Labid Aljundi
Founder, President & CEO – MTL Développement
Montreal Real Estate Developer | Quebec Entrepreneur | Community Builder
Overview
Labid Aljundi is a Montreal-based real estate developer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose work has impacted residential and mixed-use development across Quebec and Canada. As the Founder and President of MTL Développement, he has led projects that reflect not only strategic investment decisions, but a broader philosophy about growth, responsibility, and the role of development in strengthening communities.
For Labid, real estate development is not simply construction or capital deployment. It is a long-term act of commitment to cities, families, culture, and economic expansion. His career reflects a consistent belief that development, when executed responsibly, elevates communities and creates lasting opportunity.
Foundations: Engineering, Resilience, and Global Experience
With a management engineering background from one of Syria’s most reputable higher education institutions, Labid entered the international job market. He began working in Kuwait, focusing on technology-driven and system-based businesses and projects.
Labid arrived to Canada in 2003 in pursuit of further education.
He completed his MBA at HEC Montréal in 2005. He leveraged his engineering background, international experience, and his recent education and accreditation to further pursue certificates, internships, and integration programs around Quebec.
Around the time Labid became a Canadian citizen, he was presented with a senior management opportunity at a company in Qatar. Yet throughout those years abroad, his goal remained constant: return to Canada permanently and build here. That is why, he returned definitively to Montreal in 2017 with his wife, children, and mother, committed to long-term development within Quebec.
Why He Builds
At the core of Labid Aljundi’s work is a belief: Development is a responsibility.
He believes that Montreal is already among the strongest cities in the world in education, culture, safety, and lifestyle. The future, however, is not preservation it is expansion. Cities must continue to grow, modernize, and evolve in order to remain competitive internationally.
For Labid, building is:
- A way of giving back to the city that gave him opportunity
- A way to elevate neighbourhoods and districts
- A way to provide homes, experiences, and stability for families
- A way to strengthen economic growth and employment
- A way to contribute to long-term national prosperity
He sees development not as speculation, but as long-term participation in economic progress.
A Philosophy on Housing: Renting, Owning, and Agency
Labid Aljundi does not approach housing ideologically. He approaches it analytically.
In his view, the decision between renting and owning in Canada depends on multiple variables:
- Economic cycles
- Political environment
- Interest rate conditions
- Personal mobility
- Stage of life
- Income stability
He believes individuals should be equipped with tools, incentives, and structural clarity to make informed housing decisions based on their own circumstances, not have those decisions shaped on their behalf.
He supports thoughtful development policy and regulatory evolution that encourages economic growth, housing supply, and market efficiency. Government intervention in housing is a reality developers must adapt to, but he advocates for policies that empower individuals and strengthen the private sector’s ability to deliver quality housing.
In the long term, he believes development is always the right decision. Markets fluctuate; cities expand.
Montreal, Quebec, and Expansion
Labid views Montreal and the Greater Metropolitan Area as cities still early in their growth trajectory.
Canada’s geographic advantage; its size, land availability, resource depth, and demographic growth, presents long-term expansion opportunities that few global cities possess. Density, in his view, remains far from reaching structural stress points when compared to international hubs.
Montreal must:
- Continue to develop vertically and outward
- Attract international talent
- Maintain affordability relative to other major cities
- Encourage responsible private investment
- Balance heritage with modernization
Through his projects; amongst others, Le Bourbon, La Tour FIDES, and La Tour Sainte-Rose, Labid expresses not just financial opportunity, but faith in Montreal’s future.
He does not claim to lead development in the city.
He aims to play a meaningful leadership role in shaping its evolution.
Development Philosophy
Labid Aljundi’s development philosophy integrates long-term thinking with responsibility.
He believes in:
Long-Term Ownership
Projects should be built with operational durability, not short-term speculation.
Environmental Responsibility
Energy efficiency, modern building systems, and forward-looking technology must be integrated from design phase onward. Development must consider sustainability not as an afterthought, but as structural intelligence.
Social Responsibility
Development must enhance communities, preserve vibrancy, and support civic life; never erode it.
Adaptive Innovation
The conversion of obsolete office spaces into residential developments; particularly during and after the COVID era, is a responsibility in cities like Montreal. Forward-thinking developers adapt infrastructure to evolving needs rather than waiting for decline.
Patrimonial Integrity
When dealing with existing urban fabric, historical and architectural value must be upheld. A building’s past should inform its future.
Projects as Expressions of Belief
Le Bourbon – Reinforcing Urban Identity
Le Bourbon represents a belief in revitalization and preservation within growth. Rather than creating something disconnected from its neighbourhood, the project transformed and modernized space within Montreal’s Village; one of the city’s most culturally distinct districts.
Its integration of residential living with community space through the creation of Maison Bourbon reflects his broader philosophy: development must elevate, not displace.
Standing in the Village and looking toward the illuminated Jacques Cartier Bridge, Labid saw potential in perspective.
He believed that more residents should benefit from that breathtaking alignment of river, bridge, and skyline; and that development should continue confidently in that direction.
He saw potential where others saw complexity.
La Tour FIDES – History With Momentum
La Tour FIDES reflects a disciplined respect for history. Rather than erasing the building’s architectural identity, Labid chose to preserve its historical presence while adapting it for contemporary rental living. The objective was not to freeze the building in time, nor to treat heritage as an obstacle, but to develop with history in mind. Equally significant was timing.
