Canada Lands Company's land holdings and development experience began moving under Build Canada Homes (BCH) — the federal agency tasked with accelerating housing delivery on public land — as of Monday.
James Cox, previously Vice-President, Real Estate (Central Region) at Canada Lands Company, now holds the same title at BCH. Cox spent nearly 16 years at Canada Lands Company, moving through roles including Director of Urban Planning and Project Manager, Director of Real Estate for Ontario and Atlantic, Senior Director of Real Estate for Ontario, and Acting Regional Director of Real Estate for Ontario before stepping into the VP role in 2022.
The move follows steps laid out by the federal government earlier this year. Canada Lands Company was placed under the responsibility of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure in September 2025, with the government stating the company would support BCH in order to streamline federal tools for building affordable housing on public land.
In February, the government introduced legislation to establish BCH as a Crown corporation, which would also give it the authority to transfer Canada Lands Company's land holdings and development experience over directly.
In Ontario and Manitoba, Cox's portfolio includes the Downsview Lands in Toronto, sites in Mississauga and St. Catharines, and the Naawi-Oodena lands in Winnipeg — properties already central to BCH's Direct Build pipeline.
As STOREYS reported in January, the agency's Arbo project at Downsview calls for 540 new homes, with a minimum of 40% designated affordable, as part of a $283-million infrastructure investment expected to eventually catalyze 63,000 homes in the area. Naawi-Oodena in Winnipeg and Village at Griesbach in Edmonton are slated for a combined 675 units, developed in partnership with Treaty One First Nations.
Cox announced his new role on LinkedIn, describing the integration as a chance to bring his public-land experience "more directly to the national housing effort."
