Community Builders Releases Annual Impact Report

Grows Impact and Reach in Building Affordable Housing, 

Providing Job Training and Meaningful Employment

(February 25, 2026 – Barrie, ON)  –  Community Builders, the leading construction-based social enterprise in Northern and Central Ontario, is pleased to release its annual Impact Report. This marks the celebration of an exciting year with successes in all four of its locations, Barrie and Simcoe County, Greater Sudbury, the District of Muskoka, and Sault Ste. Marie. Community Builders is grateful to all our partners that collaborate to fulfill our mission: Building with Purpose, Empowering Individuals, Reinvesting in Communities. 

“The Canadian economy, including the construction industry, had a challenging year marked by tariff pressures and slowed growth, but this meant an even greater need for affordable housing, skills training and meaningful employment,” explains Brandon Day, Co-founder and CEO. “We are immensely proud of the continued, positive economic and social impacts of Community Builders’ work.”

Highlights of Community Builders 2024-2025 Impact Report

• Professional construction crews completed 324 building projects: 50.0% in social housing, 21.9% renovations, 14.5% affordable housing, and 7.1% co-operative housing.
• For the ninth year, the non-profit contractor used its proceeds to offer a 12-week paid Skilled Trades Training Program to individuals with barriers to employment, helping to launch new career paths to meaningful, living-wage work. Last year, 85 trainees went through the program (385 in its history), and 89% of Community Builders graduates found stable employment within 6 months of course completion.
• The organization received renewed support for its program, funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Canadian Apprenticeship Strategy (CAS), the Ontario Skills Development Fund,  the Home Depot Canada Foundation’s TradeWorx, and Meridian Credit Union’s Reframe Program. 
• Once again, the Trades Training Program served a vastly diverse population including women (31%), youth (54%), racialized people (38%), Indigenous People (13%) and individuals with disabilities including mental health challenges (28%). The program has proven to be an effective tool for moving those transitioning out of corrections, those with low levels of education, and those with little job experience, into stable meaningful employment in the trades sector. 
• Community Builders’ skilled trades training saw an organic shift from previous years, reflecting today’s labour market realities and unemployment rates. Youth (aged 18-30) previously accounted for 22% of its training cohort, but in the last year, that increased to 54% of graduates. 
• In addition to classroom and hands-on jobsite construction experience from framing to finishing, trainees graduate job-ready with safety certifications (WHIMIS, MOL-4step, Working at Heights), tools and PPE. 
• Community Builders invests $20,000 per trainee in paying their wages, hiring expert trainers and delivering the program. Last year, the organization created $480,000 in paid training opportunities and delivered $100,000 in wraparound supports. 
• The leadership and board developed an ambitious strategic plan that saw Community Builders replicate its success in Barrie/Simcoe County and Greater Sudbury by opening regional operations in Muskoka and Sault Ste. Marie, this past year. 

“Community Builders continues to connect those that need work, with the work that needs doing,” say Executive Director Carly Gasparini. “Our program offers a learning environment for those that want more than just a classroom, it offers a community where they are not only educated in skills, but gain the confidence they need to create a new path for themselves”. 

Download the Community Builders 2024-2025 Impact Report from its website: www.communitybuilders.co 

About Community Builders:  

Community Builders is a leading social enterprise Contractor in Northern and Central Ontario, working hard to solve two of Canada’s biggest issues: the Affordable Housing Crisis and the Skilled Labour Shortage. This dual-purpose organization is making a difference by building homes while also building futures. Community Builders is a thriving construction company offering services to Municipal and Non Profit housing providers, Charities and Non Profits, Property Management companies, General Contractors and private home owners. CB provides services in General contracting, labour and sub-trade workforce, project management, renovations, new builds, apartment turnovers, maintenance and service work and more.. Its experienced crews focus on building and maintaining affordable housing to high-quality standards. These construction projects fund and support real on-site job training and skills development offered by Community Builder through its 12-week paid Skilled Trades Training programs for individuals with barriers to employment. CB Certified trainees graduate with hands-on construction training, employment readiness skills, safety certifications, tools, and PPE. The program’s effectiveness has been proven, with 89% of our trainees securing good, life-changing jobs after graduation. Community Builders has achieved recognition as a member of the Fair Chances Coalition, Buy Social Canada, and the Ontario Living Wage Network. https://www.communitybuilders.co/

For more information, to receive photographs, or to book an interview, please contact:

Sybil Taylor, Marketing Communications Lead

Community Builders 

Email:  sybil@communitybuilders.co 

Phone:  416-402-2169