BILD Edmonton Metro

Not all infill in Edmonton is bad infill. Read my latest to find out more. edmontonjournal.com/life/homes/eff… via @edmontonjournal @bildedmonton @BuiltGreenCan

We’re pleased to announce that Stephen Raitz, RPP, MCIP, JD, is joining BILD Edmonton Metro as our new Vice President, Policy & Advocacy. Stephen brings a strong combination of legal, planning, and advocacy experience across both the public and private sectors. Most recently, he practiced as a Lawyer with Brownlee LLP, working across their municipal law department. His experience also includes seven years on different City of Edmonton commissions and appeal boards along with planning roles across the region at the City of Edmonton, City of Beaumont, and Municipal Planning Services. Through this work, he has contributed to planning policy, governance, and public decision-making across the region. A lifelong resident of the Edmonton region, Stephen is deeply connected to the communities we serve and brings a strong commitment to thoughtful, effective city-building. In this role, Stephen will advance BILD’s strategic priorities by shaping policy positions, mobilizing member expertise, and strengthening relationships with municipal partners — delivering focused, outcome-driven advocacy. Starting June 1, he will begin a listening and engagement period with members, committees, and stakeholders across the region. Early priorities include advancing development opportunities south of 41 Avenue, shaping regional budget advocacy strategies, advancing regulatory and permitting improvements to enable efficient investment opportunities, and activating members across greenfield, infill, and downtown development. Please join us in welcoming Stephen to the team.

This afternoon, we had the chance to visit Cantiro Homes’ office and hear more about the company’s incredible growth over the years! Originally rebranded as Cantiro in 2019, the company has continued expanding across Canada, with offices in Edmonton, Calgary, Okanagan, and Kitchener, and their projects spanning across Alberta, Ontario, and BC. Now grown to 157 staff members, Cantiro was able to complete more than 400 projects last year alone — nearly double the size of what the company was completing annually just three years ago. With their main office located right here in Edmonton (just across the road from BILD HQ on 124 Street!), the team continues to build around a strong set of four core values: entrepreneurship, passion, innovation, and always doing the right thing. Over the next few years, their main goal is to help create communities that evolve alongside the people living in them, despite their age, career, or budget. “I like to compare home building to football,” said Cantiro’s VP of Homes for the Edmonton Region, Gary Hoeft. “Each position may play a different role, but at the end of the day, everyone is working together toward the same goal.” Thanks for having us today, Gary!

In our industry, connection and belonging matter. Whether you’re an experienced professional ready to mentor or someone looking to learn and grow, meaningful relationships help shape careers and strengthen our industry. That’s why we’re excited to launch the NextGen Mentorship Connection, presented by Qualico. This new event will bring together more than 10 industry mentors with emerging professionals eager to gain insight into land development, homebuilding, skilled trades, and the many career pathways in between. Taking place on September 16, 2026, the event is designed to spark conversation, share knowledge, and build lasting industry connections. Space is limited and expected to sell out quickly, so be sure to reserve your spot early ➡️ #id=267&cid=1688&wid=601" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">bildedmonton.com/events/event/#…

Today at our luncheon, we were pleased to hear from keynote speaker, The Honourable @DanWilliamsAB, Minister of Municipal Affairs, who delivered a clear message: Alberta is open for growth. Through his presentation and fireside chat, Minister Williams emphasized the importance of strong partnerships between government and industry, noting that “the land development and homebuilding industry quite literally builds the communities and municipalities in our province.” He also spoke to the need to streamline policies, reduce red tape, and create more standardized approval processes and timelines to help support housing and community growth across Alberta. Missed the event? Our recap: bildedmonton.com/2026/05/21/wer…

To a crowd of 220 municipal and industry members, The Honourable @DanWilliamsAB said, “We’re exploring alternative financing models to help address and fund critical infrastructure gaps. Relying solely on property tax increases creates a lose-lose situation for both municipalities and residents. Other jurisdictions are finding innovative ways to unlock capital and accelerate infrastructure investment — and if we don’t adapt, we risk falling behind.”

