All the best, The Editorial Team We will keep adding business units that enhance our offering and separate us from our competition. “ ” Editor From The Dear Reader, Welcome to the latest issue of Construction Source Canada, the magazine that highlights the best in building and building products across the country. In this edition, we’ve looked at a wide range of players from across the construction industry – including plumbing and heating companies, designers and architects, development companies, and multiple acclaimed and longstanding luxury homebuilders. Mike Lobe Contracting, based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is a prime example of the latter. They are a multi-award winning custom home builder with over 40 years’ experience building in the Lower Mainland. We spoke to Mike Lobe, the firm’s eponymous founder and owner, about that industry experience and the many advantages that come with it. We also talked about some of their recent award victories, such as at the 2025 CHBA National Awards, where they won the category for ‘Best Detached Custom Home 3,001–4,000 sq. ft.’ We dived deep on that award-winning home and some of the stand-out features – including the largest single cantilever Mike has ever worked with. KingsGate Luxury Homes, based in Toronto, is another strong example of a premier luxury home builder. We’ve been fortunate to highlight them in our pages once before. This time out, we covered their last couple years, which they have spent delivering high profile homes and adding to their impressive list of award nominations and wins. In particular, we highlighted their work on a recently-completed Richmond Hill home, which founder and president Afshin Shirdarreh describes as one of the most ambitious, luxurious, and detail-rich residences the company has ever completed. Brixen Developments, meanwhile, is a real estate developer and home builder based in nearby Vaughan, Ontario. Since forming in 2019, they have delivered multiple mid-rise and high-rise residential condos and townhomes across the GTA, with increasingly larger and more expansive projects still in the pipeline. Throughout their short history, they have also been recognized with multiple prestigious awards, including BILD and CHBA National Awards. We spoke to Alex D’Orazio, the company’s co-founder and owner, about those accolades, the projects that earned them, and the many exciting projects still on the horizon. For more on those stories – and a lot more stories like them, about other leading builders, developers, and other industry players – just keep reading.
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA 1310 CREDITSTONE RD. CONCORD, ON L4K 5T7 • TEL: 905-738-8311 CONNECT WITH US AND DISCOVER WHAT IS POSSIBLE. VISIT: WINDSPEC.COM ARCHITECTURAL ALUMINUM SOLUTIONS DESIGNED, ENGINEERED, AND MANUFACTURED IN CANADA
JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA With a readership exceeding 145,000 senior executives, The Construction Source takes immense pride in providing an enticing platform to amplify your message to the most pivotal audience – your valued customers. Whether your aim is to promote an exciting new condo development, attract crucial financial investments for upcoming projects, or establish a commanding brand presence, we’re here to assist you every step of the way. To explore opportunities for featuring your company or showcasing your latest project in The Construction Source, please reach out to our Group Publisher. Jermaine Poulsen e: info@theconstructionsource.ca The Costruction Source Canada Suite 202 to 1201 Bay Street Toronto, Ontario M5R 2A5 E: info@theconstructionsource.ca Executive Publisher Jermaine Poulsen COO Alexandra Box Editor in Chief Zach Janes Director of Operations Jacqueline Van Belois Business Development Managers Catherine Ditchburn Production Manager Brennan Midghall Digital Strategist Pranim Thapa
JULY 2026 MIKE LOBE CONTRACTING Quality people, quality work KINGSGATE LUXURY HOMES Something New Every Time BRIXEN DEVELOPMENTS People come first PIONEER 2000 ENTERPRISES Respect and care SCAFFEX Scaffex never stops 24/7 service HABERMEHL CONTRACTING LTD. Dreams to reality DAVEL CONSTRUCTION Family-owned, quality-obsessed CHAMPAGNE GLASS & DOOR Solving glass challenges BLDG WORKSHOP Work that matters ORNELLA HOMES Genuine care LANDRIC HOMES A tradition of excellence BACKYARD PARADISE BY SUNCO Building… a Better Way INDUSTRY INNOVATIONS INCINERATING TOILETS IN THIS ISSUEJUNE 2026 SCAFFEX LANDRIC HOMES
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA BRIXEN DEVELOPMENTS
JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
QUALITY PEOPLE, QUALITY WORK
Mike Lobe Contracting is an award-winning custom home building company based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and backed by almost 40 years of experience building in the Lower Mainland. Mike Lobe, the firm’s eponymous founder and owner, got his start all the way back in 1988 and has learned the industry from the ground up. Over the years, he’s also built a trusted network that includes some the most skilled and dedicated suppliers and tradespeople in the region. As a result of that knowledge and that network, Mike has developed the ability to provide clients with a smooth and stress-free building experience that ends in a high-quality finished product that reflects their unique vision. ”I believe in solid teamwork and having great people to work with,” Mike says. “It takes many good hands to build a great home. I strive to keep a team of highly experienced trades, and quality people to work with in creating each detail.” “I think good leadership creates a healthy environment and a culture where people can do their best work – and all of these small details together make for a great final product.” “I work hard toward the end goal of a finished project which ultimately reflects my clients, their needs, their dreams and of course their budget.” Mike personally grew up in the prairies on a farm, where he learned early in life the value of hard work. He also discovered early that there wasn’t much he couldn’t do if he put his mind to it – which is a mindset he inherited from his father. “My dad was very much the kind of guy who if he wanted to do something, he’d figure out a way to do it,” Mike recalls. “He was very handy and hands-on. If there was something that needed to JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
