S1 - Bus Tour

The CanU Ottawa 2026 edition wraps up with a Saturday tour of two leading urbanism projects in the Ottawa-Gatineau region:

Hendrick Farm , a purposefully designed community that rejects today’s automobile-dependent, cookie cutter suburbs, by reclaiming traditional village design. Hendrick Farm showcases design at is best and how it shapes communities. Founder, Sean McAdam will be hosting CanU attendees through a livable, thought provoking walk of the community.

Canevas, a study on urban retrofit of a suburban mall, the new apartment community envisions a carefully crafted mixed use, pedestrian friendly future. Despite its urban energy, Canevas maintains a close connection to nature and outdoor living while enjoying the convenience of having daily essentials nearby. The neighbourhood encourages active transportation and walkability, allowing residents to move through their daily routines with ease while reducing reliance on the car. Brigil representatives will introduce CanU attendees to the overall vision and visit built components.

The tour will convene at the Andaz Hotel Ottawa ByWard Market - 325 Dalhousie St at 9:00am and return to the same address by 4:00pm. Lunch will be provided.

Speakers

Sean McAdam
President and owner, Landlab Inc.

Sean McAdam is President and owner of Landlab Inc., a land development ﬁrm specializing in innovative community and nature-friendly land development projects. Landlab emphasizes good design and rejects the traditional notions of zoning in favour of Empathic Development — the people-centered approach to development that Landlab pioneered as founder and owner of Canada’s Hendrick Farm and Lakeport Beach communities.

All of Landlab’s projects have set new standards for urban design, protection of natural amenities, and architectural quality. For more than 25 years, Landlab projects have broken records for real estate values and the ﬁrm continues to demonstrate that investments in good design and superior quality pay dividends for new communities, governments, homeowners and, ultimately, for the business bottom line.

Cities and developers from across North America have sought McAdam’s advice on community design.

Brandon Lind
Design Director, Brigil

Brandon is passionate about the design and sustainable growth of our cities. He uses his thorough architectural education to complement his wealth of urban design experience to bring “big-picture” thinking to every project. Whether it's in drawing an architectural detail or visioning a 30-year master plan build-out, Brandon is always focused on how the end user will experience his work.

Brandon brings his knowledge and passion for city building to everything he does: joining local advocacy groups, writing op-eds, and engaging with the development community. He is dedicated to making the cities he works in places people want to be.

He is currently the Design Director at Brigil where he oversees the design of their projects.

Jessy Desjardins
Chief Product Officer, Brigil

Jessy Desjardins is Chief Product Officer at Brigil. He helps define the vision for the company’s projects, from initial concept through commercialization, bringing together urban planning, architecture, design, and the residential experience into a cohesive vision.

His approach focuses on creating vibrant, complete communities that foster human connection, culture, and a genuine sense of belonging. He places particular importance on the quality of public spaces and gathering places, active and public transportation, and everyday access to nature.

Active in his community, Jessy has notably served as Honorary Chair for the Fondation Forêt Boucher and as Campaign Co-Chair for Centraide Outaouais, supporting organizations and initiatives that strengthen quality of life across the region.

Jessy holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa.