Staikos Home SOLD!

Its hard to believe six months ago 8 Gala Crescent in Canniff Mills Estates was just a pile of shovels and an empty piece of land. Thanks to a large group of generous trades and suppliers, this lot has been developed into an all brick bungalow well suited for a growing family or seniors. This home boasts many additional features inclduing a finished basement, heated floors, and over 2,300 square feet of living space.

What was thought to be a ribbon cutting ceremony unveiling the home to the public, turned out to be an annoucement of the sale of the home. The home was purchased by Belleville residents Claude Morel and wife Petra Rutkowski. The home was sold for the asking price of $329,000. The net proceeds of the sale of the home will go towards purchasing medical equipment for QHC.

A special thank you to all the trades and suppliers who made this possible! The purchase of this home will impove the care and services QHC can provide to the community. To see more photos of the home please visit the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation's facebook page.

Almost done!

There’s not much left to complete at the Staikos Homes Home Build for Healthcare site; just a few last-minute details to attend to as it moves towards its public unveiling during the Quinte Home Builders’ Association’s Parade of New Homes on October 2 and 3.


The Maple model is a popular 1,472 square foot all brick bungalow well suited for growing families or seniors. It features a large, open concept living space and the large kitchen/great room space that has become the central meeting place for so many modern families.


The model boasts two large main floor bedrooms; the master with walk-in closet and a private en-suite bathroom. There is a third large bedroom with cathedral ceiling and large windows, making it a bright and airy room that some families may chose to use as a den or study.


This Home Build for Healthcare model has a finished basement with an additional washroom, a large family room, another bedroom and additional space that would make a great office. With the added space in the finished basement there is total living space of over 2,300 square feet.


Some of the added features in the Home Build for Healthcare home include:


• Energy efficient two-stage gas furnace

• Air conditioning

• HRV air exchanger

• Finished basement

• 9 foot ceilings with coffered Great Room ceiling

• Dropped ceiling detail in kitchen

• Transoms above front and rear exterior doors

• Large cove moldings in all main areas

• Interior pot lighting

• Quality American Standard plumbing features

• Maple kitchen cabinetry with pot and pan drawers featuring wood dovetailed drawer boxes, full extension slides and soft close feature.

• Centre Island with breakfast bar

• Granite counter tops

• Oak staircase

• Porcelain floor tiles in entrance, laundry room, kitchen and bathrooms

• Heated en-suite bathroom floor

• Mirage engineered hardwood flooring on the remainder of the main floor

• Pressure treated deck

• Concrete walk and driveway

• Irrigation system

• Landscape package


Staikos Homes and their suppliers and trades have built this home with Dream Home features and their goal in pricing it is to offer the buyer an outstanding value while providing significant support to Quinte Health Care. This extraordinary home is offered for sale at $329,900


This week we look at two more of the Staikos Homes contributors.


This is a, “what are the chances” situation where the owners of both businesses being profiled have the same name: Manny Almeida.

Quinte Drywall


In 1983, Gandhi won the Oscar for best picture, M*A*S*H aired its last episode and Manny Almeida left a partnership that he had been in since 1972 and struck out on his own to start Quinte Drywall.


Like so many others, Manny’s business started relatively small, with a crew of about eight men, most of who had been with him in the other business. He quickly established a reputation for quality workmanship and solid business practice that led to an ever growing list of clients and demand for service that now has him managing a workforce of 40 men.


Manny has several men with him who have never worked for anyone else in 30 plus years. He says he likes to hire young fellows – kids – to give them a chance and teach them the trade.


Working with Quinte Drywall would certainly give you the opportunity to learn all facets of the trade. Like the name says, they do drywall, but they also do mud work, trim, plastering, stucco and even framing of things like bulkheads in basements in preparation for dry walling.


Manny’s crews also have the chance to work in just about every kind of construction setting imaginable: new home construction, home renovations, institutional, commercial and industrial.


Watching the six man crew measure, cut and install drywall in the Staikos Home gives the impression of a highly organized and well rehearsed dance troupe. They move with an amazing speed, but it’s clear the pace is the result of experience; not haste. Each man knows his job and can do it with an ease that would give a handyman heart palpitations.


