Canada Calling: Indian students facing homelessness protest in Ontario and trouble for Trudeau

“We wouldn’t have come to Canada if we knew we wouldn’t even find a place to live,” remarked Avneet Kaur, who is enrolled at Nipissing University, in an interview with a local radio station. She mentioned that shared accommodations were being offered at prices ranging from 650 to 700 dollars per person, far exceeding what most students could afford. To cut costs, some were even staying with relatives and acquaintances in Brampton and Toronto, cities located 350 kilometers away, choosing to endure a four-hour commute each way to attend classes.

Canada is grappling with a severe housing affordability crisis, exacerbated by the substantial influx of people it admits annually. This year alone, the country is set to welcome 900,000 international students, marking a staggering 63% increase from the previous year. This is in addition to 500,000 permanent residents and hundreds of thousands of other temporary workers and visitors.

Rising interest rates have led to higher mortgage payments, causing rents to soar nationwide. Among the hardest hit are international students in smaller population centers. While housing used to be relatively inexpensive in towns like North Bay, the influx of students every six months, coupled with limited rental properties, has created a significant supply and demand imbalance. The situation is further exacerbated by the fact that both the government and educational institutions, which charge substantial tuition fees from international students, often turn a blind eye when it comes to providing affordable shelter.

Polls show Trudeau deeply unpopular

Faced with skyrocketing living costs, Canadians have grown increasingly disillusioned with the Justin Trudeau government. The latest polls reveal that the Prime Minister is deeply unpopular, with a disapproval rating of 63%, according to the Angus Reid Institute. Disheartened Canadians are turning towards the Pierre Poilievrre-led Conservative Party of Canada, which now boasts a considerable lead over its rivals in recent polls. An Abacus poll released last month showed the CPC with a 12-point advantage over the Liberals. Additionally, according to 338Canada, a statistical model for electoral projections, the CPC would secure a comfortable majority if elections were held today.

Trudeau’s party has held power since 2015. While the PM has not indicated any intention to call a midterm election, he leads a minority government supported by Jagmeet Singh’s New Democrats.

(Daksh Panwar is an Ontario-based journalist and broadcaster. Twitter: @Daksh280)

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