Moncton’s an Apartment Building Powerhouse. Why Isn’t Halifax?
Columnist John DeMont explores why Moncton has emerged as a national leader in apartment construction while Halifax lags behind. Moncton is now building nearly 2,000 apartment units per year, compared to about 250 annually in past decades, and twice as many per capita as Halifax. Developers cite two key advantages: permitting takes just two months in Moncton versus up to 10 months in Halifax, and upfront costs average just $2,000 per unit, half that of Halifax and a fraction of Toronto’s $100,000.
Moncton also favors low-rise, wood-frame apartments—typically completed in 9.9 months—whereas Halifax’s preference for high-rises results in average completion times of 47 months, per CMHC data. DeMont argues Halifax needs to embrace faster, more flexible zoning, especially in areas near hospitals or universities, if it wants to compete with Moncton’s pro‑rental housing model.
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