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This is Me, Myself, and AI. I’m Casey B, and in this episode I’m using an AI duplicate of my voice along with my fictional co-host to unpack a question that’s been on my mind as I turn thirty-five: How did we get here?

For decades, Canada’s economy has grown on paper with higher GDP, bigger cities, and more construction cranes in the sky. But everyday life hasn’t always felt richer. Wages have barely kept up with the cost of living while housing prices have skyrocketed. Governments shifted from building rentals to condos, from public housing to private incentives, and now we’re circling back with Build Canada Homes promising a new era of affordable development.

In this episode, I trace the past thirty-five years of change, from the Bank of Canada’s fight with inflation to the rise of inequality and our lag in construction productivity that is now driving innovation in modular and prefabricated building. We’ll explore whether this new wave of housing technology can finally make a dent and what it all means for the next generation trying to build a life here.

📚 Sources and References:

  1. ​ Bank of Canada (2025) – Press release, September 17, 2025: 25 bps rate cut to 2.50% (bankofcanada.ca)
  2. ​ Reuters (2025) – Bank of Canada cuts rates, says ready to cut again if risks rise
  3. ​ Build Canada Homes (2025) – Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada: About Build Canada Homes (housing-infrastructure.canada.ca)
  4. ​ Global News (2025) – Federal government launches Build Canada Homes to accelerate affordable housing
  5. ​ TD Economics (2023) – From Bad to Worse: Canada’s Productivity Slowdown
  6. ​ C.D. Howe Institute (2024) – Building Smarter, Faster: Technology and Policy Solutions for Canada’s Housing Crisis
  7. ​ Canadian Real Estate Magazine (2024) – Modular, Prefab and Mass Timber: Canada’s New Housing Opportunity
  8. ​ RENX Homes (2024) – Prefab Not the Unicorn That Will Bring Costs Down Yet
  9. ​ Statistics Canada (2024) – Wages in Canada, 1981–2024: Research to Insights
  10. ​ Canadians for Tax Fairness (2025) – Canada’s Affordability Divide: How the 1%’s Rise Left Millions Behind