JASON SETNYK
A modest snowfall didn’t stop an intimate but engaged audience from attending the screening of Thinking Beyond the Market: A Film About Genuinely Affordable Housing at the Cornwall Public Library.
Written, directed, and narrated by urban scholar and University of Waterloo professor Brian Doucet, the 86-minute documentary explores how communities across Canada are addressing the housing crisis by going beyond market-based solutions.
The screening, presented with French subtitles, was followed by an engaging Q&A session where attendees reflected on the film’s central argument: that housing should be seen not just as a commodity but as a social good.
“This is my first film,” Doucet shared in an interview before the event. “I’m a planning professor, and planning professors don’t typically make films. But I wanted the housing research I’ve done to enhance debates and conversations across the country.”
Doucet, who has studied housing for over 15 years both in Canada and abroad, was motivated to translate his academic work into a format accessible to broader audiences. “I’ve written for the media, produced public reports, but making a documentary felt like the ultimate form of public engagement,” he said.
The film doesn’t dwell on what’s broken-it showcases what’s working. From city-leased land projects in Kitchener to tenant protection policies in British Columbia, the documentary highlights successful models that insulate housing from speculation and investor-driven pressures.
“We don’t need to think of new ideas-they’re already happening,” Doucet emphasized. “The solutions are there. They just need to be implemented.”
When asked how municipalities like Cornwall, with constrained budgets, could implement the kinds of solutions showcased in the film, Doucet emphasized that the challenge is rooted in historical policy decisions.
“In the 1990s, the federal and provincial governments, including Ontario, downloaded housing responsibilities to municipalities-the level of government with the least resources and capacity to act,” he explained.
Still, he sees potential in municipal assets. “Land is key. Many cities own land they don’t even know they own-parking lots, vacant parcels. Leasing that land to nonprofits can make affordable housing feasible.”
He further explained that non-market housing isn’t limited to rent-geared-to-income units. “There’s a whole spectrum-from co-ops and nonprofit partnerships to faith-based developments. When you broaden your view of what non-market housing can be, you unlock a lot more opportunities.”
The documentary also interrogates why housing has only recently become a political priority. “We’re talking about housing more now because it’s become a middle-class challenge,” said Doucet. “People who never thought they’d struggle to find shelter-young professionals, dual-income households-are now affected. But for low-income renters, the crisis has been ongoing for decades.”
Doucet makes a compelling case that current market dynamics, including high investor ownership of new condos, are exacerbating affordability problems. “Since 2016, in many Canadian cities, 60% or more of new condos have been purchased by investors-people who already have somewhere to live,” said Doucet. “That distorts both supply and demand.”
The Cornwall screening marked the 25th community presentation of Thinking Beyond the Market since its October launch. “We’ve done events across the country-places like Whistler, Montreal, and Collingwood,” Doucet said. “Word of mouth has taken over. I’m no longer actively promoting the film; communities are reaching out to bring it to them.”
While the film is not yet available for online streaming, Doucet hopes it will be in the future. “I want every mayor in Canada to see this. I want local organizations, planners, and residents to be inspired and feel empowered,” he said. “This isn’t rocket science. We just need the courage and political will to act.”
Doucet hopes Cornwall’s conversation will continue. “I’ve seen these events act as a catalyst-not to start something new, but to elevate what’s already there. Every community has changemakers. This film is for them.”
The event was presented in partnership with the Social Development Council of Cornwall and Area, United Way/Centraide SDG, and the Agapè Centre, three local organizations working collaboratively to address poverty, housing insecurity, and community well-being.
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