Eastern Ontario Campus | Ottawa, ON
From Left to right: Amber Yemen, Ashley Starchuk, Ariane Michaud, Saara Levesque, Rhonda Pritchard, Heather Sumner, Sweekruti Kachu, Kathleen Allison, Julia Allard, Lauren McDonald, Elizabeth Wilson and Dani Barnaby.
EllisDon’s Employee Experience
EllisDon’s culture and approach to business is a reflection of our core values and principles: freedom, trust, complete openness, mutual accountability, entrepreneurial enthusiasm, integrity and mutual respect.
Our purpose is to provide people with similar values the opportunity to achieve their full potential, to deliver that opportunity for great careers to one another; and to contribute meaningfully to the community we share with others. We believe in creating a workplace where everyone can have a fulfilling career and support each other in achieving their goals.
The following five elements are what EllisDon employees experience and how our culture influences each.
1. Introduction
EllisDon is committed to recruiting the right talent and strives to make everyone feel like they belong. Our job postings say, “Go ahead and be yourself, we will pay you for it.” – and we mean it.
We recognize that systemic and attitudinal barriers have historically prevented underrepresented groups from accessing employment, and as such, we are committed to breaking down these barriers by reevaluating and redesigning our recruitment process. In a collaborative and ongoing initiative, our Inclusive Diversity Team, in conjunction with Talent Acquisition, are making changes to the language used throughout our recruitment, job posting, and requirements sections. EllisDon is committed to continuous efforts aimed at revolutionizing the recruitment, candidate, and employee experiences across our culture.
2. Welcome
We extend a friendly, warm, and professional welcome to EllisDon.
EllisDon onboarding is about connecting new employees with the people and information they need to succeed. This includes an invitation for each new employee to the President’s Webcast. During this culture-building half day, all new employees are encouraged to ask the tough questions to our CEO, Kieran Hawe, to gain an understanding of the inner workings and values of EllisDon.
3. Working Together
We create an engaging environment and give our people the freedom to decide how they accomplish their work.
Our people are at the heart of what makes EllisDon successful, and our intent is to provide a fulfilling and meaningful career to each of our employees. We believe that a great career is about more than just a job; it's about creating an engaging environment where everyone can reach their full potential and where our people have the freedom to lead and make decisions about how they accomplish their work.
4. Growing
We provide development opportunities that enable our people to achieve the full extent of their personal and professional career potential.
At EllisDon, we believe every employee is a leader. Leadership does not come from a title but from experiences where you push yourself outside your comfort zone to learn and evolve. Growing is about providing development opportunities that enable our people to achieve the full extent of their personal and professional career potential.
5. Thank You
We thank departing employees for being part of our culture and fostering a continued relationship through their career growth.
Whether a co-op student returning to school, an employee departing for a different opportunity or retiring after a long career with EllisDon, we thank departing employees for being part of our culture and fostering a continued relationship through their career growth.
To ensure that we are providing the best possible employee experience, we offer exit surveys to all departing employees at EllisDon. This feedback loop is essential to our commitment to continuous improvement and helps us understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement in our employee programs. We are proud to continue to have an average completion rate of 75% and a consistently high net promoter score of 47, which indicates that exiting employees continue to have a positive view of EllisDon and are likely to return or recommend us to others.
Inclusive Diversity
“Meaningful acts of inclusion are always done intentionally, and the scope of how we can act inclusively is constantly evolving.
As advocates and allies forge spaces of safety in which the voices of those whom our society and our systems have kept in the closets and in the shadows, a room can, and must, be given to hear the truths and lived experiences that are vital to informing growth and progress. When we know better, we can do better– and with that knowledge comes the responsibility to take action.
Inclusion, to be effective, needs to be embraced as a mindset— a mindset that chooses to look beyond one’s own experience and that seeks to understand the experiences and differences of others.
When embraced, diversity creates depth, strength and fortitude… and until the perspectives of those who have been historically silenced and pushed to the fringes are recognized, lifted up, and heard, all people will forfeit full potential.
Inclusion is not about perfection; rather, it is about curiosity, learning, the sharing of privilege, and most of all, justice. Let us take this journey together.”
Evelyn Harris
Inclusive Diversity Specialist
EllisDon’s Commitment
As we learn and re-learn ways of acting and doing— with the intention of delivering kindness and unlocking the power of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access— it is then that we can truly deliver great careers not just for some, but for all.
