Building Better: Can Prefab Modular Housing Ease Canada's Housing Crisis?

Canadian homebuilding hasn’t changed much in decades—a challenge now front and centre amid Canada’s housing supply crisis. Could new prefab modular housing technologies help meet the growing demand?

Gaetan Royer, CEO of Massive Canada and featured speaker at CREA PAC Days 2025, joins REAL TIME host Shaun Majumder to explain how modular construction offers a forward-looking solution to improving homebuilding efficiency and unlocking supply. 

A former military engineer with 40 years of global experience spanning architecture to urban planning, Royer affirms that prefab technology can reduce building costs and create new jobs while delivering sustainable and affordable homes.

Majumder opens the conversation with three key questions: “How fast can we build? How many do we need to build? What are the barriers?” Royer responds by outlining Massive Canada’s objectives, describing the situation as “an awesome opportunity” to build better through modular housing’s innovative construction techniques, advanced materials and streamlined processes.

One thing is not going to solve the housing crisis. A lot of things need to happen. Modular is going to help.”

Gaetan Royer, CEO Massive Canada

Royer on construction in Canada: “Every time I come out of a building under construction, resolving an issue that's been taking place, I shake my head. Three years ago, I was invited to join a group looking at innovating construction materials, and decided to grow this group, from just dealing with construction materials to dealing with how we build, and understanding the problem of how low productivity is on a typical construction site.”

Royer adds, “We still, to this day, build things by hand, piece by piece. On a large project like a six-storey building, there are millions of pieces brought individually and assembled by tradespersons. Sometimes they get in the way of each other, and sometimes there's delays. So, it takes two and a half to three years to build a typical building.” 

Those lessons drive Massive’s mission to optimize construction through modular technology and efficiency.  “In our system, we set out to complete a six-storey building under 12 months. This is our goal — and we're going to get there.”

So, how are we going to get there? Is modular housing the key to building Canada’s homes better, faster, and ultimately increasing supply? Discover Gaetan Royer’s insights shared with REAL TIME host Shaun Majumder—listen to the full episode now. A transcript is also available on CREA.ca/podcast.