[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Jacob]

Maybe the various services in Edmonton are better funded and organized than the ones in Vancouver, but locally the experience seems to be that when the police clears a homeless encampment the residents are not consistently housed afterwards.

On Dr. Hinshaw, Smith's government behaviour on her AHS job is disgraceful.

[crazy canuck]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Depends on lots of variables - size of the battery, type of charging infrasructure, how much charge (20-80% is much much faster than 0-100%).

Ideally, charging to 80% is supposed to take 30-40 minutes I understand with a really good charging station.  If you're just using a standard extension cord it can take days.

When I got my first electric car almost a decade ago, it took twelve hours to charge with a standard outlet.

I'm not sure why anybody would do that now given how inexpensive it is to install a home charging unit. But assuming one lives in an apartment that can be more tricky and so that is worth the is.  There needs to be a lot more public charging stations. 

Thankfully, government has regulated the need for new developments to have those charging stations, and it wasn't left simply to the market to decide those things.

[viper37]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

25-30 minutes now.
Who knows how long in 10 years?

[Valmy]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

Depends on lots of variables - size of the battery, type of charging infrasructure, how much charge (20-80% is much much faster than 0-100%).

Ideally, charging to 80% is supposed to take 30-40 minutes I understand with a really good charging station.  If you're just using a standard extension cord it can take days.

I charge at my house in just a few hours just plugging it into the wall socket 

Yeah if my battery is low and I have to stop and charge I expect to be there for 30-40 minutes just goofing off on my phone.

[Grey Fox]

La Presse this morning is writing about the electric car demand and the effects of rules & regulations on the supply.

A translation :

Quebec now joins British Columbia (at 26.4%) at the forefront of Canadian provinces with the highest proportion of electric vehicle sales, far surpassing the others. It's no coincidence that these are the two provinces that have implemented regulations to compel manufacturers to sell a minimum number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), says Anne-Catherine Pilon, an analyst in sustainable mobility at Équiterre. "It demonstrates that ZEV regulations work," she says. "It sets a movement in motion." This regulation is especially justified as taxpayers subsidize the battery industry, she adds. "It's the pendulum swinging back."

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/environnement/2023-12-19/les-ventes-de-vehicules-electriques-explosent.php

Google translated link :

https://www-lapresse-ca.translate.goog/actualites/environnement/2023-12-19/les-ventes-de-vehicules-electriques-explosent.php?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

[Barrister]

La Presse this morning is writing about the electric car demand and the effects of rules & regulations on the supply.

A translation :

Quebec now joins British Columbia (at 26.4%) at the forefront of Canadian provinces with the highest proportion of electric vehicle sales, far surpassing the others. It's no coincidence that these are the two provinces that have implemented regulations to compel manufacturers to sell a minimum number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), says Anne-Catherine Pilon, an analyst in sustainable mobility at Équiterre. "It demonstrates that ZEV regulations work," she says. "It sets a movement in motion." This regulation is especially justified as taxpayers subsidize the battery industry, she adds. "It's the pendulum swinging back."

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/environnement/2023-12-19/les-ventes-de-vehicules-electriques-explosent.php

Google translated link :

https://www-lapresse-ca.translate.goog/actualites/environnement/2023-12-19/les-ventes-de-vehicules-electriques-explosent.php?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

So what exactly are the specific regulations regulations that encourage EV sales?

The other thing is that BC and Quebec are the provinces that overwhelmingly rely on hydro power (well, Manitoba also).  EVs don't make nearly as much sense is the electricity you're charging them from is generated from fossil fuels.

[crazy canuck]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

I don't know how long my new care takes to go from empty to full charge.  With the range I now have, I rarely go below 80% of charge, and when that happens it is normally because I forgot to recharge over night.   

But the sales info I got said it would take about 4 hours with a home outlet. I have a home charger and the time it takes to top it back up is trivial.

[Grey Fox]

La Presse this morning is writing about the electric car demand and the effects of rules & regulations on the supply.

A translation :

Quebec now joins British Columbia (at 26.4%) at the forefront of Canadian provinces with the highest proportion of electric vehicle sales, far surpassing the others. It's no coincidence that these are the two provinces that have implemented regulations to compel manufacturers to sell a minimum number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), says Anne-Catherine Pilon, an analyst in sustainable mobility at Équiterre. "It demonstrates that ZEV regulations work," she says. "It sets a movement in motion." This regulation is especially justified as taxpayers subsidize the battery industry, she adds. "It's the pendulum swinging back."

https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/environnement/2023-12-19/les-ventes-de-vehicules-electriques-explosent.php

Google translated link :

https://www-lapresse-ca.translate.goog/actualites/environnement/2023-12-19/les-ventes-de-vehicules-electriques-explosent.php?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

So what exactly are the specific regulations regulations that encourage EV sales?

