🪜 Stairs

Together with

Good morning! 🐍 Ssssstop! Work on Windsor’s $100-million Banwell Road interchange and corridor project has halted due to the discovery of Butler’s garter snakes, a protected species. Before work can resume, the city must complete a series of mandated environmental measures, including targeted salvage, exclusion fencing, and relocating the snakes to approved nearby habitats.

⏰ Today’s read: 6 minutes

MARKETS

Economy: Bank of Canada data show that chartered banks have doubled their lending to real estate developers and builders over the past year, with outstanding loan commitments hitting a record $85 billion—driven largely by a 383% surge in interim construction loans to $32.9 billion. These short-term, high-risk loans are being used by overleveraged developers to prop up stalled residential projects amid a cooling condo market, raising concerns about default risks.

TOGETHER WITH KASA SUPPLY

Grand opening: Kasa celebrates Alberta expansion

Kasa Supply is expanding to better serve Alberta’s booming construction industry. With specialties in plumbing, HVAC, drainage, waterworks, and industrial systems — including mining and oil & gas — Kasa aims to be a one-stop shop for high-performance solutions. They plan to celebrate the launch of their brand-new Calgary location with a BBQ and you’re invited. Use the link below to get all the details and for the opportunity to network with key associations and industry leaders.

⌚ When: June 20, 10 AM to 3 PM

📍Where: 3801 19 St. NE, Calgary, Alta.

NEED TO KNOW

The week's headlines

🚧 Streamlined: Nova Scotia's Environment Minister Tim Halman announced regulatory changes aimed at streamlining approvals for metal mining projects, removing 15 upfront requirements—such as noise and air emissions plans and landowner authorizations—from the initial application phase. These items will instead become conditions later in the project’s timeline, a move Halman says balances environmental protection with economic development.

🏗️ Converted: Calgary is moving ahead with 10 new office-to-residential conversion projects as part of its effort to revitalize the city’s downtown core and address housing shortages. The latest additions, supported by municipal and federal funding, are expected to deliver 1,100 new homes for an estimated 2,000 residents, while removing more than 1.1 million square feet of unused office space.

🪵Mass timber: Kalesnikoff Mass Timber has opened a new 100,000-square-foot modular facility in Castlegar, B.C., expanding its capacity to produce prefabricated mass timber components for housing, schools, and commercial infrastructure across North America. The $30-million project, supported by nearly $10 million in federal and provincial funding, is expected to create about 100 new jobs and help address Canada’s need for affordable, sustainable building solutions. 

☀️ Big solar: Construction has begun on the 3.8 MW Anahim Lake Solar Farm in British Columbia, Canada’s largest off-grid solar project to date. Fully owned by the Ulkatch Energy Corporation and serving the Ulkatcho First Nation, the project aims to reduce the community’s reliance on diesel-generated electricity by 64%. Supported by over $20 million in combined federal, provincial, and community funding, it includes new infrastructure, fire management, and security measures.

THE BIG STORY

Next steps: How stair policy could transform homebuilding

Edmonton is weighing a bold new building policy that could reshape the housing market — and it's all about the stairs.

The context: A growing number of Canadian cities are debating whether to allow multi-storey residential buildings with just one staircase — a major departure from traditional North American building codes that require two. The idea, recently adopted in B.C.'s building code, could allow for cheaper, more space-efficient mid-rise housing. Edmonton is now considering a similar move, with a draft guideline headed to council this spring.

The tension: Advocates say the move frees up valuable square footage, improves building viability on tighter lots, and unlocks larger, more livable apartments — particularly in the “missing middle” housing segment. But the push is triggering alarm from fire chiefs, police officials, and some city leaders who argue the change poses serious safety risks and bypasses proven evacuation safeguards.

The nuance: It’s a philosophical debate about how to balance safety and speed in the race to build more homes. Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley, a former firefighter, called for a pause on the policy, citing new fire risks from lithium-ion batteries and increased arson attempts in stairwells. Meanwhile, Vancouver has quietly put the brakes on implementation, warning that the added fireproofing measures needed could cancel out any cost savings.

Still, cities like Edmonton are forging ahead, pointing to international precedent: Australia, Switzerland, and parts of Europe allow single-egress buildings as high as 22 storeys, relying on strict fire suppression and smoke control measures.

The bottom line: Canada’s housing crisis is pushing cities to re-evaluate long-held building rules as we look to “build, baby, build”. Removing the second staircase can free up between 5% and 15% of floor space and can simplify some mechanical systems.  But what seems like a small design change is stirring up a much bigger debate and could hace a lot of unintended consequences.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

A dish served cold

British studio Pearce+ designed a temporary, inflatable pop-up restaurant for RAW: Almond 2025, a food festival in Winnipeg aimed at promoting winter tourism and underused city spaces. The structure featured a plywood-lined inflatable skin and reused materials. It included an 80 m² kitchen and a 190 m² doughnut-shaped dining area that sheltered guests from harsh winter conditions, including -47°C wind chills. Built using flat-pack panels and entirely mechanical fastenings due to extreme temperature shifts, it was designed to harmonize with its frozen landscape and neighboring landmarks.

PROJECT UPDATES

Toronto begins work on net-zero aquatic facility

Crews break ground on Atlantic area prison

Ontario town considers Aerodrome or airport as it grows

Scotia Place excavation nearly completed

Team selected to deliver Grenfell Long-Term Care Home

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

NOMINATE: 👷‍♀️ Time is running out to submit for 40 Under 40!

PHOTOS: 🧱Volunteers restore 125-year-old Saskatchewan brick mill

VIDEO: 🚃 Is Toronto’s greatest transit project ever in trouble? 

READ: 🏠 New Quebec maps allow for 30% more flood zone homes

VIDEO: 🐦 Bird’s eye view of Pattullo bridge work

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Here’s to a great rest of the week!

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