Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his cabinet on May 13, consisting of 28 ministers and 10 secretaries of state, 24 of which are new faces in cabinet, including 13 first-time Members of Parliament (MPs). Several members of former Prime Justin Trudeau’s government, including Sean Fraser (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities) and Chrystia Freeland (former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance), are returning to cabinet with new portfolios.
In his mandate letter to his ministers, Prime Minister Mark Carney outlined seven core priorities:
- Establishing a new economic and security relationship with the United States and strengthening our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.
- Building one Canadian economy by removing barriers to interprovincial trade and identifying and expediting nation-building projects that will connect and transform our country.
- Bringing down costs for Canadians and helping them to get ahead.
- Making housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private cooperation, catalysing a modern housing industry, and creating new careers in the skilled trades.
- Protecting Canadian sovereignty and keeping Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders, and reinforcing law enforcement.
- Attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy, while returning our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels.
- Spending less on government operations so that Canadians can invest more in the people and businesses that will build the strongest economy in the G7.
The Prime Minister’s priority on “Making housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private cooperation, catalysing a modern housing industry, and creating new careers in the skilled trades” is whole-heartedly welcomed but it will take more than inspiring wordsmithing to achieve the seemingly impossible task of building 500,000 homes per year for the next decade, according to the Liberal’s Build Canada Homes plan. According to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation April housing starts, BC saw a 22-percent decline in overall starts over the same January – April period last year, with a less dramatic but still a decline when looking at April year-over-year. From this perspective, it is a tall order to fill, and as we have seen in our region where thousands of condominiums are coming to market with homebuyers remaining on the sidelines, the plan’s multi-pronged approach will need to be actioned quickly and with the industry’s collaboration and input.
First-time MP and former City of Vancouver mayor, Gregor Robertson was appointed as Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and will be in the driver seat to support the residential construction industry, and the question is – is he the right person for the job?
Those who were in the industry during Robertson’s 10-year tenure at City Hall recall Vancouver housing prices skyrocketing from an average of $827,335 in October 2008 to a staggering $2,313,611 when he left office in November 2018. Although there were many factors that played into this escalation outside the control of the municipality, escalating development fees and community amenity contributions added a heavy layer of financial burden on the residential construction industry — and still remain.
In an interesting article, 5 ways of looking at former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson’s appointment as housing minister, in The Georgia Straight, writer Nathan Caddell brings together different perspectives on the new Minister, from “1. It’s the worst thing ever and it will mean the end of the world” to “5. He had good ideas on housing and might be the right choice because of his experience. But the homelessness promise could (and maybe should) haunt him forever.” Only time will tell how Minister Robertson ranks on our scorecard.
The Prime Minister has already outlined his expectations of the Ministers in his mandate letter, “Canada’s new Ministry is built to deliver the change Canadians want and deserve. Everyone is expected and empowered to show leadership – to bring new ideas, a clear focus, and decisive action to their work.” With their feet to the fire, and with HAVAN and other Homebuilders Associations across the country keeping a watchful eye, we are cautiously optimistic on changes to positively impact the health of this industry.
HAVAN MEMBERS BRING HOME NATIONAL AWARDS…
I attended the CHBA National Homebuilding Week in Canada Conference in Victoria, and it was an incredible opportunity to connect with executive officers and members from across the country. As the second largest homebuilders association in Canada, HAVAN has representation on several national-level councils, including the Canadian Renovators Council, Urban Council, the Board of Directors, and the just-launched Women in Residential Construction Council.
Participation on national councils provide opportunities for our local Association and members to provide insights on important initiatives that impact the industry and influence federal policies and programs across the country. From Net Zero to the National Building Code, and Municipal Benchmarking Reports to modular housing, our association’s interests are well represented at the national level, and we will be working on a date when CHBA National CEO Kevin Lee will be able to join an upcoming HAVAN event to share the work they are doing on members’ behalf.
At the conference, the winners of the 2025 CHBA National Awards for Housing Excellence were announced, which included several HAVAN members:
- Best Signage: Zenterra Developments Ltd., Surrey, BC: “SOLANA”
- Best Whole Home Renovation $500,001 – $800,000: My House Design/Build Team Ltd., Surrey, BC: “Elevated Living” with Emphasis Architecture + Design Studio Ltd., Dick’s Lumber & Building Supplies, Midland Appliance Ltd., and Sprint Floors
- Best Mid- to High-Rise Building (Completed): Concert Properties Ltd., Vancouver, BC: “TESORO”
- Best Mid- to High-Rise Building (Planned): Cielle Properties, Vancouver, BC: “Rundle Park”
- Best Attached Low-Rise Home over 1800 sq. ft.: NRT Development, Vancouver, BC: “W3_Duplex”
- Best Detached Custom Home under 2500 sq. ft.: Bautech Construction Inc., Vancouver, BC: “Ambleside on an Angle” with Synthesis Design and Arch Design
Congratulations to all HAVAN members on their national award-winning projects! Speaking about housing awards, the 2026 HAVAN Awards for Housing Excellence Call for Entries will open late October with the HAVAN Awards Gala slated for April 18, 2026 at The Westin Bayshore.
HAVAN continues to work with CHBA BC and CHBA to advocate for all levels of government to work together to address the challenges of the housing industry including zoning restrictions, density limits, and NIMBYism.
Looking to stay up-to-date on Metro Vancouver’s residential housing industry? Sign up for Wendy’s weekly Monday Briefing and other HAVAN emails here.
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