By Craig Larkins, Director of Advocacy and Engagement, VRCA
Tariffs. Fuel prices. World events. Global supply chains. Labour and material costs. The list goes on.
Many of the pressures driving up construction costs originate far beyond the Lower Mainland. Municipal governments cannot control every factor, but they do control decisions that can either help projects move forward or make them more difficult and expensive to build.
That is why, now more than ever, we need municipal candidates to focus on the Cost to Build.
It is one of the three pillars of VRCA’s Build Lower Mainland campaign because the cost of construction affects more than the industry. It affects the housing, infrastructure, public spaces and services our growing communities depend on.
When costs become too high or unpredictable, project budgets stop working. Projects are delayed, scaled back or cancelled altogether. Ultimately, those costs are passed along to the people, businesses and communities the projects were intended to serve.
The construction industry needs a clear commitment from all levels of government to work together to reduce and better coordinate DCCs and other project-related charges. At a minimum, changes must be transparent, predictable and introduced with enough notice for project teams to plan. A project should not reach the finish line only to discover that the numbers no longer work.
The Opportunity
The Lower Mainland needs to keep building. That means creating the conditions that allow good projects to move forward, even as external pressures continue to drive costs higher.
Municipal leaders have an opportunity to work with industry and other levels of government to bring greater predictability to project costs, reduce financial barriers and unlock more construction across the region.
As candidates come to your door, attend debates and ask for your vote, ask them:
– How will you bring greater predictability to municipal fees and charges?
– Will you support a coordinated effort to reduce DCCs and other barriers to building?
– How will you ensure municipal procurement is fair, competitive and open to qualified bidders?
– Will you consult the construction industry before making decisions that affect project costs?
Municipal governments may not control every cost, but the choices they make matter. If we want to build the communities we love, we need municipal leaders who understand what it takes to build them.
Bringing Construction Into the Conversation
That conversation is already underway. VRCA recently met with OneCity Vancouver mayoral candidate William Azaroff, council candidates and campaign representatives to put construction’s priorities directly on the table.
VRCA Board Chair Scott Adkins (Operations Manager at PCL Construction) and board member Craig Enns (Senior Vice-President & Area Manager – British Columbia – EllisDon) joined the discussion, bringing their industry experience and perspectives to the table. Our message was clear: involve the full construction industry earlier, make municipal fees and requirements more predictable, establish measurable permitting standards and ensure procurement delivers better value for public dollars. We also called for stronger coordination across governments and greater support for building the skilled workforce Vancouver needs.
Why Municipal Elections Matter to Construction
Want to dig deeper into what is at stake? Take a seat on the Builders’ Bench Podcast with UBC political science lecturer Stuart Prest to talk about why municipal elections matter, how decisions made at city hall shape our daily lives and why they matter so much to construction.
From zoning and permitting to procurement and infrastructure, municipal decisions have a direct impact on the communities we build and the industry responsible for building them.
Listen or watch here: https://vrca.ca/advocacy/vrca-podcasts/
Municipal Election Day is October 17. Get informed, ask questions and be part of what comes next.
www.buildlowermainland.ca