2026 Modular Housing Summit

In November 2024, Mayor Bloomfield joined a coalition of British Columbia mayors to form the Mayors' Task Force on Standardized Modular Factory-Built Homes. This initiative aims to streamline the development and approval processes for modular housing, addressing the province's housing crisis by providing affordable and efficient housing solutions.

As the host city mayor and welcome speaker for the Modular Housing Summit 2025, Mayor Bloomfield will share insights from Penticton's experiences with modular housing and discuss collaborative efforts to implement standardized modular construction across British Columbia.

As Mayor of Burnaby and Chair of the Mayors’ Task Force on Standardized Modular Factory-Built Homes for BC, Mike Hurley is a leading advocate for innovative housing solutions that address affordability and supply challenges across the province.

With a deep commitment to sustainable urban growth, he has championed policies that accelerate housing development while maintaining strong community values. A dedicated leader in municipal governance, Mayor Hurley continues to drive collaborative efforts between local governments, industry, and policymakers to create a more accessible and sustainable housing future for all British Columbians.

Will Meneray is the lead for Construction Innovation at Build Canada Homes.​ Previously, he led housing markets and finance policy teams at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Prior to CMHC, Will was a Principal with the global management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, specializing in strategy and operations for banking, technology, and healthcare firms.​ He is a graduate of the Ivey School of Business and is based in Toronto.

John Brendan McEown is the CEO of the new Burnaby Housing Authority, marking a major step forward in the municipal government’s efforts to expand affordable housing options. The BHA was established in 2024 to strengthen Burnaby’s capacity to deliver new non-market and affordable housing and establish deeper partnerships with the provincial and federal governments, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.

John brings more than a decade of experience in affordable housing development, most recently serving as Associate Vice-President of Development Strategies at BC Housing. He has been involved with projects that have collectively created over 9,000 affordable homes and helped secure approvals for 8,000 units across the province. He made strategic contributions to project delivery, construction financing, rezoning, and partnerships with other stakeholders and agencies such as Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

John is very familiar with Modular Housing and is a lead in Burnaby's involvement in the Modular Multiplex pilot and of the Modular BC/ NRC play book.

Johannes has been a planner with the City of Burnaby for over 20 years, having worked in past roles as Director Development, Director Neighbourhood Planning and Urban Design, and Director of Community Planning guiding some of the City’s most notable development applications, new neighbourhood plans, and most recently the Burnaby 2050 Official Community Plan.

Johannes’ current role as Senior Director Development Services oversees the Strategic Initiatives and Building Divisions of the Planning and Development Department implementing system wide development process improvements to provide greater investment certainty and speed up development approvals.

Johannes was born and raised in Vancouver and holds a Masters in Degree in Planning from the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Hons.) in Urban and Environmental Geography from UBC.

Mr. Muzio brings over 18 years of experience in the modular design industry, with a strong track record as a Project Manager on modular projects across Canada. He takes a proactive, forward-thinking approach to anticipate challenges and successfully guide projects from concept through completion. With experience across residential, commercial, and hospitality sectors, he offers a well-rounded understanding of client needs and full-service delivery.

Tami Der is an Industry and Program Specialist with WorkSafeBC, bringing over 30 years of experience in occupational health and safety. She focuses on improving safety in high-risk sectors, including manufacturing, with expertise in ergonomics, machinery hazards, and musculoskeletal injury (MSI) prevention.

Tami holds a degree in Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene from Simon Fraser University and works closely with industry partners, including the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC, to advance safety education and prevention strategies across the province.

At the MHABC Modular Housing Summit, Tami will share valuable insights into emerging safety trends and practical approaches to building safer manufacturing workplaces.

Ken Kunka is a Senior Codes Administrator with the Province of BC’s Construction Standards and Digital Solutions Branch. Using his 30+ years experience as a building official and department manager, his work focuses on building code updates, standardized permit documentation, and digital solutions that help improve consistency and efficiency across the construction and regulatory environment. Ken collaborates with local governments, industry stakeholders, and technical experts to support modernized, practical approaches to permitting and compliance, with a particular in interest is developing awareness between industry stakeholders to evolve construction methods such as modular and prefabricated construction.

For over 25 years, Steve has worked with clients to deliver cost-effective, sustainable mechanical engineering solutions. His experience is drawn from his work in both Europe and North America.

Steve is also proud to conduct training on behalf of FortisBC and CLEAResult, leveraging his experience providing research, development and measurement and verification on new emerging technologies.

Steve is a Professional Licensee in Engineering, certified measurement and verification professional and Member of ASHRAE.

Paul Binotto is a leading voice in the advancement of factory-built housing and modular construction in British Columbia. As Senior Director of Modular BC, he works with industry leaders, governments, and communities to accelerate the adoption of modern modular housing solutions and strengthen the province’s growing factory-built housing sector.

Paul serves as an adviser to the Board of Directors of the Manufactured Housing Association of British Columbia and leads the Provincial Modular Advocacy Program. He is also a member of the Mayors’ Task Force on Standardized Modular Factory-Built Homes for BC, where he collaborates with municipal leaders to modernize housing delivery and expand housing supply across the province.

