---
canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/event/understanding-and-addressing-canadas-affordability-challenges/"
title: "Understanding and Addressing Canada’s Affordability Challenges"
author:
  name: "shomp"
  url: "https://csls.ca/author/shomp/"
date_published: "2026-07-17T18:09:20+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-07-17T18:26:16+00:00"
post_type: "csls_event"
summary: "Join us for a presentation on one of the most persistent concerns in Canadian public opinion: the high cost of living. Despite income generally outpacing prices in recent years, roughly 60 per cent of Canadians still name cost of living as a top concern, a pattern that predates the pandemic. Drawing on polling data, economic […]"
event_category:
  - "Big Ideas seminar series"
featured_image: ""
status: "publish"
---

# Understanding and Addressing Canada’s Affordability Challenges

Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/event/understanding-and-addressing-canadas-affordability-challenges/

**17**
Sep

Big Ideas seminar series

# Understanding and Addressing Canada’s Affordability Challenges

Thursday, September 17, 2026
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm EST
Alt Hotel (185 Slater Street, Ottawa, Canada)

## Event description

Join us for a presentation on one of the most persistent concerns in Canadian public opinion: the high cost of living. Despite income generally outpacing prices in recent years, roughly 60 per cent of Canadians still name cost of living as a top concern, a pattern that predates the pandemic. Drawing on polling data, economic statistics, and policy literature, this CSLS commentary examines the real drivers behind that anxiety, including housing affordability, slowing real income growth, and social media driven financial perceptions, and proposes policy responses centred on housing supply, productivity growth, and stronger worker bargaining power.

## Speakers

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![Claude Lavoie](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Claude-Lavoie-Headshot-Website-150x150.webp)

### Claude Lavoie

Former Director General, Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch, Finance Canada

Claude Lavoie is a former director general in the economic and fiscal policy branch at Finance Canada where he was responsible to produce evidence-based analysis to inform the Minister of Finance on policy decisions. Before that, he was head of the Canadian forecasting and modeling group at the Bank of Canada where he was responsible to advise the Governor of the Bank on the conduct of monetary policy. Mr. Lavoie represented Canada at many OECD meetings and was a lead speaker at international, business and stakeholder groups’, and pre-budget consultation meetings. Mr. Lavoie also presented papers at academic conferences and published working and analytical papers for the Department of Finance, the Bank of Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada. He published op-eds for Policy Options and was the host of radio programs. Mr. Lavoie received many awards, including the Deputy Minister award for his outstanding career, the Queen Jubilee Medal for his contribution to economic policy in Canada, and the Public Service Chief award for his managerial qualities, and the Governor General Medal for his exceptional academic performance. He grew up in Quebec City and attended Laval University where he graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s in economics.

## Resource

[Lavoie IPM paper](https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/international-productivity-monitor-50th-issue/addressing-canadas-high-cost-of-living-the-role-of-productivity-and-bargaining-power/)