CMHC MLI Select is a multi-unit mortgage loan insurance program offered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). It provides insured financing for multi-residential properties that meet specific affordability, accessibility, or energy efficiency criteria. Borrowers earn points based on the strength of these commitments.
Why CMHC MLI Select Matters in Real Estate
CMHC MLI Select matters in real estate because it encourages the development of sustainable and affordable rental housing. It offers benefits such as longer amortization periods, higher loan-to-value ratios, and lower insurance premiums for qualifying projects.
Example of CMHC MLI Select in Action
A developer applies for CMHC MLI Select insurance on a new 100-unit rental project. By committing to affordability and energy efficiency targets, the project qualifies for a 50-year amortization and reduced premiums.
Key Takeaways
Supports development of multi-unit rental housing.
Offers extended amortizations and higher LTV ratios.
Rewards commitments to affordability and sustainability.
A mortgagee in possession is a lender who takes control of a property after borrower default, but before foreclosure or power of sale. The lender. more
An escrow holdback is a portion of funds withheld at closing and held in escrow until specific conditions are met, such as completion of repairs,. more
26-36 Mountview Avenue and 21-29 Oakmount Road/Teeple Architects
A snazzy new two-tower, high-rise development is headed for the High Park North neighbourhood of Toronto that could deliver over 870 new rental units within walking distance of Keele Station. The proposal was submitted by Elysium Investments in early-September and comprises an Official Plan and Zoning By-law Amendment application for a 41- and 39-storey building with a shared six-storey podium.
If approved, the development would replace 11 single-detached homes located just north of High Park. Addressed as 26-36 Mountview Avenue and 21-29 Oakmount Road, the proposed site sits just northwest of the Bloor Street West and Keele Street intersection. The site is well-serviced by public transit, with Keele Station on the TTC's Line 2 directly adjacent to the proposed building, providing connections to Line 1, GO Transit, and the UP Express.
The neighbourhood of High Park North is currently home to low- and mid-rise residential buildings and commercial storefronts at grade, which are concentrated along Bloor Street. There are also four subway stations located within the surrounding area, including Bloor, Dundas West, Keele, High Park, and Runnymede — in addition to GO Transit’s Bloor station.
Recent nearby development proposals of similar scope to the Elysium project include an approved 11-, 30-, and 35-storey mixed-use complex from GWL Realty and an approved 25- and 32-storey residential development from Minto Group.
Elysium's High Park North development features designs from Teeple Architects, which show the two towers atop a shared six-storey podium element with a walkway separation bisecting the first two storeys. For the site layout, 41-storey 'Tower A' would be on the western portion of the site, while 39-storey 'Tower B' would be on the east.
26-36 Mountview Avenue and 21-29 Oakmount Road/Teeple Architects
At grade, you would find the residential lobby entrance for Tower A fronting onto Oakmont Road, while the Tower B entrance would be located on Mountview Avenue. Considerable amenity space would also be found at grade, totalling 5,519 sq. ft of indoor amenity space and 12,467 sq. ft of outdoor amenity space.
The remaining amenity space would be located on the mezzanine level and on levels seven and eight where outdoor and indoor spaces would flow together. In total, the development offers 19224 sq. ft of indoor space and 19,052 sq. ft of outdoor space.
As for unit breakdown, the 873 units would be divided into 172 studios, 317 one- and one plus den-bedrooms, 288 two- and two plus one-bedrooms, and 96 three-bedrooms. These residents would also have access to 78 vehicle parking spaces across two levels of underground parking, plus 537 bicycle parking spaces at grade and underground.
iPro Reality branch in Brampton, Ontario/Google Maps
This article was written and submitted by former CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) Tim Hudak and long-time senior Ontario civil servant Frank Denton. Hudak is currently partner at Counsel Public Affairs Inc., and Denton is a senior advisor.
