AGP Executive Report

Cross-Border Infrastructure: The Gordie Howe International Bridge opening between Windsor and Detroit has been delayed again, with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority saying Canada and the U.S. agreed to pause to resolve “outstanding issues,” pushing back a planned ribbon-cutting and adding uncertainty for a major trade corridor. Housing & Cost Pressures: Mark Carney’s government is set to release a new food security strategy as grocery rebates offer short-term relief but don’t fix affordability pressures tied to competition and food-price drivers. Ontario Politics: Angus Reid polling shows Doug Ford’s approval hit its lowest since taking office, with backlash over the government jet purchase cited as a key factor. Real Estate Finance: BTB Real Estate Investment Trust announced its June 2026 monthly distribution of $0.025 per unit (paid July 15). Business & Development: Abitibi Metals moves to 100% ownership of Quebec’s B26 polymetallic deposit, a step that could support future development in the Selbaie mining camp.

Housing & legal risk: Milton homebuyers are being urged to slow down and tighten contract checks as the market cools, with homes taking roughly 27–39 days to sell and prices hovering around $900K–$1M. Municipal finance: Ottawa city council approved a long-range financial plan to plug a multi-million-dollar infrastructure funding gap. Transit & urban buildout: Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas floated pausing the downtown Green Line push to extend further south first, while Edmonton moved Valley Line LRT operations to ETS ahead of schedule. Construction timelines: B.C. issued a $74.2M contract to replace a Highway 1 rail overpass in Langley, with work starting this summer. Rent trends: StatCan data shows average asking rents falling in many major cities, but Greater Sudbury bucked the trend. Cross-border infrastructure: Prime Minister Mark Carney said the Gordie Howe Bridge opening could slip, but “no big drama,” as officials line up customs readiness. Environmental monitoring gap: A B.C. study found millions of amphibians and reptiles are relocated for development, yet survival tracking is not required. Policy cost pressure: B.C.’s PST expansion to professional services is set to raise costs for new homes and infrastructure starting Oct. 1.

Housing affordability & rents: StatCan’s latest Quarterly Rent Statistics show asking rents easing in many Canadian metros, with the biggest two-bedroom drop in Kingston, Ont. (down 5.9% to $1,920), plus declines in Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Ottawa–Gatineau. Municipal housing finance: Simcoe County is considering cutting residential development charges by up to 50% to qualify for a federal-provincial infrastructure grant, but warns funding isn’t guaranteed and the municipality must cover revenue losses. Short-term rentals: Banff is weighing higher business licence fees for B&B operators, aiming to better separate homes used for visitors from resident-only properties. Homelessness tracking: Hastings County reports total homelessness fell 2.25% while chronic homelessness rose 6.18%, with 33 people moving into housing and 28 newly losing touch. Major infrastructure: Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open “by the end of the week” despite Trump-era objections. Bank of Canada: BoC held the overnight rate at 2.25%, stressing it won’t let higher energy prices become persistent inflation.

Transit & Planning: Calgary councillors are weighing alternate alignment options for the Green Line LRT downtown as a committee endorsed a new look at routing through the core, with stakeholder concerns to be addressed by September. Public Transit Ops: Edmonton is shifting Valley Line LRT operations from TransEd to the Edmonton Transit Service, cutting the private contract short by more than two decades and aiming for lower costs. Luxury Housing & Demand: Edmonton’s “The Clifton” condo project is moving ahead with 12 floors and 18 high-end units priced from about $2.7M to $9.5M, pitching river-valley views and a walkable location. Heritage Restoration: Prince Albert’s Killarney Kastle (585 19th St E) has been sold after a 2023 electrical fire, and new owners plan major restoration work. Infrastructure & Risk Reduction: B.C. is backing flood-protection projects in Vernon, Lumby and Penticton, including creek works and setback dikes. Homelessness & Housing Pressure: World Cup host cities in Canada and the U.S. are using tournament attention to push housing-first approaches for homelessness, though coverage suggests many still rely on existing programs. Finance Stress: A GTA survey finds 44% of residents say financial stress disrupts sleep, with 42% reporting food insecurity. Cross-Border Infrastructure: Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Gordie Howe Bridge is expected to open by the end of the week despite U.S. Trump-era threats. Local Construction Contracting: Weyburn, Sask., awarded a $4.78M landfill expansion contract amid uncertainty over federal-provincial funding.

