REAL ESTATE PROFILE
A Q&A with Sébastien Lessard
Sébastien Lessard, president of Urbania, is a vibrant and focused professional. He grew up immersed in a variety of cultures. His father, Raymond Lessard, was a construction entrepreneur and, for a period, worked as a government diplomat in developing countries. As a child, Sébastien spent time with his dad overseas, and witnessed first-hand how those less fortunate live. This awareness makes him grateful for the lifestyle we enjoy in Canada.
We sat down together at the Urbania office, in Laval.
Where did you study?
I completed high school at Collège Notre-Dame before heading to CEGEP Édouard-Montpetit and then UQAM (l’Université du Québec à Montréal) for certificates in administration and economics. During school, my passion was for sports — mainly football and skiing. When I was a teenager, my father had a construction company called Monsard. He took on contracts for “10,000 logements,” a city of Montreal program for urban development. I worked summers with him and learned all about the industry.
He started me off in the most menial tasks, like pushing a shovel, and later taught me all about carpentry and fine-finishing. Nothing was handed to me. I like to say that I am a graduate of the school of hard knocks. I am still very much a hands-on guy.
What happened next?
In the late 1980s, construction slowed down in Montreal. My father owned land in the Eastern Townships. For the next four years, his work consisted of forest management; I worked for him as a lumberjack. That was the hardest job I have ever done — winters were particularly tough. By the mid-1990s, the economy began to improve. I did not want to spend my life doing manual labour. I urged my father to return to the construction industry and he agreed. From 1997 to 2002 we completed three residential building projects together, in Old Montreal.
How did Urbania come to be?
In 2003 we turned our attention to a property in Laval, adjacent to the projected Montmorency métro station. My dad and I started Urbania together, launching Phase 1 with our financial partner, Le Fonds de solidarité FTQ. A good imagination was required to envision the property’s potential. When we began, the métro construction site was a huge open pit — not attractive at all. To figure out what types of dwellings to include, we first had to determine what our demographic would be. It was a challenge to help potential buyers visualize how the neighbourhood would evolve. Montmorency métro finally opened in 2007, one year past its due date.
What is the Fonds de solidarité FTQ?
It is a development capital fund, in which Quebecers can invest. Its mission is to contribute to the province’s economic growth by creating and protecting jobs through investments in small and medium-sized businesses.
What are you working on now?
Phase 1 of Urbania was completed
in 2013. It consists of 750 condos in nine buildings, from five to 15 storeys. Sixty per cent of units are one-bedroom condos; two-bedroom units occupy the corners of each floor. The average age of owners is 34 — mostly young singles and couples. Because we are in the suburbs, Urbania condos are much less expensive than comparable dwellings downtown. Despite their reasonable price tag, they are beautifully-designed with many luxurious touches. Phase 1 is completely sold.
Phase 2 broke ground in 2015 and will consist of 1,200 condo and rental units in six buildings, from 10 to 35 floors. The first was delivered last summer. The second is currently under construction and will be ready in 2019. We are excited about our ultra-affordable micro-condos. It’s amazing what a great architect can do with 300 to 350 square feet.
What do you enjoy in your spare time?
I have an amazing team at Urbania. My great confidence in them allows me to spend more time with my family. My conjointe and I have two daughters, ages 10 and eight. We recently moved into Urbania, which is fabulous. I walk to work in five minutes. We spend weekends at our chalet in the Eastern Townships where we ski and toboggan. In the summer, we enjoy watersports. I am an adventuresome type; I wind-surf and love going off-trail in a snowmobile.
What puts the spring in your step?
For me, it’s all about people. It’s remarkable what we can accomplish together. I remember a time when Urbania was just an idea, on paper. When I look at where we are today and where we are heading, I feel incredibly proud.
Because we spend our days focused on small details, we tend to lose perspective. It’s necessary to step back to take in the big picture. As developers, what we do is meaningful to so many. That is what gets me up each morning, eager to take on the challenges of the day.