Today, we got to visit UnEarthed Excavation — a residential excavation and site servicing company out in Acheson!

First founded in 2024 right here in Edmonton, the team has already added a brand-new Calgary office and has grown to more than 50 staff members — with most workers having 15+ years of experience in residential excavating. 

Whether they’re working on single-family, duplex, or multi-family projects across the region, no two days (or job sites) look the same. Last year alone, UnEarthed completed over 720 jobs, with plans to double that number this year! 

Through every project, UnEarthed prides itself on organization, safety, and quality. 

Thanks so much for having us, Scott and Janelle!

Minister @DanWilliamsAB says “We’re open for growth” and how our industry quite literally builds the communities and municipalities in our province. Speaks to the importance of streamlinin gpolicies and redtape reduction, standardization of policies and processes and timelines, and embracing “automstic yes” philosophy.

A double feature for us today — beginning with our Annual General Meeting, where we reflected on our 2025 highlights, shared our vision for the future, and welcomed several newly elected Board members; followed by a presentation and fireside chat with Minister @DanWilliamsAB about his government’s vision to streamline policies, improve and standardize processes, and to attract more economic investment and housing developments.

We often say that the worst place to plan a city is behind a desk. Cities are meant to be experienced firsthand — by walking their streets, visiting their neighbourhoods. That belief is at the heart of our Field Trips program. To hear all about our most recent outings — the Foundations and Land Development Dirt to Door and Infill Tour with Uytae Lee — check out the full story: bildedmonton.com/2026/05/15/the…

Please join us in welcoming our brand new Project Manager of Technical Research Initiatives, Aster Aytenfisu! Aster is a Professional Engineer and PMP-certified project manager with more than 13 years of experience delivering infrastructure projects, technical analysis, and strategic initiatives. Her experience combines technical depth with a practical understanding of how policy influences infrastructure outcomes. In this role specifically, she will be leading high-impact research that defines how public policy affects the building and development industry. Outside of work, Aster is pursuing her MBA with a focus on sustainable innovation, and is passionate about advancing practical solutions that support resilient communities and long-term growth! Reach out to Aster at aster.aytenfisu@bildedmonton.com.

Last week, we got a chance to visit BuildBase, a construction management software company that works with homebuilders and developers to provide practical solutions and AI-driven insights. Originally starting 8 years ago out of Rohit Group, BuildBase was created to provide a service that many markets were missing: an ever-evolving software that grows with the homebuilder. Now, they're able to help industry companies scale better, protect their margins, and grow smarter, working with other familiar builders like Rohit Group, Justin Gray Homes, and more! With a growing staff, BuildBase is headquartered right here in Edmonton, and works with companies all over Canada and the US, providing custom care and valuable insights to each company they work with. Thank you to Meghna, Dan, and Ana for sharing your story, and for hosting us. (We particularly loved hearing the turtle story... reach out to them to hear it for yourselves!)

When it comes to improving infill delivery, it takes more than just policy. Delivering more affordable, attainable housing requires consistency and alignment across planning, infrastructure and people. Moving forward, there are four focus areas to plan for a more effective infill system. 📆 Process & Timelines: Streamlining regulations and timelines to help reduce delays and proactively planning for future growth. 🔨 Infrastructure & Construction: Improving feasibility by addressing construction barriers and creating proactive infrastructure plans. 📌 Regulations & Rules: Advancing housing in redeveloping areas and ensuring projects can  remain on track. 🏡 Community Relationships: Strengthening trust and relationships within industry through clear communication and a shared passion. Want to learn more? Download the Infill Priority Actions Plan!: bildedmonton.com/wp-content/upl…

Today, our team got together to ring in BILD Edmonton Metro’s two-year anniversary! We celebrated with two of our favourite things — ice cream (where we got to make our own at Made by Marcus), and spending time with each other. Thank you to our incredible Board, members, and staff who make BILD what it is. Two years down and many, many more to go 🎉

