Ethical Investing in Canada: Turning Values into Community Wealth
Across Canada, more investors are asking a simple but powerful question: Can my money do more than earn profit? Ethical investing offers that answer. It’s about aligning financial goals with personal and social values; directing capital toward projects that strengthen communities, protect the planet, and promote fairness.
Today, ethical investing in Canada is on the rise. Nearly half of all professionally managed assets now follow responsible investment strategies, and more than 60% of Canadians say they want their portfolios to reflect their values. These investors are moving away from harmful industries like fossil fuels, weapons, and tobacco, and toward initiatives that create long-term social impact.
From renewable energy to affordable housing, ethical investing turns financial power into meaningful progress. Brique par Brique in Montreal shows how community-based investment can fund affordable homes, build solidarity, and keep wealth circulating locally. When investors choose purpose over profit alone, they help create stronger, more resilient communities across Canada.
Why Ethical Investing Matters in Canada
Ethical investing is no longer a niche. It is becoming the new normal across Canada. Nearly half of the country’s professionally managed assets now include environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, showing a powerful shift toward values-driven finance. More Canadians are realizing that their investment choices can shape the kind of communities they live in. In one national survey, 65% of investors said they want their portfolios to align with their ethics, supporting priorities such as climate action, fair labour, and affordable housing.
This movement is especially visible in Montreal, where local initiatives are using ethical capital to strengthen neighbourhoods and support social innovation. Investors are looking beyond profits to fund projects that create long-term community wealth, from sustainable housing to cooperatives and cultural spaces.
Organizations like Brique par Brique are leading this transformation. By turning community investment into tangible impact, Brique demonstrates how ethical investing can help address housing insecurity while fostering inclusion and economic resilience. For Canadian investors, especially in cities like Montreal, ethical investing is proving to be both financially sound and socially transformative. It’s a way to grow wealth with purpose while helping build a more just, sustainable, and connected society.
Community Bonds: Ethical Investing at the Neighborhood Level
One of the most powerful ways Canadians can turn values into community wealth is through community bonds. Rather than buying shares in large corporations, investors can lend directly to organizations they believe in. A non-profit or cooperative issue an interest-bearing bond to finance a specific project, such as building affordable housing or a community center. Residents, small businesses, and institutions then purchase these bonds, receiving regular interest payments in return.
This model allows wealth to circulate locally while building assets that serve the public good. Community bonds have already funded dozens of projects across Canada, from housing co-ops to social enterprises. They typically pay between 3 and 5 percent annual interest, offering competitive returns with measurable social impact.
In Montreal, Brique par Brique uses community bonds to bring residents and investors together around shared goals. These investments make it possible to finance affordable housing and cultural spaces that strengthen neighborhoods and keep them inclusive for generations to come.
Turning Local Projects into Long-Term Wealth
At its core, ethical investing is about more than financial returns. It is about keeping wealth where it matters most. When people invest locally, that money stays in the community, supporting small businesses, housing projects, and cooperatives that build long-term stability. This approach, often called community wealth building, ensures that the value created within a neighbourhood circulates among its residents rather than flowing out to distant investors. The result is stronger local economies, new jobs, and more equitable growth.
In Montreal, organizations like Brique par Brique are showing what community wealth building looks like in action. Through tools like community bonds, they make it possible for residents to directly finance housing developments that remain permanently affordable. Each investment becomes a foundation for lasting impact; creating homes, strengthening connections, and empowering people to take ownership of their collective future.
Across Canada, this model is helping cities and towns rethink how money moves through their economies. When ethical investing supports locally owned enterprises, housing, and social infrastructure, it turns every dollar into a driver of inclusion and resilience. Community wealth is not just built. it’s shared, sustained, and passed on to future generations.
How to Invest Responsibly
For Canadians exploring ethical investing, there are several ways to align money with purpose while still earning returns.
1. Screening Funds and ETFs:
Many mutual funds and ETFs now follow environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. These funds invest in companies with strong sustainability and ethical practices while avoiding sectors like fossil fuels, weapons, or tobacco. For most investors, this is an easy first step using a regular brokerage or robo-advisor.