The other thing is that BC and Quebec are the provinces that overwhelmingly rely on hydro power (well, Manitoba also).  EVs don't make nearly as much sense is the electricity you're charging them from is generated from fossil fuels.

Quebec's newest updated regulation is this : https://www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca/changementsclimatiques/vze/index-en.htm

Manufacturer's must make available attractive ZEVs to meet their credit requirement.

[Josephus]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

I don't know how long my new care takes to go from empty to full charge.  With the range I now have, I rarely go below 80% of charge, and when that happens it is normally because I forgot to recharge over night.   

But the sales info I got said it would take about 4 hours with a home outlet. I have a home charger and the time it takes to top it back up is trivial.

See, it's the charging that I'm not sure about. Ok, charging overnight at home is one thing. But if I'm going on a road trip and have to stop and recharge at some station for hours? What if all the outlets are being used as well? Not sure I'd want to do that.

For instance. I'm driving from Toronto to Quebec City. I start off fully charged. Not sure how far I'll get, but at some point I will need to recharge. My car says next station is at a stop along the highway. I get there. All six charging stations are being used. So...now what? I get lunch. Come back out...oooh, there's one free. But now I have to wait how long?

[crazy canuck]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

I don't know how long my new care takes to go from empty to full charge.  With the range I now have, I rarely go below 80% of charge, and when that happens it is normally because I forgot to recharge over night.   

But the sales info I got said it would take about 4 hours with a home outlet. I have a home charger and the time it takes to top it back up is trivial.

See, it's the charging that I'm not sure about. Ok, charging overnight at home is one thing. But if I'm going on a road trip and have to stop and recharge at some station for hours? What if all the outlets are being used as well? Not sure I'd want to do that.

For instance. I'm driving from Toronto to Quebec City. I start off fully charged. Not sure how far I'll get, but at some point I will need to recharge. My car says next station is at a stop along the highway. I get there. All six charging stations are being used. So...now what? I get lunch. Come back out...oooh, there's one free. But now I have to wait how long?

It is hours if you are using a home plug into your existing wall socket.  It is about 20 minutes at a commercial charging station. 

As noted above in response to BB, I am not sure why anyone in this province would use a home plug.  Most dealerships throw a home charging station into the deal.

I have never experienced a situation where I had to wait more than a few minutes for a charging station.  Most commercial lots now have time limits so a person cannot just park their car and leave it there for an extended period of time.

[Barrister]

Canada's population grew by 430,000 in Q3 of 2023.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-record-population-growth-1.7063692

As of Oct 1 of 2023 we had already accepted more people then 2022, which itself was a record-setting year.

Heck - given our population of 40 million our population grew by 1% in just three months.

Most of that growth was in non-permanent residents - mainly student or work visas.  But that's somewhat illusory because after 2 years a non-permanent resident can apply for permanent residency.

[Josephus]

How long does it take to charge an electric car?

I don't know how long my new care takes to go from empty to full charge.  With the range I now have, I rarely go below 80% of charge, and when that happens it is normally because I forgot to recharge over night.   

But the sales info I got said it would take about 4 hours with a home outlet. I have a home charger and the time it takes to top it back up is trivial.

See, it's the charging that I'm not sure about. Ok, charging overnight at home is one thing. But if I'm going on a road trip and have to stop and recharge at some station for hours? What if all the outlets are being used as well? Not sure I'd want to do that.

For instance. I'm driving from Toronto to Quebec City. I start off fully charged. Not sure how far I'll get, but at some point I will need to recharge. My car says next station is at a stop along the highway. I get there. All six charging stations are being used. So...now what? I get lunch. Come back out...oooh, there's one free. But now I have to wait how long?

It is hours if you are using a home plug into your existing wall socket.  It is about 20 minutes at a commercial charging station. 

As noted above in response to BB, I am not sure why anyone in this province would use a home plug.  Most dealerships throw a home charging station into the deal.

I have never experienced a situation where I had to wait more than a few minutes for a charging station.  Most commercial lots now have time limits so a person cannot just park their car and leave it there for an extended period of time.

