THUNDER BAY – In March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Smart Modular Canada in Thunder Bay and announced a $20.7-million investment to fast-track the construction of more than 600 new housing units in the next three years.
An additional $870,890 in provincial funding through the Building Faster Fund was announced last week by visiting Premier Doug Ford in recognition of the city exceeding its 2023 housing target with 200 new housing units last year.
Bill Bolton, owner of Smart Modular Canada, told The Chronicle-Journal that these funds will help the city by removing some roadblocks to expedite construction and cited a three-and-a-half-year wait to receive a building permit for the construction of an apartment structure.
Paul Manzon, the city's manager of building services, clarified that building permits are issued within 10 days following a complete application.
"Once an individual applies for the permit and we receive a complete application, the clock starts," Manzon explained. "The building code mandates response times for different types of permits and we are held to that time review. An individual applying for a single-family home has to have a complete application and we have to respond within 10 days, either by issuing the permit or advising the applicant that there's missing information or we need clarification on certain things."
The funding, meanwhile, will accelerate the development of housing, aided by the 2022 approval of new zoning bylaws that add more flexibility.
Joel DePeuter, the city's director of development services, said that zoning bylaw changes made a difference.
"We're seeing more permits were issued in the past five years and there's good evidence that the new zoning bylaw has been helpful," DePeuter said, adding they'll build on that success.
"There are additional changes that are planned to the zoning bylaw that would allow for more residential density and building on smaller properties."
He noted that the funding "incentivizes" the development of higher-density housing in the core areas and the addition of second units or additional units within existing homes.
There's also significant work being done with neighbourhood and secondary planning and servicing studies to unlock properties that are not currently available for development.
The city's action plan to deliver additional housing units included assembling a mayor's task force to determine ways to streamline development, fast-track housing, and support the implementation of the plan.
"There are many incentives that are being developed and will be brought forward to council for approval," Manzon said.
"These incentives include a plan for additional affordable housing development within the downtowns and commercial core areas and to add higher density development along major transit routes.
"This federal funding will be spent directly on building new homes while other portions of the monies will be used on studies and capacity building, and making additional lands available for housing."
It will also help local developers offset product and material costs that are higher in Thunder Bay.
The Chronicle-Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
