{"id":3808,"date":"2026-10-03T19:35:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T14:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/?p=3808"},"modified":"2026-10-06T07:37:35","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T02:37:35","slug":"construction-opportunities-are-growing-but-so-are-the-risks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/03\/construction-opportunities-are-growing-but-so-are-the-risks\/","title":{"rendered":"Construction Opportunities Are Growing \u2014 But So Are the Risks"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Toronto, ON \u2013 October 3, 2026<\/span><\/h2>

Canada\u2019s construction and related industries are facing major changes: new infrastructure spending and housing programs are creating opportunities, while tariffs, CUSMA uncertainty, material costs and financing pressures are creating new risks.<\/strong><\/p>

Here are the developments you should be watching.<\/p>

CUSMA and tariffs<\/strong><\/h2>

Canada-U.S. trade uncertainty continues. Tariffs and counter-tariffs affecting steel, aluminum and other products can increase costs throughout the construction supply chain\u2014from structural materials and machinery to equipment and finished building products.<\/p>

Companies should be reviewing\u00a0where their materials come from, exposure to U.S. suppliers, alternative Canadian sources and how tariff-related cost increases are addressed in contracts.<\/strong><\/p>

$51 billion for infrastructure<\/strong><\/h2>

The federal\u00a0Build Communities Strong Fund<\/strong> represents a significant pipeline of future construction work:<\/p>

  • $17.2 billion<\/strong> for provincial and territorial infrastructure;<\/li>
  • $6 billion<\/strong> in direct federal investments, including a $1-billion Local Impact Stream; and<\/li>
  • $27.8 billion<\/strong> for municipal and community infrastructure.<\/li><\/ul>

    Funding can support roads, water and wastewater systems, housing-enabling infrastructure, health facilities, community facilities and climate-resilient projects. The federal\u00a0Buy Canadian Policy<\/strong> will also influence how public infrastructure dollars are spent.<\/p>

    Ontario and municipal opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>

    Ontario municipalities are receiving significant federal infrastructure funding.<\/p>

    In addition, Canada and Ontario have announced a\u00a0$1-billion infrastructure stream for municipalities that do not levy residential development charges<\/strong>, supporting roads, bridges, water and wastewater projects that enable housing.<\/p>

    For contractors, engineers, consultants, suppliers and manufacturers, government infrastructure spending should translate into new procurement and project opportunities.<\/p>

    Housing and rental construction<\/strong><\/h2>

    Ottawa is moving ahead with\u00a0Build Canada Homes<\/strong>, while governments continue looking for ways to accelerate housing construction.<\/p>

    A new\u00a0$1.5-billion Canada Rental Protection Fund<\/strong> will help non-profit, co-operative and Indigenous housing organizations acquire and preserve affordable rental properties. The initiative could protect approximately 7,000 homes during its first five years.<\/strong><\/p>

    This can create opportunities throughout the construction ecosystem\u2014from redevelopment and renovations to engineering, mechanical, electrical and building-material supply.<\/p>

    Modular construction gaining momentum<\/strong><\/h2>

    Canada has introduced\u00a0CSA Z251<\/strong>, a new national standard for volumetric modular construction.<\/p>

    Governments are increasingly looking toward\u00a0modular, prefabricated and other modern construction methods<\/strong> to reduce costs and build housing and infrastructure faster.<\/p>

    Companies involved in manufacturing, construction technology and prefabrication should be watching this closely.<\/p>

    New assistance for tariff-affected businesses<\/strong><\/h2>

    The federal government has also announced\u00a0$7.5 billion in support<\/strong> for businesses and workers affected by tariffs, including financing, diversification assistance and support for companies undertaking new investments.<\/p>

    Construction manufacturers and suppliers affected by U.S. trade measures should determine whether their operations or planned investments qualify.<\/p>

    What should the industry do now?<\/strong><\/h2>

    Do not wait for the next tender or funding announcement.<\/p>

    Review your supply chains and tariff exposure. Identify Canadian alternatives. Examine upcoming municipal and provincial capital projects. Prepare expansion and equipment investments. Consider modular and modern construction opportunities. Most importantly, get projects\u00a0shovel-ready<\/strong> so your company can move when programs and procurements open.<\/p>

    How\u00a0GTA Strategies can assist<\/strong><\/h2>

    GTA Strategies can help identify government programs and procurement opportunities, engage the appropriate municipal, provincial and federal officials, and position projects for upcoming opportunities.<\/strong><\/p>

    If you have a project, expansion, tariff issue or government-related challenge,\u00a0contact us to discuss how we can assist.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Toronto, ON \u2013 October 3, 2026 Canada\u2019s construction and related industries are facing major changes: new infrastructure spending and housing programs are creating opportunities, while tariffs, CUSMA uncertainty, material costs and financing pressures are creating new risks. Here are the developments you should be watching….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2099,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-press-releases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3808"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3812,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3808\/revisions\/3812"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gtastrategies.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}