Canada to boost immigration points for high-wage earners in bid to drive economic growth
Changes to Express Entry program aim to attract and retain skilled newcomers, says Ottawa By Naimul Karim, Published Oct 16, 2026 Canada will provide extra immigration points in its Express Entry program to candidates with high-wage occupations, such as engineers and electricians, in an effort to drive economic growth, the federal government said Friday. The boost, which starts in November, aims to attract and retain skilled workers and better align the immigration system with Canada’s...
read moreBILD: Why a sustainable and predictable housing market should be our goal
We need elected officials who are pro-housing Dave Wilkes, Published Oct 16, 2026 On October 26, voters across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will decide who they think will best represent them and their interests over the next four years within municipal government. Ahead of any election, I use this space to discuss important housing matters and perspectives that impact GTA residents. Given that this will be my last column ahead of election day, my final message to voters is to remember that...
read moreHousing coalition outlines four demands ahead of B.C. election
Developers and affordable housing providers urge parties to restore planned investments and reduce development costs Daisy Xiong, Oct 14, 2026 Market-rate developers and non-profit housing providers are joining forces to urge B.C.’s political parties to reduce the cost of building homes, warning that rising expenses and policy uncertainty are leaving projects stalled. The Urban Development Institute (UDI), B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA), Aboriginal Housing Management Association...
read moreEdmonton builds new homes at a record clip, but affordable rental lags
Ximena Gonzalez, Published October 15, 2026 In October of 2023, Edmonton city council passed an updated zoning bylaw that allowed up to eight dwellings as-of-right on any residential parcel. The efficiencies enabled by the zoning changes, bolstered by construction incentives, facilitated the start of a record 31,555 new homes since 2024, including 17,264 purpose-built rentals. Because the rate of construction has kept up with demand, Edmonton is the only metropolitan area in Canada on track to...
read moreWEEK OF OCTOBER 19, EVENTS WITH JILLIAN KATZENBACK
Events for the week of October 19, 2026 MAC Awards – ARLA Webinars – RHPNS Women in Industry Luncheon – 2026 Informa Buildings Show – 2026 ACMO – CCI Condo Conference – ULI Toronto Annual Trends in Real Estate – ULI Webinar – CREDA CRE8 Summit – HDAA Dinner Meeting – CHBA National...
read moreFIRST READING: Just as predicted, immigration cuts keep yielding lower rents
The Liberals started cutting immigration 24 months ago, and rents have been dropping ever since Author of the article: By Tristin Hopper, Published Oct 09, 2026 Canadian rental prices have almost entirely snapped back from the meteoric highs they hit in the immediate wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one of the main reasons is that Ottawa is no longer importing record numbers of migrants each year. Newly released figures from Rentals.ca show that the average Canadian asking rent dropped to...
read moreRESCON: True cost of a housing crisis runs deep
The result is not merely economic hardship. It is persistent stress, insecurity and a diminished quality of life. Author of the article: Richard Lyall, Published Oct 09, 2026 The real cost of Canada’s housing crisis can now be measured in something far more important than dollars and cents: the health, stability and well-being of Canadians. Often, the magnitude of the problem is gauged by the price of a home, the cost of renting or number of residential starts. But while these metrics matter,...
read moreDouglas Todd: David Eby has veered to and fro with housing developers
The struggling NDP leader is trying to woo voters by reviving his stand-up-to-big business persona of years ago By Douglas Todd, Published Oct 02, 2026 An early version of NDP Premier David Eby’s persona returned last week when he said only he can be counted on to “stand up to developers.” It represented a big switch from recent years, when his government has been mandating sweeping, provincewide upzoning to allow developers to build faster and cheaper. Only three months ago, critics said Eby...
read moreOlivia Chow makes pitch for 10,000 new rental homes, voices ‘concern’ over potential ballot confusion
By Phil Tsekouras, Published: October 08, 2026 Olivia Chow says she’ll have shovels in the ground on 10,000 new rental homes in 2027 if re-elected. At a campaign announcement Thursday morning, Chow said the pledge builds on the 60 housing projects currently under construction in the city, which will deliver 16,000 rental homes when complete, including thousands of affordable and rent-controlled spaces. “For too many people, a home here is slipping out of reach. That’s not acceptable to me. I...
read moreWEEK OF OCTOBER 12, EVENTS WITH JILLIAN KATZENBACK
Events for the week of October 12, 2026 MAC Awards – ARLA Webinars – RHPNS Women in Industry Luncheon – 2026 Informa Buildings Show – 2026 ACMO – CCI Condo Conference – CREDA CRE8 Summit – ULI Toronto Annual Trends in Real Estate – ULI WLI Executive Academy – 2026 Alberta Buildex Show – CHBA National...
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