The Shane Homes Story

Our History

Cal Wenzel and his then partner Barry Basillie founded Shane Homes in 1979, named after the son of Cal and Edith Wenzel. Those early years were a hands-on experience for the partners, who rolled up their sleeves to help build the very first Shane home, from framing and painting through to the everyday business operations, they did it all.

Our first home was finished in 1980 with four more homes completed by the end of that year. The initial goal of building 50 new homes a year was achieved in the late 1980’s and the company has since grown into one of the largest home builders in Calgary.

Our Commitment

Three decades later, our strongest commitment is to build strong relationships between our team and our customers and partners. Regardless of how large we may grow, our goal is to always operate with market sensitivity and to be a company that understands the value of relationships. We follow through on our promises and we take pride in having a reputation for honesty and integrity.

1979

1979 - Established

Cal Wenzel decides to start a home building company, bringing in Barry Ballsillie as his partner. The company is named Shane Homes, after Cal's son. The partners' original goal was to build and sell 50 homes a year. In their first year of operation, five homes are built and sold. The 50-homes-per-year level is reached in 1985 and by the mid 1990s, it is hundreds of homes per year.

1999

1999 - The opening of what would become a "World Class Design Studio"

Shane Homes opens its Home Planning Centre in the company's new head office building along Deerfoot Trail. The design centre is revolutionary in providing Shane Homes' customers the ability to select their interior and exterior finishings for their home all in one location, rather than visiting suppliers' around the city. In 2013, this world-class design studio gets a complete renovation and becomes the boutique-style, 5,000-square-foot Expressions Design Studio.

2004

2004 - A New Product Line is Launched

By 2004, the Calgary new home market is evolving. People moving to the city from other parts of Canada and the world bring with them their own ideas of what type of home they want to live in. Plus, extensive research by Shane Homes shows slightly smaller, more efficient homes are on peoples' wish list. In response, we add attached homes, laned homes and street townhomes to our product offering, all of which continue to prove to be extremely popular.

2011

2011 - Our Portfolio Grows into Land Development

By 2009 new land on which to build homes has become scarce, primarily due to legislative restrictions. A good supply of land available for development is a key to being a successful home building company so, in 2011, Cal Wenzel decides a land company is important to the future of Shane Homes. Wenzel Developments is born. The company's primary role is acquiring small- to medium-sized parcels of land and working with partnered development companies to design and build new communities.

2014

2014 - Rising to New Heights with our Condo Division

As in all major cities, the popularity of condominium living is growing in Calgary. Many of the projects are located in established neighbourhoods, which buyers appreciate. Condominiums are, on average, less expensive and many offer a maintenance-free lifestyle, suitable for all generations. Our Shane Multi-Family division builds condominiums that go beyond the premise of 'stacked boxes', incorporating new designs, comfortable environments and functional spaces in low- to mid-rise buildings.

2017

2017 - Shane Homes Group of Companies

Shane Homes has grown from a company building high-quality, single-family homes to being a diversified company, well-positioned to meet the future. Our portfolio includes every type of homestyle buyers want, from single-family, multi-family, custom-designed and estate homes. Our land division is active in procuring and developing select parcels of land where we can build communities. This solid foundation means we will continue to provide housing in the Calgary area, plus, keep hundreds of people employed, well into the future.

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