The collapse of iPro Realty, one of Ontario’s largest independent brokerages, has left at least an $8-million shortfall in its trust accounts and put the regulator, the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), under an intense spotlight. For buyers, sellers, and real estate agents, the scandal raises urgent questions about whether their deposits are safe. When suspicion falls on an arm’s-length regulator with delegated authority from government, pressure on the Minister to act is swift. At its core, this is not just a regulatory challenge but a trust challenge — and once public trust is broken, other delegated authorities in Ontario may soon be under the same spotlight.
As a former minister responsible for RECO and other regulatory bodies, and a former assistant deputy minister who led policy and accountability for these same authorities, we have seen both sides of this made-in-Ontario model. The iPro scandal is not just about one brokerage. It is a stress test for Ontario’s entire delegated authority framework.
After the media raised the alarm and REALTORS® expressed outrage, RECO announced a comprehensive audit, and the Minister used his authority to broaden its scope and demand full transparency.In due course, the results will be made public and both RECO and the Minister will be obliged to act once the facts are in.
Ontario has seen other episodes where confidence in regulators was badly shaken. These events follow a familiar script: a scandal erupts, the media amplifies it, and pressure builds on government to respond decisively. The risk is that in the rush to reassure the public, government overshoots — adopting fixes that prove heavy-handed and create red tape that is difficult to unwind. To his credit, the Minister so far has taken a stern but measured approach, awaiting the outcome of a full independent audit before acting.
Since the mid-1990s, when RECO and other bodies were created on the “delegated authority” governance model, public trust has periodically faltered — whether due to genuine failures, perception or politics. In every case, the result is the same: heightened scrutiny, stakeholder criticism, and political pressure for government action. Sometimes the response is narrow, aimed at a single regulator, as with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) after the collapse of Conquest Vacations in 2009 left travellers stranded abroad.Other times it widens to encompass the whole family of delegated authorities. That was the case with the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) after the Downsview propane explosion in 2008.
Each of these reviews produced recommendations that were, for better or worse, acted upon. Regulators adapted, government practices evolved, and the cycle repeated.
When media criticism erupts, governments are often tempted to fix or scrap what seems broken.In the face of calls to bring RECO back into government - as British Columbia did in response to widely perceived mismanagement of its real estate regulator - it is worth recalling the advantages of Ontario’s delegated model.
First, it operates at no cost to taxpayers. The sector pays for its own regulation, rather than drawing on general revenues. Second, delegated authorities exclusively focus on the sector and their mandate. Instead of being one program buried within a large ministry, each has a dedicated board and CEO accountable for its performance.
Third, delegated authorities are designed to be more flexible and efficient. They are expected to operate within the spirit and intent of government policy, but without the cumbersome processes that can slow traditional bureaucracies. Finally, they bring sector knowledge to the table. Their boards and advisory committees usually blend consumer voices with business and sector expertise, helping them stay grounded in the realities of the industries they regulate.
Industry associations and consumer advocates are often the first to voice frustrations with regulators. Regulations are essential to a well governed society, but it is easy for rules to become overly burdensome, outdated, or misaligned with real risks. And like any organization, regulators can drift over time — enforcement efforts begin to miss growing risks, education falls behind, and accountability erodes.
In moments of crisis, a feeding frenzy of criticism can drive government toward overreaction and sub-optimal policy choices. Stakeholder leaders need to be measured, with an eye to the long game: enabling a regulator that understands the needs of consumers and businesses, and that focuses on the highest-risk players without impeding the good actors.
Critics of the delegated model will highlight its vulnerabilities: reduced accountability to government, limited controls, and the potential for capture by the sector it regulates. Ontario’s delegated regulators, like all regulators, are far from perfect. The Auditor General’s recent reports contain valuable recommendations for improvement at RECO and similar authorities.
The good news is that Ontario’s delegated authorities have shown they can be self-correcting. The most successful take fate into their own hands: they respond to government priorities, focus enforcement on real risks, minimize red tape, strengthen governance, and never lose sight of the consumer. That is the path to preserving both independence and public trust.
