founder of Our Alberta Advantage, a nonpartisan campaign opposing the referendum’s immigration proposals, the margins also raise questions about the strength of Smith's mandate.
He said the premier had sought overwhelming support for her reforms, while her government spent heavily promoting the referendum.
The province budgeted approximately $4 million for an advertising campaign that included television, radio, online advertising and a booklet mailed to every Alberta household. The government was also permitted to campaign for its preferred outcomes using public funds.
Still, the immigration questions passed by comparatively narrow margins.
"Given that the Alberta government outspent our campaign by 40 to one ... I think she lost," Nanda said.
"The No side may not have prevailed on the immigration questions by a few percentage points, but we went into Monday thinking we would be blown out, and we weren't."
Rhiannon Hoyle, Alberta NDP shadow minister for jobs, economy and trade, acknowledged that the Yes votes reflected genuine concerns about affordability, employment, health care and public services.
"Those concerns are real and deserve solutions," Hoyle said. "But let's be clear: immigrants didn't create Alberta's affordability crisis, and blaming newcomers won't fix it."
Hoyle, who is herself an immigrant, said the government must take responsibility for adequately funding and planning public services.
What happens next?
Anyaegbunam expects immigration to remain politically contentious.
"I don't think we're done with these sentiments," he said. "We'll probably see it used again in the coming election season, given how many people voted Yes on the immigration questions."
However, the referendum questions are non-binding, leaving the government to determine how to proceed.
Nanda fears Premier Smith will intensify her immigration agenda, further dividing the province.
"I think we're going to be deeply polarized around this issue, that's for sure."
Hoyle cautioned against interpreting the results as unconditional approval for the government's plans.
"A referendum is not a blank cheque for Danielle Smith to bypass the Constitution or pursue policies that could harm Albertans," she said.
"The government must explain what is legally achievable, what it will cost taxpayers and what the consequences will be for families, workers and businesses."
Manpreet Tiwana, vice-president of the Alberta Liberal Party and an immigrant, also emphasized the limits of provincial authority.
"Alberta has a role to play, but significant aspects of immigration remain under federal jurisdiction, so any proposed changes will require careful consideration and cooperation between both levels of government," Tiwana said.
Hoyle warned that additional financial barriers could discourage the temporary workers and skilled immigrants that Alberta's economy needs.
"Making it harder for them and their families to access essential services could drive away the very talent Alberta needs," she said.
Hafiz was reluctant to predict how lasting the referendum's influence would be.
"A lot of essential services are provided by immigrants,” he said. “Most people in business realize the importance of immigrants in the economy.
Copyright 2026, New Canadian Media. All rights reserved.
Mubin S. Khan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media.
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This Art Piece Made Out Of Hardcore Porn Is On Display At Queen's Park
So apparently pornography can be art after all. According to 680 News and City News, it has been right under our nose, here in the city of Toronto, for close to three weeks.
The 'Sacred Circle XII' appears to be a beautiful mandala-like mosaic at first glance. Take just a couple steps closer and it doesn't take long to notice the jarring images of women in very compromising positions that make up the mosaic. The piece is on display at The John B. Aird Gallery, just steps away from the Legislative Assembly at Queen's Park, as a part of the 30 under 30 exhibit.
The artist, French-Canadian Rosalie Maheux's, response to the sudden attention? A big fat 'duh!' She told City News that 'it's kind of like a feminist comment. As a woman, I am using other women's bodies in other ways than pornographic, because I use it to make a beautiful kind of circle." and that her goal all along was 'to create a reaction."
The gallery has since started posting 'Warning' signs in the exhibit to warn of mature content. What do you think, will you be checking it out? Insert blushing emoji face here.