Guelph Students Head to Fergus Elementary School for OnePoint's Third REALTOR®-Supported Building Project in 2026

'Foundations for the Future' is a $146,000 annual initiative from OnePoint Association of REALTORS® supporting skilled trades, youth and housing through hands-on learning experiences, scholarships and community partnerships across Ontario.

FERGUS, ON, May 21, 2026 — OnePoint Association of REALTORS® (OnePoint) brought Foundations for the Future back to Wellington County this week. Grade 11 carpentry students from St. James Catholic High School spent the day working alongside staff and volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington on a meaningful community project. Together, they transformed a shipping container into a storage shed for the tech shop class at St. Joseph Elementary School in Fergus. 

The tech shop class, which requires on-site storage for construction materials, provides hands-on programs for students from multiple elementary schools in Centre Wellington. Class projects range from learning about environmental protection by building turtle houses to developing carpentry skills like making furniture. After completing the roof structure, the visiting secondary school students had the exciting opportunity to work with a professional crane operator to help lift the trusses into place and secure the roof to the base of the structure.

“We are grateful to OnePoint for supporting this year’s Youth Build Day and helping create a meaningful hands-on learning opportunity for students interested in the skilled trades. This project will not only provide a much-needed storage shed for a local school but also give students the chance to build practical skills, gain confidence, and experience the value of teamwork and community impact firsthand. Partnerships like this are important because they help connect young people to real career pathways while addressing needs within our community.” - Karyn Boscariol, Director of Communications & Resource Development, Habitat for Humanity Guelph Wellington.

With this program, students gained real-world experience while working alongside skilled volunteers to guide them through the day’s tasks. Furthermore, a lunch-and-learn helped students better understand the logistics and community impact of Habitat for Humanity. During the event, Dillon Fraser, President-Elect of OnePoint, spoke with students about career opportunities in the trades, housing supply, and the growing need for more people to build and maintain homes in Ontario. 

“Foundations for the Future is about allowing students to apply their skills in a real-world setting while making a meaningful impact in their community. Seeing these students work alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers to create something that will benefit St. Joseph Elementary School is exactly what this program is all about,” said Dillon Fraser, President-Elect of OnePoint Association of REALTORS®. 

Created and supported by local REALTOR® Members through OnePoint, and delivered in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), Foundations for the Future connects education, employment and housing through skilled trades learning experiences and scholarships. The initiative is designed to help prepare young people and build awareness of skilled trades career pathways.

Foundations for the Future has 12 learning experiences planned for 2026, with more than 200 students expected to participate across the region this year. This initiative will take different forms across OnePoint’s region depending on local programming and community needs. Up next, students will spend 2 full days in June with Habitat for Humanity Grey Bruce at the Saugeen 5-Single Dwellings, assisting in completing the last 2 units.

In Guelph and Wellington County, Foundations for the Future represents a total investment of $26,000 in local youth and housing initiatives. That includes a $20,000 investment, as well as $6,000 in scholarships that will be awarded in June to students from 12 local high schools pursuing pathways into the skilled trades. The remaining $120,000 will be distributed throughout the other regions in OnePoint’s jurisdiction, including Grey, Bruce, Huron, Perth, Muskoka, Haliburton, Parry Sound, and Simcoe.

The program responds to urgent challenges facing communities across the province. Housing insecurity is rising, with nearly 85,000 Canadians experiencing homelessness in 2025, up about 50% from 2022. Education disruptions can significantly impact this. Data shows that more than 53% of unhoused youth had dropped out of school, compared with a national dropout rate of just 9%.

At the same time, home ownership is becoming less attainable for younger adults, and Ontario’s goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031 will require major growth in the residential construction workforce. Demand is increasing just as many skilled trades workers approach retirement. Locally, the 2025–2026 Simcoe-Muskoka Skillforce Local Labour Market Plan notes that employers are already struggling to fill skilled trades and construction roles in an industry that represents a significant part of the regional economy.

In addition to supporting affordable housing initiatives through Habitat for Humanity’s work, the program encourages students to explore skilled trades careers that are critical to Ontario’s housing future. 

“Foundations for the Future reflects the kind of local collaboration our communities need right now,” said Jennifer Morley, President of OnePoint. “If we want a stronger housing future, we need to support the next generation of skilled trades professionals who will build it and create more pathways for young people to succeed. Through partnerships like this one, we can help strengthen communities while supporting practical solutions to Ontario’s housing challenges.”