cmētis

What cmētis does

cmētis (legal name: Construction métis) is a non-profit organization (OBNL) founded in 2021 and headquartered in Métis-sur-Mer, Quebec, operating as the first non-profit general contractor recognized by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ licenses 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.2, 1.3). It is a related entity of the Société de développement de l'Est (SDE) and part of the Groupe de l'Est network, which also includes the Société du patrimoine de l'Est (SPE) and the Fondation pour le développement des régions (FDR). The organization develops ecoquartiers (eco-neighborhoods) combining ecological construction with a cohabitat design model derived from Danish 1970s cohousing principles, targeting underserved populations in Eastern Quebec: the elderly, low-income families, seasonal and migrant workers, and individuals with special needs.

The company's product portfolio consists of two flagship eco-neighborhood projects — Écoquartier Métis-sur-Mer (with five buildings under construction on the West side of its lands as of January 2025) and Écoquartier Rimouski (in citizen-led co-design since 2022) — supplemented by the 100% electric collective transportation service La Punaise, serving Métis-sur-Mer, Grand-Métis, Baie-des-Sables, and Saint-Octave de Mitis, with an Android mobile reservation app. Core methodological features include citizen committees and consultative workshops that co-determine project orientations, common spaces, and governance, as well as ecological construction practices aimed at decarbonizing and decommodifying housing.

Revenue mechanics are hybrid and non-standard: real estate unit sales (one-time, pre-revenue), community bonds (obligations communautaires) raised via social financing campaigns, fare-based transport services ($8–$10 round trips, $25/4-hour truck rental), and government grants from Infrastructure Canada and the Centre de transformation du logement communautaire. Housing pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led: direct sales via an in-house team, community membership engagement, and social financing, supported by a Facebook page, blog, and monthly newsletter.

Name

cmētis

Legal name

Construction métis (cmētis)

Website

https://cmetis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

cmētis is a Quebec non-profit general contractor that develops ecoquartiers (eco-neighborhoods) using a community-led cohabitat design model, serving elderly, low-income families, seasonal workers, and special-needs residents in Eastern Quebec, while operating an electric collective transportation service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Development

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

Keywords

• Ecological construction
• Affordable housing development
• Cohousing community design
• Collective transportation services
• Eco-neighborhood development

Headquarters

HQ city

Métis-sur-Mer

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Real estate development and sales: cmētis develops and sells housing units within ecoquartiers, including multi-unit buildings, land parcels, and houses. As a non-profit general contractor, they build affordable housing while reinvesting proceeds into community development.
2. Community bonds (Obligations communautaires): Social financing campaign where community members invest in community bonds to support ecoquartier development. Investors receive interest payments and capital repayment at term maturity.
3. Transport services: Collective transportation service with electric fleet providing rides to residents of Métis-sur-Mer and surrounding areas for a fee.
4. Government funding and subsidies: Project financing from government sources including Infrastructure Canada and the Centre de transformation du logement communautaire for affordable housing development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

cmētis is a non-profit general contractor that develops eco-neighborhoods (écoquartiers) in Eastern Quebec by combining ecological construction with a community-led co-design process inspired by Danish cohousing (cohabitat) principles. The organization sells or leases housing units built to eco-standards, designs inclusive mixed-income communities, and operates a 100% electric collective transportation service called La Punaise. It also issues Écoquartier Community Obligations (community bonds) to finance development through citizen investment.

Product overview

cmētis is a non-profit social transformation organization that integrates ecological real estate development, construction, and design expertise. Its product portfolio consists of eco-neighborhood developments (Écoquartier Métis-sur-Mer and Écoquartier Rimouski) built through community co-design processes, supplemented by a 100% electric collective transportation service (La Punaise) serving Métis-sur-Mer and surrounding areas. The eco-neighborhoods feature multi-unit residential buildings, houses, and community spaces (greenhouses, gardens, workshops, shared kitchens) determined by citizen committees. Additional offerings include community bond financing campaigns for affordable housing development and a mobile application for transportation reservations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Écoquartier Mé tis-sur-Mer An ecological, community-co-designed eco-neighborhood developed by cmētis in Mé tis-sur-Mer, Quebec. It combines ecological construction with shared community spaces and is targeted at families, seniors, seasonal workers, and people with special needs, sold at true cost.
• Écoquartier Rimouski A second eco-neighborhood under development by cmētis in Rimouski, Quebec, currently in the citizen co-design phase. It will feature ecological construction, social mix, and shared community spaces following the same cohousing-inspired model as Mé tis-sur-Mer.
• Transport Collectif (La Punaise) A 100% electric collective transportation and carpooling service operated by cmētis in the Mé tis-sur-Mer and surrounding region, available to local residents, tourists, and event-goers.
• Écoquartier Community Obligations (Financement participatif) Community bonds (obligations communautaires) issued by cmētis to enable citizen investors to finance the development of eco-neighborhoods while earning interest, serving as a local impact investment vehicle.

