Earlier today, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced new measures to protect Canada’s steel and lumber industries in response to U.S. tariffs.
The steel measures will see increased tariffs and enforcement against foreign steel dumping—moves that should increase demand for made-in-Hamilton steel, if they work as intended.
There’s also a measure that could reshape how Hamilton approaches affordable housing: new time-limited incentives for softwood lumber housing construction.
The Prime Minister’s news release includes these key passages:
“To make it more affordable to transport Canadian steel and lumber across the country, Canada will work with railway companies to cut freight rates for transporting Canadian steel and lumber interprovincially by 50%, beginning in Spring 2026”; and
“To maximise the use of Canadian softwood lumber in housing, Build Canada Homes will prioritise shovel-ready, multi-year projects that can begin within 12 months and that use Canadian wood products.”
Ontario’s building code allows for encapsulated mass timber construction (EMTC) up to 18 storeys—and EMTC uses softwood lumber products.
Here’s the thing: the City of Hamilton’s Housing Secretariat needs to move quickly. They need to review this, and if it’s viable, seize this opportunity. That means a walk-on report to City Council next Wednesday and a shovel-ready plan by mid-January.
Construction season is less than six months away. The federal government will be seeking shovel-ready photo-ops come spring. And Hamilton needs housing.
Let’s Build Hamilton Homes!
Production Details
v. 1.1.0
Published: November 26, 2025
Last updated: November 26, 2025
Author: Joey Coleman
Update Record
v. 1.0.0 original version
v. 1.1.0 corrected grammatical error in headline.