Here’s a strange reality about real estate development.
Sometimes building the building is not the slow part.
Getting permission to build it is.
Bruce Firestone gave me a remarkable example during a conversation about development and Canada’s housing crisis.
The project was the Palladium, the arena now known as the Canadian Tire Centre.
According to Bruce, getting the project through the approval process took about five and a half years.
Building it took around 28 months.
You don’t need to be a developer to see why that comparison gets your attention.
What happens while a project waits?
It is easy to talk about delays as if time were free.
It isn’t.
Development requires people and money long before construction begins.
There are studies.
Plans.
Professional fees.
Regulatory requirements.
Zoning issues.
Consultants.
Financing.
Bruce noted that on large projects, fees and studies before groundbreaking can cost millions.
Those costs do not vanish because the building has not started.
They are part of getting the project to the starting line.
That is one reason discussions about the housing crisis need to include the development process itself.
Regulation has a purpose
There is an important distinction here.
Saying an approval process is too slow is not the same thing as saying we should have no approval process.
Cities need planning.
Buildings need to be safe.
Infrastructure needs to work.
Neighbourhoods need thoughtful development.
Those things matter.
The question is whether we can accomplish them more efficiently.
Can we have good standards without unnecessary duplication?
Can developers get clear answers sooner?
Can zoning rules reflect the kind of housing communities actually need?
Can governments and developers spend more time solving problems together?
Those are much more productive questions than simply choosing sides.
Bruce Firestone learned this the hard way
Bruce’s experience bringing the Ottawa Senators to the NHL offers another glimpse into the relationship between entrepreneurship and government.
Ottawa and Tampa Bay were both awarded NHL expansion franchises in 1990.
Bruce recalled how Phil Esposito, representing Tampa Bay, returned to Florida and received a congratulatory call from the governor asking how he could help.
Bruce’s group had a very different experience in Ontario.
They faced a lawsuit from the government.
It is a dramatic story, but it also illustrates the broader point Bruce was making.
The environment surrounding a major project can either help people find a path forward or create another obstacle they need to overcome.
What does that mean for housing?
Housing development is different from building an NHL arena.
But developers still operate inside systems of zoning, planning and approvals.
When those processes take too long, housing takes longer to reach the people who need it.
And right now, Canada does need it.
That is why the housing crisis cannot be discussed only in terms of how many units we should build.
We need to talk about how projects get approved.
We need to talk about the costs before construction.
We need to talk about whether existing processes are producing the outcomes communities need.
Entrepreneurs will find another route
One of my favourite parts of the conversation with Bruce was our discussion about persistence.
He described entrepreneurs as becoming extremely creative when backed into a corner.
I agree.
You learn quickly in real estate that complaining about the obstacle does not remove it.
You still have to figure out what to do next.
Bruce jokingly called me a magician.
I told him it was persistence rather than magic.
There’s always another way.
That mindset has helped me throughout my career.
But the system can still work better
Persistence is valuable, but we should not design a housing system that depends on every developer being able to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
A good system should make it possible for responsible projects to move through a clear, sensible process.
That benefits more than developers.
It benefits renters waiting for housing.
It benefits families looking for somewhere to live.
It benefits communities that need workers.
And it benefits governments trying to address housing supply.
Michael Ruge on moving from obstacles to solutions
I am not interested in pretending the housing crisis has a simple answer.
It doesn’t.
But complicated problems are still solvable.
Bruce Firestone’s stories are useful because they show what development looks like when you get behind the headlines.
Projects require patience.
They require money before construction begins.
They require creativity.
And they require persistence when the system puts another obstacle in the way.
Canada needs more housing.
If we are serious about delivering it, we should make sure the process leading to construction is working as well as the people doing the construction.
Because five and a half years of approvals followed by 28 months of building should at least make us ask whether there is a better way.
I believe there is.
Michael Ruge’s new book “Building Hope in the Housing – How to Solve the Rental Affordability Crisis” will be realeased this fall (2026).
Links to Michael Ruge, Affordable Apartments and his Initiatives:
Michael Ruge’s Blueprint for Solving the Housing Crisis Without Urban Sprawl
Investing with Heart: How to Join Michael Ruge’s Mission
Michael Ruge’s Affordable Apartments: A Sustainable Solution to the Cowichan Valley’s Housing Crisis
Michael Ruge Author: Exploring Wealth and Wisdom Through His Books