The made in Ontario model that governs RECO and similar delegated authorities was set up almost 30 years ago. It has stood the test of time. It has been copied in numerous other jurisdictions and has proven itself an effective form of regulation to protect consumers and businesses from bad actors. The iPro scandal is a reminder that this arms-length model will periodically become controversial. The Minister is on the right path: gather the facts, ground decisions in evidence, and act with conviction where reform is needed.
Despite the fact that Toronto’s unhoused population has more than doubled since 2021, the City is set to receive a fraction of the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB) funding in its sixth year that it did in both its fourth- and fifth-year allocations.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow wrote in a letter that went to the Executive Committee on Monday that the Province allocated $38 million to Toronto from the COHB between April 2024 and March 2025, and $19.75 million from April 2025 to March 2026 — but between April 2026 and March 2027, the City will receive only $7.95 million, representing an almost 60% decrease year over year.
Launched in April 2020, the COHB pays the difference between 30% of eligible households’ income and the average market rent in the area, and is supported by provincial and federal funding. Chow said in her letter that the program “is the single most effective tool we have for freeing up beds in our shelter system so that more people can come indoors from streets and parks.”
She also describes “provincial delays and uncertainty” that led to the City fronting $4.815 million of the COHB funding earlier this year — a move that helped 570 households move from the streets and shelters into housing.
“Now, the Province has said we can only allow for 40 more households to move into housing between now and March 2026 within the funding they’ve provided,” said Chow. “That means all funds will be spent by the end of October, just when the weather turns cold and we need to bring homeless people on the street into shelters or homes.”
Chow’s letter also speaks to a pullback in funding for the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP), which is a federal grant program created to help provincial and municipal governments manage the cost burden of housing asylum claimants. Toronto is set to receive funding for only 26% of what it’s projected to spend on shelter refugees and asylum seekers this year.
“We've been providing shelter to people who arrived to Toronto fleeing violence, war and persecution, but now the federal government won't pay their bills for the service, and the City is short by $107 million,” Chow said to media on Monday. “We can either stop sheltering refugee claimers, leave them on the street, which will make homelessness worse, reversing the progress we made on reducing the number of encampments — or Torontonians will have to pay for it through their property taxes. Neither is fair.”
Chow is calling on the the federal government to provide transitional funding of $107 million for refugee claimants and asylum seekers in the City’s emergency shelter system, and in addition, is requesting Toronto’s COHB allocation be increased to $54 million for the program’s fifth year “to allow 300 households to continue to secure permanent housing each month.” Her requests will be discussed at Toronto City Council’s October session, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, October 8.
Elysium Investments has built its reputation on rethinking what cities need — and then moving boldly to deliver it. From transforming overlooked opportunities abroad to reshaping Toronto’s rental landscape, the firm has consistently shown a talent for anticipating where demand is headed next. Its newest focus: solving one of the most urgent challenges facing young people today: student housing.
Known for finding fresh solutions to city-building challenges, Elysium has recognized an unmet need in the student housing sphere: affordable, high-quality accommodations located close to major post-secondary institutions.
With the aim of democratizing student housing, the investment firm is introducing Yarra: a modern purpose-built student rental (PBSR) platform dedicated to providing customizable and design-forward living spaces — ones that students can actually afford.
For years, student housing has been treated as a byproduct of urban development: fast, generic, and often disconnected from the realities of student life. The goal with Yarra is to turn that model on its head with housing that’s for the students, by the students, especially in the midst of a housing crunch heavily impacting those navigating the study-work-life balance.
Yarra has been crafted with the student experience top of mind — a unique vantage point, when compared to many large developers who tailor their pitches to institutions. By looking to the students themselves, Yarra can capture the needs, budgets, and desires of those who will live in these suites at the end of the day.