Rental Market Watch: CMHC says rents are easing in major Canadian cities as new completions rise and population growth slows, but the relief is uneven—vacancies are concentrated in newer, higher-priced units while lower-rent segments stay tight. Housing Politics: Ontario housing advocate Eric Lombardi has entered the Liberal leadership race, pitching economic growth to fund education and health care. Infrastructure & Cross-Border Trade: Prime Minister Mark Carney says the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open “at the end of the week,” despite earlier U.S. threats—framed as a boost for commerce and Canada-U.S. ties. Local Development: A veterans’ commemorative crosswalk is proposed near Simcoe’s Carillon Tower, with an estimated $10,000 cost and county staff support sought. Tech for Real Estate Data: TRREB welcomed Canada’s new “AI for All” strategy, stressing the need for trusted, secure real estate data as AI tools spread. Climate & Municipal Action: Edmonton-area mayors and councillors met to push Prime Minister Mark Carney toward “nation building, not nation-burning” climate projects.

Rent Watch (BC): Rentals.ca says B.C. average asking rents fell 5.7% year over year, with Vancouver down for 30 straight months and roughly 20% below its Sept. 2023 peak—an affordability streak that’s outpacing the national decline. Housing Policy (Ontario): Cambridge is reviewing Ontario’s Development Charge Reduction Program after materials suggested development charges can add over $90,000 to home prices in some projects, as the province pushes municipalities to cut charges to lower build costs. Infrastructure & Growth (Ontario): North Dundas opened Wellfield #8, adding 20 litres per second of water capacity with $3.5M in Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program funding—aimed at future commercial and residential development. AI Data Centres (Alberta): A proposed Wonder Valley AI data centre near Grande Prairie is drawing heat concerns, with a commissioned physicist warning it could become a massive heat source and questioning how it’s being assessed. Planning & Development (Hamilton): A Hamilton AI data centre proposal is said to be unaffected by a recent planning tribunal decision, with DRAC outlining plans for a national AI compute facility on industrial land. Cross-Border Build (Ontario/US): The Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to open to traffic June 15, with a ribbon-cutting planned Friday and testing of customs and systems nearing completion.

Housing & Infrastructure Tension: Yellowknife councillors are debating whether to prioritize “core housing needs” over the $3-million price tag to host the 2035 Canada Winter Games, with staff presenting trade-offs around venues, accommodations, and municipal financial risk. Community Upgrades for Play: Jays Care’s Field of Dreams grant is funding major upgrades to Cambridge’s Kin 1 ball diamond, including accessibility improvements and new facilities, with construction already underway. School Replacement Planning: Yukon is weighing three site options for a new Whitehorse elementary school after public engagement, balancing community preferences with cost and municipal process. AI Policy Push: Canada’s “AI for All” strategy is drawing a human-rights and accessibility response, with commissioners welcoming equity and accessibility commitments as AI reshapes services. Clean Energy Build: GSI and OMNN broke ground on a 100MW Saskatchewan solar project, backed by a financing package over CAD$200M and designed with Indigenous partnership at its core. Data Centre Expansion: Hut 8 is planning a major AI-focused data centre in Texas, signaling continued Canadian-led investment in high-power compute infrastructure.

Bank of Canada Watch: The central bank is widely expected to hold its policy rate at 2.25% as growth stalls and trade uncertainty clouds the outlook, even as inflation risks linger. Mortgage Stress in Toronto: A new BoC report says nearly 10% of Toronto-area mortgage holders may not qualify to refinance in 2027 if home prices stay weak, raising the risk of payment trouble. Housing Sector Leadership: Hazelview Investments founder Ugo Bizzarri received a Rental Housing Canada lifetime achievement award for expanding purpose-built rentals and building a large development pipeline. Municipal Housing Push: Tim Tierney was acclaimed president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, pledging to tackle infrastructure gaps, build more housing and address homelessness. Heritage Funding: Willowbank School of Restoration Arts secured up to $193,000 from Parks Canada to stabilize a historic manor house and add a fire stair—if it matches the amount through donations. Construction & Jobs: Saskatchewan’s Denison Mines broke ground on a new in-situ uranium project, highlighting ongoing resource-sector construction momentum.

