Neil Thomson
@neiljt.bsky.social
Ottawa.Kanata.Beaverbrook resident. Engaged in Community Assoc., City Issues since 1992. Runner, x-country, cyclist, and sometimes tri-athlete.
Tech - Data/Analytics, Data Privacy, Decentralized Digital Identity (SSI). Active in DIF, ToIP, MyData
Tech - Data/Analytics, Data Privacy, Decentralized Digital Identity (SSI). Active in DIF, ToIP, MyData
Twitter is a bad thing?
February 16, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Twitter is a bad thing?
One thing that has substantially deteriorated is community support. Multiple school choices has led to kids and families that don't know their neighbours. Community support groups, including Girl Guides, Scouts and sports teams have withered. That "village it takes to raise a child" is gone.
February 16, 2026 at 2:53 AM
One thing that has substantially deteriorated is community support. Multiple school choices has led to kids and families that don't know their neighbours. Community support groups, including Girl Guides, Scouts and sports teams have withered. That "village it takes to raise a child" is gone.
I'm floored by your change of studio venue...
February 16, 2026 at 2:20 AM
I'm floored by your change of studio venue...
Glad you got good snow and non-insane cold.
February 15, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Glad you got good snow and non-insane cold.
Sorry, but the US is a complete no-go zone for anybody outside of the United States
February 12, 2026 at 4:37 AM
Sorry, but the US is a complete no-go zone for anybody outside of the United States
The long-term trend that work from home is the way to go as it's a far cheaper for every organization than having a downtown office location doesn't help.
February 12, 2026 at 4:35 AM
The long-term trend that work from home is the way to go as it's a far cheaper for every organization than having a downtown office location doesn't help.
it doesn't help that LRT line locations where predicated on cheap or free land versus where they should actually go to encourage public transportation use.
February 12, 2026 at 4:35 AM
it doesn't help that LRT line locations where predicated on cheap or free land versus where they should actually go to encourage public transportation use.
Ottawa is Bankrupt.
OCTranspo is responsible for an area larger than the combination of almost all the major cities in Canada.
Those two facts can't be rationalized, without subsidy by both Ottawa and Queens Park.
OCTranspo is responsible for an area larger than the combination of almost all the major cities in Canada.
Those two facts can't be rationalized, without subsidy by both Ottawa and Queens Park.
February 12, 2026 at 4:32 AM
Ottawa is Bankrupt.
OCTranspo is responsible for an area larger than the combination of almost all the major cities in Canada.
Those two facts can't be rationalized, without subsidy by both Ottawa and Queens Park.
OCTranspo is responsible for an area larger than the combination of almost all the major cities in Canada.
Those two facts can't be rationalized, without subsidy by both Ottawa and Queens Park.
Yes, Federal legislation is entirely guilty of making housing in Canada very profitable and tax free or tax reduced for home owners and speculation.
February 12, 2026 at 4:20 AM
Yes, Federal legislation is entirely guilty of making housing in Canada very profitable and tax free or tax reduced for home owners and speculation.
80% of transit in Ottawa is by bus, on roads. Without busses, LRT' direct reach, e.g. walkable to or from final destination is probably in single digit percent of all transit users.
That transit/transportation planning makes poor use of roads, prioitizing transit is fair comment.
That transit/transportation planning makes poor use of roads, prioitizing transit is fair comment.
February 11, 2026 at 4:11 PM
80% of transit in Ottawa is by bus, on roads. Without busses, LRT' direct reach, e.g. walkable to or from final destination is probably in single digit percent of all transit users.
That transit/transportation planning makes poor use of roads, prioitizing transit is fair comment.
That transit/transportation planning makes poor use of roads, prioitizing transit is fair comment.
Even the photograph used for this post suggests Carney is guilty. The weaponization of a valid criticism of the blind trust regulations. Hard for re-raising this point not to imply there is evidence of corruption we don't know about.
February 10, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Even the photograph used for this post suggests Carney is guilty. The weaponization of a valid criticism of the blind trust regulations. Hard for re-raising this point not to imply there is evidence of corruption we don't know about.
You ask vague questions , you get vague answers. Without concrete actual uses of AI being discussed and evaluated, it's about as useful ask asking a similar set of questions on education and healthcare. Until there are a basket of specific problems to solve and how data will be sourced and used...
