And we're going to train 100,000 skilled trades workers to build it.

 Build Big — But Build What?

Canada is building big again: hydro, transit, mines and ports.

And we're going to train 100,000 skilled trades workers to build it.

Okay. But can we please ask the next question?

What exactly are we building, and what kind of country are we building it for?

Our forests are burning. Communities are flooding. People can't afford housing. Thousands are unhoused. Groceries and rent keep climbing. We already struggle to find doctors and caregivers.

We trained an enormous number of people for the tech economy, while essential care work became harder and harder to fill. Now we're being told the answer is to build even bigger — more mines, more infrastructure, more extraction.

But where is the plan for the people who will actually live in this country?

Where is the affordable housing?
Where are the doctors?
Where are the caregivers for our aging population?
Where is the affordable, healthy food?
Where is the plan for communities facing fire and flood?

And what happens when "building big" means destroying the very environment those communities depend on?

During COVID, while Canadians were locked down and dealing with a once-in-a-generation crisis, the Trans Mountain pipeline was pushed through B.C.

Now we're watching our province burn.

So forgive me if I'm not automatically impressed by another announcement about building bigger.

Build, yes. But build wisely.

Build homes people can afford.
Build healthcare capacity.
Build resilient communities.
Build food security.
Build infrastructure that can survive the climate we're actually living in.

And if you're going to mine this country for the minerals needed to power the next technological revolution, then tell us honestly:

What is all this growth ultimately for?

Because I don't want my generation's legacy to be:

We burned to grow, grew to mine, mined to power more consumption — and left our children a country they can no longer afford to live in.

I see the direction.

I hope Canadians are awake enough to ask where it's taking us.

#Canada #SkilledTrades #HousingCrisis #AffordableHousing #WorkersRights #CostOfLiving #ClimateChange #Homelessness #FutureOfCanada #BuildForPeople