MHBA Annual Housing Forum & Trade Show – 2025 Recap

The Manitoba Home Builders’ Association (MHBA) proudly hosted its Annual Housing Forum & Trade Show on November 13, 2025, at the Victoria Inn. This flagship event once again brought together members from across the residential construction industry for a full day of learning, networking, and exploring the latest innovations.

Designed as a cornerstone knowledge-sharing event, the Forum delivered fresh insights, practical strategies, and best practices relevant to Manitoba’s homebuilding sector.

Keynotes That Set the Tone

The morning began with an address from Kevin Lee, CEO of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. Kevin provided members with a comprehensive update on CHBA’s national advocacy efforts, including recent federal policy and program wins, federal budget outcomes, and an overview of CHBA initiatives that directly support MHBA member businesses.

During the luncheon keynote, Rohit Verma of Statistics Canada presented findings from the organization’s latest report on the New Housing Market in Canada. His presentation provided an in-depth look at trends and price averages across 12 major census metropolitan areas in seven provinces; valuable insights for builders, developers, and industry partners.

Four Breakout Streams Offering Deep-Dive Learning

Throughout the day, attendees participated in one of three focused breakout streams: Technical, Marketing & Sales, Workplace Health & Safety, each tailored to support different facets of the homebuilding profession.

Technical Stream

The Technical Stream focused on emerging technologies, regulatory updates, and planning considerations impacting residential construction. Efficiency Manitoba shared details on its Affordable Home Energy Program highlighting support for ground and air-source heat pumps and best practices for their installation, while Joe Kasprick provided a preview of upcoming 2025 Construction Code changes and how companies can prepare. The City of Winnipeg’s Zoning Branch also outlined recent amendments to streamline development applications and facilitate new dwelling units across the city.

Marketing & Sales Stream

This stream equipped attendees with the tools to strengthen brand visibility and drive lead generation. Sessions covered how to build clear, actionable marketing plans, select the right mix of digital and traditional channels to reach customers, and adopt the “Marketing Cockpit” a unified system for tracking marketing activity and measuring results to support strategic growth.

Workplace Health & Safety Stream

The Workplace Health & Safety Stream delivered practical guidance on reducing jobsite risks and improving safety performance. Topics included managing WCB rates, following guardrail and scaffold regulations, maintaining proper housekeeping, assessing rooftops for anchor suitability, and navigating renovation-related concerns such as asbestos inventories. Presentations also addressed hazards related to silica, dust, spray foam, and paints, along with WHMIS and SDS requirements that help prevent injuries and potential claims.

Members Trade Show

The MHBA Members Trade Show showcased innovative building technologies, materials, and solutions, giving attendees exposure to new products and the opportunity to connect directly with industry-leading suppliers.