“The future of student housing isn’t in maximizing density — it’s in maximizing experience," says Sayf Hassan, CEO, Elysium Investments. "Yarra is built on a simple idea: when you put students first, both community and long-term value follow.”
Yarra has been crafted with the student experience top of mind, a unique vantage point compared to many large developments that prioritize investors before residents. By looking to the students themselves, Yarra can capture the needs, budgets, and desires of those who will ultimately live in these suites.
Namely, Elysium notes, students are looking not only for a place to call home, but also a sense of community — one that’s been thoughtfully crafted and doesn’t break the bank. By engaging directly with student voices and organizations, Yarra is able to design housing that truly matches what students are looking for, while offering both affordability and a sought-after sense of belonging.
“Students aren’t asking for luxury towers or over-the-top amenities," Hassan says. "They want affordability, flexibility, and belonging. Yarra is about giving them spaces where they can live, learn, and grow together.”
While Yarra meets a host of student needs, it also introduces an unmatched opportunity for developers, landowners, and investors within a much-untapped real estate realm. Whether an equity partner is seeking long-term gains, a developer is pivoting from condo builds and looking for joint ventures, or a landowner is exploring new ways to unlock value, Yarra is positioned to meet them there.
Now more than ever, students need reliable housing, the kind that fosters community, autonomy, and connection. Despite recent government-imposed caps on foreign student admissions, demand continues to outpace supply; earlier this year, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation reported a record-low national vacancy rate of 1.5%.
Pair this with the condo market’s cooling, which has opened up central urban sites and created new high-density opportunities, and it’s impossible to deny the value of Yarra’s vision.
“The vacancy crisis and condo slowdown together have created a rare opening: we can finally deliver purpose-built student rentals in prime urban locations," Hassan says. "It’s an opportunity that aligns social need with investor returns.”
With well-designed spaces located just steps from classrooms, structured around affordability and flexibility, Yarra is poised to lead an evolving student housing sector, one that champions the needs of students first.
And as the market shifts, Yarra’s mission extends beyond filling today’s gap: it’s about setting a new benchmark for what student living should be — affordable, connected, and built with care.
Framed by a serene pond and the timeless landscapes of the Rouge Valley, the Townhomes of Little Rouge (“Little Rouge”) bring tranquility and beauty right to your doorstep.
Coming soon to Donald Cousens Parkway and Ninth Line, the Townhomes of Little Rouge by Camcos Living combine modern architecture, spacious layouts, and premium lifestyle features. For homeowners seeking both the serenity of nature and the convenience of city living, this Markham community is uniquely positioned to deliver the best of both worlds.
Camcos Living
Where Urban Meets Nature
Spread across 147 residences, the community offers a curated mix of back-to-back and traditional townhomes. Many feature private outdoor living areas, from rooftop terraces with expansive views to spacious backyards ideal for family gatherings. Inside, the homes have been carefully designed to create seamless connections between indoor and outdoor life, supporting an easy, breezy lifestyle that feels natural from the moment you step through the door.
While convenience is essential, Little Rouge’s connection to nature is what makes it truly stand out. The community sits directly on the edge of Rouge National Urban Park, a rare and remarkable amenity in the Greater Toronto Area. Residents will enjoy direct access to playgrounds, scenic hiking trails, and calm waterways. All without leaving their neighbourhood.
For those seeking balance, the pairing of city convenience with natural tranquility is hard to beat. A morning jog along the Rouge’s trails, an afternoon family hike, or an evening spent by the water transforms everyday routines into experiences of connection and renewal. Little Rouge offers a lifestyle that keeps both nature and modernity within reach.
Shutterstock
Everyday Convenience
Life at Little Rouge is defined as much by accessibility as it is by beauty. The community is just minutes from Mount Joy GO Station, making quick work of commutes into downtown Toronto. Markham Stouffville Hospital, major shopping destinations such as CF Markville, and key transportation arteries like Highways 404 and 407 are all close at hand. Whether residents are heading into the city for work, venturing north for a cottage weekend, or simply running daily errands, every trip is made easier by this location.
