As this is my last column as president of GTHBA-UDI, I thought I would review some of the highlights of 2006.

Last weekend, I briefly mentioned the Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony I would be participating in. I intimated that it would be a "moving" event in both the physical and emotional sense. In retrospect, my intuition was correct, but I grossly underestimated just how moving the dedication ceremony would be.

The December issue of the Canadian Housing Industry Economic Update, produced by independent housing economist Dr. Peter Andersen for the Canadian Home Builders' Association, reveals some interesting perspectives on the housing market.

Ontario home builders predict land supply constraints and the resulting increases in land costs will be a significant barrier to efforts by the provincial government to accommodate employment and population growth in its Places to Grow growth plan.

Through the year, I have been highlighting various member companies of the GTHBA-UDI for their charitable efforts. This week, I learned that one of our architectural design firms, Cassidy & Company, won juror's favourite at the "Canstruction" Toronto 2006 8th annual Toronto Design/Build Competition in aid of the Daily Bread Food Bank.