To build new homes, Ottawa should focus on removing barriers

Canada needs hundreds of thousands of new homes every year. Ottawa is not going to build its way out of that challenge.

Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson at a modular home production announcement in Ottawa on Jan. 30. Governments cannot control the price of lumber, concrete, or labour. They do control taxes, regulations, approvals, public infrastructure, and many of the fees attached to a new home. So start there, writes Gary Mar. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY GARY MAR

October 7, 2026

In September 1994, a Calgary newspaper advertisement offered new homes in communities across the city starting at $110,000, $140,000, and $145,000.

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