For families, the neighbourhood’s proximity to schools, community centres, and parks is a major advantage. The newly built Cornell Community Centre is minutes away, offering a fitness centre, track, swimming pool, playground, and multipurpose halls for everything from recreation to community events. Together, these elements make Little Rouge not only a home base but a launch pad for the many lifestyles its future residents will lead.
The Townhomes of Little Rouge embody modern architecture and thoughtful interiors. Floor plans emphasize openness and flow, creating bright, welcoming spaces ideal for families, professionals, and downsizers alike. Premium finishes, flexible layouts, and options for private outdoor living make each home feel both sophisticated and personal.
Rooftop terraces provide sweeping views of the Rouge Valley, while backyards overlooking Little Rouge Creek invite quiet evenings spent in the fresh air. These details are not luxuries; they are daily reminders of how design can shape comfort, relaxation, and a sense of belonging.
Camcos Living
Camcos Living
Built to Last
Behind the beauty of Little Rouge lies Camcos Living’s deep commitment to quality. Each home is constructed with durable materials and forward-looking systems that ensure long-term comfort. Dual zone climate control, advanced panelized building systems, and building envelope barrier systems delivers both energy efficiency and environmental responsibility. These choices mean less maintenance, lower costs over time, and homes that stay comfortable in every season, from hot Ontario summers to the coldest winter days. Every decision, from the selection of finishes to the integration of sustainability features, ties back to a philosophy of building lasting communities.
Camcos
A Sense of Community
Beyond the walls of each home, Little Rouge is designed to foster connection. An integrated central park, complete with seating, pergolas, and a playground, will serve as the heart of the neighbourhood. Here, neighbours can gather, children can play, and a sense of belonging can take root.
Camcos Living recognizes that homes are only as strong as the communities they create. By balancing modern amenities with natural landscapes and shared spaces, Little Rouge offers homeowners the chance to grow into a community defined by connection, care, and quality of life.
A Rare Opportunity
Townhomes of Little Rouge represent a rare opportunity in Markham’s housing landscape. For those seeking a thoughtfully planned community that marries convenience with calm, this project stands apart. Construction has commenced and sales are underway, now is your opportunity to experience a future defined by both modern ease and timeless natural beauty.
To learn more about the Townhomes of Little Rouge and Camcos Living’s promise of “Life, Better Built”, visit camcos.ca.
In a real estate landscape where choice is often limited and transparency is all too rare, Hyyve is rewriting the rules — and making the process work better for everyone involved.
Fresh off its recent launch, the Toronto-based platform is quickly gaining traction for the way it empowers sellers, attracts serious buyers, and gives agents a more direct, performance-based path to listings.
But what’s perhaps most striking about Hyyve is how effectively it balances the needs of all key players in a real estate transaction — sellers, buyers, and agents — in one unified experience.
For Sellers: Options, Insight, and a Head Start
Traditionally, sellers have relied on referrals or neighbourhood know-how to select their agent — often choosing from a narrow pool with little data to compare. Hyyve flips that script by allowing sellers to receive bids from a curated network of fully vetted agents, each offering a different blend of expertise, strategy, and commission. On Hyyve, the process starts with something unique in real estate: agents competing to represent you with upfront cash offers. Even more compelling: the winning agent pays the seller an upfront fee, simply for securing the listing. That money — which can help offset closing costs, legal fees, or home improvements — gives sellers an immediate and tangible head start.
It’s a meaningful incentive for sellers, but it’s also a smart play for agents — because winning a listing on Hyyve is a 100% ROI opportunity. They only pay when they secure the client.
But Hyyve’s real value lies in the visibility it offers. Sellers can review each agent’s credentials, proposed marketing plan, and commission structure in detail, all before selecting a partner. It’s a way to make informed, confident decisions — not just based on reputation, but on substance.
