Building the workforce we need to deliver more homes in British Columbia
Burnaby, British Columbia, May 5, 2026 — In Budget 2025, we outlined our plan to build Canada Strong.
The Spring Economic Update 2026 is the next step in our plan to build Canada Strong for All. It provides a clear update on the strength of Canada’s economy, giving Canadians confidence in our plan. It delivers targeted relief to make life more affordable, support workers, and accelerate the construction of homes and major infrastructure. It also strengthens Canada’s competitiveness and economic growth while investing in strong, safe communities across the country.
Today, the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, was at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to highlight housing measures from the Spring Economic Update 2026 that will help build more homes in British Columbia—by growing the skilled workforce, speeding up construction, and supporting modern methods of construction.
The Spring Economic Update takes a practical, coordinated approach to housing—bringing together workforce investments and targeted measures to help projects move faster from planning to construction.
A cornerstone of this approach is $6 billion to recruit, train, and hire skilled trades workers across Canada. These investments will ensure communities have the electricians, carpenters, welders, and construction workers needed to build homes for Canadians— all while creating good paying jobs and careers in the skilled trades. This is especially important as we make the push to build with more Canadian labour and with more Canadian materials.
In British Columbia, where housing demand remains strong, workforce investments are paired with targeted measures to help projects move faster from financing to construction. The Spring Economic Update accelerates more than $7 billion in low-cost loans through the Apartment Construction Loan Program, supporting the construction of up to 16,500 new rental homes and helping bring much‑needed supply to market sooner.
These efforts are reinforced by a $41.9 million investment over five years, starting in 2026–27, to modernize and innovate Canada’s homebuilding system. This funding will streamline regulations and update National Model Codes in collaboration with provinces and territories—cutting red tape, eliminating duplicate inspections, as well as streamlining modular and factory‑built housing. Together, in British Columbia and across Canada, these measures also create the opportunity to build with materials that help grow our economy and support local jobs – like building with more mass timber. This means building faster and more sustainably, while supporting modern methods of construction.
Our new government is building a Canada that is not just strong, but good; not just prosperous, but fair; a Canada that is not just for some, most of the time, but for all, at all times. We’re building Canada strong, for all.