A long-time advocate for housing innovation, Paul is the co-founder and past president of My Lane Home Inc., focused on modular infill, multi-generational, and affordable housing solutions. He also leads Modular BC’s collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada on the development of a “Made-in-BC Modular Playbook,” aimed at advancing standards, accelerating project delivery, and strengthening the provincial modular manufacturing ecosystem.

Gord worked in the BC forest industry from 1975 to 2003, eventually serving as General Manager of the Cariboo Lumber Manufacturers Association. He gained extensive experience in forestry, engineering, and non-profit management, with a strong understanding of small communities and private sector contributions to local economies. Afterward, he founded a consulting firm focusing on finance and marketing for non-profits. In 2011, Gord became Executive Director of the Manufactured Housing Association of BC, leading the organization until 2023, when he entered semi-retirement but returned in an acting capacity due to restructuring.

Ron started his construction career in 1990 as a carpenter in Vancouver. He worked through the BC Apprenticeship program and earned his Red Seal Journeyman qualification in 1998.

After over 25 years as a carpenter, Ron became a Building/Plumbing Official. He gained experience with the City of Armstrong, the Village of Lumby, the Town of Oliver, and the City of Kelowna. Ron is currently working as a Project Specialist at QAI Laboratories in the Factory Built Structures division certifying Modular Manufacturing facilities to CSA A277.

His field experience combined with technical understanding of Certification and local government requirements give him clear insight into best practices and code compliance.

Through his engaging economics reports Bryan has become Central 1’s local celebrity, with his work featured by various media outlets including the Globe and Mail, BNN, Bloomberg and BC Business. He authors many of the Central 1’s flagship research reports and weekly notes for clients and the public.

Yu is vice-president of the Canadian Association for Business Economics and a director of the BC Paraplegic Foundation.

Craig is a Manager in PwC’s Economics and Policy practice with over five years of experience advising governments and private‑sector clients. His work focuses on socio‑economic impact assessments across industries including forestry, mining, manufacturing, and tourism, helping organizations quantify the economic impacts of major projects and operations. Craig has also supported provincial governments in developing investment attraction strategies, with a particular focus on how policy can be leveraged to strengthen a jurisdiction’s value proposition.

Elizabeth Manhas is a Key Account Manager at FortisBC, specializing in energy solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of commercial and residential clients. With close to 10 years’ experience in the energy sector and a passion for customer satisfaction, Elizabeth is dedicated to creating strong relationships and delivering innovative solutions to help customers thrive in an ever-evolving energy landscape.

Mark is the Policy and Research Manager for the BC Real Estate Association. Since 2020, in Mark’s role within the BCREA Government Relations team, he works with internal and external stakeholders to ensure BCREA effectively advocates for thoughtful, balanced, and evidence-based housing policy. Mark’s past experience on the BCREA Board of Directors and as Director of Government Relations with the Homebuilders Association Vancouver (previously known as the Greater Vancouver Homebuilders’ Association) has equipped him with a unique perspective and skillset to support BCREA’s work on behalf of REALTORS® and the public.

Lory Oberst is a housing and community infrastructure leader with more than a decade of experience advancing First Nations housing delivery, capital planning, and operational coordination across British Columbia. She holds a First Nations Housing Manager Certificate from Vancouver Island University and is a Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator through AFOA Canada.

Association and currently serves as its Director, supporting a province-wide network that strengthens collaboration, shares technical knowledge, and elevates the voice of housing managers working directly in First Nations communities.

Prior to joining FNHIC-BC, Lory worked with Skwah First Nation for over nine years, progressing from Housing Manager to Director of Operations. In this role, she supported housing construction and renovation projects, infrastructure planning, and service coordination across departments while working closely with Chief and Council to advance community housing priorities.

Drawing on both community-level experience and provincial engagement, her work focuses on identifying the practical barriers First Nations housing managers face in delivering housing—and advancing partnerships and innovative approaches, including modular construction, that can help accelerate culturally appropriate housing solutions across First Nations communities.

Jason Friesen is Senior Manager of Sales & Strategic Partnerships at Freeport Industries, bringing over 18 years of experience in modular construction. He has worked closely with clients, communities, and project teams to advance practical, scalable factory-built housing solutions across British Columbia.

As a two-term City Councillor, Jason offers valuable municipal leadership experience to discussions around housing, approvals, and community growth. His background in both modular construction and local government provides a well-rounded, practical perspective on how industry and municipalities can collaborate to accelerate housing delivery.

Dr. Sultan is the executive director for the Built Environment Climate Change Initiatives at the National Research Council Canada - the federal government's premier R&D; organization. Yasir is responsible for delivering NRC Construction’s programs on climate resilience and mitigation. Prior to joining the NRC in 2023, Yasir was at Health Canada (5 years) where he led the drinking water and air quality programs, and before that at Environment and Climate Change Canada where he led the nanomaterials program (11 years).