Time for a revolution

Richard Lyall. Photo courtesy of RESCON.

The time has come for a full-scale revolution here in Canada. Don’t worry, I’m not proposing we overthrow the government. I’m merely suggesting that we embrace ConTech and PropTech.

Let me explain.

Presently, we have a system stuck in the past.

Our planning approvals process is still largely paper-driven, siloed and opaque. The system remains uneven and fragmented. Developers routinely face multi-year delays navigating through multiple layers of municipal review. Presently, Canada ranks second to last among OECD nations for approval timelines – ahead of only the Slovak Republic. We can and must do better.

Jurisdictions that outperform us have fully digitized approvals, standardized designs, integrated Building Information Modeling (BIM) and implemented real-time data tracking.

Ontario is years behind, which is embarrassing – and economically damaging. Other industries have automated and digitized. Banking, manufacturing and logistics operate in real time. There is no reason that development approvals should remain stuck in the dark ages.

PropTech, or property technology, is transforming how land is identified, evaluated, approved and managed around the world. ConTech, or construction technology, is reshaping how building projects are designed and delivered, from digital modelling to robotics and automation.

PropTech offers a clear path forward. Digital permitting platforms, real-time application tracking dashboards, integrated data systems and artificial intelligence tools can dramatically reduce timelines while increasing transparency and accountability. Instead of applicants submitting duplicative reports to multiple departments, unified platforms can allow simultaneous review, automated compliance checks and standardized data submission.

Platforms such as LandLogic demonstrate what is possible. By using a data fusion engine to consolidate zoning, planning and property information, it removes much of the guesswork from site selection. Developers can quickly assess feasibility, identify risks and reduce speculative costs before purchasing land.

Similarly, DEVNEX leverages digital tools to guide projects from acquisition to completion, surfacing regulatory and environmental risks early in the process.

These are not futuristic concepts – they are operational tools that can unlock stranded land and accelerate redevelopment within existing urban boundaries.

Yet, adoption is inconsistent. Some municipalities have modernized. Others lag badly.

To address the lag, a province-wide digitization strategy should be developed, including:

• Standardized digital permitting systems across all municipalities;
• Common data architecture and submission requirements;
• Public-facing dashboards to track approval timelines;
• Integration of BIM into planning review;
• Expanded as-of-right zoning supported by digital compliance tools.

Provincial leadership is essential in all of this. Without coordination, we will continue to see isolated pilots rather than systemic transformation.

If PropTech accelerates approvals, ConTech transforms what happens after a shovel hits the ground.

While manufacturing, logistics and finance have automated and digitized, construction has often remained manual and fragmented.

It is changing – but not nearly fast enough.

A recent KPMG survey found that 90 per cent of Canadian construction leaders believe advanced digital tools – including AI, analytics and BIM – improve efficiency and labour effectiveness. Already, major construction firms such as Pomerleau and PCL Construction are integrating drones, robotics and digital twins into their projects.

Drone programs now conduct hundreds of flights annually to capture high-resolution progress data, improve surveying accuracy and enhance safety by reducing the need for workers to climb scaffolding. Robotics are beginning to handle repetitive tasks. Digital twins allow project teams to simulate construction sequencing before materials arrive onsite.

BIM is becoming the backbone of co-ordinated design. Instead of disconnected drawings, BIM creates a 3D data-rich environment where architects, engineers and contractors collaborate in real time, identifying conflicts before they become costly change orders.

These technologies reduce waste, improve safety and compress schedules – precisely what Ontario needs.

ConTech also underpins the shift toward off-site and modular construction.

Recently, RESCON staff and board members toured the H+ME Technology plant in Etobicoke with federal Housing and Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson. The plant showcases how digital design integrates with factory production. Floor and wall panels are engineered in controlled environments and delivered just in time to jobsites.

We have innovative firms like this ready to scale, but barriers remain, including high upfront capital costs, fragmented municipal regulations and uncertain demand.

Government can help by offering targeted innovation grants, tax incentives tied to productivity gains and bulk procurement programs that create predictable demand for tech-enabled housing systems.

This isn’t about modernization for modernization’s sake.

Housing starts have cratered. Sales have plummeted. Job losses are mounting. Ontario could see a GDP reduction of up to 2.5 per cent in 2026 tied to the residential construction slowdown.

At the same time, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimates between 430,000 and 480,000 homes must be built annually over the next decade to restore affordability nationwide.

PropTech and ConTech are not silver bullets, but they can certainly help. If Ontario wants to build more homes, protect jobs and restore affordability, it must fully embrace the PropTech and ConTech revolution – not as an experiment, but as a foundational strategy for the future of the industry.

Richard Lyall is president of the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). He has represented the building industry in Ontario since 1991. Contact him at media@rescon.com.