Inclusion is the key that unlocks the power of diversity. Without inclusion, the benefits of diversity, such as increased creativity, innovation, retention, and a sense of belonging, can’t blossom into results.
EllisDon has chosen to focus our Inclusive Diversity efforts in five main areas to ensure a meaningful impact.
Our areas of focus are: the EllisDon employee experience, our leadership, our brand, our communities, and our industry.
While maintaining our “fast, fluid and flexible” approach, we facilitate our work by continuously evaluating the impact within our efforts of partnership, communication, transparency, culture, education, and systemic change.
EllisDon’s Diversity Profile
Using the Canadian Census as a guide, EllisDon is proactively working toward reflecting the diversity of the Canadian population at all leadership levels. To assist in measuring and tracking our progress, EllisDon has invited its employees to participate in a confidential Self-Identification Study to share their gender, race, sexual orientation, disability status, and military experience.
We established a minimum target participation rate of 75%, including responses of “I prefer not to answer,” and as of October 2023, we have reached an overall response rate of 80% for all full-time salaried staff in Canada. Overall, 47% of EllisDon employees and 39% of employees in People Leadership positions identify in 1 or more underrepresented groups.
Overall, 47% of EllisDon employees and 39% of employees in People Leadership positions identify in 1 or more underrepresented groups.
Our 2023 Diversity Profile
Corporate Inclusive Diversity
At EllisDon, our corporate Inclusive Diversity team plays a crucial role in supporting our Employee Leadership Groups and helping to operationalize their recommendations. We recognize that creating a workplace culture that values and respects individual differences requires a collective effort, and we are committed to working together towards this vision. Our Inclusive Diversity team collaborates closely with business units and the People and Culture department to promote a safer and kinder workplace for all employees.
At EllisDon, we are proud of the progress we have made towards creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace, and we remain committed to continuous improvement.
2023 Major Highlights:
A complete review and audit of EllisDon’s Employee Handbook was performed to ensure that language and policies were assessed from an Inclusive Diversity perspective. In addition to adopting gender neutral language, revising language pertaining to disability, and including neurodiversity, new language and policies were added to expand upon sexual and domestic/intimate partner violence, our commitment to Indigenous inclusion, climate, supplier diversity, along with a new Gender Affirmation, Transition and Diversity Policy.
As access is imperative to inclusion and belonging, the Corporate Inclusive Diversity Team hosted a webinar with Aaron Golub—a blind Division 1 athlete and speaker who delivered a discussion on disability, and shared strategies for creating true change along with impactful insights that helped encourage attendees to rethink past beliefs.
In support and recognition of the importance of supplier diversity and the economic impact that it can provide to underrepresented communities, EllisDon became a corporate member of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and Woman Business Enterprise. This is in addition to our existing memberships with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business and the Canadian Aboriginal Minority Supplier Council.
Employee Leadership Groups
EllisDon employees lead the company’s Inclusive Diversity efforts. Each group creates its own governance structure and defines its objectives to have the most impact on the people they represent and serve.
More information about EllisDon’s Employee Leadership Groups and what we’ve accomplished can be found on the EllisDon website.
ALLiED: All Inclusive at EllisDon
The focus of ALLiED is awareness, education, inclusion, and celebration of all forms of diversity﹘including factors such as religion, cultural background, race, disability, neurotype, socioeconomic status etc. and fighting against “isms” and attitudes that breed intolerance. Inclusion equips us to flourish, and this passionate group of volunteers is helping us to build a safe and welcoming work environment throughout EllisDon, while impacting the industry as well.
PEACE: Proud Employees for Allyship, Community, and Education
PEACE, an offshoot of ALLiED, whose mandate is to support LGBTQ2S+ employees and those in our industry who are in need of a safe place, marked its first full year with passion and impact, and by boldly taking an unwavering stance against hate.
Together: Gender Equality & Human Empowerment
Together is not just about getting more women in the industry, it is about achieving a work environment where all employees—regardless of their gender—can be themselves, raise concerns and innovate without fear of failure or exclusion. It is about empowering individuals to feel comfortable calling out unacceptable behaviour, and to feel safe to be their authentic selves, particularly those whose gender identity or expression is underrepresented.
