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Globe and Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Carney to discuss fast-tracking housing, infrastructure projects with premiers
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he and the premiers will be discussing ways to fast-track the construction of housing and major infrastructure projects when they meet on Monday. Mr. Carney made the comments on Friday during an address to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, where local mayors and councillors from across the country were gathered for a convention in Ottawa. In a speech and then a question-and-answer session on stage, Mr. Carney said he'll be moving to implement Liberal campaign promises on housing. They include a promise to work with provinces to cut municipal development charges for multi-unit residential housing in half for five years; creating a federal entity called Build Canada Homes that will directly build and acquire housing and cut the GST on homes under $1-million for first-time homebuyers. 'We're all working through the weekend. I'll be going to Saskatoon for the first ministers meeting on Sunday and Monday, and this will be part of what we'll be discussing,' he said. The Prime Minister is also planning to discuss how to accelerate what he has called nation building projects and has asked premiers to propose short lists of projects for consideration. Some premiers have already made their list public. Ontario Premier Doug Ford submitted a list that includes infrastructure to access minerals in the province's northern Ring of Fire region; more nuclear energy generation; a new James Bay deep-sea port; a tunnel under the 401 highway through Toronto and expanded GO passenger train service. Other examples include Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston promoting a 'west wind' project to move the province's wind energy westward and Winnipeg Premier Wab Kinew's call for expanding trade through the Port of Churchill on Hudson Bay's west shore. Carney to brief premiers on plan to fast-track major nation-building projects In his remarks Friday, Mr. Carney listed ports and passenger rail as priorities. 'There will be some major new ports that are built, and trade and energy corridors will be built. I mean, again, it's subject to the agreements,' he said. He also referenced federal plans for a high-speed passenger rail line, which is under review by a private sector consortium selected by Ottawa earlier this year. The consortium was selected to plan a high-speed rail route between Quebec City and Toronto, but Mr. Carney referenced a line running further west to Windsor on Friday. 'A core priority of this government is to build projects of national significance, projects that reinforce our country's resilience,' he said, adding that such projects should help diversify trade, be environmentally sustainable and built in co-operation with Indigenous peoples. 'Projects like high speed rail from Windsor to Quebec City,' he said. That one project alone is estimated to cost between $60-billion and $90-billion. Mr. Ford on Friday said his top priority is development in the Ring of Fire, followed by nuclear energy. Mr. Ford's government is embroiled in a controversy around Bill 5, which pledges to create 'special economic zones' where any provincial law could be suspended to speed up mining or other development. But the government says it's necessary to accelerate Ontario's sluggish mining approvals, and vowed to properly consult with First Nations. Doug Ford offers amendment to First Nations on mining bill but vows to speed development through 'economic zones' The Premier said he expects Mr. Carney to select a few nation-building projects that will have a significant economic impact across the country. 'One has to be the pipelines. We can't be reliant on the U.S. any longer. We have to start building pipelines, west, north and east,' Mr. Ford told reporters at Queen's Park. He also repeated his call for Ottawa to scrap Bill C-69, an environmental review law that opponents have dubbed the No More Pipelines Act. Mr. Ford said the Prime Minister wants to work collaboratively with premiers and bring the country together. 'The previous government, the previous prime minister, didn't show enough love in my opinion to Alberta and Saskatchewan,' he said. Mr. Ford added that housing is a top priority for his province, but said having the government build homes would be 'the worst thing to do.' He also suggested he was open to the idea of cutting the provincial portion of the HST on new homes. While in Saskatoon, Mr. Ford said he would be signing memorandums of understanding with Saskatchewan, Alberta and Prince Edward Island on removing internal trade barriers with Ontario. The province has already signed MOUs with Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Vancouver Councillor Rebecca Bligh, who is also the municipalities federation president, met privately Friday with the Prime Minister following his speech. She said she was pleased to hear Mr. Carney is prioritizing housing issues and that he wants to move quickly. 'What I took away from this is that nation building projects are going to be a priority,' she said in an interview. 'There's obviously a sense of urgency.'