be done around the farm, he’d go and learn it and get it done. I have a lot of that in me.” Mike started his career in construction working as a framer for another company, but after only three months he decided to start his own business. After a few years, that he progressed into doing some “very fussy” high-end custom work. He then started doing some new builds and renovations for select clients. Those early project went well, the company’s reputation quickly grew, and about 15 years ago Mike Lobe Contracting became a full-time custom home builder. Today, the company operates as a design-build firm, and Mike is involved from the very beginning of every project. Whether a client brings a piece of raw land or an estate property, he and his team are shaping the vision before a single nail is driven. On occasion, clients come to them with plans already drawn by one of the Lower Mainland’s notable architects – in those cases, Mike’s team takes ownership of the interior design and all the finer details that bring a structure to life. Central to that process is Mike’s frequent interior designer – Alexis Callegari of State Interiors – whom he describes as a genuine partner. “She has the poise and character of someone with twice her experience,” he says. “She’s just really gifted, a really great designer, and a real team player.” Together, Mike and his team have built homes across a range of sizes, but these days their work tends be valued between $2 and $3 million. They maintain a small active roster at any given time, with two or three custom homes at different stages simultaneously – one starting, one underway, one nearing completion. The limited volume is entirely intentional. JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026 “We don’t take on a tonne of volume, and that’s purposeful,” Mike explains. “We have a very small footprint, but very specific people. We want to keep everybody busy and everybody rolling, but we don’t want to dilute our focus. We want to make sure every client gets the same level of personal service.” The company’s geographic footprint follows a similar philosophy. Mike Lobe Contracting works primarily throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley, with projects in areas like White Rock, Langley, and Lindell Beach. They haven’t felt the need to venture beyond the region – not because they can’t, but because the demand close to home has always been there. That demand comes almost entirely through word of mouth. Mike has never advertised, and he says he’s never had to. Clients are referred by architects, by other tradespeople who have worked in their homes, and by friends of past clients who have seen the results firsthand. “We have a really good reputation,” Mike says. “A lot of people in the industry know of us. We get a lot of good reviews. We’re often told – by people who would know, who work on big houses – that ‘nobody’s doing it like you are.’ Our level of detail and level of care is just really, really high.” Mike is quick to clarify, however, that the quality is not just his doing. He says Alexis, his interior design partner, is just as much of a perfectionist,
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA and he says his subcontractors and trades also deserve equal credit for everything the company has accomplished. “It’s definitely not just me,” he says. “It’s the people standing beside me. It’s all the trades we work with. Those are the guys that are really doing it.” Many of those trade relationships, Mike explains, go back decades. His electrician, for example, is someone he mentored from the age of 18 – he now owns his own business and has been working alongside Mike for roughly 25 years. His framer has a similar story – he started his career working with Mike almost 24 years ago, he now runs his own company, but they still work together on most of Mike’s builds. His plumber is a secondgeneration relationship – Mike started his career working with his dad, and when his dad retired the son took over and the relationship continued. “I’m very careful about choosing who I work with,” Mike says, “but once I find the right person, I’ve got their back, and they’ve got mine. The relationship works both ways.” Another example of a close-knit partner would be Final Touch Window Coverings, a locally-owned company located in nearby North Vancouver. They are a premium residential and commercial provider specializing in motorized and manual blinds, drapes, and shutters, and serving clients across the Lower Mainland and Sea-to-Sky corridor. Much like Mike Lobe Contracting, they are a company that takes pride in delivering
JULY 2026 custom solutions that meet the unique needs of each home and homeowner. Their longevity and commitment to the community is also similar – they have been around since 1991 and their goal is to be around and available to service clients long into the future. Mike Lobe Contracting enjoys a similarly longlasting relationship with Apex Stone | Tile | Flooring, a premier countertop, flooring, and tiling contractor based in nearby Surrey. According to Mike, that’s another relationship that has lasted decades. He says that longevity is based on “service and quality,” and he describes the team at Apex as “great people focused on the details.” Blackwood Building Centre is yet one more example of a trusted and long-lasting partnership. They are a family-owned independent Home Hardware location also based in Abbotsford. Their history goes all the way back to 1971, and their relationship with Mike Lobe Contracting goes back to 1988. Mike describes Blackwood as “probably our biggest supplier,” and he says “their quality of material, commitment to service, and dependability is second to none.” Mike Lobe Contracting also just finished building the owner’s personal house – which is a great testament to their mutual trust and respect. “Of all the people he works with in the Lower Mainland, he chose to build with us,” Mike says. “That means a lot to us. We take that kind of thing very seriously.” Mike credits the loyalty of partners like those examples partly to the way he treats people – particularly on the job site, where he places premium on atmosphere and morale. He believes the energy on a build matters – that homes absorb something of the people who construct them – and he works hard to ensure that energy is positive. “There’s no tension on our sites. We don’t have trades upset with each other. Things happen – there are always challenges in construction, things change daily – but we try to surround ourselves with people who just love being there, who want to be there, who care a lot. That makes it easy to solve problems when they arise. I think that’s a big part of why this company has been successful.”