EllisDon VIBE: Anti-Black Racism
VIBE is EllisDon's employee-led leadership group that is focused on initiating concrete actions to combat anti-Black racism with actions that challenge the status quo and push us towards how we want the world to be, not just how it is. These actions help us all to feel like we belong, and actions that allow us to continue having productive conversations.
Indigenous Relations
EllisDon’s Commitment to Improving Indigenous Relations
EllisDon prides itself on building great relationships with Indigenous communities, clients, and employees to ensure mutual success. Our commitment to respecting all distinct Indigenous cultures across Canada is rooted in cultural awareness and recognition for all traditional and contemporary cultures across Canada. EllisDon’s Indigenous Inclusion Principles formalizes our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation in Canada by outlining the framework of Indigenous inclusion on a corporate level.
We recognise that mutual respect requires Indigenous rights and culture to be uniquely honoured to ensure inclusive diversity and reconciliation, and we are committed to supporting and facilitating indigenous procurement and business opportunities. EllisDon has initiated a coordinated company-wide effort to increase Indigenous business procurement, build relationships with Indigenous nations, communities, and organizations across Canada, and increase Indigenous belonging and inclusivity. We actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with Indigenous communities on our projects and follow the principles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Call to Action 92.
EllisDon will continue to enhance our socio-economic framework where we embrace Indigenous inclusion towards greater reconciliation. We recognize that our projects can deliver positive benefits to local communities and our philosophy has always been to provide the greatest opportunities possible to those who live and work within Indigenous communities, and to facilitate participation in EllisDon projects.
EllisDon is committed to Indigenous inclusion, as guided by TRC's Call to Action 92, and by international and national principles. I'm proud we're enhancing our socio-economic framework, learning together with our Indigenous partners, increasing Indigenous procurement opportunities, and fostering cultural awareness for a brighter shared future.
David McFarlane Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, Construction, Western Canada
Socio-Economic Development and Indigenous Relations Department
In January 2022, EllisDon's Department of Socio-Economic Development and Indigenous Relations was launched as part of our commitment to its Indigenous Inclusion Principles. This department leads, enhances, and monitors EllisDon’s national Indigenous Socio-Economic Framework, and provides guidance within EllisDon of best Indigenous inclusion practices.
EllisDon has increased its project level (and area teams) indigenous relations and socio-economic development representation by
EllisDon continues to work towards increasing accessibility of procurement opportunities for Indigenous businesses, on both the project and corporate level. With more projects including Indigenous Coordinators, EllisDon has increased its project level (and area teams) indigenous relations and socio-economic development representation by 20%. EllisDon is ensuring authentic local relationships with Indigenous communities, businesses and people, and that socio-economic opportunities are beneficial to the nations and Indigenous people in that region. This is achieved by having national department members, area managers, and project level workers engage with Indigenous events and communities throughout the year. This includes attending local job fairs, pow wows, and other community events.
Additionally, EllisDon is working with schools across Canada to increase employment opportunities for Indigenous students and new graduates. This includes working with Native Student Centres and co-op offices to increase accessibility to employment and learning opportunities for Indigenous students.
Milestones achieved since its inception include advancing regional and area indigenous community relationships, providing guidance to ensure Indigenous inclusion on thirty-three projects across Canada and in key market areas, and the creation of national, regional and office-based Land and Territory Acknowledgements as a Truth and Reconciliation.
The department will continue to progress towards creating more socio-economic opportunities for the Indigenous communities across the country. It will focus on expanding relationships with Indigenous communities, businesses, and nations in key markets to create better opportunities for current and future projects, as well as increase learning opportunities for EllisDon employees and leadership to better understand Indigenous history, culture, and rights.
Project Profile
PME, a civil division of the EllisDon Group of Companies, has been working with a local First Nation to build homes for their community members. Twenty-six community members have been hired to date and three community members have joined the apprenticeship program, gaining opportunities for skill developments, such as carpentry. Through genuine partnership and an eagerness for growth, seven homes have been built to date and there are many more houses to build. Depending on the day and scope of work, 40%-65% of the crew in the current housing project are community members. This is the latest in many projects that provide growth opportunities for the First Nations on their reserves.
National Indigenous Organization Participation
In 2022 and 2023, EllisDon continued to work towards Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business’ (CCAB) Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) Certification, which assesses corporate performance in Indigenous Relations. It signals that certified companies are behaving in alignment with Federal and Provincial strategies and standards for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis engagement, relations, procurement, community and event attendance.
