Renovating Opportunities in Toronto
“With energy efficiency upgrades, you’re trying to stop the heat from leaking out of a building,” says Marc Soberano, founder and executive director of the Toronto social enterprise Building Up. “But what about the potential income that is leaking out of those communities when people face barriers to getting good jobs?”
In a city where construction cranes shape the horizon and skilled tradespeople are in high demand, there are tens of thousands of social housing units. Toronto Community Housing alone is the largest landlord in Canada. That’s a lot of construction, a lot of retrofits, and the framework of a simple but powerful idea: those in social housing could be trained to help build that very housing.
This blueprint for more fairness in construction started as a non-profit initiative in Winnipeg called BUILD (Building Urban Industries for Local Development) Inc. After spending three weeks shadowing the Winnipeg team and learning the tools of this particular trade, Soberano felt a similar non-profit in the business of building careers “just needed to exist” in Toronto. The country’s largest city has immense public housing infrastructure, a unionized trades sector that pays well, and thousands of residents eager for opportunity.
Building Up broke ground in 2017, launching as a training program that blends classroom training with hands-on job site experience. The social enterprise contractor also offers counselling, coaching, and mentorship to people caught in cycles of systemic inequity.
“Our goal is to become the contractor for social housing communities and affordable homes,” says Adam Zweig, Building Up’s Director of Social Enterprise, “because ultimately, we’re hiring folks from those communities. They understand the challenges better than most.”
Focusing initially on plumbing, over the years Building Up expanded into many areas of general construction. Increasingly, the non-profit contractor is exploring energy efficiency and green builds. They now offer training in insultation techniques, energy assessments, and are looking at heat pump installation. Training is provided in a clean, ordered, but not overly spacious centre edged with building and renovation supplies, tools, and safety equipment. Building Up is currently fundraising to create a new, larger training space; their participants will, of course, do the renos.
But training is only one side of the hard hat – you need construction and retrofit companies ready to hire. When it comes to equity work in the housing sector, where does the rubber hit the road? Or more appropriately, the insulation hit the wall?
Fortunately, Toronto Community Housing, construction companies, and union locals are employing Building Up graduates. And in the energy efficiency retrofit space, CLEAResult Canada has been a key partner since 2022. The company – which has delivered energy efficiency services across Canada for nearly four decades – is a trusted delivery agent of programs like the IESO’s Energy Affordability Program (EAP) and Enbridge’s Home Winterproofing. It only made sense (and cents) for the business to work with Building Up on social housing as well as low and moderate-income household retrofits.
CLEAResult engages Building Up as an energy efficiency sub-contractor, just like any other. Building Up crews perform energy audits, install insulation, and deliver energy-savings upgrades to lower-income households. But this isn’t charity; Building Up is competitive and effective.
“Their work is very high-quality,” says Mujtaba Mohammed, CLEAResult Canada’s Program Manager for Contractor Management. “Their staff treats the customers well, and they deal with us in a very professional manner.”
CLEAResult also recognizes the value Building Up brings through its deep ties to social housing communities. The non-profit helps CLEAResult find more low- and moderate-income clients to serve while also providing a ready-to-go workforce. In turn, CLEAResult offers consistent job sites that helps Building Up train and place more participants. It’s a true ‘win-win’ scenario.
“CLEAResult has been great to work with, from start to finish,” says Dominic Long, the insulation project manager at Building Up. “I hope we can do even more work with them. We have a pretty awesome group of people coming through our organization, so it’s gratifying to see them on CLEAResult job sites.”
The foundation of the success has been the rigorous selection process for Building Up participants. Each year, the social enterprise receives over 4,000 applications but only around 100 are accepted. Those selected undergo eight weeks of intensive training, learning trades-focused math, tool handling, and construction basics.
The curriculum, however, goes far beyond technical skills. Every trainee is paired with a career case manager, a financial coach, and even a therapist. They’re paid for their time in class and supported through personal challenges that might otherwise derail their progress. The goal isn’t ust to teach someone how to swing a hammer – it’s to prepare them for a sustainable career.
Kehinde Otegbade at Building Up headquarters
Names written in marker on a chockfull whiteboard in Building Up’s office tracks the alumni placed with union locals and construction companies. One of those success stories is Kehinde Otegbade, a Nigerian who came to Canada with his family as refugees in 2023. Back home, he was a realtor and his wife a journalist, but their credentials didn’t translate to their new country. Otegbade was referred to Building Up by a case worker and made it through the competitive interview process. He trained in plumbing and carpentry, eventually joining the insulation team. After successful stints with private companies, Building Up brought his skills, inspiration, and tenacity back into the fold. He has added heat reflector installation to old radiators to his toolbox.
“It’s not easy,” says Otegbade. “You need to work for it, you have to be strong and be able to handle some heat. But for me, it’s been life changing. I want it to be the same for others.”
With over 900 trained alumni and a core staff of 45, Building Up is proving that construction can be more than bricks and mortar, it can be the footing for equity, opportunity, and transformation. And partners like CLEAResult are critical to on-the-ground impact. The Canadian energy efficiency company and the Toronto social enterprise continue to work together to help redefine what retrofits can mean – not just for buildings, but for people.
- Published in CLEAResult’s blog