2. Impact Funds and Direct Projects:
Impact investing goes a step further by targeting measurable social outcomes. These funds often focus on renewable energy, affordable housing, or community development. Investors can choose causes that align with their personal values, from clean energy to inclusive housing.
3. Community Bonds and Local Investments:
For those who want a hands-on approach, community bonds are a powerful option. In Montreal, Brique par Brique raises capital through community bonds to fund affordable housing projects, allowing everyday people to invest directly in their neighbourhoods. Investors typically receive 3–5% annual returns while contributing to long-term social good.
4. Community Shares and Co-ops:
Some Canadian communities offer investment opportunities in local cooperatives or community land trusts. These investments may offer modest returns but create lasting community wealth and local ownership.
Brique par Brique: Building Community, Brick by Brick
At the heart of ethical investing in Canada stands Brique par Brique, a non-profit in Montreal’s Parc-Extension dedicated to creating affordable housing and building community wealth. Founded in 2016 by local organizers of colour, Brique par Brique responds to the challenges of gentrification and housing insecurity with a powerful vision: to give residents the tools to shape their own neighbourhood. Through social justice, tenant empowerment, and grassroots leadership, the organization transforms financial capital into lasting social impact.
Brique par Brique brings ethical investing to life through community bonds. In 2018, their first campaign raised $367,000 from just 40 community investors, helping to unlock additional funding for a 31-unit social housing project on Avenue De L’Épée: the first new social housing in Parc-Extension in more than 15 years. The project will provide stable, affordable homes for over 70 residents while preserving the community’s cultural fabric.
Looking ahead, Brique par Brique plans to raise $5 million in new bonds to finance two more projects: a community centre that will expand social and cultural programs, and a second solidarity housing development to protect affordability in the area. Investors can earn between 3 and 5 percent annually while directly supporting inclusive urban growth.
By investing in Brique par Brique, you are not just funding real estate, you are helping build freedom, connection, and belonging, brick by brick.
Invest in Change: Grow Wealth That Builds Communities
Ethical investing in Canada is more than a financial decision; it is a commitment to building the kind of society we want to live in. When investments support community housing, cooperatives, and local development, they do more than generate returns. They strengthen neighborhoods, create opportunities, and help families thrive.
Through Brique par Brique, every dollar invested becomes part of a story of solidarity and renewal. Community bonds transform personal savings into affordable homes, cultural spaces, and social programs that empower residents and keep wealth circulating locally. The results are tangible: stable housing, stronger communities, and lasting social impact.
If you want your money to reflect your values, this is your opportunity to take part. Join Brique par Brique’s growing network of ethical investors and help build a fairer, more inclusive Montreal. Together, we can turn investment into impact, and values into lasting community wealth.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is ethical investing?
Ethical investing means putting your money into projects or companies that align with your values. Instead of focusing only on profits, ethical investors consider social, environmental, and community impacts. It’s about supporting initiatives that create positive change while earning financial returns.
2. How does ethical investing help local communities?
Ethical investing channels capital into projects that directly benefit people and neighborhoods. For example, when investors fund community bonds or affordable housing initiatives, they help create stable homes, local jobs, and stronger, more inclusive communities.
3. What are community bonds, and how do they work?
Community bonds are investment tools that allow individuals to lend money to nonprofit or social enterprises. In return, investors earn interest while their funds are used for projects like affordable housing or community spaces. Once the term ends, the principal is repaid, making it both impactful and financially rewarding.
4. How can I invest ethically in Montreal?
You can start by supporting local organizations like Brique par Brique, which issues community bonds to fund affordable housing in Parc-Extension. By investing, you not only earn returns but also help create lasting social infrastructure in Montreal.
TL;DR: Ethical Investing for Community Impact
Ethical investing means aligning your money with your values. In Canada, it’s about putting capital into projects that build stronger, fairer communities instead of just chasing profits. Organizations like Brique par Brique in Montreal show how local investment can create affordable housing, support newcomers, and strengthen social ties. Through community bonds, investors can earn steady returns while helping fund housing, cultural spaces, and long-term community wealth.