Quantifiable outcome

• Decarbonization of real estate sector through ecological construction practices
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Société de développement de l'Est (SDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing development and promotion services for off-market housing with low environmental impact and high social impact. SDE oversees housing development using eco-design and cohabitation principles.
• Société du patrimoine de l'Est (SPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnsures management of the group's real estate portfolio, providing safe, healthy, and human living environments with social mix among occupants.
• Fondation pour le développement des régions (FDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the charitable operations of SDE, supporting the broader mission of regional development.
• Jardins de MétisstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural destination and tourist attraction in Grand-Métis; strategic partner in regional development. Alexander Reford, Director, serves on cmētis advisory committee.
• Ville de Métis-sur-MerstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner for ecoquartier development in Métis-sur-Mer.
• CDRQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development organization (coop) serving as strategic partner.
• McGill UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner supporting research and innovation in social transformation.
• Chantier de l'économie socialestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial organization promoting social economy innovation; Jean-Martin Aussant serves as advisory committee member.
• UTILEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit developing student housing in Montreal; Laurent Levesque, CEO, serves on cmētis advisory committee providing expertise in affordable housing development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ): Provincial government agency administering affordable housing programs in Quebec. Overlaps with cmētis as a funder/regulator of affordable housing but operates at much broader scale and as a public entity rather than a developer.
• Office municipal d'habitation de Montréal (OMHM): Montreal's public housing authority managing a large social housing portfolio. Comparable as a Quebec affordable housing operator/developer but at metropolitan scale; useful proxy for what scaled social housing delivery looks like in the province.

Direct peers

• UTILE: Quebec non-profit developer specializing in affordable off-market student housing. Most direct operational peer to cmētis as a non-profit real estate developer with a social mission; UTILE's CEO Laurent Levesque also sits on cmētis's advisory committee, underscoring the close comparability.
• Bâtir son quartier: Quebec non-profit supporting the development of community and cooperative housing. Highly comparable to cmētis in mission (affordable community-led housing), funding model (grants and community finance), and target population (low-income households, seniors, vulnerable groups).
• Cohabitat Québec: Quebec organization promoting cohousing/cohabitat projects. Direct methodological peer: cmētis's design philosophy explicitly references cohousing principles that Cohabitat Québec has been advancing in the province.
• Habitations de l'Outaouais métropolitain: Quebec non-profit affordable housing operator managing ~1,000 units. Comparable in mission and asset base; Anne Robinson (former DG) now sits on cmētis's board, indicating close operational similarity.
• Serviloge: Quebec social and affordable housing organization where CEO Philippe Dufort previously served as an administrator. Closely comparable non-profit housing operator; useful benchmark for governance and operating model.

Others

• Société de développement de l'Est (SDE): Parent organization of cmētis within the Groupe de l'Est network. Directly comparable in mission (eco-design, cohabitation, off-market housing with low environmental and high social impact) but operates as the upstream development body rather than the general contractor.
• Chantier de l'économie sociale: Provincial umbrella for Quebec's social economy. Partner organization (Jean-Martin Aussant, cmētis advisor, sits on its board). Comparable as an ecosystem-level actor supporting social economy enterprises like cmētis, though not a direct housing developer.

Emerging players

• Canadian Cohousing Network (Cohousing.ca): National network advancing cohousing/cohabitat models across Canada. Comparable to cmētis's cohabitat methodology at the pan-Canadian level, but operating as an advocacy/network rather than a developer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/construction.metis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cm%C4%93tis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about cmētis