Canada Standard
28-05-2025
- Business
- Canada Standard
King Charles Reaffirms Canadian Sovereignty, Echoes Carney's Mission in Throne Speech
King Charles III delivered Canada's Speech from the Throne Tuesday, offering royal endorsement as Prime Minister Mark Carney asserts Canadian sovereignty and pushes for greater economic independence amid rising trade tensions with the United States. "The Crown has for so long been a symbol of unity for Canada," Charles told senators and MPs assembled in the Red Chamber. "It also represents stability and continuity from the past to the present." That continuity, rooted in Canada's constitutional monarchy, serves as a stabilizing force in a time of global upheaval, the King signalled in his ceremonial address, which was drafted by the Prime Minister's Office and approved by Buckingham Palace. View our latest digests "The system of open global trade that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for Canadians for decades, is changing," the King said. "We must confront the reality that since the Second World War, our world has never been as dangerous and unstable." But this shift is a chance to rebuild, he added. "All Canadians can give themselves far more than any foreign power on any continent can ever take away, and... by staying true to Canadian values, Canada can build new alliances and a new economy that serves all Canadians." He mentioned the government's plan to introduce legislation removing the federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by July 1, Canada Day. Related: Anxiety, Optimism as Throne Speech Chatter Points Toward Faster Project Approvals Economic acceleration was a central theme of the speech, as it was during Carney's recent election campaign. "Speed is of the essence," Charles said. A new major federal project office will reduce approval times for major infrastructure projects from five years to two, and the feds will also strike cooperation agreements with "every interested province and territory within six months" to realize its goal of "one project, one review." Environmental and climate campaigners in Canada are concerned this would involve the federal government abandoning its own reviews-and giving provinces a "carte blanche" to carry them out instead. The speech also unveiled Build Canada Homes, a Crown-backed initiative to double homebuilding using Canadian lumber, workers, and prefabricated technologies. With global trade under strain, the speech looked to new alliances in Europe and beyond. "The government is working to strengthen its relations with reliable trading partners and allies, knowing that Canada has what the world needs and defends the values that the world respects," the King said. "Canada is ready to build a coalition of nations that share these values, nations that believe in international cooperation and the free exchange of goods, services and ideas." Source: The Energy Mix
Global News
27-05-2025
- Business
- Global News
King Charles III delivers the throne speech. Here are 5 key highlights
King Charles III delivered the speech from the throne on Tuesday, laying out the agenda for Prime Minister Mark Carney's government. From speaking about Canada's sovereignty, saying the 'True North is indeed strong and free,' to Carney's plan to have Canada join the ReArm Europe defence program, the King also laid out Carney's economic plan for Canada. Here are five of the takeaways from what was outlined in the speech. Housing and affordability The King said the Canadian government will be reducing taxes for the middle class and cutting the GST on homes under $1 million for first-time homebuyers, reiterating Carney's campaign promises. Story continues below advertisement He said the government will lower the GST on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. The King also said the government will double the rate of housing construction and create Build Canada Homes, a new government agency that will act as a developer for affordable housing. 'It will invest in the growth of the prefabricated and modular housing industry. And it will provide significant financing to affordable home builders,' he said. The Canadian government will also cut development charges for multi-unit builds in half, the King said. 'The government will drive supply up to bring housing costs down,' he said. 6:56 Usher of the Black Rod opens the House ahead of King Charles' Speech from the Throne Immigration caps The King said the federal government will cap the total number of temporary foreign workers and international students at less than five per cent of Canada's population by 2027. Story continues below advertisement 'By doing this, the government will attract the best talent in the world to build our economy, while sending a clear message to Canadians working abroad that there is no better time to come home,' he said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Canada's immigration system has long been a source of pride for Canadians and of dynamism for the economy. The government is dedicated to rebuilding the trust of Canadians in immigration by restoring balance to the system.' 1:20 First Nations leaders meet the king in Ottawa Economy and internal trade With Canada's economy facing threats from an increasingly protectionist United States, the federal government is looking to knock down interprovincial trade barriers to offset losses from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Story continues below advertisement The King said the government aims to make Canada the strongest economy in the G7. 'That starts with creating one Canadian economy out of 13. Internal barriers to trade and labour mobility cost Canada as much as $200 billion each year,' he said. The federal government will introduce legislation to remove all remaining federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility by Canada Day, the King said. He said that while numerous provinces have already knocked down several trade barriers, the federal government will also set up a Major Federal Project Office to reduce the approval time for major projects to six months. 