Good morning! This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly roundup of regulatory developments, legislative discussions, political announcements and other government-related news related to residential and commercial construction and infrastructure, and related government initiatives. Every Monday, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

Dates: 2025-12-07 to 2025-12-13

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Canadian Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Canadian Provincial Government News
• 💬 Government Consultations
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• Senate National Finance Committee Reviews Bill C-15 and Build Canada Homes Funding: The Standing Senate Committee on National Finance met December 9 and continued December 10, 2025, scrutinizing Bill C-15, hearing from departmental officials about the Build Canada Homes $13 billion budget allocation, changes to the Red Tape Reduction Act, the federal borrowing limit, and pilot measures regarding duty-free charitable donations.
• Senate Transport and Communications Committee Considers High-Speed Rail Network Act: On December 9 and 10, the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications discussed the High-Speed Rail Network Act, with Transport Canada, VIA Rail’s Alto subsidiary, and other witnesses briefing senators on project risk, land acquisition, Indigenous consultations, and economic opportunity.
• Senate National Finance Committee Hears from Canadian Federation of Independent Business and ETF Association: On December 10, the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony from CFIB and CETFA regarding the 2025 Budget’s impacts on small businesses and the ETF market, regulatory burden, and tax rates.

Canadian Federal Government News

Build Canada Homes Launches Longueuil Redevelopment RFQ to Accelerate Affordable Housing

On December 8, 2025, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada announced that Build Canada Homes is seeking Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) for the redevelopment of the Pointe-de-Longueuil property, a major initiative to deliver 1,055 homes — 40% of which are designated as non-market housing — on a prime waterfront site. The multi-phase project aims for a total of 5,000 homes upon completion and will leverage public lands, flexible financial incentives, and modern construction methods. The agency is focusing on transitional, supportive, community, and middle-class affordable housing and has positioned this property as the flagship Build Canada Homes venture in Quebec. The launch follows the release of the Build Canada Homes Investment Policy Framework and the opening of a portal for streamlined proposal submissions. The new model encourages public-private collaboration, large portfolio management, and support for manufacturers to accelerate deliveries.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Ministers Endorse Fast-Track Infrastructure Agenda

Federal Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson convened with provincial and territorial leaders in Toronto on December 8, 2025, to coordinate a nationwide acceleration of infrastructure delivery. The discussions centered on the $51 billion Build Communities Strong Fund, which targets the full spectrum of infrastructure — from hospitals, educational facilities, roads, and bridges to utilities and transit systems. Officials referenced recent U.S. trade shifts and the associated disruptions to Canadian supply chains, noting new Buy Canadian strategies designed to utilize government procurement to stabilize affected sectors. The meeting agenda also included the role of infrastructure in supporting the additional housing commitments outlined in Budget 2025.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Skilled Trades Training Gains Federal Boost with Launch of Major Sheet Metal Worker Training Project

On December 9, 2025, Employment and Social Development Canada allocated nearly $9 million for green upskilling to Canada’s Building Trades Unions. The funding, announced by Secretary of State (Labour) John Zerucelli, aims to provide new and enhanced training for 2,000 unionized and non-unionized sheet metal workers focusing on technologies and methods suited to the low-carbon transition. Backed by the Union Training and Innovation Program and the Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy, this initiative is part of a suite of investments expected to expand as Budget 2025 proposes an additional $75 million over three years for Red Seal apprenticeship training.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Ministers of Finance Discuss Standardized Building Codes and Buy Canadian Initiatives

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne convened a meeting with provincial and territorial finance ministers in Ottawa on December 11, 2025. Key takeaways impacting the construction and housing market included a focus on standardized national building codes to address interprovincial barriers and Buy Canadian Initiatives to open domestic markets. The Major Projects Office and 'one project, one review' approach were presented as means of expediting the approval and delivery of major infrastructure. Record-breaking federal transfers were also detailed, including $108.4 billion to provinces and territories for 2026-27 and substantial year-over-year increases in the Canada Health Transfer.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Government of Canada Extends Tariff Relief and Sets New Steel Import Restrictions

