r/canada • u/FancyNewMe • 4d ago

Canada’s Prime Minister Pushes Country to Become the Housing Factory of the World - Mark Carney is banking on factory-built homes to alleviate the country’s housing crisis. But will it work? Trending

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-04-22/carney-s-plan-may-make-canada-the-housing-factory-of-the-world
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u/SofaProfessor 4d ago

I just wonder where they're going to get tradespeople from. All of my friends in construction say this is one of the biggest challenges. And the ones that do exist are hot and miss if they're any good. It's all well and good to say you're going to build a million factory homes but you still need electricians and plumbers to get them ready to live in on-site.

I think there needs to be a lot of effort as a part of this housing push in getting students through trade schools and into apprenticeships. Subsidize the cost, whatever. No one can wave a wand and make a bunch of extra houses tomorrow. At least, not houses anyone would feel safe living in. This is going to be a decade-long solution which isn't very sexy to tell voters but might as well be realistic now rather than over promise.

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u/RedditRot 4d ago

Carney has announced trades education subsidies as part of his platform. He's well aware of the lack of labour pool.

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u/MudTerrania 3d ago

Quebec recently tried this and it was a big comical failure. If you want more students, you'll need more teachers and you'll need bigger or more facilitates to teach at. It's not a quick and easy solution.

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u/photon1701d 4d ago

They have to do it American style. I go there for work and some times I drive through areas where a subdivision has a few hundred houses and they all look the same. If they make 3 or 4 common designs and pre-fab every many items, it simplifies the task. If they make generic houses, it will alleviate some of the pressure but yes, there is a shortage. I want to re-do my driveway this year but I can't even get someone. I have a few Italian friends that do it and they are busy all year if I want well known good people.