While agents will bid to represent you, the amount they put forward isn’t the only thing that matters. Every proposal includes your agent’s credentials, marketing plan, and a customized strategy for selling your home. Sellers are encouraged to look beyond the numbers and examine which agent brings the strongest combination of expertise and vision.
Hyyve also gives sellers a valuable benchmark. You may have referrals from family, friends, or colleagues, but with Hyyve you can compare those recommendations directly against agents actively competing for your listing. No pressure, no obligation — only options. Because referrals alone aren’t always enough, and sellers deserve to see the bigger picture.
For Buyers: A Smarter Way to Get Represented
The buyer journey isn’t always straightforward — but Hyyve is bringing clarity and credibility to that process too. Through its partnership with Frank Mortgage, pre-qualified buyers can post their ideal property criteria on the platform. In response, agents compete for the opportunity to represent them, offering value-added perks or cash incentives in their bids.
This reverse-pitch approach helps buyers feel prioritized and supported — while ensuring the agents they’re matched with are not only experienced, but also financially invested in their success. No cold leads, no vague promises — just aligned expectations, upfront.
And beyond the bidding process, Hyyve partners with trusted services to support your sale from every angle. From inspections and legal services to financing solutions with Frank Mortgage, the platform is building a complete ecosystem designed to help buyers and sellers move forward with confidence.
For Agents: A Better Way to Win Business (and Keep It)
Hyyve’s agent-facing value proposition is straightforward: only pay for business you actually win. There’s no cost to browse or bid on opportunities — and agents only pay when their bid is accepted. That means every dollar invested in Hyyve goes directly toward acquiring a real, motivated client. No print ads, no lead-farming, no guesswork.
But more than that, the platform offers agents an opportunity to showcase what sets them apart. In a marketplace where sellers often have limited information to compare agents, Hyyve invites agents to make their case, with the option to highlight marketing plans, previous performance, local expertise, and more.
Now, that said, the strength of a bid doesn’t end with the number.
One recurring challenge Hyyve sees: agents who forget to include key supporting materials — their bio, a full sales strategy, high-quality marketing collateral — when submitting a proposal. These missing pieces make it harder for agents to stand out, even if their experience is top-tier. Sellers want to see the full picture, and well-prepared agents have the best shot at winning listings in a competitive environment.
In other words, a strong Hyyve bid isn’t just about price — it’s about polish, preparedness, and professionalism. This can be the difference between blending in and breaking through.
The Big Picture: Efficiency Without Disruption
Unlike platforms trying to replace agents or upend the real estate process entirely, Hyyve is designed to enhance it — adding clarity, competition, and accountability to the early stages of a transaction, then stepping aside. Once a match is made and an agreement is signed, the platform holds the upfront payment in trust and lets the agent take the reins. No micromanagement. No interference.
What Hyyve offers is a more efficient, transparent way to begin — one where every party has agency, and the process rewards preparation and performance.
In a market that’s evolving fast, that kind of alignment is more than welcome — it’s overdue.
To learn more or register as a seller, buyer, or agent, visit hyyve.ca.
Elysium Investments has filed plans for a 43- and 41-storey residential development within walking distance of the Mount Dennis station on the forthcoming Eglinton Crosstown LRT. The plans call for two towers containing 851 rental units and a 2,152-sq.-ft Privately Owned Publicly Accessible Space (POPS) located onsite.
The Zoning By-law Amendment application was filed by Elysium in early September and is currently pending the City of Toronto's review. If approved, the new apartment complex would replace the 17 detached and semi-detached homes that currently occupy the York development site.
Located at 70-104 Brownville Avenue, the roughly 40,192-sq.-ft site sits directly east of Weston Road and just south of Eglinton Avenue in the Mount Dennis neighbourhood of the city. Under a 10-minute walk away is Mount Dennis station, providing access to subway, GO Transit, and UP Express services. On top of that, the site is currently serviced by multiple bus routes.