On December 12, 2025, the Department of Finance Canada announced extensions to the horizontal remission of tariffs on U.S. steel, aluminum, and health-related imports. The new remission deadlines are January 31, 2026 for general steel (except for motor vehicle and aerospace goods, extended to June 30, 2026), and June 30, 2026 for aluminum and public health/security-related items. Simultaneously, a new 25% global tariff will come into effect December 26, 2025, on designated steel-derivative imports, with tariff rate quotas reduced for non-FTA and non-CUSMA FTA partners. These measures are intended to provide predictability for Canadian manufacturers recalibrating their supply chains.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Statistics Canada Reports Record Growth in Registered Apprenticeships and Building Permits

New registrations in apprenticeship programs reached 101,541 in 2024, up 5.9% over 2023, superseding all years since 2008, as per Statistics Canada data released December 11. Building permits for October 2025 surged by 14.9% over the previous month, totaling $13.8 billion, based on the December 12 data release. The sustained growth in registrations and the increase in permit values both indicate heightened construction sector activity and corresponding demand for skilled trades.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca, www.statcan.gc.ca

Prairie Partnership Initiative to Support Early-Stage Regional Infrastructure Projects

On December 9, 2025, Prairies Economic Development Canada launched the Prairie Partnership Initiative (PPI), allocating $200 million over three years for collaborative, regionally significant projects in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The initiative leverages the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act as a legislative foundation and is designed to support local infrastructure and supply chain projects that do not qualify for conventional federal funding programs. PPI operates separately from major national project funding streams.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Federal Investment in Ontario Rural Transit Announced

On December 11, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada announced more than $3.7 million for 17 projects under the Rural Transit Solutions Fund in Ontario. These projects range from buying new vehicles and scheduling technology to enhancing accessibility and conducting transit feasibility studies, all aimed at improving mobility in rural areas.

Sources: www.canada.ca

Statistics Canada Updates Core Housing Need and Infrastructure Economic Account

Statistics Canada released updated indicators on core housing need for 2021, broken down by sociocultural and demographic factors, on December 12, 2025. The release also included fresh estimates for infrastructure investment, asset stock, service life, and environmental impacts for 2022, 2023, and 2024, providing new reference points for policymakers and industry planners.

Sources: www.statcan.gc.ca, www.statcan.gc.ca

Canadian Provincial Government News

Ontario Advances Modular Housing Through Ottawa Partnership

On December 8, Ontario announced $3.4 million in funding with the City of Ottawa and Habitat for Humanity to build 33 modular townhomes, with sales to begin in 2026 and no down payment requirement for buyers.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

Hamilton Land Unlocked for Up to 642 New Homes

The Ontario government is enabling the construction of up to 642 new homes near West Harbour GO Station in Hamilton by issuing a Minister's Zoning Order for CityHousing Hamilton and partners to redevelop the long-vacant Jamesville site.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

B.C. Rental Prices Mark Two-Year Decline

Rental asking prices in British Columbia dropped 8.5% in two years, with November marking the 24th consecutive month of declining rents, according to a December 8 report referenced in a government statement.

Sources: news.gov.bc.ca

Alberta Modernizes Sand and Gravel Pit Regulation

Alberta has begun implementing 15 recommendations from the Sand and Gravel Task Force, including shortened approval timelines, concurrent processing, and new service standards for private land pit applications.

Sources: www.alberta.ca

Nova Scotia Preserves Affordable Student Housing in Annapolis Valley

Nova Scotia provided $6.9 million in loans to purchase multiple buildings for affordable student housing near Nova Scotia Community College campuses in Lawrencetown and Kingston, with priority for students but no enrollment requirement for residency.

Sources: news.novascotia.ca

Government Consultations

Open: Building Canada Strong — Youth in the Labour Market Consultation

Employment and Social Development Canada is conducting an online engagement until December 19, 2025, on challenges and key priorities related to youth participation in the Canadian labour market.

Sources: www.canada.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Carney announces $400M joint fund with city of Ottawa for affordable housing: Mark Carney joins City of Ottawa to create a major new affordable housing investment fund.
• N.S. NDP talks housing and affordability concerns: Nova Scotia’s NDP addresses policy issues related to housing affordability.
• Portion of Antigonish development to address second-stage housing shortage: Antigonish project to support transition housing solutions in Nova Scotia.
• Mortgages and Rates - Page 5: Ongoing analysis of Canadian mortgage trends and interest rate dynamics.
• Opinion: Closing the Indigenous housing gap will require homes that are more than just shelter: Commentary explores the complexity of Indigenous housing policy and finance.

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