June 26, 2017
🌱 An Inspiring Idea!
NĂ©besna Fortin meets entrepreneur Steve Grandmont
In 1984, the founder of our ecovillage, Michael Deunov, along with a group of parents, launched a project aimed at offering an alternative school for young people eager to learn in nature and through hands-on activities. The idea was to build a village that prioritized the education of its youth in order to help each one reach their full potential. For the first two years, the project took the form of a summer camp, and soon evolved to welcome families year-round. Thus was born the ecovillage known as La Cité Écologique.
To meet financial needs, everyone pitched in. The first business to emerge focused on food distribution. Over time, economic activities diversified: a vegetable farm, a glass art studio, a gift product distribution company with uplifting messages, and a large sewing workshop were established. By the early 2000s, young people who had developed leadership skills began expressing interest in managing their own projects. Gradually, new businesses connected to the ecovillage began to appear.
A particularly inspiring and innovative model emerged in 2008. I took the time to speak with this young entrepreneur to introduce him and allow him to share his experience of starting a business.
Steve Grandmont arrived at La Cité Écologique in 1984, at the very beginning of the project. He was 9 years old. He participated in activities and hands-on learning with about thirty other young people and completed his schooling at the ecovillage’s school. Later, he became involved in the school-business in the sewing sector. Over time, he learned to manage production follow-ups, sought subcontracting contracts in Montreal, and coordinated with home-based workers. Soon, he was responsible for deliveries and contract negotiations with Montreal suppliers. This experience gave him the skills needed to manage a large-scale business.
At the time, most of the staff worked in the sewing company, which was the main economic activity supporting the school and ecovillage projects. Unfortunately, contracts gradually began shifting overseas, where labor was cheaper. By 2007, it was clearly time to consider a career change.
At that moment, Steve had just become a proud new father! With a young son, he was even more motivated to pursue his parents’ dream and offer his child a learning environment aligned with his values and vision of a more sustainable world. Driven by this desire, he decided to start his own business. He was interested in sales. His first idea was to sell forest products from the ecovillage. Unfortunately, this attempt failed due to declining wood market prices and restrictive regulations that limited small producers.
Next, he tried raising chickens. While the experience was interesting, it proved too demanding. After a very intense year, he abandoned the idea. But none of this was enough to dampen Steve’s aspirations. Shortly afterward, during his travels, he became aware of all the underused products ending up in landfills. A new idea sparked: why not give these products a second life?
Soon, he began collecting vegetable oil from local restaurants. Then he discovered many other materials that could be reused. Pallets, barrels, and tanks piled up in his truck and were cleaned and repaired back at the village. Within a year, Steve had more work than time! He left the sewing business for good to focus on managing his new company: Palettes Grandmont.
Today, the business is thriving. Well known in the region, it employs three people. Traveling the roads of Central Quebec, Steve collaborates with several major companies in the area.
His future plans? Continue developing recovery and reuse—after all, that’s the future!
His secret? Doing what he loves and believing in his dreams.
His trademark? Always striving to offer quality service. He emphasizes that the desire to serve must come before the desire to make money.
The interview ends with a question: what advice would he give to other young people who want to start their own business? His answer is simple: patience, believe in your dreams, and respect your clients.
Steve is now the father of two energetic, joyful children. A large ecovillage project like ours must diversify its economic activities to move toward sustainable balance. Steve’s business is a shining example—proving that it’s possible to succeed economically while upholding ecological values and fostering positive relationships with the region.