Good thread.
I recently heard of a guy who bought some land and planned on building a house on it when he retired but the government stopped him from building on the land because it was considered wet land which is protected. Meanwhile most of the land in Canada is surrounded by wet lands.
The government will never allow people to build a log cabin and live off the land. The government is a corporation. Taxes are its revenue, companies and workers are its resources. All natural resources belong to the government. Tax free land would decrease the government's income. Besides, the middle class want expensive over prised homes with a bathroom in each bedroom, stainless steel appliances, expensive hardwood floors and so on. They will never allow anyone to set up a log cabin or a mobile home because it devalues their property.