Conservative leader calls Niagara Falls home a ‘shack’ in speech

Trying to make a point about the difference in housing costs in Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre called a local listing “a shack” in a speech.

Unfortunately, he also gave out the address of the Niagara Falls detached bungalow, currently listed at $539,900, in his speech and Asha Letourneau, who rents it, found some media on her doorstep.

Letourneau, who had worked a closing shift as a server in a local bar the night before, woke up to the news and wasn’t a fan of what the leader had said.

“He called it a shack. A shack. That was a little embarrassing also because it’s not,” she told one media outlet. “It’s not the greatest house on the street but it’s definitely not a shack.”

During his speech, Poilievre was comparing housing prices on the Canadian and American sides of Niagara Falls, pointing out that there are countless listings on the U.S. side in the $200,000 to $250,000 bracket.

Poilievre said, “It costs $550,000 Canadian for a tiny little shack” before giving out the house’s address.

“On the American side, 15 minutes away, you can get a big beautiful multi-level with a garage and a big lot for $217,000 Canadian. Why is it that you pay twice as much for a quarter of the home on the Canadian side of the border?” he added.

Smaller bungalows of this style are actually called a “victory home.” Thousands of them were built post-war (1946-1955) for small families when the economy was booming. They are both starter or even lifetime homes for many Canadians.

In the real estate listing for the home, the description is considerably more positive.

“Fantastic north end property located on a quiet street with mature trees and set back on a generous 51 (foot) by 150-foot lot. This 1.5 storey home features a main floor bedroom, two more bedrooms located on the second floor, living room with large bay window (and a) corner gas fireplace,” the listing says.

It continues, “One plus one bathrooms, rear mudroom, finished basement with room for a fourth bedroom, detached garage with overhang over covered patio, a large 10-car concrete driveway and a deep backyard with plenty of room for an in-ground pool. This home is bursting with potential and is just waiting for you to give it your own finishing touches and make it yours.”

Poilievre has been an MP since the 2004 federal election when he was just 25 years old. Now as leader of the Opposition at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, he makes $287,400 annually. He lives for free in Stornoway, the official tax-funded residence of Canada’s leader of the Opposition, and a recognized federal heritage building.