February 8, 2026 at 10:15 PM
You ask vague questions , you get vague answers. Without concrete actual uses of AI being discussed and evaluated, it's about as useful ask asking a similar set of questions on education and healthcare. Until there are a basket of specific problems to solve and how data will be sourced and used...
Where? Not in my neighboorhood Kanata/Stittsville. Historic pricing shows approx $207,000
February 8, 2026 at 10:49 AM
Where? Not in my neighboorhood Kanata/Stittsville. Historic pricing shows approx $207,000
Coupled with that problem is that at least in Canada , that cities just don't have the financial assets to actually implement community transit to the level where requiring a personal vehicles is not mandatory./e
February 8, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Coupled with that problem is that at least in Canada , that cities just don't have the financial assets to actually implement community transit to the level where requiring a personal vehicles is not mandatory./e
The problem is quite simply, is that in many communities, public transit doesn't exist, or it's so bad that someone in our community years ago expressed a child on a tricycle could get from one end of our community to the other faster than public transit./1
February 8, 2026 at 1:12 AM
The problem is quite simply, is that in many communities, public transit doesn't exist, or it's so bad that someone in our community years ago expressed a child on a tricycle could get from one end of our community to the other faster than public transit./1
That also applies to apartments. Same target income/demographics.
February 8, 2026 at 12:37 AM
That also applies to apartments. Same target income/demographics.
What I have seen in the last 20 years is very limited housing types being developed, largely singles, towns and row homes priced to 2 prof salaries or downsizing seniors w a home to sell and nothing else. And as a Community Association director I see all the devapps in out community.
February 8, 2026 at 12:30 AM
What I have seen in the last 20 years is very limited housing types being developed, largely singles, towns and row homes priced to 2 prof salaries or downsizing seniors w a home to sell and nothing else. And as a Community Association director I see all the devapps in out community.
We didn't. I speculate, no expert, that "starter homes" were the ugly ducklings that the rising price of homes made it profitable to tear down, replace w a higher value home. At some point those ran out of availability. I have certainly seen that affect here in Ottawa /e
February 8, 2026 at 12:25 AM
We didn't. I speculate, no expert, that "starter homes" were the ugly ducklings that the rising price of homes made it profitable to tear down, replace w a higher value home. At some point those ran out of availability. I have certainly seen that affect here in Ottawa /e
With respect, the demand for travel required to justify high speed rail is a very high.
Given the delivery window for high speed rail in canada , battery powered commuter distance aircraft are going to emerge in the next 10 years, which demolished much of the argument for high speed rail.
Given the delivery window for high speed rail in canada , battery powered commuter distance aircraft are going to emerge in the next 10 years, which demolished much of the argument for high speed rail.
February 8, 2026 at 12:16 AM
With respect, the demand for travel required to justify high speed rail is a very high.
Given the delivery window for high speed rail in canada , battery powered commuter distance aircraft are going to emerge in the next 10 years, which demolished much of the argument for high speed rail.
Given the delivery window for high speed rail in canada , battery powered commuter distance aircraft are going to emerge in the next 10 years, which demolished much of the argument for high speed rail.
The starter homes of the past plus affordable housing of all types were built by CMHC or its predecessors. Time to revisit tax law and non-profit housing./e
February 7, 2026 at 11:16 PM
The starter homes of the past plus affordable housing of all types were built by CMHC or its predecessors. Time to revisit tax law and non-profit housing./e
The second is that essentially all lands near cities are in private hands, when coupled with the reality all home building is by the private sector, the only homes and apts that get built are to maximize ROI./2
February 7, 2026 at 11:16 PM
The second is that essentially all lands near cities are in private hands, when coupled with the reality all home building is by the private sector, the only homes and apts that get built are to maximize ROI./2
There's really 2 roots to this problem.
The first is that tax law makes homes a very profitable investment, as is land investment, for anyone, including corporations. /1
The first is that tax law makes homes a very profitable investment, as is land investment, for anyone, including corporations. /1
February 7, 2026 at 11:15 PM
There's really 2 roots to this problem.
The first is that tax law makes homes a very profitable investment, as is land investment, for anyone, including corporations. /1
The first is that tax law makes homes a very profitable investment, as is land investment, for anyone, including corporations. /1