Our Legacy
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.
2004 – 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.
2025 - 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.
Our founders Don and David start EllisDon in London, Ontario, with just four employees and a vision for the future.
