Re “What gov’t can do to help instead of running grocery store” (Sylvain Charlebois, April 2): Only Toronto could look at a housing crisis and decide the answer is to sell lettuce. Toronto running grocery stores is a political stunt, not a solution. The numbers don’t support the panic. StatsCan’s latest data shows food is 15.7% of household spending — lower than the 20-25% Canadians spent for decades. Prices are higher, but affordability is historically better. Meanwhile, housing now eats over 32% of the household budget. That’s the real crisis. But instead of fixing zoning, permitting or transit, City Hall wants to sell produce. If Toronto can’t run transit reliably or issue building permits in under a geological era, the idea it will run a cheaper grocery chain is fantasy. The city should focus on the responsibilities it already fails to meet. Read More
