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!

UPDATE! Home Builds Continue To Make Great Progress...

The Home Build for Health Care project has been making a lot of progress in a short amount of time. Both the Staikos and Geertsma homes are sure to be spectacular. The funds raised from their sale will help both the Belleville General Hospital Foundation and the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation in reaching their medical equipment goals for the 2010/11 year.

Both sites are endeavoring to fund Digital Mammography Equipment valued at $600,000. This innovative machine speeds up the diagnostic process so that a woman can come in, be assessed, have her Mammography exam and know the results virtually that same day. Unique to the QH-TM site is the campaign to fund Green Laser Technology. This specialized piece of surgical equipment will place Trenton Memorial Hospital on the leading edge of Laser surgery for prostate and other urinary track disorders. Currently, this technology is only available in Scarborough, Hamilton and Saskatoon.

At the STAIKOS HOME in Canniff Mills Estates; shingles that were donated by Watson Building Supplies were delivered and installed by builders from H&M Contracting. The plumbing rough in for the basement was also installed and the concrete for the basement floor was poured.
Bathworks delivered the plumbing parts for the rough ins, as well as, the acrylic tub and shower units which were donated by American Standard.

Also, Wielemaker Construction volunteered to frame the entire house at no charge and Chapman Plumbing and Heating is working on installing all of the plumbing rough in work.

The Staikos Contributors:

Watson Building Supplies: Watson Building Supplies has been in business for over twenty years as a leading supplier of drywall, insulation, steel framing, roofing products, stucco, tools and landscaping products to the professional contractor. Watson has more than 190 employees and 80 trucks across Ontario and prides themselves not only in providing the most cost effective solution for their customers, but in firmly adhering to their company motto of being “On Time, Every Time.”

H&M Contracting: H&M Contracting has been owned and run by Norm Henry for 18 years. They are a small roofing business located in Brighton with just three employees working for them. They specialize in roofing, but also do the occasional work on doors, siding and eavestroughs. They pride themselves on consistently providing “good quality work.”

Wielemaker Construction: Wielemaker Construction is a small business in Trenton owned by Ken Wielemaker. They do general contracting for single-family homes.

American Standard: The Canadian branch of the company has been at the forefront of the plumbing products business since the first chinaware facility was opened in downtown Toronto in 1907 and has gone on to design and manufacture bathroom and kitchen products that have changed the face of the Canadian bathroom. They create stylish products with unexpected features and great performance that makes life easier for their customers.
Bathworks: Bathworks is a division of Bardon Supplies Ltd., a wholesale plumbing and heating distributor. Every Bathworks location has knowledgeable staff that can provide ideas and offer friendly, helpful advice.At the GEERTSMA HOME in Grandview Estates; CH Demill Holdings Pit & Quarry supplied engineered fill for under footings that were completed by Hammerton Concrete and inspected by the City of Quinte West. The concrete for the footings was supplied by Quinte Mobile Concrete.

For the walls, Watson Land Surveyors came in and pinned the footings, the underslab granular was supplied by Quinte Mobile Concrete and J. Donnan Concrete poured the walls with concrete supplied by LaFarge.

Proseal installed the damp-proofing for the foundation and steel beams were brought in by Salit Steel.

The City of Quinte West preformed a backfill inspection and the backfill was then completed by Fitzgibbon Construction with Ron Cooney providing all the necessary materials for the fill and septic.

Finally, Tal Trees installed the underground hydro service and Brierwood Contracting Ltd. has begun framing the subfloor with materials supplied by Rona Cashway.

The Geertsma Contributors:

Fitzgibbon Construction: Fitzgibbon Construction offers many services to their clients. They do road construction, water and sewers, excavating and grading, demolition, equipment rentals, aggregates, and asphalt paving.

Ron A. Cooney Haulage: Ron A. Cooney Haulage is a small family owned and operated business that specializes in sand and gravel.

Tal Trees: Tal Trees designs, supplies and constructs high voltage electrical solutions for utilities and industry throughout Eastern Ontario. With a dedication to safety, projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Proseal: Proseal is the largest floor coating contractor in Ontario. Pro-seal installs the highest quality products available so you get many years of outstanding performance and durability. They specialize in providing complete application of top quality protection coatings, including urethane, epoxies, water-based systems and overlayment systems. Proseal coatings eliminate dusting, refinishing rough and worn concrete and reduce costs of maintenance and lighting.

CH Demill Holdings Pit & Quarry: Demill Holdings is owned by Charles Demill who has been in the aggregate business for over 50 years and who also owns Longs Quarry in Shannonville.
With about ten employees in total, Demill Holdings strives to always put safety first in whatever they do. They specialize in supplying sand, gravel and rock to project sites.