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA Doing what they love Over the years, Mike Lobe Contracting’s quality has not only been recognized by their clients in the form of repeat work and referrals, but also by their peers in the industry in the form of awards and accolades. At the 2025 CHBA National Awards, for example, they recently won the category for ‘Best Detached Custom Home 3,001– 4,000 sq. ft.’ for their work on a home they called the ‘Lindell Beachhouse.’ That award-winning project was designed by x architecture, a Langley-based firm Mike had collaborated with previously when the architect was working under another company. The homeowner was also someone Mike had built for before – a relationship of trust that proved essential given the complexity of what was being attempted. The home features one of the largest single cantilevers
JULY 2026 Mike has ever worked with, a dramatic 33-foot overhang extending out over the waterfront at Lindell Beach. There are also three full walls of glass using Keller minimal glazing – a system which all but eliminates visible window framing, with glass rising from the floor and disappearing into the ceiling. That was installed by Craftsman Glazing, based out of Port Coquitlam, “The glass, the clean metal roofline, the ACM panel – we created some systems that made everything just so clean, with no fasteners,” Mike explains. “You can walk around that house and you can’t find one fastener anywhere. It looks amazing.” The exterior cladding was equally innovative. The homeowner owns Longboard Architectural Products, a company that manufactures aluminum products engineered to replicate the appearance of wood, and Mike’s team used their materials to develop a cladding system that had never been applied to a residential home before. A hinge clip fastening system kept the exterior surface immaculate, while exterior insulation ensured the home exceeded energy efficiency expectations – even with three sides of floor-toceiling glass. Inside, Alexis of Stae Interiors carried the same minimalist sensibility through every detail. The aesthetic is clean, Scandinavian, and precise: linear lighting, planed studs throughout, and transitions between surfaces so carefully considered that the home feels less like a construction project and more like a work of sculpture. “Perfection oozed out of every corner,” Mike says. The homeowner agreed – according to Mike, their
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA response was everything he could have hoped for. “They loved it,” he says. “They loved their home. They loved the quality. They loved the details. I don’t think they were surprised, though, because we had worked together 10 years prior on another beautiful house, and when it came time to do this one they came back. To me, that’s the best possible nod for a builder – when someone comes back and says, ‘I want to do it again.’” The national award from the CHBA was also meaningful, Mike adds. For a long time he had previously avoided the awards circuit, but after joining the association at the encouragement of peers, he discovered that the CHBA’s peerjudged process resonated with him in a way other recognition programs hadn’t. Over the years, he has accumulated over 15 award victories. The first national win came in 2017, for a modern farmhouse known as ‘Township Custom Residential’ – a project that took him all the way to Newfoundland for the ceremony. He almost didn’t go. “My nephew, who’s a builder in Saskatoon, told me to take my head out of my ass and go celebrate being in the top 10,” Mike recalls. “That’s a great achievement on its own. So I went – and I ended up winning. That was an eye-opener.” The Lindell Beach-house win felt equally meaningful, and for the same reason – it was peer recognition, earned on the merits of craft and process, judged by people who understand what it actually takes. “I love the fact that it’s my peers looking at it, judging the detail, judging the
JULY 2026 Photos: Dale Klippenstein process,” Mike says. “That matters to me.” Moving forward, Mike’s goal is simply to continue delivering award-worthy projects to satisfied clients. He doesn’t feel the need to get any bigger – at 60 years old he’s reached a point in his career where he is comfortable about what he and his team have built. The company’s current size is a deliberate choice, driven by his desire to remain personally involved in every build and maintain their premium standard of quality. “I purposely stayed this size because I can actually get the result I want,” he says. “I wouldn’t be as happy having two or three supers running multiple homes. It just wouldn’t be as rewarding.” What does drive Mike, he says, is the moment a client walks through a finished home and sees their dream realized. That satisfaction – the look on a homeowner’s face when everything has come together exactly as they imagined – is what keeps him motivated. He believes the same goes for everyone works with, so his goal is also to keep everyone together. “I just want to be big enough to keep everybody busy,” he says. “I want to make sure the team stays together and everybody loves what they do every day. As long as that’s true, we’re at the right size.”
