What SpruceLab Inc. does

SpruceLab Inc. is an Indigenous-owned, Toronto-based landscape architecture and planning consultancy founded in 2019 by Sheila Boudreau, a registered landscape architect and professional planner with prior leadership roles at the City of Toronto and Toronto Region Conservation Authority. The firm delivers landscape architecture, urban design and planning, green infrastructure, ecological restoration, Indigenous engagement and co-design, public art integration, and wildlife corridor design services. In 2023, the company reorganized to become majority Indigenous-owned through a collective ownership model with Indigenous colleagues as co-owners, and in 2024 established a Board of Directors with governance led by two Indigenous persons. The team of nine includes four women with First Nations or Métis membership who are central to the Indigenous design practice, and the firm holds CCIB Indigenous Business certification.

The company's service portfolio spans shoreline restoration (e.g., 3,500+ native plants for Hiawatha First Nation), reserve and housing community planning (e.g., 28 housing units for Caldwell First Nation), campus Indigenous healing gardens (Toronto Metropolitan University), and streetscape/public realm projects. Beyond consulting, SpruceLab operates the Earth Tending Green Infrastructure Training program (a six-week paid workforce initiative delivered annually since 2022) and co-founded Dbaajmowin, an Indigenous-led artists' collective for co-designed furnishings and artwork. The firm earns revenue exclusively through project-based professional consulting fees across four verticals — First Nations and Indigenous Communities (primary), Academic Institutions, Municipal Government, and Commercial/Institutional Developers — secured via direct engagement, RFPs, referrals, and competition shortlists. Notable clients include the City of Toronto, TRCA, Caldwell First Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, Waterfront Toronto, and the City of Calgary. Operations are anchored in Toronto with a secondary office in Edmonton, Alberta, and go-to-market is sales-led, driven by principal visibility, conference speaking, published thought leadership (including Boudreau's co-authored book "Green Cities"), and earned media.

Name

SpruceLab Inc.

Legal name

SpruceLab Inc.

Website

https://sprucelab.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SpruceLab Inc. is an Indigenous-owned, Toronto-based landscape architecture and planning consultancy serving First Nations communities, academic institutions, and municipal governments across Canada with Indigenous-led design, green infrastructure, and ecological restoration services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Project-based landscape architecture and planning consulting engagements serving government, Indigenous communities, institutional, and commercial clients. Revenue generated through professional service fees for design, planning, engagement, and advisory services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SpruceLab Inc. is a landscape architecture and planning consultancy that delivers site analysis, design, and planning services with a focus on regenerative ecological solutions and Indigenous-led design. Core engagements span urban design, green infrastructure, public realm planning, ecological restoration, shoreline restoration, streetscape design, and Indigenous engagement for government, Indigenous communities, academic institutions, and commercial clients in Canada.

Product overview

SpruceLab Inc. is an Indigenous-owned landscape architecture and planning consultancy offering a portfolio of services centered on regenerative ecological design with social impact. The core offerings include landscape architecture and urban design/planning services, complemented by specialized Indigenous engagement and design consulting, wildlife corridor research and design, and public art integration. The company also operates the Earth Tending Green Infrastructure Training program (a six-week paid training initiative for Indigenous Peoples) and the Dbaajmowin Indigenous-led artists' collective. Projects span shoreline restoration, streetscapes, neighborhood design, housing developments, and public spaces, all incorporating nature-based solutions and Indigenous knowledge systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dbaajmowin: Indigenous-led artists' collective initiated by SpruceLab to co-design furnishings and artwork for sites and architecture

Products and services

• Landscape Architecture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 consecutive years of Earth Tending program delivery training 10 Indigenous participants per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• DbaajmowincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-led artists' collective co-founded by SpruceLab to co-design furnishings and artwork for sites and architecture. Seeks to engage Indigenous businesses from design through to sourcing materials and fabrication. A core part of SpruceLab's economic reconciliation approach.
• The MBTW GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking with The MBTW Group on City of Rotary Frenchman's Bay Park West and Beachfront Park to include Indigenous design elements. SpruceLab led Indigenous design integration while MBTW Group provided overall project coordination.
• Dub ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Calgary RiverWalk West design competition shortlisted team. Dub Architects provided architectural expertise for the riverside experience design.
• Hapa CollaborativemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Calgary RiverWalk West design competition shortlisted team. Hapa Collaborative contributed landscape and design expertise.
• EXPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge competition with EXP providing engineering and technical expertise.
• Buro HappoldmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational engineering consultancy collaborating on Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge project bringing global expertise to Toronto waterfront project.
• INFORM StudiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign firm partner on Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge competition bringing architecture and urban design expertise.
• 4 Directions ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-owned conservation consulting firm with deep expertise in Indigenous engagement. Partner on Keating Channel Pedestrian Bridge project. Gary Pritchard from 4 Directions also collaborated on Earth Tending program delivery.
• Green ReasoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability building and project management firm collaborating with SpruceLab on Caldwell First Nation new reserve development project.
• Baird AEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and engineering firm collaborating on Caldwell First Nation reserve development providing design and technical services.
• Quantum PassivhauscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassive design-building firm partnering on Caldwell First Nation sustainable housing community design.
• Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment & TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore funder and partner for Earth Tending green infrastructure training program. Provides Indigenous employment services and program coordination for unemployed and under-employed Indigenous Peoples in Greater Toronto Area.
• Service CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government partner providing support for Earth Tending program making it possible through contributions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brook McIlroy: Larger Canadian planning, architecture, and landscape architecture firm with significant Indigenous community planning work and municipal portfolios; broader incumbent competing for the same Indigenous and municipal RFPs as SpruceLab, with a multi-disciplinary scale advantage.

Direct peers

• The Planning Partnership: Toronto-based landscape architecture and urban planning firm with strong municipal, parks, and community design portfolio across Canada; comparable competitor for similar public-sector landscape architecture RFPs.
• PWL Partnership Landscape Architects: Western Canadian landscape architecture firm with municipal, parks, and Indigenous community project experience; comparable scale and service portfolio to SpruceLab with regional overlap in Alberta.
• Janet Rosenberg & Studio: Toronto-based landscape architecture firm with municipal parks, institutional, and urban design projects; comparable size, geography, and service offering to SpruceLab.
• Claude Cormier + Associés: Montreal-based landscape architecture firm with signature public realm, park, and waterfront projects across Canada; directly comparable in scale and service mix with overlapping municipal client base.
• DTAH (DuToit Allsopp Hillier): Toronto-based landscape architecture, urban design, and architecture firm with extensive public realm, waterfront, and streetscape portfolio including Waterfront Toronto work; comparable competitor for municipal landscape architecture contracts.
• PFS Studio: Vancouver-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with significant municipal, park, and waterfront portfolio across Canada; directly comparable services, project types, and client segments to SpruceLab.
• NAK Design Strategies: Canadian landscape architecture and planning firm working on urban design, parks, and streetscape projects for municipalities and Indigenous communities; comparable in scale and service mix to SpruceLab.
• Hapa Collaborative: Canadian landscape architecture and urban design firm with deep Indigenous engagement expertise and similar project portfolio; partnered directly with SpruceLab on Calgary RiverWalk West and shares comparable services across urban design, public realm, and Indigenous-led design.
• The MBTW Group: Toronto-based landscape architecture and urban design firm with strong municipal and waterfront portfolio; partner on Frenchman's Bay Park project alongside SpruceLab's Indigenous design role, with directly comparable offerings in landscape architecture and public realm planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/sprucelab
• Facebookfacebook.com/sprucelab.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sprucelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 SpruceLab Inc.