From 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26, 2026, the 2026 Fall Construction Forum & Expo, hosted by the Canadian Chinese Construction Association (CCCA) with title sponsor OTT Pay, took place at 50 Esna Park Drive, Markham.

Themed “Building Cities in a Reshaped Market: Policy, Capital, Green Construction and the Future of Communities,” the forum brought together government representatives, developers, planners and designers, engineers, building-materials and home-furnishing suppliers, and professionals in finance, law, insurance, technology and professional services. Nearly 1,000 guests attended and close to 80 companies exhibited. Through a keynote address, four panel discussions, exhibitor showcases and business networking, participants explored trends and opportunities across Canada’s construction and related industries.

From policy and project feasibility to green construction, financing and tax, business operations and risk management, the forum brought the issues construction businesses care about most onto a single platform, further strengthening CCCA’s role in connecting resources across the industry value chain.

Throughout the day, several federal and municipal officials visited the event, delivered remarks, and spoke with CCCA members, exhibitors and guests.

Michael Ma, Member of Parliament for Markham—Unionville, was the first to arrive and speak, explaining how construction businesses can access $880 million in government funding for licensed skilled-trades training. He was followed by Godwin Chan, Deputy Mayor and Regional and Local Councillor of Richmond Hill. In the afternoon, Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti addressed the gathering, and later in the event Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow joined and spoke about the latest multiplex housing policies and development charge relief programs.

The presence of so many public-sector representatives made city building, community development and industry collaboration important topics of conversation beyond the forum stage.

During the opening, CCCA President Alex Huang and Founding President Raymond Wan each delivered remarks, welcoming and thanking government guests, industry partners, member companies, sponsors, exhibitors and all attendees.

The 2026 Fall Construction Forum & Expo was title sponsored by OTT Pay. OTT Pay CEO Daphne Huang delivered the keynote address, “Payment and Cross-Border Settlement Solutions for the Construction and Home Renovation Industry.”

With more than 20 years of experience in financial services and cross-border payments, including serving as head of SWIFT China, Daphne Huang drew on real-world scenarios from the construction and home industries to discuss client collections, payments to overseas suppliers, cross-border settlement and cash management. The forum then moved into its four panel sessions.

The first panel, themed “Policy, Planning and Project Feasibility,” examined planning, design and development feasibility in a changing market.

Panelists included Katie Pandey, Shenshu Zhang of TAES Architects, Mengdi Zhen of Z Square, and Judy Xie of Aero Future Canada.

Katie Pandey discussed planning policy and financial incentives; Shenshu Zhang responded to market shifts from an architecture and planning perspective; Mengdi Zhen shared new thinking under the theme “From Design to Feasibility”; and Judy Xie extended the conversation from individual developments to the community level, exploring how to create higher-quality communities and living environments.

As the market continues to adjust, project feasibility depends not only on design, but also on planning policy, market positioning, cost and community needs. The discussion moved beyond “how to design a project” to “why build it, and how to make it succeed.”

The second panel focused on “Building Technology and Green Construction,” discussing how materials, building technology and residential systems can improve building performance and long-term value.

Panelists included Henry Ni of PERMACON, Andy Gao of DaeSun Glass, William Cao of Winford Windows Inc., and Simon Cao of Union Mechanical.

Henry Ni shared applications of green masonry and low-carbon cement; Andy Gao examined the safety performance and building value of tempered glass; William Cao focused on windows, doors and energy-efficient technology for the buildings of the future; and Simon Cao discussed residential HVAC upgrades and energy-saving practices.

This panel brought “green construction” down from a broad concept to specific components such as materials, windows and doors, curtain walls and HVAC. Green building is increasingly shaping building performance, operating costs, market value and the user experience.

Themed “Financing, Tax and Investment in Practice,” the third panel asked where the money comes from and how to keep the profit, covering project financing, capital structure, wealth management and tax.

Panelists included Steven Wu of BDC, Frank Zhang and Tony Yu of FT Funding Direct Capital, Iris Zhu of Irisky Wealth, and a representative of Dexter Development.