Since its inception in 2001, PAR has remained the premier corporate social responsibility program emphasizing Indigenous relations. PAR’s certification program provides a high level of assurance to communities because it is supported by independent and third-party verification of company reports. A jury of Indigenous business people determines a company’s final certification level.
EllisDon has achieved phase two of the certification, and is on track to achieve phase 3 in 2024. We are actively engaging in the implementation of the many suggestions and recommendations of the PAR certification process. These include:
- Increased participation in job/career fairs with Indigenous communities
- Participation in Indigenous community events
- Initiating development of Indigenous Cultural Awareness training for all employees
- Recognising and participating in significant cultural events/days (Red Dress Day, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation)
EllisDon also became a member of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) in 2021, and continues to support the CAMSC mandate of facilitating the growth of Aboriginal and minority-owned businesses by connecting registered businesses to procurement opportunities with companies and governments committed to a diverse and inclusive supply chain.
Educational Organization Participation
EllisDon is committed to participating in initiatives and partnering with educational organizations and communities to advance training and employment opportunities for Indigenous Peoples. Initiatives undertaken include:
- EllisDon’ continued to support and sponsor ACCESS/Bladerunners, Indigenous Career Employment Services Greater Vancouver area programs and fundraising events. This has resulted in facilitating connections with our subcontractors for training and employment opportunities.
- EllisDon’s Cold Lake-based Future Fighter Capability Project has teamed up with Career Next Gen, Cold Lake High School, Cold Lake Outreach School and Cold Lake First Nations to bring the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) to High School students in the community and surrounding areas. The program is open to all students, however, there is an emphasis on Indigenous student development. The RAP program is an apprenticeship program for high school students to earn their Alberta Diploma, while working toward a registered apprenticeship on the project.
Project Profile
Low Barrier Services Expansion Iqaluit, Nunavut
The Low Barrier Services (LBS) Expansion project was approved for $17M from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (“CMHC”) Rapid Housing Initiative (“RHI”). LBS consists of a three-storey facility containing a low barrier shelter of approximately 60 beds, a warming centre and a low barrier transitional housing program. Low Barrier means that the requirements for entry are minimal, and the operating model is based on harm reduction principles. Harm reduction is a service approach that seeks to mitigate risks associated with mental illness and addiction. The LBS transitional housing will be on the third floor with single room occupancy, individual bathrooms and shared living, dining, kitchen and laundry. This will be a first-of-its-kind multi-service, multi-program facility in Nunavut, focusing on an underserved and under-represented population.
EllisDon Community Builders (EDCB) is proud to have supported Uquutaq Society in preparing this submission to ISC and look forward to this project moving forward. The Uquutaq Society is a non-profit organization located in Iqaluit, Nunavut, providing shelters, affordable housing and transitional housing programs for those experiencing homelessness in Nunavut.
Health & Safety
Health and safety is vital to the EllisDon culture. As a company, we believe safety isn’t a matter of business but a matter of morality. EllisDon is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment and is driven by three key goals:
- To eliminate injuries
- To develop a strong safety culture
- To protect and maintain the health and safety (including physical, psychological, and social well-being) of our people, clients, partners, and communities.
We are continuously developing and implementing a variety of different programs and initiatives to create a positive safety environment that empowers all employees to become Health and Safety leaders.
Safety Values and Beliefs
Our leaders are actively guiding the safety journey, and we are seeing positive shifts in our safety culture. Organizational leaders at EllisDon continue to create personal safety values and beliefs statements with clear written safety expectations of their business areas. This year, all frontline leaders also began to develop their own values and beliefs and communicated these to the frontline workers. Senior leaders completed over 4500 management site visits on over 400 sites in the last 18 months, focusing on health, safety, and the environment as part of the inspection policy and key performance indicators.
In the last 18 months:
Management Site Visits
Sites
Most notably, EllisDon implemented executive safety leadership tours with all business areas, which concluded in 2023. The executives travelled across 21 business areas to meet with 170 influential leaders from the business areas and over 1500 employees in group sessions. This fostered open and honest conversations about key safety challenges at EllisDon. We collected all of this important data to provide constructive feedback and prioritized it into actionable items. Through this initiative, employees across the country could interact with top-level management and have their voices heard and acted upon. Positive initiatives that have already been implemented through employee voices include:
- Introduction of the 5 Points of PPE, which includes climber’s style hard hats with chin straps and a glove on hand policy
- Improved training and onboarding for hourly workers
- Re-introduction of in-house supervisor training
Health & Safety Culture in Action
“We’re on this journey to continue to build and continuously improve our safety culture. We want to be leaders in health and safety. We want to be best in class. We want to be the driving force in the industry. It’s about developing a culture of care, looking out for each other, and going home safely each night to your families.”