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more on Mike Lobe Contracting, their services, their past projects, and to hear from their past clients – and to get in touch with Mike and his team – visit https://mikelobe.com/
SOMETHING NEW EVERY TIME
KingsGate Luxury Homes is a multi-awardwinning custom home builder and construction management firm based in Toronto. Since 2011, the company has delivered more than 100 custom residences and major luxury renovations across the Greater Toronto Area, earning a reputation for meticulous craftsmanship, highly personalized service, and uncompromising attention to detail. Over the years, that reputation has been recognized by a wide range of industry organizations, including the Consumer Choice Awards, Top Choice Awards, Best of HomeStars Awards, Best of Houzz Service Awards, and ThreeBestRated® Awards. In 2025, KingsGate received the Consumer Choice Award for Toronto Central in the Home Builders category for the fourth time. In 2026, the company was again named GTA’s Top Choice Luxury Home Builder, also for the fourth time. In announcing the repeat victory, Top Choice Awards wrote that KingsGate’s “reputation for bespoke excellence is undeniably deserved.” The organization also noted that, “with a wealth of experience bringing dream homes to life, their team delivers custom builds that reflect their client’s unique taste and lifestyle - crafted with precision, passion, and unmatched quality.” KingsGate has also earned repeated international recognition from Luxury Lifestyle Awards, a global program celebrating excellence in the luxury sector. The company was named one of the Top 100 Luxury Real Estate Developers of the World in 2024 and received the organization’s Custom Home Developer award for Ontario in both 2024 and 2025. “Every award is a meaningful testament to the commitment, care, and exceptional service our JULYE 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
team brings to each client,” says Afshin Shirdarreh, founder and president of KingsGate Luxury Homes. “We are grateful for every achievement, but we also believe there is always more to learn and another opportunity to raise the standard.” Looking ahead, Afshin’s goal is not simply to collect more awards, but to continue creating homes worthy of that recognition - residences shaped around the individuality, lifestyle, and vision of each client. A recently completed Richmond Hill home offers a striking example. Afshin describes it as one of the most ambitious, luxurious, and detail-rich residences the company has completed in the GTA, and says the response from everyone who has toured it has been extraordinary. The Richmond Hill residence is, in many ways, the clearest expression yet of what KingsGate has always stood for. The homeowners came to the team with a simple but demanding directive: they wanted a home that was entirely their own. “They wanted something unlike anything they had seen before,” Afshin recalls. “They did not want us to copy another project. Every element had to be custom and created specifically for them.” From that brief, KingsGate coordinated the entire process - architecture, engineering, interior design, and construction - from concept through completion. Afshin describes the approach as detailed, methodical, and deeply collaborative. After the initial footprint and architectural drawings were approved, the team moved into interior design, selecting flooring, tile, lighting, JULYE 2026
wall panelling, millwork, and every bespoke detail in between. Construction began only after the clients had reviewed and approved the major design elements. In total, the project involved approximately a year and a half of design development followed by two years of construction, reflecting the scale and complexity of what was being created. Throughout the process, Afshin and his team maintained a close, day-to-day relationship with the homeowners, giving them clarity at every stage while coordinating the many professionals, trades, suppliers, and custom fabricators involved. “When you build a truly custom home, communication is everything,” he explains. “The clients need to understand and love every decision. From the stone, stairs, flooring, and cabinetry to the chandeliers and wall panelling, every detail must work together and feel right for the family.” The finished residence features an indoor pool, a private cinema, a bar, and a distinctive wine cellar. Custom-designed chandeliers were created specifically for the hallways rather than selected from a standard catalogue, and the kitchen was developed as a one-of-a-kind centrepiece. When Afshin invited leading GTA designers and real estate professionals to tour the completed home, their reaction was overwhelmingly positive. “They told us they had seen individual elements like these in different places, but they had never seen all of them brought together under one roof,” Afshin says. “They were genuinely impressed by THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULYE 2026 the overall result.” Afshin estimates that the residence includes hundreds of distinctive design features, each deliberately selected, designed, or fabricated for the project and not simply repeated from an earlier KingsGate home. Most importantly, the family who commissioned it is now living in and enjoying the finished residence. “The entire family was extremely happy,” Afshin says. “The final home reflects what we developed together over several years, and seeing them enjoy it is the most rewarding part of the process.” Moving forward, Afshin wants KingsGate to continue pursuing projects that demand imagination, technical coordination, and exceptional craftsmanship - homes that reflect each client’s priorities and are unlike anything the company has created before. “I want us to go further into what truly custom means,” he says. “We are not interested in copying what has already been done. We want to develop new ideas, solve difficult challenges, and create something memorable every time.” That personalized approach to design and construction is central to what sets KingsGate Luxury Homes apart. The company is increasingly focused on complex, highly customized residences where architecture, interiors, engineering, craftsmanship, and project management must come together seamlessly. “We want to take on the details and challenges
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULYE 2026 that require a higher level of coordination,” Afshin says, “and deliver a finished home that feels completely resolved.” Afshin also wants to continue growing the company, but only on KingsGate’s own terms. Expansion will never come at the expense of quality, personal attention, or the individuality of the work. The goal is not to build more homes that resemble one another, but to continue exploring ideas that distinguish each new project. “We have a creative restlessness,” Afshin says. “As soon as we complete one project, we begin thinking about how the next one can be even more thoughtful, innovative, and refined. We are growing, but every home still has to feel original - different from what we have done before and different from what the market has already seen.” That philosophy has served KingsGate Luxury Homes well for the past fifteen years, earning the company an expanding list of industry honours and satisfied clients. Yet the focus remains firmly on what comes next: delivering distinctive, tailormade homes and continually raising the standard. If the Richmond Hill residence is any indication, some of KingsGate’s most impressive work may still be ahead.
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA For more information about KingsGate Luxury Homes, their services, projects, and industry recognition – and to connect with Afshin and his team – visit https:// kingsgateluxuryhomes.com/
PEOPLE COME FIRST
Brixen Developments is a real estate developer and homebuilder based in Vaughan, Ontario, formed with a focus on building real communities for real people. Since forming in 2019, they have lived up to their founding vision by delivering multiple mid-rise and high-rise residential condos and townhomes across the GTA, with increasingly larger and more expansive projects still in the pipeline. Throughout their short history, they have already been recognized with multiple prestigious BILD and CHBA National Awards – and more of those accolades are surely on the way, given the tenets that underpin each of their developments. “Brixen is a company built on common values – commitment to quality, desire to build communities, and the underlying belief that people come first,” says Alex D’Orazio, co-founder and owner. “We are determined to integrate these values into each project.” Alex has personally been developing and constructing mixed-use, high-density communities for over 15 years, and has been responsible for building more than 6,000 units throughout various stages of development and construction. His partner and co-founder, Andrew Iacobelli, comes from a background in engineering and but has similarly worked in the real estate for more than a decade in a variety of roles. The two of them have a long history working together, starting from when they first met under the employ of another small general contractor. After going their separate ways for a period – Alex moving into high-rise development with companies like Minto and CentreCourt, and Andrew taking a role as an owner’s representative at a low-rise development company – the two stayed in close contact and always had their sights set on building something together. The JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
opportunity eventually arrived when Andrew’s employer acquired a property in Barrie initially intended for townhomes, but which the city wanted developed at a higher density. “He came to me immediately and said, ‘I think I have our first opportunity to do something together,’” Alex recalls. That project became the foundation of Brixen Developments. In the seven years since, the company has grown to just over 35 people, with teams covering construction, development, sales and marketing, and customer care all operating under one roof, with approximately three projects actively under construction at any given time. When it comes to choosing those projects, Alex says that he and Andrew always begin the evaluation process with the same important question. “’Is this an area that we would want to live in?’ That’s always the first thing we ask ourselves,” he explains. “Is there nearby transit? Are there local amenities? Do we feel like the general area is developing in a more urban environment where people are willing to live in a multi-res unit?” Once that initial box is checked, the team digs into current planning policies, assesses what density or zoning could be achieved, and where appropriate, will reach out directly to local councillors and municipal staff to validate their thinking. Technical due diligence – environmental concerns, sanitary capacity, and the condition JULY 2026
of any existing structures – follows once they are satisfied with the fundamentals. The goal throughout is to move quickly and strategically, often engaging consultants and beginning the first development application well before a property officially closes. That approach was on full display with ‘Exhale Residences’, Brixen’s recent standout project in Mississauga’s Lakeview neighbourhood. The property came to them through a broker they had worked with previously, and the area immediately resonated. “We love the area,” Alex says. “We felt that Lakeview was an up-and-coming neighbourhood – right adjacent to Port Credit, which is a very established, affluent community – and it was heading in that same direction.” The neighbourhood’s character also played a significant role in their evaluation. The local businesses are boutique and independent, giving the area a charm that the team found compelling, and directly across from the site sits the Small Arms Inspection Building, a historic community centre that hosts farmers markets and artisan events through the summer and serves as a genuine heart of the community. With unobstructed views of Lake Ontario, a trail system connecting to the Lakeshore Trail network that runs all the way into downtown Toronto, and a GO Station just a fiveminute walk away, the location offered residents something increasingly rare – the feeling of escaping the city while remaining fully connected to it. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026 “That’s why we chose the name Exhale,” Alex says. “You can breathe, you’re at home, you leave your stresses behind – but you’re still very much connected to the city, whether that’s downtown Mississauga or downtown Toronto.” Brixen acquired the property in late summer 2022 and moved swiftly. Recognizing that the Bank of Canada was in the midst of a cycle of interest rate hikes, Alex and Andrew wanted to be positioned to launch sales the moment conditions shifted. By closing in early fall of 2022, they already had their consultants retained and their first site plan application ready to submit the very next day. “We wanted to get far enough along in the development application so that when the rate hikes paused, and we felt there was some life in the market, we could go to our sales launch immediately and beat the rest of the market,” Alex explains. In late March 2023, when the Bank of Canada held rates for the second consecutive time, Brixen launched. More than 400 agents attended the unveiling, and the project sold substantially enough to break ground on construction that fall.
