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Leaders from across Canada’s housing, construction, and public policy sectors are preparing to gather for the Canada Builds Modular Summit taking place on October 23 at Toronto’s Globe and Mail Centre. Co-organized by Collecdev-Markee Developments and The Keesmaat Group, the sold-out event aims to chart a coordinated path toward scaling modular and factory-built housing nationwide. Bringing together representatives from all levels of government, Indigenous housing organizations, financial institutions, and builders, the summit is positioned to address one of Canada’s most urgent challenges: how to deliver more homes, faster, through innovation in construction, financing, and approval systems.
The upcoming summit builds on work first launched through the Factory Built Solutions Lab, a Keesmaat Group initiative that explored how modular housing could be deployed more effectively on public land. That research has evolved into a national forum connecting policymakers, developers, financiers, and manufacturers around a shared objective of scaling up factory-built housing as a mainstream delivery model. The summit seeks to transform a series of regional pilots into a cohesive national strategy.
Collecdev-Markee’s growing Missing Middle rental portfolio also reflects the same principles, using modular and mass timber construction to accelerate housing delivery while improving long-term sustainability. The company’s first project at 2720–2734 Danforth Avenue, designed by Batay-Csorba Architects, proposes an eight-storey, 64-unit purpose-built rental development.
“The driving force behind the event is a recognition that success requires more than innovation in how we build,” said Jennifer Keesmaat, CEO of both Collecdev-Markee and The Keesmaat Group. “We must collectively align how we approve and finance modular housing, while growing public awareness and support for it as a source of high-quality, permanent homes.”
Canada’s housing shortfall continues to widen, with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimating that annual housing starts must nearly double (reaching between 430,000 and 480,000 units) to meet projected demand. Escalating construction costs, lengthy approvals, and skilled labour shortages have left conventional building methods unable to keep pace.
Modular construction offers a practical alternative. By shifting much of the work into controlled factory environments, projects can be completed 30 to 50% faster, with greater quality control, less material waste, and reduced pressure on the on-site workforce.
Mayor Olivia Chow is scheduled to open the summit, followed by remarks from Jennifer Keesmaat and Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson. The morning will include a fireside chat on building an ecosystem to support modular growth, alongside discussions on using public land for affordable housing and driving innovation through coordinated procurement and zoning frameworks.
Carolynna Gabriel, Director of Development at Collecdev-Markee, will moderate a session on moving modular from pilot to policy, featuring Alex Mather of Collecdev-Markee, Deanna Grinnell of Canada Lands Company, and other experts examining how financing, planning, and approvals can adapt to support factory-built delivery. Later sessions, led by Danbi Lee of Collecdev-Markee, and representatives from Toronto Community Housing, BC Builds, and CreateTO, will address the practical realities of scaling supply chains, workforce readiness, and site preparation for faster, coordinated modular construction.
Running alongside the conference sessions, the Innovation Expo will showcase technologies, materials, and partnerships shaping the next generation of modular construction. Exhibitors include PwC, ATCO Structures, Element5, Canada Lands Company, HGC Acoustics, and the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, among others. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore factory-built prototypes, financing tools, and workforce training models that demonstrate how innovation in design and manufacturing can shorten delivery timelines and strengthen quality standards.
The closing session, Blueprint to Breakthrough: Scaling Modular Housing Across Canada, will focus on sustaining cross-sector collaboration beyond the event. Ultimately, the Summit's goal is to have lessons from pilot projects grow into long-term frameworks for delivery.
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