Steve Chaplin Senior Vice President, Health, Safety & Environment
We provide employees with the tools to become Health and Safety leaders, concurrently advancing EllisDon’s positive safety culture. Some positive demonstrations of EllisDon’s culture in action include:
- Visible leadership commitment at all levels of the organization;
- Integrated safety planning throughout the project lifecycle with estimating, scheduling and construction;
- Safety moment conversations at the beginning of every meeting;
- Regular company-wide communications on relevant health and safety topics;
- New employees welcomed by Senior leadership with a safety-first conversation;
- Active engagement from employees by producing health and safety initiatives and providing; recommendations on how to further improve safety;
- Annual awards for employee safety leadership; and
- Continuous improvement opportunities recognized and actioned proactively.
EllisDon believes everyone should be able to go home to their loved ones safely each night .
Measuring Health & Safety Performance
In 2023 we saw significant efforts and improvements in our health and safety performance and culture across the majority of the organization. Our Canadian Buildings, Civil and Life Sciences combined operations have seen tremendous improvements year over year, reducing their TRIR by 25% since 2022. Additionally we celebrate the successes of many of our business areas with exceptional performance, including 11 areas that were at zero or below their targets.
While we continue to look at recordable injuries as a lagging indicator metric, we are starting to shift focus to incidents with the potential for serious injury and fatality (SIF) and culture advancement activities the business areas are driving. EllisDon continues to capture leading indicator data to provide us with proactive, preventative, and predictive measures to allow us to make more informed decisions about improving our safety management system. Some leading indicators we look at include:
- Reporting of incidents with the potential for serious injury and fatality
- Worksite safety inspections and audits conducted as per requirements
- Senior leaders completing safety-focused management site visits
- Senior management team holding incident review meetings for recordable injuries
Reduction in TRIR
Areas at zero or below their targets
Taking Health & Safety to the Next Level
EllisDon strives to be at the forefront of advancements in health and safety and to make improvements not only at our company, but in the industry at large.
Industry Collaboration
EllisDon, along with 11 other industry leading construction companies in Canada, formed the Canadian Construction Safety Council (CCSC) of General Contractors. Composed of CEOs, COOs, and Senior HSE leaders. The Council’s mission is to be a force for positive change in the construction industry by leveraging the collective safety knowledge and capacity of the industry leading member companies and to work together to improve safety performance. Initiatives we are currently working on include the collaboration and sharing of significant learnings from serious incidents, mental health, focus on SIF-related incidents, and consistencies in safety standards and approaches.
Elevating Subcontractors
We recognize the need to look beyond our own company safety program and help elevate our subcontractors so they can grow with us on our safety journey. This year, EllisDon revamped our subcontractor management safety prequalification process, which will help monitor and improve the overall safety performance of our subcontractors.
Psychological Safety & Mental Health
As mental health has become a growing concern for everyone, EllisDon believes it is imperative that we enhance our culture of safety to include mental health and psychological resources across our entire organization, to give anyone the support they need. EllisDon’s new Mental Health Specialist role is providing support to our leaders surrounding preventing, responding to, and mitigating psychological health and safety incidents across our workforce. Through this resource, we will build a corporate strategy for mental health and psychological safety for all our employees.
Opioids in Construction
In recognition of the current opioid crisis that is affecting our industry, EllisDon began distributing naloxone kits to worksites over a year ago and providing training on usage. Although the kits are legally required only in Ontario, we have mandated them at all work locations across the country. These naloxone kits are an important addition to the other emergency equipment available at all our sites, including first aid supplies and AEDs.
Government Involvement
In 2023, EllisDon’s SVP, HSE, Stephen Chaplin, was elected as the Chair of the Ontario Prevention Council for Workplace Health and Safety where he works with other members to affect change on a broader scale on the prevention of injuries and illnesses, development of the provincial occupational health and safety strategy and any significant proposed changes to funding and delivery services under the OHSA.