In response to intensified transit connectivity in the area, planning materials say "significant growth and development" is expected to flow into Mount Dennis in the coming years. Already, sizeable development proposals have been filed for nearby sites, including a seven-tower mixed-use proposal from Choice Properties REIT that would reach 45 storeys and a 24- and 34-storey mixed-use development from Haven Developments, which gained approvals in July 2024.
Elysium's Brownville Avenue development features designs from BDP Quadrangle, which show the two towers atop a shared six-storey podium element. On the south portion of the site would be 41-storey 'Tower A' and in the north would be 43-storey 'Tower B,' with the POPS located between Tower B and Barr Avenue to the north.
70-104 Brownville Avenue/BDP Quadrangle
At grade, you would find the first of the amenity spaces in the form of a two-storey 4,165-sq.-ft space that connects with the POPS along Barr Avenue, alongside a 1,248-sq.-ft indoor amenity space located in the southern portion of the podium. At level seven, indoor and outdoor amenity span span the podium roof top, with 5,026 sq. ft located in Tower B, 5,887 sq. ft in Tower A, and 12,658 sq. ft of outdoor amenity space in between the two towers. Finally, an additional 3,822 sq. ft of indoor and outdoor amenity spaces would be found on the rooftops of both towers A and B.
In terms of residential unit makeup, the 851 units would be divided into 63 studios, 472 one- and one plus den-bedrooms, 211 two- and two plus den-bedrooms, and 105 three-bedrooms. These residents would also have access to 124 vehicle parking spaces across the two underground parking levels and 479 bicycle parking spaces on the ground and second floors.
It’s full speed ahead for the new Vancouver Art Gallery building slated for 181 West Georgia Street, at the intersection of Cambie and W Georgia streets. On Monday morning, Formline Architecture + Urbanism and KPMB Architects were unveiled as the team that will lead the design of the new purpose-built building, which will replace a parking lot and former sports field known as Larwill Park.
“Selected from proposals submitted by 14 leading Canadian firms, this decision marks an important milestone in the Gallery’s renewed vision to create a destination for art and culture that reflects the diversity of its audiences,” a press release from the Gallery said. This is the beginning of a collaborative process toward a new conceptual design in 2026, one shaped by listening, dialogue and the perspectives of the communities the Gallery serves.”
The release further explains that Formline and KPMB were selected by an Architect Selection Committee made up of Board and Gallery leadership, artists, major benefactors and construction experts, and that a panel comprised of architects and real estate professionals had a say in the technical aspects of the contending proposals.
“The Vancouver Art Gallery is the cultural memory keeper of British Columbia and holds a unique position in the Pacific Northwest,” said Sirish Rao and Eva Respini, Interim Co-CEOs of the Gallery. “This is the largest cultural infrastructure project in Vancouver in over 30 years and we are thrilled to partner with Formline + KPMB to work towards a Gallery that supports storytelling, convening, innovation and access to art and ideas.”
The design of the new building is anticipated to benefit from KPMB’s past experience working on landmarks like the Gardiner Museum, TIFF Lightbox, and Roy Thomson Hall, and Formline’s place-based Indigenous design thinking and emphasis on creating buildings that are culturally sensitive. Formline’s Founder and Principal Alfred Waugh also expresses a deeper connection to the project.
“My mother left this world too early, and during my formative years, she asked me to do something meaningful for our people — a request that has sparked my journey into architecture,” says Waugh. “Now we have been privileged with this opportunity to celebrate Vancouver's vibrant culture while honouring the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land for generations and paying tribute to the beautiful mountains and lush rainforests that define our region.”
In December 2024, it came to light that the Gallery would be parting ways with Herzog & de Meuron, the Swiss architectural firm that was selected to lead the design of the Larwill Park site in 2014. The Gallery then launched the official request for proposal process in February, with invitations sent to 14 Canadian firms, revealed to STOREYS as follows: