Over the last 25 years, Bertone Development Corporation has evolved from a small entrepreneurial operation into a diversified real estate company active across residential, retail, industrial, mixed-use, construction, and property management. Based primarily in Québec and Eastern Ontario, the company has steadily expanded its geographic reach and project scale while maintaining a development philosophy rooted in long-term relationships, operational discipline, and adaptability to changing markets. Today, Bertone’s pipeline includes thousands of residential units across multiple major markets, reflecting a company that has grown methodically rather than rapidly.
For founders Michael and Claudio Bertone, the company’s identity was shaped from the outset by a desire to directly stand behind the projects they were building. “Claudio and I have been involved in real estate development for the past 25 years in one form or another, but what we are most proud of is the creation of Bertone Development Corporation. Naming the company was an important decision for us. We believed that if we were going to stand behind the quality of what we build, we should be proud enough to put our family name on it.” What began as a straightforward branding decision eventually became central to the company’s broader culture and operating philosophy; the founders viewed the company name as a reflection of accountability and long-term commitment.
The company’s earliest projects focused heavily on retail development, particularly grocery-anchored centres and service-oriented commercial properties. “We initially built the business as a shopping centre developer, with a strong focus on grocery-anchored retail,” says Michael. “Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with all of the major grocery banners in Canada, including IGA, Metro, and Loblaws, delivering projects that became essential hubs within the communities they serve.” Those relationships helped establish Bertone’s reputation within the retail development sector while also teaching the company how to create developments designed around everyday community needs.
The company’s beginnings were relatively modest. Michael and Claudio recall that some of their first developments included a single Couche-Tard gas station in Laval, followed by several Tim Hortons locations and other service-based retail projects. A key turning point came after a meeting with the late Pierre Gaudreau of IGA, who encouraged the company to pursue larger grocery-anchored developments. “Within a year, we were given the opportunity to develop our first grocery-anchored service centre under one strict condition: deliver the project on time and without deficiencies.”
Expanding Into Residential and Industrial Development
While retail remained the company’s foundation for many years, Bertone gradually expanded into office, residential, and industrial development as opportunities emerged across different markets. The transition into residential development proved especially significant. “A major turning point for us was our expansion into residential development, beginning with the Edwin condo project in Montréal,” says Claudio. “The success of that project validated our ability to deliver high-quality housing and marked the beginning of a new chapter for the company.” The success of Edwin provided the confidence to scale further into the multi-family sector, which has since become one of Bertone’s primary areas of focus.
The company’s approach to residential development emphasizes adapting projects to the realities of each market rather than applying a standardized formula. “Our approach has always been to adapt to the markets we operate in and deliver a product that reflects the needs, preferences, and realities of the local demographic,” Michael and Claudio explain. That process involves understanding not only pricing and demographics, but also how residents will interact with the development itself. Bertone says it focuses heavily on livability, efficient layouts, and increasingly, affordability, particularly as housing accessibility challenges continue to intensify across Canada.
Industrial development became another major addition to the company’s portfolio in recent years. In 2021, Bertone entered the industrial sector through the development of a 550,000-square-foot distribution centre for Ford Canada in Casselman, Ontario. Since then, the company has built and acquired approximately one million square feet of industrial space throughout Québec.
At the same time, Bertone has continued expanding geographically. The company now operates throughout the Greater Montréal Area, Québec City, and the Ottawa-Gatineau region, while recently entering the Florida market with a townhouse development. “Today, our primary focus is on multi-family residential development and grocery-anchored service centres, with an ambitious objective of delivering 5,000 new housing units across Québec and Eastern Ontario over the next five years.” That goal includes approximately 1,000 housing starts planned for 2026 alone, representing one of the most active periods in the company’s history.
Larger Projects and a Long-Term Development Strategy
As Bertone has grown, the company has increasingly shifted toward larger multi-phase developments that allow for more comprehensive planning and longer-term community integration. “We have learned that we are particularly well-suited to larger, multi-phase developments, which allow for better planning, stronger integration with communities, and greater long-term impact,” Michael and Claudio say.
Several major developments currently underway illustrate that approach. In Québec City, Bertone is preparing an 880-unit residential development in the Charlesbourg area, marking the company’s first entry into that market. The project will be developed over four to five phases and is intended to provide a large-scale residential offering tailored to local demand. In Gatineau, the company acquired a shopping centre property that is now being repositioned into a mixed-use development expected to eventually include approximately 2,000 residential units, service retail, seniors’ residences, and a hotel component. Over time, the site is expected to evolve into a fully integrated mixed-use community.
Bertone is also advancing a 1,200-unit residential project in the Ottawa market scheduled to begin construction in 2027. Meanwhile, several developments are already actively under construction. The company’s Montreal Road project in Ottawa includes 252 multi-family units and is expected to top off later this year. In Montréal, Bertone is preparing to begin construction on a 334-unit transit-oriented development at 1600 De Lorimier. The company is also nearing delivery of its Danaus condominium project in Candiac, a 100-unit development that is already more than 90 per cent sold despite softer condominium market conditions.
Alongside project growth, Bertone has continued building its vertically integrated operating structure. Approximately five years ago, the company launched A2B Construction as its in-house construction division. “As our projects became larger and more complex, we recognized the need to bring general contracting in-house in order to have greater control over product quality, execution, and cost efficiency,” says Michael. Led by President Liborio Argento, the construction group currently focuses exclusively on Bertone developments and plays a central role in helping the company execute its growing residential pipeline.
Building for the Next Generation
The company’s integrated platform has become increasingly important as market conditions have grown more unpredictable. “We have always been a very entrepreneurial company,” Claudio explains. “Like many entrepreneurial developers, we adapt to changing market conditions and shifts in appetite across different asset classes.” Bertone credits much of its flexibility to its multidisciplinary structure, which includes internal teams across development, leasing, construction, and asset management.
Even as Bertone continues expanding, the founders say the company’s next phase will focus on disciplined growth rather than expansion for its own sake. “After nearly 25 years in the business, you develop a much better sense of when to push forward and when to be cautious,” says Claudio. “Today, we’re very focused on making calculated, well-thought-out decisions rather than just chasing growth for the sake of it.” The company’s strategy continues to centre on projects where it can maintain long-term involvement from acquisition through property management, allowing greater oversight throughout the full lifecycle of each development.
The future of the company is also becoming increasingly generational. In 2025, Bertone welcomed Brianna Bertone as Director of Legal Affairs and Corporate Strategy following five years at KRB Lawyers. “For Claudio and I, it was a meaningful milestone, not just professionally but personally as well, because it really represents the next generation becoming actively involved in the business,” says Michael.
Despite the scale of Bertone’s current pipeline, Michael and Claudio repeatedly return to the importance of the broader team behind the organization. “What Claudio and I are most proud of is really the team we’ve built across all disciplines. They’re the ones who make everything we do possible on a daily basis.” As the company continues expanding across Eastern Canada and beyond, that emphasis on long-term relationships, integrated execution, and disciplined growth appears set to remain central to Bertone Development Corporation’s evolution.
For more information, please visit www.bertone.ca