The wind was no match for our first Dirt to Door Field Trip: Foundations of Land Development, moderated by Chris Nicholas of NAC Management. Chris curated an engaging tour featuring insights from Kairi Pawlina of CIMA+ / B&A, Michael Shankowsky of WSP, Nathan Barr of GS Construction, Crystal Pihowich of WCL, Reed Thacker of ATCO, and Matthew Lecky of San Rufo Homes. Together, the panel guided attendees through a behind-the-scenes look at how vibrant communities are built from the ground up. This immersive experience explored every essential phase of land development — from strategic planning and zoning to housing diversity, streetscapes, parks, and critical infrastructure. Participants gained firsthand insight into how thoughtful planning, collaboration, and community-focused design come together to create thriving neighbourhoods.

Delighted to attend the @EdmontonChamber’s State of the City event featuring Mayor @AndrewKnack and his vision for the future of our city. Mayor Knack emphasized the importance of bringing City Council together around a shared Strategic Plan built on four key pillars: economic development, growth management, quality services, and safety. He also spoke about increasing transparency in the budget process and moving toward priority-based budgeting. He highlighted the city’s many strengths — its people, technological expertise, housing industry, and vibrant arts and creative community — along with early successes from initiatives like the Downtown Action Plan, the Infill Infrastructure Fund, and the Downtown Attainable Housing Incentive Program. As Mayor Knack noted: “We are a leader in housing delivery in Canada. We didn’t get here by mistake. It was through strategic and intentional policy, investment, and collaboration with industry partners.” And perhaps most importantly: “If we want to build a stronger city, we have to do it together. We can’t do it without you.” We couldn’t agree more. Our industry helps shape the communities where people connect and belong, and the homes they buy, rent, and live in every day.

Yesterday, our CEO, @KalenAnderson, moderated a panel at the City of Edmonton's Housing Forward Summit! The session — Scaling with Purpose: Leadership, Governance & Organizational Health in Affordable Housing — explored how affordable housing organizations can scale their portfolios and impact without compromising their mission or organizational health. The panel also examined the evolution of leadership and governance required to manage increasing complexity, financial risk, and rapid growth. Thank you to the incredible speakers, Jaydan Tait with @AttainableHomes, Nick Lilley with HomeEd, Stephan Richard with the Community Housing Transformation Centre, and Bo M. Jiang with the @CalgaryHouseCo!

We were please to co-sign this letter with Minister @DanWilliamsAB calling for return-to-office work downtown for @CityofEdmonton employees in conjunction with @EdmontonChamber, @bomaedmonton, @RAEb2b, @NAIOPEdmonton and the Edmonton Construction Association

Yesterday, we got to visit BadaB Consulting Inc., an Edmonton-based consulting firm that was founded back in 2011! What initially started as a team of just two partners in business technology consulting has grown over the years to offer four different streams of services: human resources, business technology, training facilitation, and governance. Now, the team is made up of nine staff members, with everyone having more than 10 years of experience, and most with 30+ years! Through helping organizations strengthen their operations, improve workplace culture, and navigate business challenges, they’ve built a strong reputation across the region. And, over the last five years alone, they have worked with more than 60 organizations in the Edmonton region, with 82% of their clients actually coming from referrals. Plus, did you know that BadaB actually stands for the five core values that the company represents? Whether the work is Bold, Accountable, Diligent, Action-oriented, or Business-focused, BadaB is there to help organizations grow and succeed. Thanks so much for the awesome meeting, Ada, Boris, and Tracy! Learn more here: badab101.com

We toured with @uytaelee of About Here to explore how infill policy is translating into real housing outcomes across the Edmonton Metro Region. From Midtown’s gentle-density housing and housing diversity in Blatchford, to StreetSide’s innovative infill projects and Autograph’s purpose-built rentals, the day showcased how builders are expanding housing choice through thoughtful design, walkability, and missing-middle housing. Across every stop, developers spoke candidly about the challenges of infill — and why they’re still committed to building better communities throughout Edmonton and the region. The tour wrapped up with a debrief at BILD Edmonton Metro on how policy, design, and industry collaboration are shaping a more livable future.