Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) welcomes the federal government’s creation of the Build Canada Homes (BCH) agency.
“With a $13 billion budget and plans to build 4,000 homes on six federally owned sites, BCH is the kind of bold, coordinated initiative we’ve been calling for. It links federal lands, capital, and policy with the capacity and potential of Canada’s forest products sector to help build more homes faster for families across the country,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of FPAC. “The top priority of our sector continues to be seeing the federal government get the best trade deal possible at the Canada-US negotiating table. There are no measures that will offset the impacts of a prolonged trade dispute with our biggest trading partner. That said, we welcome Prime Minister Carney’s commitment to working with us on a plan for the long-term, which includes building more with Canadian wood products here at home and finding new pathways to bring more Canadian wood exports to other parts of the world,” Nighbor added.
FPAC contributed to a joint submission with the Canadian Wood Council to the BCH Market Sounding Guide which outlines how wood-based modern methods of construction (MMC)—including mass timber and modular systems—can cut build times by up to 50%, reduce carbon emissions by 30–60%, and lower long-term operating costs.
BCH’s first projects will be located in Dartmouth, Longueuil, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, with construction expected to begin next year. The agency will also partner with the Nunavut Housing Corporation to deliver 700 homes, 30% of which will be built off-site and shipped to Nunavut.
FPAC urges BCH to implement key policy recommendations which include:
• Loan guarantees and concessional financing for factory expansion.
• A national “one-window” approval system for factory-built housing.
• A Design for Manufacturing & Assembly (DfMA) pattern library.
• Indigenous equity and workforce development tied to housing pipelines.
Canada’s forest products manufacturing sector stands ready to support this effort and help ensure wood-based construction solutions are rapidly deployed to deliver the homes Canadians need.
FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an industry with annual revenues exceeding $87.2B, Canada’s forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers—providing 200,000 direct jobs and operating in hundreds of communities across the country. Our members are committed to collaborating with Indigenous leaders, government bodies, and other key stakeholders to develop a cross-Canada action plan aimed at advancing forest health, while supporting workers, communities and our environment for the long term.
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