Supporting Research
EllisDon recently joined the Construction Safety Research Alliance (CSRA) out of the University of Colorado in Boulder, which is a community of industry leaders and academic experts who create and share new safety knowledge through industry-funded scientific research, focused on preventing serious injuries and fatalities.
Health & Safety Awards
We are honoured to be recognized for safety excellence recently for the following awards:
2023 COS 5-Star Safety Culture
EllisDon was named to the Canadian Occupational Safety’s 5-Star Safety Culture list for its strong and vigilant commitment to safety. Companies included on this list are recognized for their development of diverse sets of tools and workplace policies that ensure the well-being of employees
2023 Zero Frequency Safety Award
EllisDon was the recipient of the Safety: Zero Frequency Injury Rate Award by the Vancouver Regional Construction Association in the category of General Contractor - 200,000 or more person-hours for our ongoing commitment to safety.
2023 WSIB Award for Canada’s Best Health & Safety Culture: Finalist and Excellence Awardee
EllisDon was named as a Finalist and Excellence Awardee by Canada’s Safest Employers Awards in the category of Canada’s Best Health & Safety Culture. This category included organizations with the strongest health and safety cultures in the country - a culture that not only permeates the workplace, but extends into the employer’s community, networks and areas of influence to make health and safety a priority for all.
2023 BGIS Award for Safety Leader of the Year: Finalist and Excellence Awardee
Stephen Chaplin, our SVP, HSE was named as a Finalist and Excellence Awardee for Safety Leader of the Year by Canada’s Safest Employer Awards. This category recognized individuals who best exemplify leadership and vision in the world of Occupational Health and Safety in Canada.
2022 Canada’s Safety Construction Employer: Finalist and Excellence Awardee
EllisDon was named as a Finalist and Excellence Awardee by Canada’s Safest Employers Awards in the category of Canada’s Safest Construction Employer. This category recognized employers in the construction industry that have an exemplary health and safety record.
Community
Affordable Housing
There is an affordable housing crisis in Canada, with people struggling to find reasonable accommodations in their communities. EllisDon Community Builders (EDCB) is committed to doing what it can to alleviate this critical problem, including assisting organizations that provide housing to advance an inclusive and thriving Canada.
EDCB works directly with non-profit organizations, Indigenous groups, and municipalities to help deliver affordable and supportive housing to underserved sectors by providing development management services and leveraging EllisDon’s turn-key project capabilities and extensive experience in public asset development and operational expertise. Over the last ten years, EDCB has led or is currently leading the development, design, and/or construction of over 1,200 affordable residential units across Canada, totalling approximately 1.2 million square feet across different built forms.
Contributing to Canada’s Rapid Housing Initiative
Two projects that are an example of the scope and capacity needed to cover the 3.5 million home supply gap as identified by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) are 122 Base Line Road West and 403 Thompson Road in London, Ontario. These apartment complexes will provide housing and common-use support spaces aimed at providing Londoners at risk of experiencing homelessness with a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home.
These two developments had thorough specifications from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) of London, a strict budget and an ambitious schedule that allowed just 12 months for the turn-key delivery of each project. They were among the first projects completed successfully under the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI). EDCB played a pivotal role in achieving substantial completion within the demanding timeframe set by the RHI program, championing the use of a modular construction solution and working diligently to meet the energy efficiency and accessibility requirements. These projects have helped EllisDon continue to improve an exceptionally efficient process for delivering quality housing under government funding programs. This process will be applied to 345 Sylvan, a third RHI project in London, and used to build affordable and supportive housing infrastructure across Canada.
Nicholas Gefucia
Vice President, EllisDon Community Builders
Affordable Housing Partnership with Habitat for Humanity
EllisDon has partnered with Habitat for Humanity Canada to provide local Habitat for Humanity organizations across Canada with affordable housing advisory services to accelerate homeownership projects. Under the partnership, EllisDon will provide advisory services over the next four years. The services will help local Habitat organizations evaluate how to best build for the most impact on specific pieces of land, with key information and advice on planning restrictions, permitted density, and potentially available financing.
"There are several obstacles to homeownership in Canada today, including financial impacts from the pandemic and inflation," said Nicholas Gefucia, Vice President EllisDon Community Builders. "Because EllisDon and Habitat for Humanity Canada work on a national scale, we are collaborating to streamline the development process, so more individuals and families will be able to buy a Habitat home of their own."
