Land development in Canada is taking shape in strikingly different arenas this fall, from a university weighing how to monetize campus acreage, to a mid-sized Ontario city debating the future of a century-old rail yard, to federal tax changes aimed at speeding up investment in mineral property development. Together, the activity illustrates how institutions, municipalities and the resource sector are all grappling with the same underlying question: how to extract long-term value from land while balancing community expectations and rising costs.
Universities Eye Real Estate as Revenue
The University of Regina has selected Forster Investments Inc. as the proponent to lead planning on a proposed development of 33 acres of university-owned land at Grant Road. The move follows a request for proposals issued in December 2025, in which the university sought a third-party developer to identify land-use concepts driven by local demand. University president Dr. Jeff Keshen described the step as part of a broader strategy to diversify revenue streams and support “sustainable growth that enhances the student experience,” while aligning with the institution’s long-term vision. Blair Forster, president and CEO of Forster Investments Inc., said his firm was “honoured” to be selected and looked forward to collaborating on concepts that reflect the university’s vision while creating opportunities for the surrounding community. The project will follow standard development approval processes, with community engagement expected in spring or summer 2027.
Turning Rail Yards Into Neighbourhoods
In St. Thomas, Ontario, council members and residents are debating the future of the former railway lands south of Talbot Street, situated behind the historic CASO Station in the downtown core. The Railway Lands Area Master Plan, presented to council this week, lays out three preliminary concepts for the site, which is being proposed for mixed residential and commercial use. Concept 1, described as a status-quo scenario with moderate intensification, would allow up to 1,325 housing units. Concept 2, a high mixed-use and connectivity scenario, envisions as many as 3,550 units. Concept 3, a hybrid intensification scenario, also caps out at 1,325 units. Residents interviewed by CTV News said they want the plan to prioritize greenspace and amenities rather than density alone. “I would love to see greenspace. The city is growing. It’s got like, 40,000 people, and we need as much greenspace as we can get,” said resident David Van Pelt. Another resident, Tasha Reid, said she hoped for parks, a dog park, affordable housing, and a centrally located high school, rather than more units renting for “$2,000, $3,000 dollars.” Councillor Joan Rymal floated the idea of a concert venue modelled on London, Ontario’s Harris Park, joking it could become “Rock the Rails.”
The Price of Brownfield Cleanup
St. Thomas Mayor Joe Preston cautioned that while council can help guide the project, the ultimate decisions rest with private landowners. “So, are we going back to the owner of the land and buying it back to make our parks? You’re asking a developer just to develop a park. There’s no income there,” he told CTV News. Preston pointed to the underlying complication facing many former industrial or rail sites: contamination. He said remediating the brownfield site would cost millions of dollars per hectare, a cost to be shared by property owners and taxpayers. “I frown a little bit about how the railways left our community in a contaminated state that we now have to deal with,” Preston said, adding that cleanup costs will directly shape how much can ultimately be built. Council is expected to approve necessary zoning changes in 2027, with public meetings planned for November and further public input being collected through the city’s Speak Up St. Thomas platform.
Tax Policy and Resource-Sector Land Development
Land development pressures are not confined to residential and institutional real estate. A recent analysis from law firm McMillan LLP, titled “Digging Deeper and Deducting Faster,” examines what the federal government’s newly introduced “Productivity Mega Deduction” means for mineral property development in Canada. The publication signals that changes to capital cost deduction rules are drawing scrutiny from the mining and resource sector, which, like municipalities and universities, is assessing how new federal measures could affect the economics of developing land holdings.
Taken together, the developments in Regina, St. Thomas and the resource sector show that land development in Canada is being shaped simultaneously by institutional revenue strategies, community demands for parks and affordable housing, the financial burden of environmental remediation, and shifting federal tax policy — each playing out on its own timeline but pointing to the same broader recalibration of how land assets are used across the country.
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