National Observer: A Home Built for Yesterday Can’t Withstand Tomorrow

First published to the National Observer
By Jillian McArthur
September 5th 2025

“Now, it is too late. I’ve never said this before to the media, but it’s too late.”
– David Suzuki, July 2025 interview

David Suzuki’s stark and brutally honest interview on climate change hit hard for every Canadian who worries about where we are today. But the truth of his words shouldn’t be a surprise, because we’re living with the consequences of our inaction in the form of wildfires, floods and heat waves. They’re no longer distant threats. They’re here now, disrupting lives and communities across Canada, with a guarantee of continuing throughout the rest of our lives.

As we contend with destructive climate events and scramble to adapt, there’s a massive issue that’s become all too apparent for our society: if we don’t build for climate resiliency, we’re cementing vulnerability into the very places where we would seek shelter — our homes.

But still, there’s hope.

A Fork in the Road

Canada is about to build millions of new homes. This is a once-in-a-generation nation-building project, the kind we haven’t seen since the postwar boom. But there’s a crucial choice baked into it: do we build quickly and cheaply, locking in higher emissions, unaffordable energy bills and climate-vulnerable communities? Or do we build wisely, creating homes that are future proof, energy efficient and resilient?

Right now, most federal investments in housing don’t include requirements for high-performance envelopes (things like high-performance insulation and proper air sealing). Yet these are the very systems that keep homes safe during extreme heat, poor air quality or cold snaps. They are the first line of defense against climate impacts that are rapidly increasing.

No Longer the Exception

We already know what it feels like to be caught off guard. In 2021, a deadly heat dome in British Columbia pushed buildings past their limits — especially older, poorly insulated ones. In Quebec and Ontario, back-to-back ice storms are reminding us that safety during outages depends on the quality of your home’s envelope. And across the Prairies and Atlantic Canada, extreme weather is no longer the exception — it’s the forecast.

These events reveal a quiet truth that climate adaptation starts at home.

The envelope is a building’s first line of defense against climate extremes and one of the only passive systems we can rely on when everything else fails. Unlike mechanical systems, insulation doesn’t require power. It keeps heat in during winter, keeps cool during summer, and helps maintain safe indoor temperatures during blackouts, heatwaves or cold snaps.

In this way, they’re not just energy upgrades, they’re critical infrastructure.

If we want housing that protects us, we must start with the envelope.

A Chance to Get it Right

There’s something deeply hopeful about a new home; it’s a fresh start! And in the face of a changing climate, it’s also one of the most powerful chances we have to adapt. 

Yes, retrofitting older homes is possible and necessary. Across the country, people are making their homes safer and more efficient. But when we build new, we have a unique window to do it right from the start. 

With just a bit more intention, a new home can offer more than shelter — it can offer stability. And it starts with what’s behind the walls. These aren’t upgrades. They’re basic protections and critical infrastructure for surviving our new extremes. When they’re built in from the beginning, they’re more affordable, more durable and far more effective. 

Hope lies in adaptation and that starts by building homes that are ready for the future from the very first nail. 

The federal government’s Build Canada Homes program is about speed and scale, but we can’t forgo foresight. We don’t get many second chances in housing or our future. Let’s make the first one count. 

Message to Federal Leaders

We’re urging federal leaders to treat the building envelope as a critical part of Canada’s climate and housing policy to protect the wellbeing of Canadians. That means:

• Requiring high-performance envelopes in all new builds by implementing the top tier (Tier 5) envelope requirements in the 2030 code cycle;
• Recognizing building envelopes as adaptation infrastructure, not just energy features;
• Including envelope performance explicitly in Canada’s climate mitigation and adaptation strategies, by implementing Tier 5 envelope requirements in the 2030 code;
• Focusing on envelope measures for any future retrofit program(s).

We know how to do this. We have the materials. We have the expertise. And we have a narrow window of opportunity.

Both the climate and the current housing boom will shape Canada for generations. Let’s make sure we don’t just build homes, but build resilience for our future. Let’s build for tomorrow.

About the Author

Jillian McArthur
NAIMA Canada

Jillian McArthur is the senior director of communications at NAIMA Canada, where she supports strategies advancing resilient building practices and a sustainable future. With a collaborative approach to communications and advocacy, she works closely with industry and community partners to promote policies and practices that strengthen Canada’s built environment.