He recognized early that downtown office stock risked obsolescence in the COVID and post-COVID environment. Converting such spaces into residential units was not reactive; it was anticipatory.
La Tour FIDES demonstrates:
- Confidence in downtown Montreal
- Respect for architectural continuity
- Strategic adaptation of office-to-residential conversion
- Commitment to rental stability
Beyond the building itself, the collaboration with Concordia University to launch an art competition allowed emerging artists to produce work embodying the building’s history, reinforcing his belief that art must be integrated into development, not appended to it.
La Tour Sainte-Rose –Expansion WithPurpose
La Tour Sainte-Rose represents suburban evolution with intention. Recognizing growth patterns in Laval, Labid envisioned the project not just as housing, but as a milieu de vie.
He initiated the development of:
- A private park
- A central courtyard
- Integrated green space
The goal was to embrace suburban living while elevating it with thoughtful density and quality construction. Development in Laval was not secondary to Montreal; it was part of the same long-term regional growth strategy.
The vision was simple:
Bring metropolitan-level quality and stability to growing suburban districts.
The project reflects his belief that growth is not confined to city centers; it spreads outward with intention and infrastructure.
Leadership and Team Culture
Labid’s leadership style is analytical, decisive, and grounded in empowerment.
He mentors actively, promotes internally, and values growth through responsibility. His team operates with transparency around strategy and long-term objectives.
He maintains direct engagement across projects, visiting construction sites regularly, meeting with designers and engineers, and ensuring alignment between vision and execution.
Culture matters deeply within MTL Développement. Team activities include company gatherings, community engagement initiatives, and shared travel experiences; including a company-wide trip to Mexico in 2024 for employees and their families.
Collectively, the team has participated in initiatives such as March pour la dignité, reinforcing civic involvement alongside business development.
He knows that buildings endure because teams endure.
Le Balcon - April 2026
Marche pour la dignité - May 2022
Holiday Celebration - December 2022
Wine Tasting - October 2025
Trip in Mexico - December 2024
Mentorship and Shaping Future Leaders
Leadership for Labid is not confined to his internal team.
At HEC Montréal, he frequently welcomes students into his projects for hands-on experience. He believes real learning happens beyond the classroom; in negotiation rooms, on construction sites, and through exposure to real decision-making.
His mentorship extends beyond technical real estate knowledge. He speaks openly about:
- Risk
- Discipline
- Long-term thinking
- Ethical business conduct
- The responsibility of opportunity
By shaping future leaders; whether employees or students, he contributes to broader economic continuity.
Philanthropy: Purpose Beyond Visibility
HEC Montréal
His contribution to HEC Montréal is rooted in gratitude. Education provided him a foundation; he aims to create even better opportunities for the next generation.
The naming of Labid Aljundi halls is not merely recognition; it symbolizes reinvestment in institutional growth.
Maison Bourbon
Maison Bourbon stands as one of his most distinctive community initiatives.
Its purpose: to uphold the historical and social relevance of Maison Bourbon within the Village and provide accessible office spaces for community organizations and advocacy groups.
In a climate of rising rents, this initiative ensures that advocacy and civic engagement do not disappear due to economic pressure.
This is development serving culture.
Dedication to the Arts
Music has been part of Labid’s life since youth.
Despite a disability in his left hand, he earned a piano degree from the Music Conservatory at age 15. The discipline of music; repetition, precision, interpretation informs his approach to both leadership and development.
This is one of the reasons why Labid remains a donor and regular attendee of the OSM, he views cultural institutions as foundational to Montreal’s identity.
For him, culture is not optional. It is infrastructure.
Beyond financial contribution, his commitment to integrating art into La Tour FIDES through collaboration with the Faculty of Fine Arts at Concordia University reflects a broader dedication to cultural infrastructure.
Through a dedicated art competition, emerging artists are invited to create original works that will be integrated into the building’s shared spaces, offering them visibility and real-world experience.
This initiative transforms La Tour FIDES into more than a residence; it becomes a platform for local creativity and a reflection of Montréal’s artistic identity.
Development, in his view, must coexist with artistic expression.
Humanity
For many years, Labid Aljundi has been personally involved in causes that speak directly to the human side of society, beyond the scope of business.
For him, these commitments reflect real-life experiences situations that touch families, communities, and individuals in meaningful ways and a desire to contribute where it truly matters.
This involvement aligns with his broader philosophy: building goes beyond development itself and carries a responsibility toward the community.
Whether supporting dignified end-of-life care, contributing to advances in cancer research, or remaining involved in other meaningful causes over the years, Labid reflects a consistent personal commitment, one that naturally extends into the actions of MTL Développement.
Generational Continuity
Labid Aljundi identifies first as a builder and developer in Montreal, Quebec, and Canada.
He believes the country’s geographic scale and institutional stability offer extraordinary room for continued growth. His objective is not to build quickly but to build sustainably. This is why he is investing in the future generations of his family.
Family is central to both his personal identity and his professional philosophy.
One of his children now works within MTL Développement under his direct mentorship. The family business is not viewed as inheritance alone, but as formation, leadership learned through discipline, exposure to real decision-making, and accountability within projects.
His vision is summarized with forward looking growth from within to contribute towards building the Montreal of the future.
