Canada’s skyline may be full of dreams, but there aren’t enough hands to build them. Behind the cranes and condos is a growing problem that few are addressing clearly.
The country is racing toward a construction crisis that could drive housing prices far beyond what the average Canadian can afford.
This isn’t just about dollars. It’s about people — or more specifically, the lack of them.
Real estate developers, industry leaders, and construction insiders are raising red flags. They aren’t lacking blueprints or ambition. What they are missing is workers. Not the engineers or architects, but the so-called “unskilled” workers. These are the framers, tile setters, and window installers. These roles may not require degrees, but they are essential to getting homes built.
Sue Wastell, president of Wastell Homes in London, Ontario, paints a clear picture. She says delays and rising costs are becoming the norm. The workforce is aging out faster than it’s being replaced.
“We’re really struggling with getting the right type of workers,” she said.
The numbers are troubling. By 2030, around 259,100 construction workers are expected to retire. However, only 228,100 new workers are projected to join the industry. The pandemic made this worse by pushing more people into early retirement.
Making things more complicated is Canada’s immigration system. While the country welcomes many educated immigrants, it leaves out those with hands-on skills. The current system rewards degrees and certifications. But many construction jobs are learned through experience, not in classrooms.
That leaves a major gap. And as a result, projects stall, timelines stretch, and costs keep rising.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, 5.8 million new homes need to be built by 2030. This is the only way to return to the housing affordability seen in 2004. But with fewer workers, those numbers may be impossible to hit.
The crisis isn’t limited to home building. Municipal infrastructure is also in trouble. Patrick McManus from the Ontario Sewer and Watermain Construction Association says the lack of workers affects public safety too.
He points to reports showing that 30 percent of water systems and 40 percent of roads and bridges are in poor condition. Without the right people to maintain and rebuild them, the consequences could be severe.
The federal government claims to be working on solutions. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced plans to form an advisory council. The goal is to find new pathways for bringing in construction workers. This includes options for undocumented workers and apprentices.
Still, critics say it’s too little, too late. A pilot program launched in the Greater Toronto Area back in 2020 brought in only about 1,365 people and their families. That’s barely enough to make a dent.
Nova Scotia, on the other hand, has seen better results. A pilot program there let candidates use work experience instead of formal education. It also eased language rules for skilled trades. The result? Over 500 workers approved in just one year. Most were young people ready to join the trades.
Jeremy Smith of Nova Scotia’s Labour Department said many of these workers had left high school early to start working. Under normal rules, they wouldn’t qualify. But this program gave them a fair shot.
Despite these successes, national leaders say the provinces shouldn’t be left to solve this on their own. Kevin Lee of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association said, “We can’t just let provinces patch this together. We need federal leadership, and we need it now.”
That warning is echoed by others who fear the construction industry could slow to a crawl in the next 5 to 10 years. Without new action, construction sites could sit empty, waiting for workers who never arrive.
Rupa Banerjee, a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, suggests diversifying who Canada brings in. She warns against over-relying on specific occupations in immigration planning.
“We’re always two steps behind labour market trends,” she said.
If nothing changes, the future is clear. Housing prices will keep climbing. Infrastructure will keep crumbling. And the average Canadian will keep falling further behind.
What’s needed is real, lasting change not later, but now.
Because if the workers don’t show up, the homes don’t get built. And if the homes don’t get built, the dream of a safe and affordable life in Canada will begin to collapse brick by brick.