Canadian Paralympic Committee Partnership
EllisDon Infrastructure Services and Technology (EDIST) has been proudly supporting Team Canada since EllisDon’s engagement in the Toronto Parapan Am Games in 2015. During the Games, the Pan American Village was home to 8,500 athletes and team officials and incorporated a full range of conveniences and amenities. The entire development was built on the principles of inclusiveness, aiming to be a centre of excellence and accessibility.
Since 2021, collaboration between the Canadian Paralympic Committee and EllisDon has included the provision of comprehensive support services for the Canadian Paralympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games held in 2021 and the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing, as well as for the Canadian Parapan Am Team at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
As an official supplier, EDIST works with the Canadian Paralympic Committee to deliver a wide range of services, including facility services, wayfinding, IT support, furniture, and equipment and procurement. Our partnership includes a 3-year commitment providing value in kind services at Beijing 2022, Santiago 2023, and Paris 2024, as well as a yearly fundraising commitment for the Paralympic Foundation of Canada. Services for future Games will include sustainable procurement, ensuring an “experience of home away from home,” centralizing communications, and lessening the overall carbon footprint associated with the Games both in Canada and abroad.
ConTech Accelerator
The ConTech Accelerator, a joint venture by EllisDon and Impulse Partners, is a platform for nurturing innovative construction technology startups. Out of 110 submissions, eight finalists from various global locations were selected to present their solutions. The finalists offered diverse solutions aimed at disrupting the construction industry, ranging from data-driven tools and AI for data infrastructure to smart robotic elevators and next-generation intelligent equipment.
Sitelink
An AR-powered collaboration platform for commercial construction teams. Sitelink intends to be the walkie-talkie of the digital age, sending scans by text and making BIM more accessible to all.
The Link
Focuses on transforming specifications into an indexed repository of construction knowledge.
Provision
Their contract analysis for construction documents makes for a grounded and practical deployment of AI in the industry, a winning combination that is easy to use and ready to go.
Community Giving and Donations
At EllisDon, building our people and the communities in which they work is at the heart of everything we do,” said Max Mantha, Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, Construction. “We work to build strong relationships while giving back to the communities where we work. Our employees' dedication and enthusiasm towards the community act as a driving force for us.”
Max Mantha
Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President, Construction, Eastern Canada
EllisDon has been making significant strides in giving back to the community through various charitable initiatives. Here are some highlights of our recent fundraising and charity efforts.
In 2023, EllisDon donated over $2.9 million to local charities and community organizations, amplifying the commitment to create conditions that ensure economic and social well-being for all.
Some examples include:
Giants of Africa
In Edmonton, EllisDon collaborated with Giants of Africa, Toronto Raptors Basketball Club, and MLSE Foundation to build the first-ever Giants of Africa basketball court in Canada at Londonderry School in Edmonton. This court represents the organization's mission to empower youth globally and celebrate the African diaspora in Canada. EllisDon's Edmonton Area team contributed $30,000, services, and supplies to the project, including project management. The court will positively impact the student community by developing not just basketball players but also future leaders who feel inspired and empowered to Dream Big.
Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
EllisDon raised over $275K for the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation to provide exceptional care and advance medical research and education.
Ronald McDonald House
In Ottawa, EllisDon raised over $100,000 for the Ronald McDonald House, providing support for families in need.
Calgary Health Foundation
EllisDon raised a record $115,000 for the Calgary Health Foundation, who has been transforming health outcomes for over 25 years through various health programs.
Canadian Blood Services (Ottawa)
EllisDon Ottawa teamed up with Canadian Blood Services for a 2023 initiative, pledging 100 donations throughout the year. This partnership aims to increase the number of regular donors and monthly contributions, thereby supporting the community and enhancing this life-saving endeavour.
Champion of the Crescent 2023
EllisDon sponsored the Champion of the Crescent 2023, raising a total of $265,200, which will support music, art, and recreational therapy programs at Surrey Memorial Hospital and a new Child and Youth Mental Health Transition Team.
Going Beyond - New Brunswick Community College
In Halifax, EllisDon donated $50,000 to the Going Beyond campaign at the New Brunswick Community College, benefiting Indigenous leaders and student spaces, including a commitment to the Indigenous Bursary Fund.