Housing affordability & energy bills: New research says Canadians are increasingly worried about the cost of living after move-in, with energy costs rising as a real affordability pressure—and many see energy-efficient homes as the practical fix. Heat-pump push in new builds: Newmarket struck a deal tied to the Shining Hill development to install heat pumps in 1,000+ homes, plus added land for affordable housing and community amenities. Construction & jobs backdrop: Canada’s May jobs report showed a big gain (88,000 jobs) and a drop in unemployment to 6.6%, with construction among the sectors helping drive hiring. Water infrastructure: Alma residents are welcoming a new water system aimed at ending boil-water orders and water shortages. Development risk & safety: Gatineau officials say carbon monoxide leaks were linked to blasting at a nearby housing project, triggering evacuations. Big infrastructure momentum: Fluor and JGC’s LNG Canada Phase 2 expansion work in Kitimat moved forward with a limited notice to proceed. Local environment cleanup: Thunder Bay’s north harbour pollution cleanup has slowed again, raising concerns about progress on a long-running mercury-contaminated site. AI data-centre backlash: Opposition to proposed hyperscale AI data centres is growing across Canada, with residents citing land, power and water concerns.

Infrastructure Approvals: Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push to speed up nation-building projects is hitting a snag as Ottawa extends consultations on changes to the Impact Assessment Act to July 22, adding more delay to a system Carney says is too slow and repetitive. Road Safety & Housing Access: Ottawa-area parents and working residents are urging governments to strengthen Vision Zero-style traffic safety changes, arguing current road priorities make daily life harder for families and commuters. Real Estate Industry: Canada’s brokerage community is mourning the death of Conrad Zurini, long-time leader of RE/MAX Niagara & Escarpment Realty, with the firm noting his decades of impact across hundreds of agents. Active Transportation: A new trail network plan is moving ahead for Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation in Dalles 38C, aiming to close walking and cycling gaps to connect homes with key community sites. Jobs & Construction Demand: Statistics Canada reports Canada added 87,800 jobs in May and unemployment fell to 6.6%, with construction among the sectors driving the gain.

Connected Sports Tech: Adidas unveiled the FIFA World Cup 2026 match ball, the Trionda, with a built-in 500Hz motion sensor that tracks every touch in real time and can feed data to officials and VAR—used across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Infrastructure Disruption to Recovery: York Region says the Holland River bridge rehabilitation is essentially complete, with all lanes reopened after deck, girder and expansion-joint repairs. Defence + Industry Push: South Korea’s HD Hyundai broadened its Canada submarine bid pitch in Ottawa, tying shipbuilding to energy and heavy equipment and pointing to a proposed CAD $3.1B hydrogen-truck ecosystem. Housing Pressure in Schools: Hamilton parents and trustees say enrolment spikes are forcing schools to convert libraries and music rooms into classrooms, with some areas overflowing while others sit under capacity. Affordability Support: Canada’s new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit begins paying out, with quarterly amounts rising 25% for five years. MAID Debate + Housing: A Sault Ste. Marie man is raising money for “economic euthanasia” options, arguing some MAID cases stem from housing and financial gaps.

Housing Affordability: A new affordability ranking puts Vancouver among the world’s least affordable markets, with median prices still far outpacing incomes. Market Tightness (Saskatchewan): Saskatchewan Realtors say home prices hit new records in May (benchmark $381,100), driven by demand outstripping supply; Saskatoon remains the tightest market with only about 2.2 months of inventory. Federal Housing Support: Canada and Saskatchewan opened a second-stage housing project in Meadow Lake for women and children fleeing interpersonal violence, adding transitional units with wraparound supports. Infrastructure & Development: The federal government committed $15M to the 100-megawatt Turning Sun Solar project near Estevan, a major renewable build with Indigenous ownership. Urban Planning/Transit: Alberta’s passenger rail plan is eyeing downtown-to-airport links as its first priority, with planning funding but no near-term construction start. Local Real Estate Context: Toronto-area school-zone speed changes are being proposed after a River Road crash, a reminder that neighborhood safety and access issues can shape daily housing-area desirability.

Jobs & Macro: Canada added 88,000 jobs in May and cut unemployment to 6.6%, with gains concentrated in full-time work and sectors including construction, information, transportation and food services—though economists still warn trade uncertainty and a technical recession could keep pressure on hiring. B.C. Labour Market: B.C. added 25,200 jobs in May and held unemployment at 6.8%, with transportation/warehousing and accommodation/food services leading gains while building/support services and finance/real estate/rental/leasing fell. Housing Costs (Ontario): A guest submission argues Ontario’s commercial property assessment freeze still taxes owners on 2016 values, leaving office and retail assessments out of step with today’s market realities. Development Fees (CMHC): CMHC says cutting development charges in half could make more projects viable, boosting housing supply by about 5% in Toronto and Vancouver. Local Real Estate Planning: Norfolk County in Simcoe will factor neighbour concerns into a zoning change request for a proposed Fernwood Drive condo development. Construction Risk: Halifax residents were briefly evacuated after concerns about an unstable construction crane; repairs allowed people to return home. Community Land Transfer (Vancouver): The JCC of Greater Vancouver gifted its 3.3-acre Oakridge property to the JWest Foundation, setting up a campus plan that includes new rental homes and community facilities. North Bay Naming Rights: North Bay opened an RFQ for naming rights for its new net-zero carbon community recreation centre.

