Another Missing Middle Conference - May 8, 2026

There's no doubt that Missing Middle/Multiplex Housing is the flavour of the month. Or perhaps the year. After all, in Toronto, it was reported that more multi-family homes were started last year in multiplex developments when compared to conventional apartment buildings. That's because the purpose-built rental market is getting saturated, and there is little appetite for presale condos from empty nesters or even first-time buyers now that it is no longer assumed that prices will always go up.

Last Friday's conference was arranged at the elegant Fairmont Pacific Rim and organized by a Toronto-based Sustainable Development Group (SDG). It had organized a very well attended conference in Toronto and thought there might be a good opportunity in Vancouver. The program focussed on scaling up townhomes, multiplexes, and low-rise apartments. The speakers included politicians, industry leaders, policymakers, and developers discussing zoning reform, financing, and even modular construction. 

Key Program Highlights & Speakers (May 8, 2026):

• Speakers: Housing Minister Gregor Robertson was scheduled to speak but was a no-show. Former Vancouver Mayor and BC Premier Mike Harcourt was an excellent fill-in., BC Housing Minister Christine Boyle offered a most engaging talk, sharing with the audience that she and her husband and children live in a half duplex in East Vancouver, and her ex-husband lives in the other half with his new partner and an older child. Other speakers included Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto, who I had never met before; Prince George Mayor Simon Yu who I had met at a modular housing conference, and Vancouver Councillor Sarah Kirby Yung who is always ready to discuss housing.
• Another speaker was CMHC's Nadine Leblanc. She was most impressive in an interview with Vancouver journalist Frances Bula.
• Panels: I participated in a panel titled Making Missing Middle Viable after zoning reform with City of Vancouver Deputy Manager Armin Amrolia and former Vancouver Director of Planning Brent Toderian. Rather than make a typical powerpoint presentation, I restricted it to the following four slides:Networking:  in addition to the speakers and panels, there were numerous networking opportunities including an end of day cocktail reception.I enjoyed meeting the conference organizers from Toronto and other attendees, especially small builders who are getting into the business for the first time.
• A final comment. At the moment, there is a signficant difference between what is being built in Toronto and Vancouver. In TO they are generally building 6-8 rental units on a property, while we are focussing more on 4-6 condominium units. 
• The next conference will be in Toronto and it might be worthwhile attending to tell the Toronto audience about what works, and doesn't work in Vancouver.