REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS JOIN FORCES FOR A GOOD CAUSE

BY NATHALIE VALLERAND, JOURNALIST

Many feel helpless in the face of tragedy elsewhere, such as the destruction and trauma experienced by the people of Ukraine. Local real estate firms decided to help families living in exile find a home.

The project began in April 2022 in a Russian church in Montréal where a woman originally from Moldavia happened to meet Liliia, a Ukrainian woman who fled the war with her two young children. Touched by the distress of the family and eager to help, the woman spoke with her daughter, Olga Cauia, senior property manager at LSR GesDev, who then talked to the firm's president, Annie Lemieux, and the vice-president, Construction and Development, Lucie Laliberté.

"The timing was good, because we had already discussed the possibility of hosting Ukrainian refugees," said Lucie Laliberté. "In fact, we had just completed Phase 3 of our Loggia condo rental project in St. Lambert and a few units were still available. But before hosting a family, we needed that decision approved by Ipso Facto and other financial partners involved in Loggia. They all said yes without hesitation."

Things moved quickly after that. On May 1, Liliia and her sons Volodymyr, age 11, and Vladyslav, age 6, moved into a brand new 3½-room condo. Inspired by that good deed, the Devimco Group and another real estate developer (a firm that wishes to remain anonymous) expressed a desire to help. Olga Cauia sent Devimco a photo of a couple who had appealed for help on Facebook.

"As soon as we saw the photo, we fell in love with the family," said Caroline Girard, vice-president, Property Management. The husband, Kanvaly, is from the Ivory Coast and his wife Irina is Ukrainian. Their son Alan is 4 years old. The three of them arrived here on a plane chartered by the Canadian government, which also put them up in a hotel for two weeks. After that, it was up to them to find housing."

On a Sunday morning in June, Caroline Girard and her colleague Barbara Beaudry-Zanotty brought the family to Montréal to visit an apartment at Solar Uniquartier in Brossard. "We brought cuddly toy animals for the little boy, who has been through things that a child should not have to experience. Afterwards, we all went to my house for lunch to get to know each other better. Unlike her husband, Irina doesn't speak French but she does have a beautiful big smile that speaks volumes."

Collective Generosity

Like LSR GesDev, the Devimco Group made sure to get the green light from its financial partners before offering housing to the family. The Fonds immobilier de solidarité FTQ investment fund, along with other investors, promptly agreed to the proposal.

Employees in both firms rallied to the cause. From furniture to kitchenware, and toys to personal care and cleaning products, much of what was needed to furnish and equip the apartments was provided by the firms' employees, except for appliances, which are included in the Loggia and Solar Uniquartier projects. "One employee even donated the beautiful dinnerware she received as a wedding present," said Lucie Laliberté. "And one of our recommended suppliers, Jean L Décor, donated drapes and curtains."

In both cases the employees volunteered to clean the apartments and put everything in place. "When the family arrived, everything was ready," said Caroline Girard. "There was even a throw pillow on the sofa, and we also provided a home insurance policy. We wanted Irina and Kanvaly to be free of worries so that they could focus on their own happiness and on building a future for their family."

Kanvaly speaks French and had worked as a sales rep in Ukraine. He now works as a leasing agent at Devimco. "He's really good at it," she added, noting that he followed the normal hiring procedure. As for his wife Irina, she is learning French, as is Liliia, who is sponsored by LSR GesDev.

The experience made a big impression on the teams from the two firms. "Seeing people arrive in a foreign country where they don't speak the language and have only a small suitcase of clothing is very moving," said Olga Cauia, adding that the refugees did not expect such generosity. Irina even described her benefactors as angels come down from heaven!

Hosting the Ukrainians proved to be a project that brought people together in both companies. As Ms. Laliberté noted, "That time spent together assembling furniture and stocking cupboards strengthened ties. It’s better than a team-building activity."