The Canadian government announced a new program for builders called the Canada Public Land Bank.
The new plan includes partnering with all levels of government, homebuilders, and housing providers to build homes faster on underused public lands across the country.
Fifty-six federal properties will be converted into housing, including five new properties that can be leased and are ready to be developed.
The John Grierson Building in Saint-Laurent was one of the five selected federal properties named on the list and will be converted into residential apartments.
“We’re thrilled to be able to look at this site as being a site that’s going to be part of the land bank that the Government of Canada is including, with a view to launching the opportunity for development,” said Saint-Laurent Mayor Alan DeSousa.
The new housing complex, located on Houde Street, is the former head office for the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).
There will be 110 units built by modifying the existing building and adding on to it.
“I’m looking at this site as probably as another one where we can definitely find ways and means in not just addressing the housing crisis but building communities. My responsibility as mayor, but in collaboration with my colleagues here, is to make sure that above and beyond housing needs are met, we’re building and responding to community needs,” said DeSousa.
The Trudeau government launched Canada’s Housing Plan in 2024, which details a plan to build more homes – making it easier to rent or own a home. It can also help Canadians who can’t afford to buy one.
The Liberal government wants to sign long-term leases rather than purchase the buildings to ensure that every site has affordable housing, and that public land remains public.
“We need to build more homes in Canada, and one of the largest costs in building is land,” said Housing Minister Sean Fraser. “By building on public lands, we can make it easier to build, and by leasing those same properties, we can make sure the homes built stay affordable for the long term.”
More information about the ongoing list will be released in the coming months, along with further details about listed properties.
“Public lands should be used for the public interest. Thanks to our Public Lands for Homes Plan, hundreds of Montrealers, including in Ville Saint-Laurent, will have access to affordable housing, faster. Our government is committed to creating more affordable housing in Montréal and across the country,” explained Tourism Minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada.
The Government of Canada also launched an online platform where communities can provide feedback on the land and its properties. The website will also offer information about property developments.
The 2024 budget provided $500 million to launch the new Public Lands Acquisition Fund, which will buy land from other levels of government to allow the Canadian government to acquire more land that can be used to help build middle-class homes.
“I am thrilled that the NFB building in Saint-Laurent is among the 56 properties across Canada that will be used to build affordable housing,” said Saint-Laurent MNA Emmanuella Lambropoulos. “For years, I have worked with various stakeholders in the Saint-Laurent community to advocate for and ensure the realization of a project of this nature, as it is very much needed. I am confident that with the support of our government and the various stakeholders involved, affordable homes will be built quickly on this land and the homes will be available to the most vulnerable.”
The press release noted that the Canada Lands Company, alongside the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation launched a call for proposals from housing companies to access some of the Canada Public Land Bank properties in Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa on a long-term leasing basis at a discounted rate.
The 56 properties listed in the Canada Public Land Bank represent 305 hectares of land, which measures approximately 2,000 hockey rinks or nearly 400 Canadian Football League fields.
