Boardwalk began as a private company in 1984. Brothers Sam and Van Kolias (then aged 22 and 17), purchased a drab 16-unit walk-up in Calgary using a down payment guaranteed by their father, a Greek immigrant and successful bricklayer. Units within this building were a mess, landscaping was unsightly, and the only occupied suite belonged to the resident manager who was not paying rent in exchange for her duties. Sam and Van set to work renovating the interior and exterior of the building, focusing on quality, comfort, market appeal and personal, friendly customer service. Their hard work paid off: the newly improved building quickly filled with residents attracted by the like-new suites, reasonable rental rates, and friendly customer service. Within six months, the brothers sold the fully occupied property to fund newly created jobs and further acquisitions of similar run-down properties. Sam and Van realized there was strong demand for well-kept apartment homes with friendly service and great value.

In 2004, a decade after going public, Boardwalk had expanded into Eastern Canada and owned and operated properties in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Québec. With its dedicated Associates, people across the country were starting to recognize the Boardwalk name and their commitment to their Customers. In 2004, Boardwalk converted to a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT). A REIT is a corporation that is not taxed because it distributes most of its net taxable income to shareholders. This change did not affect Boardwalk’s core mission: “to serve and provide our Residents with quality rental communities”, nor did it change Boardwalk’s values and vision for the future.

In January of 1994, a decade after Sam and Van started with a private company, Boardwalk Rental Communities went public on the Alberta Stock Exchange by giving employees an opportunity to own part of the company for just $0.0675 per share (accounting for two stock splits). During that year, Boardwalk purchased more than 1,000 apartment units in Calgary and Edmonton. As the team grew, Boardwalk realized more and more that the most important asset are the great Associates (Staff) that stand behind the company.

Today, Boardwalk has earned the reputation of being one of the friendliest owners and operators of multi-family residential apartments in Canada. Boardwalk’s success is based on earning trust, one Customer at a time and they remain committed to the sense of family that is the foundation of the company. Boardwalk currently employs more than 1,600 skilled and dedicated Associates and provides superior Customer Service to more than 50,000 Residents across 5 Provinces in Canada.