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    • Sean Fraser takes over federal housing file as Canadians face affordability crunch

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    OTTAWA -

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is handing over the federal housing file to Sean Fraser, the Nova Scotia MP who was previously immigration minister.

    Trudeau shuffled his cabinet Wednesday in a bid to present a fresh team to lead the Liberals into the next election.

    As part of the shakeup, the housing file has been merged with infrastructure, and Fraser becomes the minister responsible for housing, infrastructure and communities.

    Ahmed Hussen, who was housing minister since 2021, has faced criticism for his handling of the file as the housing crisis worsened across the country.

    Hussen is staying in cabinet as minister of international development.

    The federal government is facing considerable pressure to address the lack of affordable homes, which experts say is the result of a housing shortage.

    The Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation has warned the country needs to build 3.5 million additional homes -- on top of the current pace of building -- to restore affordability by 2030.

    Carolyn Whitzman, a housing policy expert and adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa, said the decision to combine housing and infrastructure is a good move.

    "Housing is infrastructure. It's essential, as essential as water and sewers and hospitals and schools, for the functioning of a society," she said.

    Whitzman said Fraser is a "fairly effective communicator."

    His experience as immigration minister may also help inform his role in the housing file, she said, as record population growth adds even more pressure to housing demand.

    This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 26, 2023.

    IN DEPTH

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    Canada

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    • The London Police Service (LPS) is currently investigating a suspicious death in the east end.

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    • Toronto police say they have now identified a third person who they believe was involved in a shooting that left two men dead in North York earlier this week.

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    • The man charged with fatally stabbing lifelong Banff resident Ethan Enns-Goneau in 2022 has been convicted of second-degree murder.

    • A woman who went missing on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ont. while kayaking Tuesday night has been found dead, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • A joint police operation to promote safe driving on Highway 417 in the Ottawa area has resulted in laying dozens of charges in three hours Friday, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • Whether it was a big truck, or a small one, the construction trucks rolling past the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) on Saturday had a very important job, and it's putting smiles on the faces of little ones.

    • Montrealers can get used to taking a stroll on several car-free streets during the summer in the years to come thanks to a new commitment from the city.

    • Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

    • Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

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    • Former Edmonton Oiler Zack Kassian has rejoined the team as a pro scout, the Oilers announced on Saturday.

    • Halifax Regional Police warned the public of a series of high-value thefts targeting retail stores Friday.

    • Pictou County District RCMP is investigating a fatal crash that occurred in Thorburn, N.S., Saturday.

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    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

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