A bright January day set the tone for an important conversation about housing in Southwestern Ontario. On January 29, Reid’s Heritage Homes welcomed members of our Executive Team—President Ron McMillan; Vice President of Construction Eric Costa; Vice President of Development Andrew Mulder; Vice President of Client Experience and Design Tara Ballantyne; alongside Ontario Minster of Housing Rob Flack and local officials  Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner, Mayor of Centre Wellington Shawn Watters, and CEO of Grand Highlands Home Builders’ Association, Melissa Jonker for a site tour of two of our local communities: Sunrise Grove in Fergus and Argyle Village in Guelph. 

A tour built around people and possibilities

Guests arrived at our Sunrise Grove development in Fergus, Ontario, a community of 112 urban townhomes, where four new model homes showcased available floorplans and design options. The models illustrated how Reid’s Heritage Homes delivers modern, functional living for first‑time buyers and young professionals looking for quality built affordable homes in a convenient location.

From there the group walked the grounds of Argyle Village in Guelph, Ontario, our newest community with over 150 new homes under construction. Together these communities represent our commitment to delivering attainable housing solutions in a market where affordable product is in short supply.

Why these homes matter

Across Ontario, many prospective buyers—especially first‑time purchasers and young professionals—are finding it increasingly difficult to find affordably priced, well‑built homes. Our new home developments are designed specifically to respond to that need: thoughtfully planned, efficient floorplans, attractive streetscapes, and pricing intended to bring home ownership within reach.

Reid’s Heritage Homes is currently developing in eight active communities across Southern Ontario and building over 1,100 homes at competitive pricing. That scale reflects our longstanding commitment—48 years—to craftsmanship, care, and responsible community building.

A constructive conversation on building faster, without sacrificing quality

A central focus of the site visit was the speed of construction and how builders can produce more homes in less time while maintaining quality. During the tour, our executive team discussed practical innovations with Guests, including our use of prefabrication techniques to accelerate schedules and improve consistency and quality on site.

With the help of our loyal Trade Partners, Reid’s Heritage Homes is leading the way in the use of prefabrication techniques that reduce on‑site building time and improve predictability. At Reid’s Heritage Homes, we leverage prefabrication to gain speed and efficiency while preserving the design flexibility and craftsmanship our customers expect.

Affordability at scale—and the policy challenges we face

During discussions on site, our executive team and visiting officials reviewed the broader context for homebuilding in Ontario. While builders are adopting innovation to deliver homes faster and smarter, there remain structural challenges that limit the ability to bring affordable housing to market:

• Taxation and development charges: Current policies and charges on new home construction can increase costs for builders and buyers. When new‑build costs are disproportionately higher than those for resale homes, affordability for first‑time buyers is further constrained.
  
• Regulatory and approvals timelines: Lengthy approval processes and inconsistent municipal development requirements can delay projects and increase holding costs.
  
• Labour and materials pressures: Like the rest of the industry, builders contend with labour shortages and volatile material costs, which affect pricing and timelines.

Reid’s Heritage Homes believes policy adjustments that support efficient building—without compromising safety and quality—are essential. Constructive dialogue with elected officials and industry partners is one way to drive the policy changes needed to unlock more attainable housing for Ontarians.

A respectful partnership aimed at solutions

We appreciated the thoughtful engagement of Housing Minister Flack, MPP Mike Schreiner, and Mayor Shawn Watters during the tour. These conversations are not about blame; they are about collaboration. We share with our civic partners a common goal: more homes, built responsibly, at prices that allow people—especially first‑time buyers and young professionals—to put down roots in the communities where they work and live.

Looking ahead

Sunrise Grove and Argyle Village represent practical, immediate responses to a market that needs more supply. By combining smart site planning, modern construction techniques such as prefabrication, and a commitment to quality craftsmanship, Reid’s Heritage Homes is delivering homes that meet today’s needs.

We remain dedicated to working with municipal and provincial leaders, trade partners, and community stakeholders to remove barriers, accelerate delivery, and expand access to affordable homeownership across Southern Ontario.

If you’d like to learn more about our new home Communities and or our broader plans for 2026, please visit our community pages or reach out to our Sales Team. Together, we can build more homes—and stronger futures—for the people of Ontario.

info@heritagehomes.com