Awards celebrate excellence in residential construction

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For 33 years, the Saskatoon & Region Home Builders’ Association’s (SRHBA) Housing Excellence Awards have shone a light on the best and brightest in the residential construction industry. 

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“The awards recognize the visionaries and leaders in our industry, including designers, home builders and renovators. They’re in it to make our community better,” says Carlee Bard, SRHBA business development manager. 

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This year’s gala took place Feb. 8 at Prairieland Park, emceed by Rock 102 broadcasters Whitney Graves and Sully Sullivan. The capacity audience was entertained by The Salty Circus, a troupe of mesmerizing fire and LED performers.

“We created an elevated circus theme which was truly a spectacle of the senses,” says Bard. 

A record-breaking 49 awards were presented in 10 categories: Customer Choice; Marketing; Renovations; Sales and Customer Service; Environmental, Safety and Community Leadership; Production Homes; Custom Homes; Best New Home Spaces; Multi-Family Projects; and Association Awards. 

“We received more entries into more categories than ever before,” says Bard.  

The award winners were determined by an independent panel of judges located across Canada, representing diverse business sectors, from residential construction and renovation to marketing. 

“The competition was extremely close. In many categories, the difference in the point spread between the winner and the runner-up was a fraction of a point. The judges had a challenging time,” says Bard. 

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Award categories evolve to align with changing market conditions, particularly in the Housing awards, says Bard.

“We’ve seen builders adapt their offerings, types and styles of housing to reflect market demand. As a result, in the Production Homes category, we created separate awards for attached homes, detached homes and one for Best Entry Level Home.” 

The Entry Level Home award reflects the efforts of SRHBA member builders to offer affordability to new homeowners. To qualify for this award, the new home had to be priced below $446,363, which is the average price in 2024 of the lowest 20 per cent of sold single- and semi-detached dwellings in Saskatoon, determined by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. 

“A trend in the market is to new homes with a smaller footprint that make better use of space through design,” says Bard. “Energy efficiency is also an important factor in affordability.” 

The Best Entry Level Home award went to Ehrenburg Homes, for its 1,523 square-foot Rochester model. The home’s floor plan is optimized for family living and affordability, with quality finishes, functional design and a suite-ready layout that could support future rental income, priced at $435,000. 

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This award was just one of eight crystal statues which the Ehrenburg team received during the evening. 

Ehrenburg was also named Certified Professional Home Builder of the Year, one of the gala’s most highly anticipated awards. This award is based on the scores earned from submissions in multiple categories, including new home building, environmental sustainability, safety leadership and community impact.  

“Ehrenburg came out on top this year in the scoring race. They had over 25 submissions in a variety of categories, demonstrating the elevated scope and volume of their activity in the market,” says Bard. 

The Certified Professional RenoMark® Renovator of the Year award was presented to Centennial Kitchen and Bath. It was the second year in a row that Centennial received the award, which is determined by a composite scoring process similar to the Home Builder of the Year award.  

“The award reflects the excellence they’ve achieved in all areas of their business, particularly their commitment to safety and environmental stewardship,” says Bard. 

Other winners in the Renovation awards category included Mavrik Homebuilders for Bathroom Renovation of the Year; Hometown Homes for Whole Home Renovation of the Year and Kitchen Renovation of the Year (over $50,000); and Edgewater Development Corporation for Basement Renovation of the Year. 

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“Our Renovation awards provide legitimate contractors with the opportunity to showcase their work and professionalism. All our renovator members must be RenoMark® certified, which involves delivering quality workmanship, upholding a code of conduct, honouring warranties that must be put in writing and extend beyond the manufacturers’ warranties, and committing to a high level of consumer satisfaction and protection,” says Bard. 

Andrew Williams, CEO of North Prairie Developments, received recognition as Ambassador of the Year. Williams represents the second generation of leadership at the family-owned residential construction and development company.

“This award is determined by the SRHBA board and recognizes the recipient’s commitment to our industry and the community. The impact that the Williams family has had upon our community over the decades is immense — from shaping local neighbourhoods and building outstanding homes — to their unwavering commitment to the SRHBA and the generosity they show in giving back to the community,” says Bard. 

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Members of the SRHBA are now working on their submissions for next year’s Housing Excellence Awards, including new categories recognizing Net Zero Homes and Net Zero Renovations.

“As an industry, we’re moving towards greater energy efficiency and these award categories recognize those initiatives,” says Bard. 

For a complete list of 2025 Housing Excellence award winners, visit saskatoonhomebuilders.com. 

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