Commentary
In the 1970s, many people said that suburbanization would spell the end of Canada’s downtowns.
But that didn’t happen. In cities big and small, business leaders rolled up their sleeves and went to work. “Downtown revitalization” was their rallying cry. The bright, upscale shopping mall was one of the big initiatives that kept Canadians commuting downtown through the 1980s and beyond.
But in 2025 there is a darker cloud hanging over Canada’s downtowns. It is so worrisome that the suburbanization threat of over 40 years ago looks rather tame.
In April 2024, Parliament’s human resources committee heard about this problem loud and clear. Timmins, Ont., MP Charlie Angus broke it down, stating, “Nobody wants to go into the downtown anymore because we are hit with the triple crises of mental health, opioid addiction, and homelessness.” Thunder Bay MP Marcus Powlowski said other areas have the same problem. “There is certainly the perception by a lot of Canadians that a lot of downtown cores are basically out of control,” he said….