IPEX employees build new beginnings through Habitat projects
IPEX employees are focused on exceeding expectations and taking a customer-first approach on the job – and many are also committed to building something meaningful for the community by taking on vital volunteer projects through Habitat for Humanity Canada.
Dedication to building the dream
During fall 2022, more than two dozen dedicated employee volunteers from Calgary, Edmonton and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) carried on the IPEX tradition of giving back to the community. Employees from across departments joined forces with their colleagues to volunteer their time, skills and enthusiasm to build affordable housing for families who need a safe and reliable place to live. This tradition stretches back nearly three decades, when IPEX and Habitat for Humanity first joined forces.
As a national non-profit organization, Habitat for Humanity Canada brings together volunteers on residential home construction sites in their communities and globally to build and rehabilitate affordable homes, from single-family houses to multi-unit developments.
IPEX has been a Habitat partnership organization in Alberta since 1997 and in the GTA since 1994. The organization has supported initiatives like the International Day of Charity and the Electro Federation Canada Day of Giving. In addition, employees are involved in building Habitat homes on a regular basis, out of a shared commitment to the cause itself.
IPEX brings skills to Calgary Build Day
As part of the Habitat for Humanity Calgary Build Day in September, team IPEX took on the task of framing the interior walls and levelling gravel for the basement pad of a townhome project run by the Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta chapter.
The volunteer-led project will provide 11 families with the opportunity to purchase a home through Habitat’s affordable mortgage, with no down payment and monthly payments customized to their income.
As Kyle Vanderwolf, Regional Engineer, Municipal Products for Western Canada with IPEX based in Edmonton explains, volunteering on the Habitat project gave team members gratification from all they had accomplished in a day.
“I was able to forget my worries for a day and commit to doing the job at hand,” says Kyle. “These homes will act as a new beginning for many families, and I am just happy to have been a part of it.”
GTA employees part of a new beginning
In late October 2022, it was Ontario’s turn, with IPEX employees from the GTA taking on their own Habitat Build Day homebuilding project. Assisting with both framing and waterproofing, the team provided support for Habitat’s project of building 20 new stacked townhomes to create affordable housing at 423 Old Weston Road.
This Habitat GTA community has a unique history that began more than a decade ago. The City of Toronto declared the plot of land surplus and decided to convey the land to Habitat for Humanity GTA for a townhome project. The property was a “brownfield” site, with soil contamination that would be very expensive to fix. In parallel, Toronto’s multi-year escalation in housing prices was in full swing.
It became clear to Habitat GTA that the solution was a larger project that could deliver more homes. With support from the City, they found a partner who could help – Diamond Kilmer Developments. The result is an exciting new community of 276 mainly first-time buyers living in an 11-story condo apartment building, with five blocks of stacked townhomes. One of these blocks will include the 20 affordable homes built in partnership with Habitat GTA volunteers and donors like IPEX.
Putting IPEX values to work for the community
With employees from across the entire company participating and receiving on-the-job training, Habitat projects give IPEX team members the chance to develop skills, connect with colleagues and work for the greater good.
Through their participation in these initiatives, IPEX employees are helping to ensure that generosity remains at the heart of IPEX’s team values and company culture.
For more news on team IPEX employees and initiatives, visit IPEX Staff Stories.