Housing Affordability & Fees: CMHC says cutting municipal development charges alone won’t fix affordability, though it could make some projects up to 14% more viable in certain cities. Local Planning & Density: North Vancouver rejected a 40-unit Seymour River Place proposal over size and a parking plan that staff say would worsen congestion. Tenant Organizing: Toronto’s Tenant Union is launching to unite renters citywide after momentum from past rent-strike and renoviction fights. Downtown Revitalization: Big-city mayors are urging Ottawa to fund downtown safety and homelessness reduction, citing a need for coordinated federal leadership. AI Infrastructure & Land Use: Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says a hyperscale AI data centre south of Winnipeg won’t proceed, weighing limited benefits against environmental and rural-life concerns. Northern Infrastructure: Aecon and Arctic Gateway signed a collaboration deal to support the Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway. Construction Risk & Safety: A Penticton long-term care home under construction was destroyed by fire; photos and reporting raise questions about what happened moments before flames broke out. Real Estate Legal Dispute: A Michigan court filing says a title insurer owes nearly $6.4M tied to a dispute involving property connected to the Ambassador Bridge foundations.

Transit & Accountability: Leaked Metrolinx documents allege the agency self-investigates dozens of serious GO rail safety incidents, including “cardinal rule” violations like stop-signal overruns and speeding in slow zones, raising calls for modern safety systems and public disclosure. Industrial Real Estate Dealmaking: Concert Properties and Brookfield have formed a JV for an eight-property Canadian industrial portfolio totaling about 5.3 million sq. ft., valued around C$1B and focused on major logistics markets. Urban Growth via Rail Air Rights: Fengate and LiUNA Pension Fund are launching Toronto Rail Yards, a mixed-use community above an active rail corridor, targeting nearly 4,000 homes plus office, retail, and parks. Housing Market Pulse (Montreal): QPAREB reports May sales in the Montreal CMA fell 7% year over year, while active listings rose 14%, keeping inventory slightly above the 10-year average. Construction & Infrastructure Finance: PROREIT is set to buy industrial portfolios in Quebec City and Winnipeg for about $136.8M, while CMHC says cutting development charges alone won’t solve affordability. Energy & Land Use Pressure: LNG Canada partners are ramping engineering for Phase 2 planning, and Metro Vancouver is moving ahead with Stage 3 water restrictions as supply tunnel work continues.

Quebec Infrastructure Push: Ottawa and Quebec unveiled a nearly $10B infrastructure partnership aimed at a decade-long pipeline for transit, healthcare and housing-enabling community projects, including $6B+ for transit and $2.5B+ for housing-related infrastructure. Skilled Trades Bottleneck: Ontario’s apprenticeship system is failing the “last mile,” with only 47% of apprentices completing programs and just 19.9% finishing certification on time—fueling a projected 52,000-worker shortfall by 2034. Housing & Development Charges: CMHC analysis says cutting or eliminating development charges could make up to 14% more housing projects viable, with bigger gains where charges are higher. AI Data Centre Planning Fight (Hamilton): A Hamilton committee meeting on a proposed data centre has drawn 1,200+ public comments, as residents push back on water and energy impacts. Poverty Pressure (BC & Alberta): Food Banks Canada’s poverty report card gave BC a D and Alberta a D-, citing housing affordability, healthcare access and affordability strain. Construction Risk on the Ground: A fire destroyed a Penticton long-term care home construction site, while Edmonton police charged an arson suspect tied to multiple under-construction infill fires. Real Estate Tax Ruling: A West Vancouver woman lost a condo-flip tax appeal after a court found her North Vancouver pre-sale purchase was speculative, not a principal residence. Trade Infrastructure: U.S. Customs says it’s ready to go for the Gordie Howe Bridge once Canada-U.S. negotiations and final sign-offs are complete.