“We’re quick because we’re good,” Manny says. “We never sacrifice quality for speed.”


Manny is one of those very generous contributors to the Home Build for Health Care who is working on both the Staikos and the Geertsma homes. He says both builders are, “Great. Very, very good in different ways.” Of Staikos, he says he thinks of himself as their “lifetime” drywaller, having worked with them since 1990.


There is no question that Manny supports the Home Build; you might even say with all his heart. “Number one, I believe in the cause and I want to contribute. I’ve had some issues in the past, and every time I’ve needed the hospital I’ve been well treated. I ended up having a triple bypass so I know how important it is to have a well-equipped hospital.”


But it’s not just his own experience that drives Manny to get so fully behind the project. “You’ve got to look at the whole picture,” he says. “What goes round comes round. This is good for the whole area. People buy houses and move here because we have a good hospital. A good hospital is good for everyone.”


There’s no doubting Manny’s sincerity, or his willingness to put his money where his mouth is, when you consider that his people have put in more than 400 hours of work on the two builds.


Summing up Quinte Drywalls contribution to the Home Build, Manny says, “It’s like I said, what goes round comes round, and a good hospital is good for everyone.”



M. A. Cement Finishers

The M. and A. in M. A. Cement Finishers are owner, Manny Almeida’s, initials. Having his name on the company is just one of the reasons Manny strives to provide the very highest quality product and service to his customers.


Manny started M. A. Cement finishers in Kingston in 1995. Since then he has worked hard on every job to establish and maintain the reputation for integrity, quality and workmanship that has seen his customer base grow through good, and even lean, economic times.


Now he and his crew of five employees keep a hectic schedule as they strive to meet the demand for both new construction and renovation projects in residential, commercial and industrial projects.

“Anything to do with concrete, we can handle.” Manny says. “Driveways, sidewalks, curbs; concrete floors in basements or garages, patterned concrete: you name it and we can do it.”


M. A. Cement Finishers has been working with Staikos Homes for the last five years. Echoing a sentiment expressed by all the trades that work with Staikos, and are contributing to the Home Build, Manny speaks of what a pleasure it is to work with Staikos Homes.

“They are super nice people; everyone at Staikos,” he says. “They care about their customers and they want only the best quality. Like me, their name is on the business; there’s a lot of pride in doing the best.”


Manny says that although he doesn’t live right in the Quinte area, he’s very happy to participate in the Home Build for Health Care. “Of course, it’s a pleasure to work with Nick and Chris on the project – that’s probably enough reason to be involved – but there’s much more to it than that.”


He went on to explain that he believes everyone should give back to the community. “When it’s a good cause that will help the community, hey, I’m there. When someone asks, ‘Can you give me a hand,’ I’m going to help.”


Speaking of Quinte Health Care, Manny says he considers it an honour to do something for the hospital. He added, with a chuckle, “I might move to Quinte and might need to use the hospital; I want to know you’ve got everything it needs.”

Manny’s actions certainly back up his words about giving back to the community and his support for this project. He is covering all the costs of having his full crew of five work for almost two full days doing the concrete finishing at the Staikos Home Build.

“Like I say, you’ve got to give back to the community and there’s no better way than to support the hospital so they can buy the equipment they need to give everyone the best care possible,” Manny explained. “Hopefully, this will make lots of money for Quinte Health Care so you can get the equipment you most need.”

Geertsma Home Build Update

We’re all familiar with Dream Home lotteries, but no one has ever heard of even one builder, let alone two, going to the lengths Quinte Home Builders Association members, Geertsma Homes and Staikos Homes have to support their local hospital.

The Home Build for Health Care is raising funds to address the need for state of the art, life-saving medical equipment at Quinte Health Care. The government doesn’t pay for this equipment so we have to. Every year the hospital’s Foundations work with volunteers and donors to raise the ever increasing amount of money needed to keep the hospital equipped.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that members of the Quinte Home Builders Association have responded to this need, but it’s fair to say that people here, and around the province, are amazed at how they’re responding.

