OnePoint Association of REALTORS® Brings Skilled Trades Learning to Parry Sound Through Habitat Build Day
Foundations for the Future connects local students with hands-on learning experiences while supporting housing and future skilled trades professionals.
PARRY SOUND, ON, October 7, 2026 — OnePoint Association of REALTORS® (OnePoint) continued its Foundations for the Future regional initiative this week, providing students from St. Dominic Secondary School with a hands-on learning opportunity at a Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North (OGN) home under construction in Parry Sound.
Students worked alongside experienced Habitat for Humanity volunteers at the bungalow on Hillcrest Avenue, helping install flooring while developing practical construction skills. They learned how to cut and trim flooring to fit, use construction tools, and install transitions and baseboards.
The participating students are all part of the M.U.S.E. (Mentoring Unity through Social Engagement) Specialist High Skills Major program, making the experience a valuable opportunity to apply their learning in a real-world setting. The build day demonstrated how construction skills, volunteerism, and community partnerships can come together to address local housing needs.
The home is designed to provide safe, stable, and affordable homeownership for a local family. Through Habitat for Humanity’s homeownership model, the selected family will purchase the home through an interest-free mortgage with no down payment and contribute 500 hours of volunteer work.
Foundations for the Future is created and supported by local REALTOR® Members through OnePoint. It is part of OnePoint’s annual $146,000 regional investment supporting youth, housing, and skilled trades awareness across Ontario.
Delivered through partnerships with organizations including Habitat For Humanity and the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP), connecting students with hands-on learning, career exploration, and opportunities to contribute to their communities.
The initiative also raises awareness of the growing need for skilled trades professionals and affordable housing solutions across Ontario. By introducing students to practical skills, teamwork and the important role organizations such as Habitat for Humanity play in creating affordable homeownership opportunities, Foundations for the Future encourages young people from diverse backgrounds and interests to explore pathways they may not have previously considered.
"What we're seeing today is Habitat's mission in action," says Meghan Taylor, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North. "Through our partnership with OnePoint Association of REALTORS® and the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, these students have come together to help build this home and create an affordable housing opportunity for a local family. At the same time, these young people are doing meaningful work that aligns with their career goals. This is good for the students and good for the community. It really is a win-win."
Through Foundations for the Future, OnePoint is contributing $20,000 locally to support Habitat for Humanity Ontario Gateway North’s mission and $6,500 in scholarships awarded in June to students from 13 local high schools pursuing skilled trades pathways. The remaining regional investment supports initiatives across OnePoint’s other communities, including Wellington, Huron, Perth, Grey, Bruce, and Simcoe.
The Parry Sound build day marks the sixth of 12 learning events planned for 2026, with more than 200 students expected to participate across OnePoint’s region this year. Depending on local programming and community needs, these learning experiences will take different forms across OnePoint’s region, including ReStore Days, Build Days, or in-class building workshops.
“Giving students the opportunity to step onto an active construction site and learn directly from skilled volunteers can have a lasting impact,” said Jennifer Morley, REALTOR® and 2025-2026 OnePoint Association of REALTORS® President. “We want young people to see the skilled trades as a rewarding career path while also understanding how their skills can contribute to something bigger - building safe, stable homes and stronger communities.”
The initiative responds to urgent challenges facing communities across Ontario, including housing insecurity, barriers to homeownership and the growing demand for skilled trades professionals.
With Ontario working toward its goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2031, developing the next generation of residential construction workers is increasingly important. At the same time, an aging workforce and growing demand for housing are adding pressure to the skilled trades sector. Foundations for the Future helps introduce students to these career opportunities while demonstrating how their skills can make a meaningful difference in their communities.
Nearly 85,000 Canadians experienced homelessness in 2025, up about 50% from 2022, and 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%.
Home ownership is becoming less attainable for younger adults. Demand is increasing just as many skilled trades workers approach retirement. Employers are already struggling to fill construction and skilled trades roles, and by 2028, 1 in 5 job openings is expected to be in the skilled trades.
OnePoint Association of REALTORS® is a non-profit organization representing more than 2,700 real estate professionals across Wellington, Huron, Perth, Grey, Bruce, Simcoe, Parry Sound, Haliburton and Muskoka. As a regional association, its coverage area includes 51 Ontario secondary schools, 6 Habitat for Humanity affiliates, and 13 ReStore locations.
