In the spring budget, the province expected to see 71,800 homes built this year — already far off the pace needed to reach 1.5 million, but now it projects an even lower 64,300.

The study will be completed next year, delivering corridor and site options and cost analysis.

Fortis Construction Group will lead construction of the facility. Its bid was $3.6 million below the estimated project cost.

The city issued $2 billion worth of building permits for 2025 on October 8. That bested the benchmark set in 2023 by five days.

The 25 initiatives include purchase agreements for a Quebec graphite mine and investments to scale up a rare earth elements refinery in Ontario.