Our story
As Cargo was taking shape in 2018, our team logged many hours talking about who we intended to be in the world, as a company.
We had a clear mission: we were builders, and we wanted to practice real estate development in a way that had a positive impact on communities and yielded high-return for investors. It was then, and is now, a mission powered by a belief in the importance of that balance. We build neighborhoods, investor and community wealth, environmentally sustainable practices and futures, innovative connections, and opportunities.
CARGO development projects are good solid investments, rooted in strong foundations, but we are also always on the move, reaching skyward for innovative approaches to traditional ideas. This balance between stability and progress is at the center of our brand identity.
It’s a governing principle that has helped shape our company culture. Our team of experienced, passionate, ambitious individuals is well-versed in navigating the complex corporate spaces of real estate, investment, acquisition, and project development. We are practical problem solvers. We are also big dreamers and innovators. We have a profound love for humanity, and an enduring belief we can, and must, lift each other up.
This balance of sensible and sensitive investment and development is key to our vision, and our best practices.
Our brand
Our logo and company name draw on these aspects of who we are and what we set out to do. Like the company, the logo is strong and robust; stable, but growing; rooted, but reaching upwards; and importantly, building from a place of balance to create further strong foundations from which to build again.
Our name “Cargo” conjures images that also resonate with us: it invokes the transporting of goods from one side of the world to the other, the trade routes that create networks between markets and connections between people, the materials that come together to build and develop, shaping the material world we live in. The idea of “Cargo” itself is an idea balanced between the known and the to-be-discovered: the outer containers of traditional cargo are sturdy, practical, weighty – and the contents have unlimited potential, just waiting to be transformed into something incredible.
Our values
Cargo Invest is a high-yield real estate investment fund that focuses on the development, construction, and ownership of multi-family housing. We also help solve pressing housing and environmental issues through real estate development. To achieve these goals, we ensure that our projects meet defined standards in terms of both environmental and social impact, and that transparency and accountability are at the forefront of our approach to governance.
We adhere to strict governance principles and also employ advisory members and seasoned professionals to assist us in our operations. This value-driven approach to real estate, combined with exceptional financial performance, is what sets Cargo Invest apart.
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Environment impact
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In Canada, buildings create 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. At Cargo, we design our projects with common sense solutions to this problem, relying on state-of-the-art building science knowledge, and teams of innovative professionals. We reduce the carbon footprint of buildings by favouring timber structures. We strive to build in ways that are LEED-certified, meeting the standards of a performance program that ensures a holistic approach to improving environmental impact. We strive to incorporate as much green space as possible, adding trees, rooftop gardens, and other green amenities.
Well-designed green buildings are healthier for people and kinder to the planet, but they also last longer and cost less to maintain and operate, leading to more long-term affordability and sustainability for communities.
Social impacts
It’s important to us that our projects will be a long-term asset to the community, so we engage in public and stakeholder consultations from the get-go. Our planning and design phases aim at achieving a balanced combination of affordable and market rents, accessibility, and long-term community involvement.
To further our dream of disrupting inequities in access to real estate, the Cargo Invest management team has established a non-profit Foundation, which is independently governed and funded. By partnering with private sector entities to acquire properties on behalf of community organizations, the Foundation removes barriers that have traditionally limited the creation of timely affordable housing. By holding the property long term, the Foundation aims to provide rent-controlled apartments in perpetuity to tenants in the community, encouraging community wealth.