The family owned and operated Staikos Homes and Geertsma Homes are taking the extraordinary step of each building a home in their current developments to be sold and the net proceeds donated to the Trenton Memorial Hospital and Belleville General Hospital Foundations so all our families can receive better care.
And, like an extended family, tradespeople and suppliers who work with Staikos and Geertsma have rallied to make the build a success and maximize the donation to Quinte Health Care. The vast majority of labour and materials is being donated.

When speaking to contributors to the Home Build the one reason you hear from virtually all of them for their participation is that they want to give back to the community and they think equipping the hospital is the best way to help the most people.

This week we profile contributors to the Geertsma build.

A & E Ceramic Tile & Marble Ltd.

In 1985, Armando Leonarduzzi decided the time was right to start his own business selling and installing tile. It would be a family business, with his son working with him as a labourer and learning the trade. He wanted to acknowledge his son’s role in the business, both at that time and later, when he knew Elvis would play a much larger role in the running of their company. Instead of Leonarduzzi & Son, he decided on A & E; Armando and Elvis.

So, like many of the contributors to the Home Build for Health Care, A&E Ceramic Tile and Marble is a business started by the father and eventually passed to a son, although in this case the son would have happily waited a few more years to become the boss. It was only four years after the business was started that Elvis and his wife, Tina, took over A & E following his father’s untimely death at an early age.

In 1994, Elvis would move the business from a small shop on Wallbridge Crescent to a new and larger outlet at its present location on College Street West. A & E is a full service specialty shop with professional staff who enjoy working with clients from project conception to the meticulous details of installation.
When asked what motivated him to participate in the Home Build for Health Care, Elvis doesn’t hesitate for a second before saying there are two very good reasons, “Geertsma and my father.”

“Andy Geertsma, and everyone at Geertsma Homes, are great. They’re great to work for, they have a very good name and they’re known for quality workmanship. They’re the type of people you want to be associated with.” Elvis said. “Just partnering with them would be enough to get me involved.”

But there’s that other reason Elvis wanted to be part of the project. “When my father was sick the hospital looked after him 110 percent.” Elvis said. “Now that I can give back, I’m more than happy to. And we’re local, we make our living here and it’s important to give back to the community. You can’t just take; you’ve got to give back.”

With a bit of a chuckle Elvis added, “And, we’re all getting older and at some time we’re going to need a little support from the hospital. Our parents need it, we will need it, eventually everyone needs it, and it’s good to make sure QHC has got what it needs.

A & E is contributing about $5,000 in tile and installation costs for the kitchen, laundry, bathrooms and entrances. “We’re going with the new up and coming style of 18”x18” tile in the large areas.” Elvis said, “It’s state of the art. It’s going to be beautiful, just like the rest of the house.”

The Door Company

Many of the businesses involved in the Home Build for Health Care started small, you might say they had humble beginnings but grew because of the hard work and perseverance of their founders. Perhaps the very best example of this is The Door Company. Their story could serve as an inspiration to all budding entrepreneurs.

In 1979, Peter Wickers started The Door Company with a truckload of gumption, and a truck. In the years since, the company has grown to the point of having offices in Sterling and Metcalfe and selling over 7,000 garage doors a year from Ottawa to Oshawa and Peterborough and beyond. They offer a complete range of garage doors and openers to residential, commercial and industrial clients.

Peter passed away three years ago, having grown his business from the back of that truck to the thriving enterprise it is today. Since then his wife, Betty Ann, has carried on the business, continuing Peter’s commitment to deliver high quality product and excellent customer service at a fair price. It was Betty Ann who committed The Door Company to the Home Build.

According to Operations Manager, Donna Nicholson, the door being installed in the Home Build home is the best of old and new. “The door Geertsmas have chosen is our Carriage House door. It looks like the old fashioned doors with large hinges and handles that would open out into the driveway. It will be beautiful with the style of the house.” Donna said, “But looks are deceiving, it’s really a state of the art, fully insulated metal door that opens overhead with one of our best automatic openers. It has old style charm and the benefits of modern, energy conscious construction and ease of use.”

