BREAKING: BoC Holds Interest Rate For Second Time In A Row

Public-Private Partnership

Learn about public-private partnerships (P3s) in Canada — what they are, how they work, and why they’re used for infrastructure projects.

Public-Private Partnership

August 01, 2025


What is a Public-Private Partnership?

A public-private partnership (P3) is a collaborative arrangement between a government agency and a private-sector company to finance, build, and operate infrastructure projects or deliver services.

Why Public-Private Partnerships Matter in Real Estate

In Canadian real estate and infrastructure, P3s help governments leverage private capital and expertise to complete large-scale projects efficiently.



Key features:
  • Shared risk and responsibility between public and private partners
  • Long-term contracts outlining performance standards
  • Used for transportation, hospitals, schools, and utilities



Understanding P3s helps developers and municipalities explore financing and delivery models for major infrastructure needs.

Example of a Public-Private Partnership in Action

The city entered a public-private partnership to build and operate a new light rail transit line.

Key Takeaways

  • Combines public oversight and private investment
  • Used for major infrastructure and facilities
  • Shares risks and rewards between parties
  • Requires detailed, long-term agreements
  • Can accelerate project delivery and innovation

Related Terms

Additional Terms

Public Realm Improvements

Public realm improvements are enhancements to public spaces such as sidewalks, parks, plazas, and streetscapes, often funded or contributed by. more

Mortgagee in Possession

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

Lease Surrender Agreement

A lease surrender agreement is a negotiated contract between a landlord and tenant that ends a lease before its scheduled expiration. Terms may. more

Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure refers to natural or engineered systems that manage stormwater, reduce heat, and improve sustainability in developments.. more

Escrow Holdback

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

Underused Housing Tax

The Underused Housing Tax (UHT) is a federal annual 1% tax on the value of vacant or underused residential property owned by non-resident,. more

More For You

Vancouver To Develop Affordable Multiplex Via Housing Design Catalogue, Federal Funds

Vancouver To Develop Affordable Multiplex Via Housing Design Catalogue, Federal Funds

The “BC Fourplex 01” concept from the Housing Design Catalogue. (CMHC)

Last week, Vancouver City Council greenlit a new social housing project that will be undertaken using a series of tools introduced, in recent years, by the Government of Canada.

The project is set for 3122 SE Marine Drive, at the intersection with Kerr Street near the Fraser River and River District.

Keep ReadingShow less

City Council Advances 3 Projects Under ‘Toronto Builds’ Framework

City Council Advances 3 Projects Under ‘Toronto Builds’ Framework

Rendering of 9 Shortt Street/CreateTO, Montgomery Sisam

Toronto City Council approved zoning for about a dozen housing projects at its February session — held last week — and of those, three will be rolled out under the new Toronto Builds policy framework.

Toronto Builds, approved in May 2025, consolidates the eligibility criteria and requirements of Housing Now, ModernTO, and the parking-to-homes and public developer initiatives. A CreateTO progress update from July identified 36 sites that will be developed under the unified framework, including the three that have just been green-lit by Council.

Keep ReadingShow less

Home Relocation Project Brings 17 Affordable Rentals To Sunshine Coast's shíshálh Nation

Home Relocation Project Brings 17 Affordable Rentals To Sunshine Coast's shíshálh Nation

Renewal Development

Via Renewal Development and Wesgroup, 17 affordable rental homes are now in the hands of the shíshálh Nation — marking the completion of a project that addresses the community’s housing needs while creating local opportunities.

Like many communities across British Columbia, the shíshálh Nation has been facing a housing crisis. This project tackles that issue head-on while supporting local economic development: roughly 70% of its construction work was carried out by shíshálh Nation entrepreneurs, providing jobs and skills training within the community.

Keep ReadingShow less

Build Canada Homes Pulls From Public, Private Sectors For Exec Team

Build Canada Homes Pulls From Public, Private Sectors For Exec Team

Valesa Faria (left) and Jeffery Coles (right) have joined the Build Canada Homes executive leadership team.

The economy may be acclimating to tariffs and interest rate pain has eased (for now), but Canadian housing remains sorely in crisis. Against that backdrop, Build Canada Homes (BCH) has its work cut out for it, and the agency is forging ahead with the appointments of Valesa Faria and Jeffery Coles to its executive leadership team.

While Faria will be stepping into the Senior Vice President of Partnership and Development role later this month, Coles assumed the Senior Vice President of Investments post in January.

Keep ReadingShow less

Hudson's Bay Left Behind 15 Million Sq. Ft Of Space. What Happens To It Now?

Hudson's Bay Left Behind 15 Million Sq. Ft Of Space. What Happens To It Now?

The closed Hudson’s Bay store in the Metrpolis at Metrotown shopping centre in Burnaby, BC. (Howard Chai)

We’re closing in on almost a year since the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) filed for creditor protection. Liquidating the company’s assets and closing all of its stores was the easy part — and has mostly been completed already. The hard part is determining what to do with the huge blocks of vacant space left in the company’s wake.

Across Canada, HBC operated a total of 96 stores, including not just the traditional Hudson’s Bay stores, but also a handful of stores under the Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks OFF 5TH brands.

Keep ReadingShow less

GTA Home Sales, Prices Expected To Hold Steady In 2026: TRREB

GTA Home Sales, Prices Expected To Hold Steady In 2026: TRREB

Shutterstock

After years of volatility, the GTA housing market is entering a holding pattern.

That’s the takeaway from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s 2026 Market Outlook and Year in Review, which forecasts relatively stable home sales and prices this year, as improved buyer choice and affordability continue to be weighed down by cautious consumer sentiment.

Keep ReadingShow less

Preparing Your Home For Sale: The Complete Guide

Preparing Your Home For Sale: The Complete Guide

Unsplash

This article was written and submitted by Cameron Levitt, a Toronto-based real estate agent with RE/MAX Hallmark who writes about housing dynamics, market trends, and offers practical advice for buyers and sellers.

You wouldn't show up to a first date in dirty clothes, or walk into a job interview with your CV scribbled on a napkin. So why would you sell your biggest asset without the same level of care?

Keep ReadingShow less

Grosvenor Acquires Full Ownership Of Victoria Broadmead Village Mall Valued At $95.5M

Grosvenor Acquires Full Ownership Of Victoria Broadmead Village Mall Valued At $95.5M

Aerial view of the Broadmead Village Shopping Centre at 777 Royal Oak Drive in Victoria. (Grosvenor)

Grosvenor Property Canada, a subsidiary of UK giant Grosvenor, has acquired full ownership of the Broadmead Village Shopping Centre in one of British Columbia's first large retail transactions of 2026.

Broadmead Village is located at 777 Royal Oak Drive in Victoria, immediately east of the Patricia Bay Highway in the heart of the Saanich peninsula on Vancouver Island.

Keep ReadingShow less
Privacy PolicyAbout UsTerms of UseAdvertise with UsJobsContact UsRSS Feed
2025 © STOREYS Publishing Inc. | All Rights Reserved