'It will enable Canada to become the world's leading energy superpower in both clean and conventional energy,' he said. 4:53 King Charles, Queen Camilla greet crowds as they take in Ottawa's farmers market The King said Carney and Trump have already 'begun defining a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S.' Story continues below advertisement Canada will also 'strengthen its relationships with reliable trading partners and allies around the world,' he said. 2:16 What King Charles, Queen Camilla did on 1st day of Canada tour Tackling crime The King said the Canada Border Services Agency will be given new powers to examine goods destined for export, to prevent the transport of illegal and stolen products. Story continues below advertisement He added that the government will 'bring a renewed focus on car theft and home invasions by toughening the Criminal Code to make bail harder to get for repeat offenders charged with committing these crimes, along with human trafficking and drug smuggling.' He said the government will also hire an additional 1,000 Royal Canadian Mounted Police personnel. 1:06 King Charles, Queen Camilla plant ceremonial tree at Rideau Hall Cutting government spending 'In all of its actions, the government will be guided by a new fiscal discipline: spend less so Canadians can invest more,' King Charles said. Story continues below advertisement He said the government will bring its operational budget, or day-to-day spending, down to two per cent from the current growth of nine per cent per year. 'The government will balance its operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity,' he said. Debate on the throne speech must now begin in the House of Commons. As a confidence matter, the government must be able to pass the legislation to implement it in order to continue governing. In the current minority government, that means it will need help from members of at least one other party.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
It's time for Winnipeg to seize a bold new opportunity
Opinion 'It is time to build things that we never imagined, and to build them at a speed that we have never seen. It is a time to be bold, to meet this crisis with overwhelming positive force.' These are the words of Prime Minister Mark Carney, asking Canadians to come together to fundamentally reimagine our economy, and our country, in response to a changed relationship with the United States. Carney has challenged provincial premiers to come forward with nation-building ideas that focus on productivity, competitiveness, economic growth, employment, environmental sustainability, and quality of life. Brent Bellamy photo Looking at the rail lands, and seeing a bright future. Early ideas have focused on increasing natural resource extraction and expediting its transportation to market, with the development of a coast-to-coast, national trade and energy corridor, grabbing headlines. Just as it was 140 years ago when the transcontinental railway became Canada's first nation-building project, Winnipeg's strategic gateway location along such a corridor, uniquely positions the city to boldly push its way to the front of the line and seize a generational opportunity to play a central role in a national movement to 'build, baby, build.' The railways will likely play a vital role in a national trade corridor, but their current configuration, slowly snaking through the downtown and residential neighbourhoods of a major Canadian city, is contrary to the vision of a future-focused transportation corridor. In trade, speed is money, meaning no railway company would ever choose to operate in the centre of a city. Conversely, no city would choose to forever incur the cost of infrastructure, like replacing Arlington Bridge, to overcome the conflicts of having railways at its centre. Despite this, the idea of rail relocation in Winnipeg has long been considered a dream too big to imagine, but in this moment, we have been specifically challenged to build things we have never imagined. New trade corridors will be vital for the country's prosperity, but redefining our national economy requires thinking beyond pulling more things out of the ground and getting them to market faster. The economy of the future will fundamentally be about people, and cities, the true economic drivers of our country. A cohesive strategy from Winnipeg could address both national and local economic priorities, beginning with optimizing rail operations to facilitate greater interprovincial trade and position the industry for future innovation and technological evolution, while leveraging this fundamental move to create radical local transformation in our city. The federal government has announced that they will create a new Crown corporation called Build Canada Homes, which will develop affordable housing across the country. Relocating railyards in Winnipeg would make land available for this new body to implement affordable, residential development on a large and transformational scale. A medium-density, mixed-use neighbourhood on the CPR yards could accommodate enough people to be the third-largest city in the province. Redeveloping the BNSF yards in River Heights could increase the population of that neighbourhood by one-third. These types of large-scale infill neighbourhoods would allow the city to grow in a more economically and environmentally sustainable way, reducing the amount of new infrastructure and services required to accommodate population growth. Massive new construction employment would be created to both relocate railways and construct new infill neighbourhoods in their place. This would attract new investment and economic activity to mature communities, grow the city's tax base, and provide affordable housing and social opportunity for new families. The province could bolster this strategy by incorporating its own surplus land into the initiative, including its seven downtown surface parking lots. Redeveloping the spider's web of rail lines across Winnipeg provides a different opportunity to introduce a network of mobility corridors that create a new layer of connectivity between Winnipeg neighbourhoods. These corridors could include green space, walking trails, and cycling freeways that connect suburban neighbourhoods to the inner city. Rail bridges could be turned into bike/walk bridges that unite communities through active transportation, growing neighbourhood economies by reducing pedestrian distances and expanding the potential market for local shops, restaurants and services. New bike/walk bridges could be introduced to supplement the network, including the long-planned Osborne to Downtown Walk Bike Bridge through redeveloped McFadyen and Fort Rouge Parks. This new web of active mobility could transform how we move around our city, increasing economic opportunity, neighbourhood vibrancy and quality of life. Mobility corridors could also facilitate the long overdue implementation of a connected rapid transit network. Winnipeg will soon be the only city in the country's 10 largest without light rail transit. New mobility corridors could expedite this and be the catalyst to move more quickly on other rapid transit initiatives, most importantly the downtown connections that will create major multi-modal hubs at Union Station and Portage and Main, igniting much-needed urban renewal in the city centre. Cities across the continent have demonstrated the power that rapid transit, particularly light rail, has in attracting higher density housing and neighbourhood investment through transit-oriented development, while providing new mobility options for citizens to access employment, education, and recreation. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Canada is facing a defining moment in its history. The prime minister has made it clear that the federal government is looking to rewire our economy, and redefine our strategies on climate change, housing, and productivity. All cities will be central to these goals, and Winnipeg is uniquely positioned to lead with a cohesive proposal that begins with the larger goal of removing friction from international and provincial trade through rail relocation and optimization, and continues by being locally transformative, creating far-reaching, radical change, building a more sustainable, prosperous, and economically resilient city, with a higher quality of life for all. The door of opportunity has been opened; we should boldly walk through. Brent Bellamy is creative director at Number Ten Architectural Group. Brent BellamyColumnist Brent Bellamy is creative director for Number Ten Architectural Group. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
CBC
15-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Calgary housing developers optimistic about Carney's strategy, ready to see action
Hearing the new Liberal government tout an ambitious housing plan on the campaign trail has been music to the ears of developers working in the sector across Canada. But in Calgary, where accelerated population growth in recent years has hit the city during a national housing crisis, optimism for the federal strategy is tempered by desire to see more details about how its plan will play out on the ground. CBC News spoke with several leaders in Calgary's affordable housing sector who expressed hope for the strategy that Prime Minister Mark Carney has laid out. Attainable Homes Calgary President and CEO Jaydan Tait sees a lot to be optimistic about in the new plan, and while the Liberal Party formed a minority government that may not last a full term, he's confident there's progress the government can make quickly. "The number one thing this government could do right now is release the $10 billion in low-cost financing to the producers of affordable housing," Tait said. "They could do that immediately at below-market, very attractive interest rates that could get us building." But he noted that the strategy is only an idea until Ottawa can tell developers more about when and how they'll be able to access funding. New federal strategy In March, Carney unveiled his housing plan which promised to double the number of homes built annually to nearly 500,000, create an organization called Build Canada Homes to act as a developer overseeing affordable housing construction, and offer billions of dollars in low-cost financing and grants. Exceptional population growth through 2023 and 2024 led Alberta's population to recently hit five million people. Calgary has increased its efforts to build affordable housing, amid its population growth, after a city report found one in five households struggled to afford housing costs in 2021. Now, the city has taken an aggressive approach to offering more housing, as its 2024 housing review found it recorded the highest number of housing starts in Canada last year, surpassing 20,000 units for the first time. The new federal strategy offers funding designed to build affordable homes more quickly, and BILD Calgary Region CEO Brian Hahn said he wants to see government policy take a holistic approach to ensure buyers and renters at all wage levels have better access to housing. "If you only deal with one rung of that ladder, you create a logjam there. So it's important that whatever policy tools are applied, apply across the entire housing continuum," Hahn said. Hahn pointed to the federal strategy's commitment to cut municipal development charges in half as a "big game-changer," because the fees represent a meaningful portion of a new home's cost. But Calgary's mayor isn't as enthusiastic about the idea. Municipalities charge these fees to housing developers, and the funding is used to cover infrastructure costs like roads, transit, water, sewers and emergency services. Mayor Jyoti Gondek warned the cut would leave Calgarians to pick up the slack and pay more in taxes to keep critical infrastructure properly funded. "Municipalities have very few tools to raise revenue. Alongside levies, Calgary relies on property taxes, user fees and government transfers to provide safe, reliable and affordable services," Gondek wrote in a blog post, earlier this month. Building out housing supply Less than five per cent of all housing in Canada is operated in the public and "non-market sector," where rent isn't set by market forces, according to a 2021 paper commissioned by the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Tait said he'd like to see Ottawa take action on that figure and double the number of government-owned affordable units across the country. To further build out supply, Tait argued there's a "hyper-abundance" of publicly-owned land in Canada that could be released at zero cost to developers like his organization to be converted into affordable housing units. Sarah Woodgate, Calgary Housing's president and CEO, said she'd also like to see the federal government bolster Canada's housing supply by helping organizations like hers purchase housing. "In this current uncertain market, there is a window to provide capital funds for organizations like us to go out and buy housing that has been built or that is going to be built and secure it for perpetual affordable housing," Woodgate said. She'd also like to see Canada's Rental Protection Fund up and running. The program helps community housing groups acquire apartment buildings to preserve the affordability of rent in those units. The program was unveiled as part of the country's housing plan last year. Targeted housing supports Woodgate pointed to Canada Housing Benefit as another federal program she thinks is vital. The program is set to expire in 2027-28, and Woodgate argued the federal government should commit to renewing it, because its work to offer financial support for families in need is more vital now than when it was created. Carney's strategy aims to offer support to specific groups, including targeting funding for students and seniors, as well as more support for Indigenous housing. Shane Gauthier, CEO of the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, which works to provide permanent supportive housing, said he supports these efforts as Indigenous people are over-represented in Canada's homeless population, but wants to see the federal government partner with existing Indigenous-led groups that better understand the cultural and historical contexts around the issue. "For us, this isn't an abstract issue; it's about our relatives, our community members, who deserve the safety, dignity, and cultural connection that a stable home provides," Gauther said. Streamlining development Developers across Calgary pointed to streamlining the process to deliver affordable housing as crucial to improving the country's housing supply. Canada's system is currently slow and piecemeal, said Woodgate, who advocates for an approach that would see the new Liberal government channel funding through experienced local housing providers that are better positioned to deliver the development needed in their local contexts. "Let's fund results, and not create new red tape. We already know how to build, and we need to get the capital out," Woodgate said. Mike Meldrum, CEO of the non-profit Calgary Affordable Housing Foundation which launched this year, added that all levels of government should coordinate funding mechanisms like grants and timelines so developers can more easily stack funding. The result would offer a level of certainty for developers who want to build housing that's offered below market value. "We can see that at times there is a waste of energy when everybody's worrying about getting credit and developing their own granting programs with their own criteria. It would be nice to see that be streamlined," said Meldrum. Mayoral candidates on federal strategy The new federal government and its housing strategy arrives during a year where Calgarians will go to the polls a second time to vote in new municipal leadership. And along with Gondek's concern about cuts to development fees, some of the city's other mayoral candidates called for ways that Ottawa can offer more aid to Calgary's affordable housing. Communities First mayoral candidate Sonya Sharp also wants more clarity about what the cuts to development fees will mean in Calgary, as its funding toward infrastructure is needed in redeveloping established neighbourhoods like Bowness and Altadore. She added that Ottawa would be more helpful setting goals for the provinces and municipalities to act on, because she argued housing strategies that will help in Toronto and Vancouver won't necessarily work in Calgary. "They should be setting targets. They should be establishing a funding pool for infrastructure and actually let the local government work with industry and province to deliver it," Sharp said, adding she'd also like to see all levels of government convert buildings they own into affordable housing. Brian Thiessen, The Calgary Party's mayoral candidate this fall, also wants to see more public land opened up for affordable housing, but he's skeptical of government acting as developers, as Carney's plan suggests through the Build Canada Homes entity. He said he'd like to see government instead partner with existing home builders. But Thiessen identifies another problem area that could be a choke point in housing progress. "If anything holds us back and prevents them in the next few years, it'll be the labour supply," Thiessen said. A significant number of skilled workers are needed, and Thiessen said he'd like to see more government funding going to schools like SAIT to train workers in the trades. Mayoral candidate Jeromy Farkas is in strong support of Carney's plan to cut development fees, but only if the burden doesn't fall on taxpayers to pick up the bill. He argues Ottawa has to offset cuts to development fees with dollar-for-dollar infrastructure funding for municipalities.
