Who We Are
“Renewable energy is barreling down the track at breakneck speed. The future starts today.”
Anthony Zwig, CEO
Our real estate roots
To understand where we came from, you need to look back. Way back, to the 1950s. That’s when Founder Walter Zwig opened the doors to Horizon Legacy, a construction company that specialized in building houses. The company quickly made the leap from building houses to office towers — staking a claim as a pioneer in major commercial office building development along Toronto’s Yonge subway line. Today, Horizon is the name behind more than 6,000,000 sq ft of landmark commercial addresses in one of North America’s most influential cities. As owner, builder and operator of major long-term infrastructure assets, we understand the long-term implications of design, construction and financial decisions on a level that traditional builders and lenders don’t. And we’ve turned that into one of our biggest strengths.
Our energy shift
It was over a decade ago that we recognized the huge impact that renewable energy would have on the planet. So we channeled our deep knowhow in building and financing complex infrastructures to get us into the green energy sector while it was still in its infancy in North America. As the market enters the next phase, the sector is undergoing disruptive transformation arising from several factors: renewable energy being cheaper than traditional sources of electricity generation, rising electricity rates, climate change, changing social values and pressures of government owned utilities to cut costs and decentralize. With our deep experience, long history, and expansive relationships, we are well positioned to ride the next wave of change. The rest, as they say, is history.
Our energy shift
It was over a decade ago that we recognized the huge impact that renewable energy would have on the planet. So we channeled our deep knowhow in building and financing complex infrastructures to get us into the green energy sector while it was still in its infancy in North America. As the market enters the next phase, the sector is undergoing disruptive transformation arising from several factors: renewable energy being cheaper than traditional sources of electricity generation, rising electricity rates, climate change, changing social values and pressures of government owned utilities to cut costs and decentralize. With our deep experience, long history, and expansive relationships, we are well positioned to ride the next wave of change. The rest, as they say, is history.
The new offerings
We invest in green energy and distributed generation technologies including solar, wind and water power.
Solar Power
From conducting feasibility studies to help identify potential solar energy sites, to negotiating and securing all the required permits, to sourcing solar panels and laying solar grids, we do it. Or, if you just need financing, we do that too.
Wind Power
Building a wind farm can be filled with many challenges — from securing land mass that’s large enough, to getting buy-in from the community, to equipping the wind farm, to ensuring that it will be profitable in the long run. We can help you navigate through it all.
Water Power
Water power is one of the most complex types of energy projects to develop due to the complex nature of permits and environmental studies involved. It requires a stable champion with patience and longevity. Our first project located in Ontario, is well in development and we are currently looking to bring our expertise to other similar initiatives. Have a project in mind? Talk to us.
Our Team
Anthony Zwig, CEO
As President of Horizon Legacy, Tony leads the company’s activities in real estate and renewable energy development. With a rich background in the finance and management of infrastructure assets, Tony has successfully overseen the development of more than 2,000,000 square feet of commercial and residential space in Canada and the US, and more than 11 renewable energy projects across North America and Europe. His entrepreneurial approach and deep experience in real estate has also enabled him to create and execute a model for Toronto’s first privately owned residential building geared towards student living.
Nhung Nguyen, VP Development
Nhung joined Horizon Legacy in 2004 and supported the Horizon Legacy move into renewable energy projects. Nhung is responsible for managing the development of the energy projects from concept to completion. She uses her deep industry knowledge to meet legal and contractual obligations of regulators, consultants, the public, and contractors. She works with the IESO, public relations, land acquisition, feasibility, and risk analysis. Nhung engages with consultants and regulators and contributed to the development our Ernestsown (Ontario), Maryvale (Nova Scotia), and Thunder Bay (Ontario) windfarms, two hydro projects (Bala and Trout Lake) and four Ontario solar projects. She also engaged with contractors, created and executed planning criteria for all participants, and helped direct construction of two windfarms, one hydro project and five solar projects.
Frank Belerique, Vice President
Frank brings his over 20 years of experience at Horizon Legacy in project development and operations to direct the development of renewable energy projects at Horizon Legacy. In his role as Vice President, he has supervised the development of our Ernestown (Ontario) and Maryvale (Nova Scotia) windfarms, two water power projects in Ontario (Bala and Trout Lake), and a Toronto solar project. In this role he engaged directly with regulators (including MNRF and MOECC) and consultants. He coordinated the multiplicity of approvals at provincial, federal, and local government levels with contractors and the public. Frank has supervised construction and operations of the windfarms, the Bala water power project and the Toronto solar project.
Emylee Kahr, Project Administrator
Emylee started working with Horizon in 2016, working for four years as an administrator at the company’s building, Campus Common, one of Toronto’s first private student residence. Emylee has worked on various projects at Horizon, including the sale of a solar project, operations of the wind farms, Maryvale in Nova Scotia, and Ernestown in Ontario, and coordinating end of construction activities, testing and operating procedures, and setting up the operations team for the Bala Falls Hydro Project.
Lourie Chopra, Controller
Lourie brings over 20 years’ experience at Horizon Legacy. She managed all aspects of the details and complexities of administration of the renewable energy projects, including two windfarms, two hydro projects and five solar projects. Lourie now is Controller and engages with and coordinates with all participants in our projects; including consultants and contractors in day-to-day operation of accounting and funding needs.
Claire Brooke, CFO
As Chief Financial Officer for Horizon Legacy, Claire provides strategic financial leadership, oversight, and analysis that ensures delivery of operational excellence in alignment with the company’s vision and core values of financial advancement, integrity and effective stewarding of organizational resources and partnerships. Claire actively oversees treasury planning and accounting functions, manages ongoing engagements with financial and legal institutions, and liaises with the government on regulatory and legal requirements. Claire brings over 20 years of professional experience in diverse financial sectors and in tandem with her chartered designation, she draws from academic research and scholarships in finance related domains.
Maxime Perreault, Construction Automation Engineering
Maxime Perreault leads the Construction Automation Engineering division of Horizon Legacy with the Horizon Marco Polo Research and Development Project working with robotics and construction. Being new to the team, he has experience designing concrete printed walls and connecting them to house features such as doors and windows. Before joining Horizon, Maxime completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto, where he pursued research in energy efficient prototype vehicles and quadcopter drone powertrains.