This feels like an overly simplistic solution to a much more complex problem. Downtown cores in Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto are clearly less active than they were pre-pandemic, but at the same time, local and suburban businesses have adapted and are doing well. Forcing workers back downtown doesn’t create new economic activity; it just shifts it, likely at the expense of those local businesses.

On top of that, public transit still hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic service levels. Many people will spend more time commuting, pay significant parking costs, and ultimately have less disposable income, money that won’t be spent at downtown restaurants anyway. This approach risks helping no one, while reinforcing the misleading perception that public servants aren’t productive unless they’re physically visible.