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA A family feel For the design of Exhale, Brixen turned to Architecture Unfolded – a firm they had already partnered with on their first two projects, so they knew they could move fast while still delivering an excellent design. “We wanted to be in a position to make our first submission the day after closing,” Alex reiterates. “We knew they would be able to keep up with our timelines and not trade speed for quality.” From their past experience, Alex also knew that the team at Architecture Unfolded had a very strong technical skillset – and he says that’s something they look for in all their design partners. “We consider ourselves builders first, so we know what good working
drawings look like. The recipe for success in residential development is making your building as efficient as possible while still making it beautiful – and that’s a lot more difficult than people might think, but Mark Zwicker and his team at Architecture Unfolded know how to do it.” Brixen is managing the construction of Exhale inhouse, just like they have been doing from the very first project. Their team is deliberately structured to avoid the pitfalls that can slow projects down or compromise quality. Buildings are designed from the earliest stages with efficiency in mind – minimizing structural and plumbing offsets, standardizing the placement of mechanical systems – so that the construction team is set up for success before a shovel hits the ground. Staffing is kept at an appropriate level rather than stretched thin across multiple sites, which Alex believes is a key point of difference. “We don’t believe the less staff on site, the more you’re saving,” Alex says. “If anything, it’s quite the opposite. We want to make sure that we’re staffed appropriately and that those individuals are dedicated to a project so they’re not spread thin.” Exhale is currently on track to be completed by early fall of this year. And though the project is still under construction, the industry has already taken notice. At the 2025 BILD Awards, for example, the building won the ‘People’s Choice Award’, which is a category voted on by the public. The following JULY 2026
year, the project was also named a finalist for ‘Best Mid-to-High-Rise Building (Planned)’ at the 2026 CHBA National Awards. Alex says that kind of industry recognition is very meaningful, not just to him but to every member of Brixen’s team. “We certainly don’t do it for the awards, but when you get recognized by your peers, there’s no better feeling. Winning an award isn’t just for myself or Andrew – it’s for our entire team, and they deserve it.” Alex credits the positive response to the calibre of the design, which includes an elaborate brick facade that integrates into the historic neighbourhood with care. He also credits the project’s “theme,” which he says is reflected in everything from the interiors to the marketing. “Everything captures that sense of Exhale, of leaving your stresses behind,” he says. “It all adds up to a very zen, tranquil feeling. I think kind of theme was unique to the industry, and I think people responded to it.” Moving forward, Alex says the goal is to deliver more award-worthy projects like that one – as well as some other kinds of award-worthy projects. He describes the firm as “evolving.” While forsale condominiums have been the backbone of their portfolio, they are actively diversifying into purpose-built rental. Their first such project – just over 300 units near Downsview Park – is well underway, with foundations and parking slabs nearing completion. A second purposebuilt rental project is slated to begin construction THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
within the year. “These are projects we plan to hold long-term,” Alex explains. “We’re excited to enter this space. It’s a great way to diversify and become a more well-rounded real estate development and construction company.” As for the size of the firm, Alex believes they have some room to grow, but they are wary of growing too large. At just over 35 people, he says they have created a genuine sense of community within the company, and they want to maintain that. “We have a very nice family feel to our company,” he says. “We’ve worked hard to foster a very healthy work environment here, where people get along, where everyone knows each other’s names and they socialize outside of work. We don’t want to get too big because we don’t want to lose that feeling. I would say we haven’t peaked, but we’re not too far away.” JULY 2026
For more on Brixen Developments and their past and present projects, including Exhale Residences – and to get in touch with Alex, Andrew, and the rest of their expert team – visit https://brixen.ca/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
RESPECT AND CARE
Pioneer 2000 Enterprises Inc. is a family-owned plumbing and heating company based in Calgary, and specializing in new home construction. Since forming over 25 years ago, they have consistently provided best-in-class service on projects of all sizes and complexities – whether clients want to fit out a new home, explore options for a renovation, or repair existing items, the company’s expert team takes pride in providing a personalized service and delivering results tailored to meet their specific needs. “Here at Pioneer 2000 we know our clients’ homes are important to them, they want it to fit their lifestyle and their budget,” says Dwayne Lucas, a partner in the business. “We love meeting with clients and helping them to find the look and feel for their homes. We deliver on our promise of acting with respect and care, and giving clients a quality experience.” Pioneer 2000, like the name implies, was officially formed at the turn of the millennium, but the company’s roots go in the local plumbing and heating industry date back to the late 1970s. The original company closed during a downturn in the market but was revived in 2000 by Bill Reid and his sons Blake and Jason Reid. Dwayne personally joined the company in 2004 right out of high school, and he’s been there ever since. Over the years, Dwayne has worked his way through a full apprenticeship, earned his journeyman ticket, and eventually became a partner alongside Jason Reid. It is the kind of trajectory that speaks to something central about Pioneer 2000 – the company rewards loyalty and investment, and the people who come up through the ranks tend to stay. Today, Calgary remains Pioneer 2000’s home JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