Speaking to why The Door Company is participating in the Home Build, Donna echoes the sentiments of many other contributors, “We want to give back to the community, we all use the hospital and we want to know we’ll be able to use it in the future,” she said, “And we’ve worked with Geertsma Homes for about 10 years now and wanted to partner with them on the project.”

Recently, Betty Ann Wickers decided it was time for a change and last month sold the company to Ottawa businessman, Greg Bell. Named to the Ottawa Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40, Greg has already earned a reputation for supporting community building projects like the Home Build.
“I’m very excited about taking up the reins at The Door Company,” he said. “I want to build on the Wicker’s legacy of integrity and honourable dealings in business, and their support of community building through projects like the Home Build for Health Care. I am deeply committed to these ideals and look forward to being actively involved in Quinte region communities.”

Cataraque Cabinets

Most people would agree the kitchen is the heart of a house. It’s much more than just the place where meals are prepared; it’s the one room that if you sit in long enough you’ll see every member of the household. It’s the room we sit in with family and best friends and often it’s the showplace of the house. It’s the room realtors say sells a house.

The kitchen in the Geertsma home looks like it came from the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. It’s an amazing combination of luxury and functionality, colours and textures. Over 100 hours of design and construction show themselves in its old world style craftsmanship.

In 2002, Sean Flynn was working in the trucking business when his brother in law, Hans, asked him to take over Cataraque Cabinets. Hans was going through a difficult time trying to adjust to life without his wife, who was killed in an accident the year before. They had started the company together in 1979 and now Hans needed to get away. So it was that Sean and his wife, Doris Splinter-Flynn, took over the business in 2002 and bought it the next year.

In the years since, Cataraque Cabinets has grown from nine employees to 35 and from one building to three. About 30 percent of their output is for new homes, 35 for renovations and the remaining 35 percent is wholesale business.Sean has been working with Geertsma Homes for the past five years and describes their relationship as a good fit.“Andy is easy to approach and work with, and all his staff are very positive.” Sean says, “We really enjoy working with them.”

According to Sean, Cataraque Cabinets is very involved in supporting a number of community projects in Kingston. He says they believe strongly in giving back to the community and welcomed the Home Build for Health Care as their first opportunity to step forward for Quinte area communities.

“When Tony called from Geertsma and mentioned the project I immediately said, ‘We’re in.’” Sean says. “It’s something we wanted to do and I never gave it a second thought. And, my wife is a nurse, so I know about funding issues for hospital equipment and know it’s a very good cause.”

Nothing was spared in making the kitchen the stuff of a family chef’s dream. Designed by Tweed resident Clint Brushie – one of four Cataraque employees from Tweed – Sean describes it as “dressed to the nines.”

“We wanted this to be our best work.” Sean says, “We wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the project. We want people to be impressed, but we’re not in it for glory; we want to help make it a success and raise as much as possible for Quinte Health Care.”

Staikos Home Build Update

Locally owned and operated Staikos Homes and Geertsma Homes are each building a home in their current developments to be sold and the net proceeds donated to purchase life-saving medical equipment for Quinte Health Care – so all our families can have better care.

And like a family, tradespeople and suppliers who work with Staikos and Geertsma have rallied to make the build a success and maximize the donation to Quinte Health Care.

This week we profile contributors to the Staikos Home Build:

Space Age Shelving

Space Age Shelving owner, Ron Bouwers, his wife, Janet, and their three children are all living happy, healthy lives, but that doesn’t mean Ron isn’t very aware of how important health care is.

Like most of us, he had brushes with the health care system raising a young family with the usual visits to the doctor and occasional rush to Emerg as the kids were growing up. And Janet is an RN who has shared insights and stories from having worked at Sir James Whitney School for the Deaf, Northumberland Hills Hospital and is now at Kingston General Hospital. But Ron’s true appreciation of our health care system comes from the experience of others in his family.