Quinte Mobile Concrete: Quinte Mobile Concrete has been in business in the Quinte region for 34 years and has 28 employees. They specialize in ready-mix concrete and concrete pumping.

Hammerton Concrete: Hammerton Concrete is owned and operated by Darcy Hammerton who has been in business for himself for about five years. Hammerton Concrete specializes in pouring concrete footings and walls, as well as, stamped concrete. They are always striving to uphold their motto of “Your dream home starts with us.”

J. Donnan Concrete: J. Donnan Concrete is a family owned and operated construction business in Napanee. They specialize in poured concrete footings and walls.

Brierwood Contracting Ltd: Brierwood Contracting Ltd. specializes in construction and renovation. They do carpentry, framing and exterior siding for wood, vinyl and steel.

The proceeds from these two home sales will benefit Quinte Health Care and the medical equipment needs at their sites in Belleville and Trenton and ensure quality health care for you, your family and future generations.

For more updates & photos, visit the Home Build For Health Care Facebook event page or pick up a local newspaper such as the Belleville Intelligencer, the Trentonian or the Community Press.

A closer look!

STAIKOS HOME

CANNIFF MILLS ESTATES

Concrete material donated by Lafarge being poured

Concrete fittings and formings being done by Kuipers Concrete

Steel Beams donated by Salit Steel being installed

GEERTSMA HOME

GRANDVIEW ESTATES

Dangerous Tree Removal taking away the logs that were cleared off the lot

John Ros Pleizer, from Geertsma Homes, is busy working on the site

Excavation being done by Fitzgibbon Construction

Breaking News! Home Builds Are Well Underway!

June 10th marked the start of a new project that has both the Trenton and Belleville Foundations of QHC very excited. Two home builders, proud members of the Quinte Home Builders Association, Nick and Chris Staikos of Staikos Homes and Andy Geertsma of Geertsma Homes along with their trades and suppliers, joined Eric DenOuden, President of the Quinte Home Builder Association to announce their campaign - Home Build for Healthcare. Each builder is building a new home, and donating the net proceeds of the sale to Quinte Healthcare. These funds will go towards purchasing priority medical equipment for the Trenton and Belleville Hospital sites.

Home Build for Healthcare is well underway with both the Staikos and Geertsma homes making excellent progress. Thanks to the hard work of the builders, their suppliers, and their trades people who are generously donating their time, expertise, labour, and materials, this project will be finished in record time. Mary Clare Egberts, QHC CEO, stated, “In my twenty years in healthcare, this is the most innovative fundraising project I have seen.”

The STAIKOS HOME, located on Lot #47, Gale Crescent in Canniff Mills Estates is set to be an exquisite home. Nestled along the Moira River in beautiful Belleville, is where you will find Canniff Mills Estates, the newest community from Staikos Homes. This unique expanse of land blends the tranquility of the country living with the convenience of the nearby urban services and amenities. Every home has been designed to complement the natural serenity of its surroundings.

In the first week of building the concrete footings and forming have been completed by Kuipers Concrete, with the materials donated by Lafarge. Next, the foundation was backfilled, courtesy of Gonsolous Construction. It was then time to install the steel beams which were donated by Salit Steel. Not wasting any time, RONA came early in the second week to deliver the first load of lumber which they too donated. The rest of the week was spent putting on the sub floor and framing. Week three kicked off with delivery of the trusses, donated by Ontario Truss and Wall, and the windows and doors, purchased by Staikos Homes, were also delivered. Everyone is waiting in anticipation for the roof which will be assembled and the plywood installed this week.

Staikos Contributors:

Lafarge: Lafarge is the largest diversified supplier of construction materials in the U.S. and Canada. They produce and sell cement, ready-mixed concrete, gypsum wallboard, aggregates, asphalt, and related products and services. Their products are used in residential, commercial and public works construction projects across North America.

RONA: RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products and operates a network of nearly 700 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. The RONA mission is to offer the best service and the right product at the right price to North American consumers. Customer service is the top priority for RONA and their employees.

Gonsolus Contruction: Gonsolus Constuction has been in the business for over 40 years. They offer sand, gravel, top soil and septic tank systems. They also do excavating and demolition.

Salit Steel: Salit Steel’s focus is to provide exceptional service ensuring customers get what they want, when they want it. They continue to reinvest in their facilities and equipment to ensure that their response times are unmatched. Their staff consists of some of the most knowledgeable, dedicated and service oriented people in the industry today. They stock a wide variety of products and are able to source steel on a worldwide basis. This enables them to provide premium service without the premium price. Their extensive inventory includes wide flange beams, tube, angles, channels, bars, sheet and plate and other hot rolled carbon products.