Ok. That's all good to know

[HVC]

Another thing to contend with, as more and more evs are out there, is accidents. Fires are really hard to put out. Not sure what happened, but a few condos in Toronto tried to ban evs in parking because of the risk.

[crazy canuck]

Another thing to contend with, as more and more evs are out there, is accidents. Fires are really hard to put out. Not sure what happened, but a few condos in Toronto tried to ban evs in parking because of the risk.

Yeah, fires occur less frequently but are a real problem to put out.  There is a lot of talk about creating a safety code for manufacturers to deal with the issue.  But you are absolutely right, it is something that needs to be worked out before we reach larger numbers of EVs on the road.

[crazy canuck]

Here is an editorial from the Globe endorsing the regulatory moves BC has made to address the housing situation.

B.C. drafted a bold housing blueprint. The rest of Canada should copy it
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
PUBLISHED 6 HOURS AGO
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A construction worker is seen on top of a low-rise condo development being built in Coquitlam, B.C., on May 16.
DARRYL DYCK/THE CANADIAN PRESS

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In the fight to alleviate the housing shortage, there's been no shortage of good ideas. What has been too often absent is political will.

A missed opportunity came in early 2022. An expert panel commissioned by Ontario Premier Doug Ford delivered a blueprint this space and others hailed. It called for widespread reforms. The ideas included, without special approval at city halls, four homes on a residential lot across the province, 11-storey buildings on streets with transit and unlimited density beside transit hubs. Mr. Ford shelved the boldest proposals.

The thinking behind increased density was already well established in public debate – this space backed the ideas for years – but it hadn't been taken seriously by governments. The pandemic price surge forced it on to the political stage. In 2021, the federal Liberals promised to pay cities to reform zoning. Last year, as Mr. Ford said no to major changes, David Eby in British Columbia promised an overhaul in his successful run to become leader of the NDP, and premier.

Policy ideas started to become political reality only this year. The Liberals' housing accelerator money this fall pushed cities across the country to agree to reforms that generally include measures such as four homes on one lot and increased density near transit. But it is Mr. Eby and his B.C. government that has gone the furthest, in the province where housing prices first spiralled out of control.

Mr. Eby didn't invent the future. What the NDP did was turn readily available good ideas into a series of legislation. Cities in B.C. have been instructed to quickly loosen their zoning rules. This includes, without special permissions, multiple homes on a residential lot and significant density near busy transit hubs. In the Vancouver region this means at least eight-storey buildings within 800 metres of a SkyTrain station and 20 or more storeys within 200 metres.

The NDP won power in 2017. Their first big action on housing was a tax to quell speculative demand, foreign and domestic. Like all political parties, the NDP underestimated the housing situation. The real issue – a lack of supply, and all the civic rules that restrict building – wasn't addressed.

It is said overnight successes are years in the making. It's true on B.C. housing policy. Could the NDP and Mr. Eby, a former housing minister, have acted earlier? Yes. But now they've set a template for the rest of the country to follow. With a provincial election next fall, Mr. Eby is willing to stake part of his political future on housing reform.

Change will still take time. A 201-page analysis the NDP put out showed most of the new housing would be built in the back half of a decade-long outlook. The estimated tally is at least 216,000 more homes than would have otherwise been constructed. This would in part address shortages Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. has identified. The B.C. analysis also suggested those additional homes, over the next five years, could reduce the price of buying or renting by roughly 9 per cent compared with business as usual.

The NDP got the big picture right. It's also working to get the details right. One welcome new idea, a favourite of housing activists, is what's called single-stair design. It's a common way to build apartments in Europe and would allow for more spacious homes.

The need for higher levels of government to act is clear. Cities remain too cautious. Federal money has cajoled some cities to change but others are resistant. City council in Windsor, Ont., last week voted against reform. This is a city that's seeing billions of dollars of federal investments but barely gets more homes built than its neighbour Amherstburg, a town a fraction of Windsor's size.

In Toronto, which has moved too slowly, the federal Liberals are holding back their offer of $471-million from Ottawa's housing accelerator cash. Toronto is reworking its proposal, after a city council vote last week to do more, as the Housing Minister Sean Fraser has asked. The reforms in B.C. were specifically cited as a model.

There are still big challenges. Infrastructure such as sewers has been neglected. Federal and provincial investments will be key to make sure inadequate infrastructure doesn't slow new housing.

The problems in housing were first felt in B.C. and it's the first place finally taking action on the scale needed to do something about it. The rest of the country should copy the B.C. blueprint.