For twenty years now, Ron’s family has been dealing with the aftermath of a tragic accident. His nephew, who was then only two years old; a bright and bubbly young fellow, full of promise and his whole life ahead of him, tumbled down a 60 well. In a matter of seconds lives were changed forever. Now a young man, the nephew has been confined to a wheelchair since the accident. He has limited motor skills and requires around the clock care. And as if there weren’t enough, Ron also has a family member battling cancer.
“When your own family is involved, it hits close to the heart.” Ron says in explaining why he is contributing to both the Staikos and Geertsma Home Builds.

Ron has owned Space Age Shelving for the past four years. He bought the business from Gary Dafoe who had owned the company for the previous twenty years and was very well known. Gary still works in the business on a part-time basis.

Space Age Shelving provides service from Kingston to Belleville, Cobourg, Gananoque, Smith Falls, Madoc, Marmora and The County. Space Age Shelving is installed into new and existing homes based on design plans, for commercial projects such as providing stainless steel shelving for EMS (Emergency Response Services) and for high-rises.

Although considered a small company a small company with four employees, they are proud to be able to provide shelving to the majority of home builders in the Belleville and Trenton area.

Ron didn’t hesitate to donate his time and materials to the home build project. “It’s nice to know the community is involved and that the funds raised from the home build project will help everyone.” he says.


Ponte Brothers Masonry Contractors

Carlos Ponte attended college because he wanted to learn Civil Engineering. He also learned that his heart was really in the family business where he had worked as a teenager with his father and uncle. So back he went to perfect his trade and learn the business.

That was twenty years ago. His father, Joe, and Uncle Gilbert are gone now, but 40 years after they started their company in Kingston, Carlos proudly continues his family’s commitment to high quality workmanship.

“I had big shoes to fill,” Carlos says, “I often think of my father and uncle and hope they would be proud of how the business has continued.”

Carlos has worked with Staikos Homes for the past seven years and says he is pleased to be associated with a company with such a good standing in the community. When asked to contribute to the project, he was more than happy to contribute. Carlos has a soft spot for hospitals and the care they provide. He knows firsthand about how they save lives because a member of his family has had triple-bypass cardiac surgery.

“We all need to give back to the community and the hospital,” he says, “and everyone needs to do what they can.”


King’s Exterior

Not everyone involved in the Home Build for Health Care has had to use the services of the hospital. Some, like Lawrence King of King’s Exterior, are participating because they want to give back to the community that has been so good to them and they know that some day we all end up using the hospital.

Lawrence King has worked in the exterior aluminum business for thirty five years and started his own business sixteen years ago. His wife takes care of the office end of the business while Lawrence and their staff of seven do the site work which is concentrated in Belleville and Napanee.

Lawrence says he first met Nick Staikos through mutual friends and that they hit it off right away. That led to King’s Exterior working with Staikos Homes for the past five years. He says the association is a good one.

“We work with Staikos mainly because of Nick and Chris. In the industry, they are considered to be very conscientious, have a great reputation and everyone gets along.” Lawrence says. “All the trades work together, being flexible where necessary and ensuring they are always working on a clean site.”

When Nick Staikos asked King’s Exterior to donate their expertise and materials for the exterior aluminum on the Home Build Project at Canniff Mill Estates, Lawrence said yes immediately.

“We’ve been lucky and haven’t needed to use QHC,” Lawrence says, “But you never know when you might. And besides, if you want to give back to the community that supports you, you touch the most lives by giving to the hospital.”

Geertma Home Update

To the untrained eye, the houses being constructed by Staikos Homes and Geertsma Homes for the Home Build for Health Care appear to being to be going up quickly. However, in both cases the builders say the projects are taking longer than a normal build.

According to Andy Geertsma, the steady progress that has people thinking the project is moving quickly is a testament to the commitment trades and suppliers have for the project.

“Our tradespeople are incredibly busy working on houses that have firm closing dates, and that they get paid for,” Andy says, “This is a volunteer project they’re taking on in addition to their normal workload, so it’s taking a little longer than usual, though not too much.”

