Yesterday, we broke ground on four new homes in the Village at Griesbach!
This land once served Canada as part of Canadian Forces Base Griesbach. On July 14, with hard hats on and shovels in the ground, it took on a new purpose: four homes, and the four families who will one day call them their own.
A groundbreaking is a short ceremony, but it stands for years of work, trust, and persistence.
Today, our President and CEO Dr. Ann-Marie Reddy welcomed the partners and supporters who helped celebrate this project today:
- Mary Cameron, former Board Chair of Habitat for Humanity International
- Gord Johnston, CEO of Build Edmonton Homes, whose team will take these homes from bare ground to finished front steps
- Christian Benson, Senior Director of Real Estate at Canada Lands Company, which has guided this land from military base to complete community
- Dr. John Lilley & Eileen Guilfoyle, our lead donors, whose landmark gift set this build in motion
- The Government of Alberta for the funding support that helped turn this vision into a build.
- And a very special thank you to Issam Saleh and his team at Vivid Homes, who prepared this site and handled the logistics so today’s ceremony could take place right here on the lot!
Issam created Build Edmonton Homes as a distinct division of Vivid Homes, with giving back at the heart of its purpose. His $200,000 contribution to this build brings that commitment full circle: his company is not only constructing these homes, but personally investing in the people who will one day call them home.
By October, this lot will hold four half-duplex homes, each with three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a garage, a covered porch, and a real front yard. Applications are open now.
These four homes keep us on pace to add 15 homes this year and 45 between 2026 and 2028. Plus, because Habitat homes can be repurchased and offered to another household when its owner is ready to move on to market homeownership, the impact of this groundbreaking can continue for decades.
Yesterday was opening doors to homeownership in action. We are deeply grateful to every partner who helped make this moment possible and who continues to believe in what can be built when a community comes together!
