Are we in need of a new Lord Beaverbrook?

By Michael Giles

May 6, 2026

On May 25^, 1879, William Maxwell Aitken was born in Maple, Ont. His birthplace remains on the original site at Keele Street and Major Mackenzie Drive West. He would later become known as Lord Beaverbrook. 

He moved to England in 1910, eventually emerging as a famous and well-known press baron, owning, among other publications, the Daily Express. He was influential in British political circles and was a well-placed member of the English aristocracy. 

While his pre-war sympathies were questioned, as was the case with many members of the British aristocracy, his strong patriotic sentiments came forward once war was declared on Germany in 1939.

So, what would Beaverbrook’s relevance be to current events?

It centres on his role as minister of aircraft production to which he was appointed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1940. 

Churchill’s decision to appoint Beaverbrook to this critical position was founded upon his belief that he needed to have in place someone who could essentially “get things done,” as the United Kingdom faced down Germany with odds that were not looking good. 

At the time, British war production was halting, burdened with bureaucracy and characterized by what we today call “turf wars.” Churchill quickly, and correctly, surmised that the very outcome of the war in those initial days required a “damn the torpedoes” approach that focused on producing the planes and other materials required to allow the country to resist the German onslaughts in 1940. 

While some would question the comparison of the early days of World War II to where we are today in Canada, it’s actually something worth considering. 

At a time when we face unprecedented economic pressures and seemingly insurmountable challenges related to affordability and national advancement, looking at how Beaverbrook did things is worth considering. 

The realities of the housing affordability and supply crisis is one area, among others, where a “wartime” mindset is, quite frankly, required.

We’ve seen many announcements by various levels of government, but implementation has been characterized by seemingly endless process challenges and lack of measurable drive to simply get things done. 

Witness the first-time homebuyers rebate which was announced on March 20, 2025. It was not until February 2026 that the actual legislation finally became law. And even now, the full implementation of the FTHB remains unenacted at the provincial level as the government indicates it is awaiting the final regulations federally which may not arrive until June. 

Similarly, the newly announced enhanced sales tax rebate was introduced with fanfare on March 26, 2026, with an effective date of April 1, 2026, until March 31, 2027. It was a joint federal/provincial announcement. The preliminary legislation at the federal level to activate the rebate was introduced that day in the form of Bill 26. However, as of press time, it remains only at first reading. 

The result of this situation is that many potential homebuyers are reluctant to enter into home purchases without the documentation, forms and processes in place to secure their rebate.

Homebuilders are equally concerned, as they are unsure of the specifics of the program in the absence of governmental direction associated with a fully approved and implemented piece of legislation. 

Intense advocacy has been underway by RESCON to get government to advance the required legislation and regulations, but it leaves one wondering whether we are simply in need of a contemporary Beaverbrook who can crash through bureaucratic walls and unnecessary delays and simply “get things done” faster with the program information and documentation required to get the thing in place.

It may be that such a Beaverbrook is not practical in these times, but whether it’s with regard to housing or a host of other contemporary issues, we simply don’t have the luxury of time when we face crises that we haven’t seen in generations. We need to act.