Greg Timlin, Project Manager for Staikos Homes agrees. “Our home is a little behind where it would be in a normal build, but we’re very pleased with how it’s moving along. It really shows how much our guys care about the Home Build. The volunteer work being done at both sites is incredible.”

For Andy Geertsma the eagerness of trades and suppliers to participate in the Home Build just confirms what he’s always believed, “People who build homes really care about other people and about their community,” Andy says, “so it’s no surprise to me that they’re jumping at the chance to give time, talent and materials to build the homes and help buy medical equipment for Quinte Health Care.”

Commenting on the Home Build and the contributions being made by Staikos Homes, Geertsma Homes and their contributors, Quinte Health Care President and CEO, Mary Clare Egberts quoted a proverb: It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home.

“In this case,” Ms. Egberts said, “the caring, generous hands and hearts of everyone involved will ensure that these are not just beautiful houses, but that they’re warm and loving homes.”

This week we feature contributors to the Geertsma home.

Reid’s Insulating

A few weeks ago, Delbert Reid’s uncle thought he’s drop in to say hello and have a visit in Delbert’s office on Highway 62. They were talking about this and that, catching up on one another’s news, when Delbert’s uncle became aware that something was wrong; he was having a heart attack.
Wasting no time, they called for an ambulance which arrived within two minutes. Suddenly, Delbert’s uncle went into cardiac arrest, but his life was saved when the attending Emergency Medical Services personnel applied CPR. He was quickly transported to Quinte Health Care Belleville where he was stabilized before being transferred to KGH for triple by-pass surgery. The uncle is continuing to recover at home.

“No need to ask why I’m supporting the Home Build for Health Care,” Delbert says. “I was planning to help before, but after my uncle’s experience you couldn’t keep me away. What if we didn’t have the hospital or the equipment? When immediate care is needed, it’s critical that help is close at hand.”

Delbert started Reid’s Insulating about 16 years ago and began working with Andy Geertsma the next year. The business has grown over those years and Delbert now has a team of a dozen people working with him.

“Andy Geertsma is a great guy to work for,” Delbert says, “He’s always fair and honest and we’re proud to be contributing to his build in support of the Home Build for Health Care.”

Lafarge Concrete

According to Scott York, Plant Manager for Lafarge Concrete in Belleville and Napanee, Lafarge is an international company with a local focus and strong community connection.

Lafarge was one of the area’s major employers when they had a quarry at Point Anne, just east of the city limits, from the 1950s to the early ’70s. Today they are still a presence with a variety of operations in the area including a ready-mix plant on Aikins Road.

Internationally, Lafarge is rated number one in the world for production of cement, number two for aggregate products and number three for ready mix products. The company is in seventy-eight countries and has 78,000 employees.

States Scott, Lafarge is big but it has never lost its commmunity connection. “We’ve been giving back to the community for over 50 years,” he said, “because community is important to us. This is where we live.”

“We’re very pleased to provide all the concrete and aggregate for both houses in the Home Build for Health Care.” Scott said, “We have excellent relationships with both Geertsma Homes and Staikos Homes and it seems fitting since we supplied 8,500 cubic metres of concrete for the new Sills Wing at Quinte Health Care Belleville.”

Watson Land Surveyors

Watson Land Surveyors have also donated their services to both projects. Keith Watson continues the business started by his father Walter back in the 50s. Back then MacDonald Avenue was the southern limit to the city. First, Second and Third Avenues were new subdivisions that Walter surveyed for the construction of new homes and for the past twenty years, Watson Land Surveyors have done the surveys for most homes in the area.

Walter Watson was one of the original members of the Quinte Home Builders Association which now boasts over 100 members and celebrated the Associations 50th Anniversary last year. Keith is happy to continue his father’s tradition of giving back to the community.

Let the progress continue...

For many years, and in very many ways, Nick and Chris Staikos and Andy Geertsma have been community builders in Quinte. They’ve built the homes many of us live in and their contributions to charitable causes and projects have brought us together and strengthen the ties that help make us a caring community.

Now the family owned and operated Geertsma Homes and Staikos Homes are taking the unprecedented step of each building a home in their current developments to be sold and the net proceeds donated to purchase life-saving medical equipment for Quinte Health Care – so all our families can have better care.