Steven Wu discussed financing support for construction and real estate businesses in today’s market; Frank Zhang and Tony Yu shared financing channels beyond traditional banks, project financing strategies and capital options; Iris Zhu addressed real estate investment, cash flow and capital structure from a wealth management perspective; and the Dexter Development representative shared hands-on experience in project development.

This session broadened “financing” to cover sources of capital, cost of capital, tax planning and investment returns, offering developers, builders and investors a discussion grounded in real projects.

The fourth panel, “Business Growth and Risk Protection for Construction Companies,” ranged from client growth to risk protection, covering digital operations, client management, legal risk and commercial insurance.

Panelists included Anna Luo of E-link, Eric Xie of Axcellent Communications, Greg Wu and Perry Benipal of FBW Law, and Linda Geng of 爱保保险.

Anna Luo shared insights on digital operations and client growth; Eric Xie discussed smart communications and operating costs for real estate and construction businesses; Greg Wu and Perry Benipal covered construction contracts, liens and legal risk; and Linda Geng spoke on protecting projects and operations through commercial insurance.

This session extended the forum from project development to business operations. The more complex the market, the more construction companies need to pay attention to clients, operations, contracts, legal liability and risk protection all at once.

Running alongside the forum, the expo was another highlight of the day. Nearly 80 companies exhibited, spanning architectural design, building materials, windows and doors, roofing, machinery and equipment, home furnishings, real estate, finance, law, insurance, technology and professional services.

From the moment doors opened at 1:00 p.m., the exhibition floor stayed busy. With a strong B2B focus, the event put developers, builders, designers, material suppliers, financial institutions and professional service firms in the same room, enabling more efficient connections up and down the value chain.

Throughout the expo, a robot dog roamed among the booths and crowds, becoming a popular interactive attraction and adding a touch of technology and fun. The organizers also served generous Western-style refreshments so guests could take a break between conversations.

The organizers also designed a booth stamp card, encouraging guests to visit different booths and enter two rounds of lucky draws. The top prize was a $1,000 cash red envelope, with the two rounds of cash prizes totalling $2,000, sponsored by Aero Future Canada (AF-C) Inc. Together with other gifts, the total value of gifts and prizes exceeded $5,000.

Nearly 1,000 guests attended over the course of the afternoon, and from the 1:00 p.m. opening to the 6:00 p.m. close, both the forum and exhibition areas remained lively.

After the event, many exhibitors and guests remarked on the professionalism and strong industry relevance of the participating companies. They not only met potential clients but also connected with partners across the value chain — a particularly valuable outcome for B2B businesses. Guests were especially full of praise for the expert panel sessions, which the association found greatly encouraging.

Rather than simply chasing foot traffic, being able to meet developers, builders, designers, material suppliers, and finance, legal and insurance firms at a single event makes it easier to build business relationships with real potential for follow-up. Many companies said they “gained a lot” and found upstream and downstream contacts worth pursuing further.

This is a core purpose behind CCCA’s forum and expo: not just to help companies “be seen,” but to help businesses with genuine commercial ties get to know each other — so that a single meeting can grow into lasting collaboration.

The Canadian Chinese Construction Association thanks its title sponsor and sponsors at every level, exhibitors, keynote and panel speakers, partner organizations, media friends, and all the staff and volunteers who helped plan and run the event.

From early planning, exhibitor recruitment and forum programming to booth setup, registration, guest reception and wrap-up, the success of an event welcoming nearly 1,000 guests was made possible by the dedication of many partners, both on stage and behind the scenes.

The 2026 Fall Construction Forum & Expo has come to a close, but the connections and collaborations formed that day continue. With nearly 80 exhibitors, nearly 1,000 attendees, and topics ranging from policy, design and green construction to financing, tax, digital operations and risk protection, the event reflected the industry’s growing demand for professional exchange, resource integration and cross-sector collaboration. We look forward to joining hands with partners across the industry for an even more exciting and successful gathering next time.