We recently collaborated with TD Wealth on a commercial reflecting on our company’s story — where it began, how it has grown, and what it means for the next generation of Campanales to carry that legacy forward.
Behind that story is a journey that began long before the company itself was founded.
Vince, Tony, and Rocco Campanale immigrated to Canada from Italy in the 1950s. Life was modest in those early years, their first home didn’t even have running water. Those experiences shaped a mindset that would guide them throughout their lives: work hard, build something meaningful, and create opportunities for the future.
As young men, they left home with little more than determination and a belief that they could build something of their own. Years later, that determination led them to start a real estate company together. In 1979, the Campanale Group was officially founded, with each brother playing a key role in shaping the business. Vince led sales and marketing, Tony focused on development and construction, and Rocco oversaw property management.
“Our father always dreamed that one day we would take over the family business. Real estate was something we grew up around — it was always part of our lives.” – Santana Campanale, Director of Sales, Marketing & Commercial Leasing
What began as a small real estate firm steadily grew into a multi-faceted company involved in residential construction, commercial development, and property management throughout the Ottawa region. Over more than four decades, Campanale has helped shape neighbourhoods and communities while building strong relationships within the city’s business community, partnerships that have played an important role in the company’s growth.
But while the projects have grown in scale, the company’s foundation has remained the same: family.
For the second generation of Campanales, the business was never separate from everyday life. Real estate and construction were part of conversations around the dinner table, weekend site visits, and watching their parents build something from the ground up. Over time, that exposure naturally evolved into the next generation stepping into leadership roles across the organization.
Today, Cody, Santana, Tim, Jenna, Mike and Matthew lead the company across development, construction, sales, marketing, and property management — continuing the work their parents began while helping guide the organization into its next chapter.
“When you’re carrying forward something your family built, it’s about more than business. It’s about honouring the work that came before you while preparing the company for what comes next.” – Cody Campanale, Director of Land Development & Finance
The TD commercial captures that moment in time: a family reflecting on how far they’ve come and looking ahead to the future of the company their parents and uncles built together.
More than forty years after its founding, Campanale continues to grow with the same principles that shaped it from the beginning — hard work, trust, and a commitment to building spaces that serve people and communities for generations.