And like a family, tradespeople and suppliers who work with Staikos and Geertsma have rallied to make the build a success and maximize the donation to Quinte Health Care. Even the (Town/City) of Quinte West and City of Belleville have contributed by waiving fees normally paid on new homes.

To recognize their outstanding generosity, we’re going to profile some of the people and businesses who care so deeply for our community and the quality of health care we receive that they are donating time, expertise and materials to the Home Build for Health Care.


Chapman Plumbing & Heating

It’s difficult to imagine how many people have a Chapman to thank when they turn on a tap, flush a toilet or adjust the temperature in their home or business. Outstanding customer service and a commitment to top quality work have been Chapman Plumbing & Heating’s calling card throughout the 61 years since Bill Chapman first hung out his shingle. For 29 of those years, Chapman Plumbing & Heating has been working with Staikos Homes.

Paul, Dave and Roger Chapman grew up in the family business and learned the skills of the trade from their father. They also learned the importance of giving back to the community.

According to Paul, he wasn’t aware the government doesn’t fund medical equipment until he heard an ad about it on the radio. Like all of us, he and his family have used the services of Quinte Health Care and he thought he’d like to do something to help. Later, when the Home Build for Health Care project was announced he and his brothers, who now own the business, jumped at the chance to participate.

“For us it’s perfect,” Paul says, “We’re working with people we admire and respect at Staikos Homes and we’re helping improve the quality of care available at Quinte Health Care. Like I said, it’s perfect.”


Janbar Electric

In 1974, Jane and Bart Smits put their hopes and dreams for the future, and their names, together and started Janbar Electric. A few years later, their son, Mike, came out of college and right into an apprenticeship in the family business. And a few years after that, in 2003, Mike bought the business from his parents. Bart still works part-time and Mike says the guys get a kick out of seeing him on the site.

Janbar Electric started working with Staikos over 20 years ago. Mike says the partnership is a good one built on shared ideals and mutual respect.

According to Mike all Janbar employees are involved in the home build project. “It’s an easy sell, we all want a vibrant hospital and we’re proud to lend a hand.”

Janbar’s suppliers have also come on board; Osso Electric Supplies, Guillevin International and Nedco Electric Supply have donated electrical materials to the project.


Man Hole #10

Around 30 years ago, Canniff Mills Estate, where the Staikos home is being built, was a working farm, just like all the others around it. It was where Ron Putman and his family did their bit to feed cities. Most people looked at it and saw a farm; but one small group of men saw the future. They saw homes and families and the progress of a growing community.

Dr. Russell Scott, Walter Watson, Bill Doef, Frank Vreugdenhil and Ron Putnam had a vision and the determination, persistence and patience to make it happen and the result was Man Hole # 10. Not a usual name for a business, Man Hole # 10 was inspired by the last man hole for the sewers the partners had to install before development could begin. Dr. Scott and Mr. Watson have both since passed away, but their sons, Russ Scott and Keith Watson, have stepped in and continue to work with the other original partners.

No one needs to tell Keith Watson how important it is to have a well equipped hospital at the ready; he suffered a heart attack and credits Quinte Health Care with saving his life. So when Ross McDougall, then Chair of the Belleville General Hospital Foundation, spoke to the Quinte Home Builders Association membership at their 2009 Annual Meeting and asked for their help funding life-saving medical equipment for Quinte Health Care, the partners of Man Hole #10 were eager to participate. And so they did, by donating a portion of the lot where the Staikos home is being built.

Stay tuned to the blog next week for an update on the Geertsma Home Build.

More Photos From The Staikos Job Site

Take a look at some new photos taken from the building site at the
Staikos Home in Canniff Mills Estates!

Lafarge pouring donated concrete material into the basement of the

Staikos Home in Canniff Mills Estates, Belleville.

Bathworks delivering the plumbing parts for the rough ins,
as well as the acrylic tub and shower which were
donated by American Standard.

Keep coming back to get all the latest details as the
Staikos and Geertsma Homes continue to be built!