Press Hits

Solar power has truly come of age. Dropping in cost by 99.9 per cent over the past 50 years, it is now, by far, the cheapest source of energy in history.

Resistant to fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas, once installed it provides essentially free electricity for the life of the panels, at least 25 years. That’s probably why you see it popping up on houses and in farm fields across our province.

One notable exception? Condos, apartments and backyard sheds.

England has ushered in sweeping changes to its tenancy laws, including the end of fixed-term leases. Housing advocates in Nova Scotia have been pushing for this for a long time. We’ll find out how it’s going on the other side of the pond.

Toronto is escalating its fight against negligent landlords as Mayor Olivia Chow says long‑overdue repairs, pest control and safety work are finally underway at 500 Dawes Road, one of the city’s most notoriously neglected rental buildings.

Chow visited tenants in the Beaches–East York high‑rise on Monday, located near Victoria Park Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East, outlining how newly strengthened enforcement powers are being used to force action after years of deteriorating conditions.

“I will not tolerate slum landlords in our city,” Chow said during the visit.

“At least 50 per cent of that building must be affordable houses for people who can’t afford high rents in Calgary,” said Hassina Sadat, who is part of ACORN Canada.

People in the downtown core like the idea of the building getting a second life.

“(Downtown is) more or less vacant…I hope that the new building is going to be sold with a lot of people and coming from…all the different places around the globe,” one Calgarian said.

At a Landlord and Tenant Board hearing on Wednesday, one of the parties in a long-simmering dispute — a man some have dubbed Ontario’s “king of renovictions” — was noticeably absent.

Michael Klein, a recently listed landlord for the case at 80 Guestville Ave. in Mount Dennis, did not attend the LTB hearing despite the adjudicator issuing a formal notice to appear.

The hearing was related to a multi-year dispute at the low-rise building.

The landlord that was originally recognized by the LTB as the owner of the property, Guestville Apartments Inc., has asked the LTB to permit it to evict about two dozen tenants to make way for extensive renovations.

When Erin Fabello resisted her landlord’s attempt to evict her from her apartment for renovations, she did so fearing not being able to find another home she could afford in Hamilton’s rising rental market.

Fabello, 56, lost her Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) bid to stay at the three-storey Sanford Avenue South building at Main Street East, but she made sure to put in writing her plan to return at the same rent once the work wrapped up.

That right to return is enshrined in provincial legislation.