base, but they are not confined by it. The company has done work across British Columbia, including projects in Fernie and Invermere, and briefly operated a satellite office in Kelowna. “We go wherever we’re needed,” Dwayne says. “It just depends on the project and the scale.” That flexibility has opened doors to some of the company’s most ambitious work to date, including a major project currently underway in Revelstoke – a build that will rank among the largest Pioneer 2000 has ever undertaken. The scope of what the company takes on is genuinely broad. Pioneer 2000 works across new home construction – track-built townhomes, duplexes, single-family homes, and high-end custom builds – as well as renovations through a dedicated renovation builder. “We tackle just about anything,” Dwayne says. “We’ll work with a builder who does four homes a year, and we’ll work with a company that does 300 homes a year.” On the renovation side, plumbing scopes can range from $10,000 to $200,000, while custom new home builds vary considerably more. The Revelstoke project, for example, involves a total build cost in the range of $12 million – which will be the company’s biggest to date. Pioneer 2000’s clients include established custom home builders such as Alloy Homes and JULY 2026
Stonewater Homes. They operate as a trusted plumbing subcontractor to these builders, handling the full plumbing scope on their projects. According to Dwayne, they have earned the loyalty of those partners by being consistent, particularly when it comes to meeting schedules. “We really want to hit timelines,” he explains. “We take pride in getting things done efficiently and on time and ahead of time. We do things a little bit differently than other companies to make that happen. Lots of other companies will send one guy into a house and they take two-to-three days. We send three guys into a house and get it done in one day. We get in and get out.” Pioneer 2000 is also consistent when it comes to quality, Dwayne adds. “Quality is a must. It needs to happen. We have a high standard of quality that we expect for every finished product and we don’t deviate from that.” As a result of that consistency, Pioneer 2000 has been able to develop a glowing reputation in the local industry, along with some very strong and long-lasting relationships with clients. As evidence of that reputation, Dwayne points to a recent custom infill build with high-end finishes they did for the owner of one of the builders they regularly work with. As a builder in the area, that client was very familiar with the calibre of most local subtrades, and it says a lot that he went with Pioneer 2000. THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026 A team mentality Internally, Pioneer 2000 Enterprises Inc. also tends to form strong and long-lasting relationships. Currently, the company employs roughly 27 people: approximately 20 in the field, four in the office, and three in the warehouse. Of the field crew, around half are journeymen, with the remainder being apprentices working their way through their training. “We don’t like turnover,” Dwayne says. “We like to keep everyone close – it’s more of a team mentality here.” That mentality extends to how the field work is organized. As previously mentioned, the company almost always deploy crews in teams rather than one at a time. The approach serves a dual purpose – it speeds up the work and creates a built-in training
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026 environment where apprentices learn alongside journeymen. The company actively supports their apprentices through the schooling process and keeps a close eye on their progress through the trades certification system. It is the same path Dwayne himself walked when he first joined the company, and it reflects a genuine investment in developing people for the long term. According to Dwayne, Pioneer 2000 takes the same sort of long-term view when it comes to their relationships with subcontractors and suppliers. Rather than treating those relationships as purely transactional, the company makes a deliberate effort to keep their preferred network busy and well-supported. “We keep in mind that subcontractors need steady work too,” he says. “We try to make sure we can help them maintain their income. It’s not a comeand-do-this-once-and-see-you-later situation – we want longevity.” Moving forward, Dwayne is measured and realistic about what the next few years will hold. The Calgary market, like much of Canada’s construction sector, is navigating a period of uncertainty, and Pioneer 2000’s immediate focus is on stability. “Right now it’s about sustaining what we have – keeping our people busy and making sure we have projects for all of our employees.” If the market strengthens, Pioneer 2000 is positioned to grow – but growth, Dwayne says, has never been the company’s end-goal. “We don’t want to be the biggest company, by any means,” he concludes. “That’s not what motivates us. We want to maintain our quality of craftsmanship and we want to keep providing clients with a great experience. That’s what motivates us.”