Ontario Truss and Wall: Years of quality products and service to their customers makes Ontario Truss and Wall second to none. Among their many functions, OTW manufactures the highest quality wood roof trusses for the residential, commercial and agricultural sectors. They supply engineered floor systems, and provide pre-engineered beams for supporting roof and floor loads. They are committed to maintaining a good customer relationship by always providing quality service and products that their customers can count on.

The GEERTSMA HOME, located on Lot #4, Baptist Church Road, Quinte West, in Grandview Estates, Quinte West, is a superb family home. Grandview Estates is situated on a beautiful treed piece of land. It offers sophisticated country living in an exclusive enclave of executive homes. Geertsma Homes pays special attention to detail; each home they build is specifically crafted to meet the needs and wants of their clients.

Geertsma Homes kicked off their home build by clearing the heavily treed lot. This service was donated by Dangerous Tree Removal. Next, Fitzgibbon Construction went to work excavating the site to prepare it for the build. Watson Land Surveyors then came in to layout the site to prepare it for the footings, walls, and backfilling. John Ros Pleizer donated his time and skills helping with the first steps of the build.

Geertsma Contributors:

Dangerous Tree Removal: Dangerous Tree Removal helps clients contour and control their landscapes. They offer many services from tree removal, maintenance, logging, as well as cutting and splitting. They also sell lumber and firewood.

Fitzgibbon Construction: Fitzgibbon Construction offers many services to their clients. They do road construction, water and sewers, excavating and grading, demolition, equipment rentals, aggregates, and asphalt paving.

Watsons Land Surveyors: Watsons Land Surveyors offers severance, applications and sketches, boundary, farm and topographic surveys, as well as building layouts.

Quinte Health Care has an annual budget of $2.75 million for priority medical equipment. All of this is funded by the Hospital Foundations that support QHC. The government provides hospital operating costs, but does not fund capital equipment. This $2.75 million also does not include supplementary equipment needs for projects in Trenton such as the expansion of Same Day Surgery or the addition of Ambulatory Clinics. It also does not fund new equipment needs in Belleville’s newest Sills Wing. The proceeds from these two home sales will benefit Quinte Health Care and the medical equipment needs at their sites in Belleville and Trenton and ensure quality healthcare for you and your family.

The Layouts

Below is a final photo of what each home being donated will look like, along with the floor plans. For more detailed information and larger,more legible photos, please click on the Staikos and Geertsma links provided.

Staikos Home

http://www.staikoshomes.com/home-build-for-healthcare

Lot #47 Gale Crescent

Canniff Mills Estates, Belleville

Main Floor Layout

Geertsma Home

http://www.geertsma.com/geertsmahomes/hospitalhome.html

The Lockwood Lot #4

Grandview Estates

Quinte West

Main Floor Layout

Be the proud owner of one of these homes and know that you also helped to purchase priority- life saving medical equipment for your family, friends and community.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

The Trenton Memorial Hospital and the Belleville General Hospital Foundation’s would like to say thank you to the Quinte Home Builder Association, Geertsma Homes, Staikos Homes, and their employees for their philanthropic commitment to the community’s health care. Also, a special thank you to the following suppliers and sub trades who have generously agreed to donate their time and products to this campaign:


American Standard
Bardon Supplies
Chapman’s Plumbing & Heating
De la Fontaine Doors & Trim
Eastern Overhead Doors
Floormasters
Groundworx Landscaping
Gunsolus Excavating
Henry’s Concrete Finishing
Holten Impex International
H & M Contracting
Janbar Electric
Ken Wielemaker Construction
King’s Exterior
Kuipers Concreting
Lafarge Canada.
Le Groupe Luxorama
M. A. Cement Finishing
Man-Hole Ten Development
McKenna Contracting
Ontario Truss and Wall
Peter Georgakopoulos
Ponte Brothers Masonry Contractors
Quinte Drywall
Quinte Floortrends
Quinte Water Systems
Quinte West Home Hardware Building Center
Rona Ontario
Space Age Shelving
Stephen Weese LLP
Tarion Warranty Corporation
Templeman, Menninga LLP
T.F.P Stairs and Railings
Maple Terrazzo Marble & Tile
Thurlow Aggregates
Vansteenbergen Interior Trim
Watson Building Supplies
Watson Land Surveyors
Willowlee Sod Farms.
Wilkinson & Company LLP (Jeffrey Lay)
Mirage Hardwood Flooring
The Counter Top Shop
City of Quinte West
Green G Enterprises Ltd.
Tyendinaga Propane
Watson Surveying
Wayne Fledderus
Vanvark Electric
Tikit Visuals
Chalk Well Drilling
Watsons Building Supplies
Able Mechanical
Bardon
GCL Developments
Valerie Carnegie
Brandy deSmidt
Dave & Sarah Vreugdenhil
Deanna Hall
John-Ros Plezier
Tony Engelsdorfer
Marty Vanderlaan Construction Inc.
Fine Details
Rona Cashway
The Countertop Shop
Red Ball Radio
Team Richardson, Royal LePage
Fitzgibbon Construction
Canada Building Materials
J. Donnan Concrete
RONA Truss & Building Components
Goldfarb
Cataraqui Cabinets
Delta Faucets
Gaylord Hardwood Flooring
Hammerton Concrete
Quinte Mobile Concrete
Todd Hamm
Ron Cole
Jennifer Baxter
Sidney Inn Carpet One
Reid’s Insulating
Berend VanHuizen
A & E Ceramic Tile
John McGuiness
Kaycan
John's Equipment
Sprout's Earth Products

Let the Building Begin!

Yesterday, two home builders, proud members of the Quinte Home Builders Association, Nick and Chris Staikos of Staikos Homes and Andy Geertsma of Geertsma Homes along with their trades and suppliers, joined together with Eric DenOuden, President of the Quinte Home Builders Association to announce their campaign – Home Build for Healthcare. A first in this community whereby the net proceeds from the sale of their two new homes will be donated to Quinte Health Care for the purchase of priority medical equipment at the Belleville and Trenton hospital sites. This project has the potential to

raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for this cause.

Two sod turning events took place yesterday, one at Staikos Homes, Lot 47 on Gale Crescent in Canniff Mills Estates and the other at Geertsma Homes on Lot 4 in Grandview Estates in Quinte West. Andy Geertsma, President of Geertsma Homes Ltd., said, “We are honoured to be involved, it is such a worthwhile cause and wonderful opportunity to support our community. It has been exciting to see the generous response from our employees, suppliers and sub trades. We look forward to working together as a team to make this project a success for the whole community.” According to Nick Staikos from Staikos Homes, “Chris and I are very excited to be a part of this project Home Build for Healthcare. This is a time for our suppliers and trades to show their support for not only Staikos Homes, but the entire community.” Also on hand at the Sod Turning event were local Mayors Neil Ellis and John Williams, along with council representatives on the Planning Committees and the Presidents of each Hospital Foundation, from Belleville Ross McDougall and from Trenton Phil Panelas. Representing QHC were Mary Clare Egberts, President & CEO and Brian Smith, Board Chair.

Quinte Health Care has an annual budget of $2.75 million for priority medical equipment. All of this is funded by the Hospital Foundations that support QHC. The government provides hospital operating costs, but does not fund capital equipment. This $2.75 million also does not include supplementary equipment needs for projects in Trenton such as the expansion of Same Day Surgery or the addition of Ambulatory Clinics. It also does not fund new equipment needs in Belleville’s newest Sills Wing. The proceeds from these two home sales will benefit Quinte Health Care and the equipment needs at their sites in Belleville and Trenton.

The QUINTE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION represents approximately 100 member companies in the Quinte area. The QHBA logo is the mark of a professional - a member of the largest residential construction industry in Canada. They believe that skills, experience and integrity are the cornerstones of professionalism. They are committed to providing their members with opportunities to learn, grow and take pride in the association.

GEERTSMA Homes Ltd. has been building fine quality homes in the Quinte and surrounding region since the founding of its parent company in 1976. If you are interested in a custom home, residential subdivision, condominium or town home, Geertsma Homes Ltd offers something for everyone. For more information on Grandview Estates, Geertsma Homes or having a home built on your lot please contact a Geertsma Sales Representative at 613-966-8420.

STAIKOS Homes Ltd. have been building homes in the Quinte area since 1973. They are currently focused on our West Bridge Estates site in Napanee and our beautiful Canniff Mills Estates in Belleville's North East End. Situated along the banks of the Moira River, Canniff Mills Estates offers home buyers a selection of lots like never before offered in Belleville. For information on their homes, please contact of office in Canniff Mills Estates at 613-967-6560.

The Belleville General Hospital Foundation and the Trenton Memorial Hospital Foundation are independent non-profit organizations that financially support capital projects and the ongoing funding of new and replacement medical equipment at the Belleville, Trenton and North Hastings sites of Quinte Health Care.