In 1951, brothers Don and David Ellis Smith broke ground for the first time in London, Ontario. Today, EllisDon is leading the way as a 100% employee-owned construction services & technology company with an unmatched suite of in-house services
- 1951
A Local Contractor
Our founders Don and David start EllisDon in London, Ontario, with just four employees and a vision for the future.
- 1956
A First for Canada
After just five years, EllisDon becomes the first contractor in Canada to own our own tower crane.
- 1968
Future Forward
We computerize our accounting and cost controls systems—the first to do it in Canada, again.
- 1971
Safety First
We’re also among the first to adopt and implement a Corporate Safety Strategy on all job sites to protect and prioritize our people.
- 1989
Redefining the Stadium Experience
Our people make history by designing and building the world’s first retractable rooftop stadium for Toronto’s iconic SkyDome (a.k.a the Rogers Centre).
- 1990
Research & Development
We continue to build a legacy of leadership by establishing the industry’s first freestanding R&D Department, dedicated to building science innovation, to better serve our clients.
- 1996
New Leadership
Geoff Smith steps up as our new President and CEO. His dad left some big shoes to fill, but Geoff is a builder and a visionary who will go on to create our employee ownership program.
- 2003
The Diamond Award of Excellence
Edgebuilder, the proprietary project management software we developed and deployed, wins the highest honour at the Canadian Information Productivity Awards.
- 2003
First Public-Private-Partnership Project
EllisDon is awarded the Brampton Civic Hospital (formerly the William Osler Health Centre), marking its first PPP contract and the beginning of its leadership in the sector.
- 2011
Build Smarter, Not Harder
The PwC Tower project is completed, with an end-to-end building information network. It’s the most advanced IP-networked commercial building in Canada, one of the first “smart” commercial towers with a unified base building network in North America.
- 2018
Acquiring Carillion
With the success of this acquisition, EllisDon becomes the sole service provider on behalf of Royal Ottawa Hospital, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, William Osler Health System, and Sault Area Hospital, and the third largest provider of healthcare services in Canada.
- 2020
100% Employee-Owned
EllisDon unveils a plan to transfer full ownership to its employees, moving toward a completely employee-owned company.
- 2023
A New Era For EllisDon
Kieran Hawe is appointed the new President and CEO of EllisDon. Across 23 years of service at the company, from M&E Coordinator to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Construction, he has already shaped EllisDon’s past and present—and now he’ll shape its future.
- 2026
On The Leading Edge of Safety
EllisDon unites with other leading general contractors in Canada to form the Canadian Construction Safety Council to elevate safety performance and establish innovative new industry benchmarks to protect construction workers nationwide.
- 2025
A Healthier Future For Mississauga
EllisDon reaches Financial Close on the largest hospital project in Canada’s history: to design, build, finance, and maintain a 2.8M ft2 campus for the Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children.
- 1951
A Local Contractor
Our founders Don and David start EllisDon in London, Ontario, with just four employees and a vision for the future.
- 1956
A First for Canada
After just five years, EllisDon becomes the first contractor in Canada to own our own tower crane.
- 1968
Future Forward
We computerize our accounting and cost controls systems—the first to do it in Canada, again.
- 1971
Safety First
We’re also among the first to adopt and implement a Corporate Safety Strategy on all job sites to protect and prioritize our people.
- 1989
Redefining the Stadium Experience
Our people make history by designing and building the world’s first retractable rooftop stadium for Toronto’s iconic SkyDome (a.k.a the Rogers Centre).
- 1990
Research & Development
We continue to build a legacy of leadership by establishing the industry’s first freestanding R&D Department, dedicated to building science innovation, to better serve our clients.
- 1996
New Leadership
Geoff Smith steps up as our new President and CEO. His dad left some big shoes to fill, but Geoff is a builder and a visionary who will go on to create our employee ownership program.
- 2003
The Diamond Award of Excellence
Edgebuilder, the proprietary project management software we developed and deployed, wins the highest honour at the Canadian Information Productivity Awards.
- 2003
First Public-Private-Partnership Project
EllisDon is awarded the Brampton Civic Hospital (formerly the William Osler Health Centre), marking its first PPP contract and the beginning of its leadership in the sector.
- 2011
Build Smarter, Not Harder
The PwC Tower project is completed, with an end-to-end building information network. It’s the most advanced IP-networked commercial building in Canada, one of the first “smart” commercial towers with a unified base building network in North America.
- 2018
Acquiring Carillion
With the success of this acquisition, EllisDon becomes the sole service provider on behalf of Royal Ottawa Hospital, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, William Osler Health System, and Sault Area Hospital, and the third largest provider of healthcare services in Canada.
- 2020
100% Employee-Owned
EllisDon unveils a plan to transfer full ownership to its employees, moving toward a completely employee-owned company.
- 2023
A New Era For EllisDon
Kieran Hawe is appointed the new President and CEO of EllisDon. Across 23 years of service at the company, from M&E Coordinator to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Construction, he has already shaped EllisDon’s past and present—and now he’ll shape its future.
- 2026
On The Leading Edge of Safety
EllisDon unites with other leading general contractors in Canada to form the Canadian Construction Safety Council to elevate safety performance and establish innovative new industry benchmarks to protect construction workers nationwide.
- 2025
A Healthier Future For Mississauga
EllisDon reaches Financial Close on the largest hospital project in Canada’s history: to design, build, finance, and maintain a 2.8M ft2 campus for the Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital and Shah Family Hospital for Women and Children.
Testimonial
Everyone at EllisDon is building together—up from our shared foundations, toward the skyline of the future.
Quote: “At EllisDon, we are guided by our values, and those values are the essence of who we are and what our purpose is - to deliver great careers to each other. How we achieve our purpose will never change and the foundational values of respect, integrity, trust and entrepreneurial enthusiasm will always remain.”
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