For more on Pioneer 2000, their history, their range of services, and plumbing tips for kitchens and bathrooms – and to get in touch with Dwayne and his expert team – visit https://www.pioneer2000.com/ THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
SCAFFEX NEVER STOPS 24/7 SERVICE
Scaffex Inc. is a full-service scaffolding company that has been expertly serving the greater Ottawa and Gatineau regions for over a decade. Since forming in 2013, they have been servicing clients across all sectors of the construction industry, providing them with high quality scaffolding and temporary access solutions tailored to meet their specific needs. Throughout their history, they have also strived to remain on the cutting edge of technology and training, ensuring all their projects are run as efficiently and as safely as possible. “We believe in providing great service at a competitive price without making any compromise on safety,” says Steve Vaillancourt, director of operations. “Using modern equipment, we constantly try to innovate new work practices and techniques to increase productivity and thus save time and money for our clientele. We will work with clients from the initial set up to the final dismantle to ensure that your job is a success.” Steve has personally been working in scaffolding most of his life – he and company president Yves Deschamps started in the industry when they were 14 years old, working in Ottawa’s downtown core during weekends and school breaks. “We just grew up liking scaffolding,” Steve recalls. “It’s all we know, basically.” When they were 23 years old, the company they were working for put their scaffolding division up for sale. Yves purchased it and that’s how Scaffex got started – with $5 million in debt and $50,000 in the bank. The following years were a “roller coaster ride,” but Yves and Steve put in the work to make the company successful. As part of that effort, Steve remembers knocking on the doors of all the major players in the city, JULY 2026
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
including PCL, EllisDon, Pomerleau, and Bird Construction. He says they fought for the chance to quote for those builders, and when they won they proved themselves by delivering high quality solutions safely and efficiently. With every successful job, Scaffex’s reputation grew, and then the company grew accordingly – they grew their team, they expanded their capabilities, and they started taking on increasingly larger and more complex projects. These days, Scaffex specializes in the rental, sales, custom design, and expert installation and dismantling of scaffolding, shoring, swing stages, and construction fencing for residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Those projects can range greatly in terms of size, scope and value – they can do anything from renting clients a single piece of equipment, to providing full access solutions to large-scale industrial and commercial projects. One of the most notable projects currently on Scaffex’s plate is the Centre Block Rehabilitation on Parliament Hill – a long-term federal project that will span 10-to-15 years in the heart of downtown Ottawa. On any given day, Scaffex has 20 to 30 workers on that site installing scaffolding throughout the building. But for Steve, the scale of the job doesn’t change the approach. “We do rentals that are a couple hundred dollars to multi-million dollar jobs,” he says. “For us, there’s no big or small. We treat everyone the JULY 2026
same way – nobody gets serviced any less than anybody else.” That level of service, Steve believes, is what has powered the company’s growth and success. He says a big part of that is being responsive at all times – answering calls at nine o’clock at night when a client has an urgent question, replying to emails sent at ten in the evening, picking up the phone at six in the morning and on weekends without exception. “We don’t go to sleep, we work,” Steve explains. “We outwork our competition by working seven days a week, 24/7, because we never stop.” Again, Steve says the company’s responsiveness is consistent – they don’t just mobilize quickly at the behest of large clients on large projects. When a smaller client calls with an emergency, he says they act just as fast. “When a main breaks in a building and we get a call from a property manager saying, ‘I need scaffolding within an hour,’ our answer is never ‘no.’ Our answer is ‘yes, we’re sending guys right away.’ I think that goes a long way. I think that’s why we have the reputation we have.” Steve credits the company’s mobility to the loyalty and longevity of their field crews. Many of Scaffex’s foremen and workers have been there for almost 10-to-15 years, and he describes their level of engagement and buy-in as unmatched in THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026 the industry. “We all have each other’s back,” he says. “Every time I call my best foremen, they answer. I’ll go unlock the shop myself, load a truck, and deliver it to the guys on site on a weekend. That’s what we do.” Problem solving is another area where Scaffex has built their reputation. With decades of hands-on experience between them, the team approaches every complex access challenge by designing custom sketches and solutions before a single piece of equipment is moved. Steve credits much of his problem-solving ability to an early mentor – Patrick Deschamps, the president of the company he came up in, a figure who shaped the way he thinks about scaffolding challenges from his earliest days in the field. “He always questioned how I was going to solve my problems when I was younger, directing sites at a younger age,” Steve recalls. “Over the years of him mentoring me, I give full credit to him – every time I had a question about a problem, he was there to answer it.” That foundation, combined with the collective experience of the Scaffex team, means clients frequently come to them with challenges they’ve been told aren’t solvable. “When I go on site and look at a problem that my clients think is not possible, we design them a sketch of what the scaffolding is going to look like, show it to the clients, and they quickly get on board – and then we build it.”
THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE CANADA
JULY 2026 The right people Over the years, Scaffex has made it a priority to keep pace with the industry’s evolving materials and techniques is another key priority. To that end, the company maintains strong relationships with suppliers in both Canada and the United States, and they make it a point to attend the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas annually or every other year to stay ahead of new product lines. “The industry evolves and we have to get involved with it,” Steve says. “We go to see what’s coming out in the future so we can align our clients with the new product lines – and then buy those products to make things easier on them and easier on us.” That commitment to current materials pays off particularly when conventional equipment can’t reach a tight or unusual space –
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTYzNTg=