In this episode, Shaun Denis sits down with Marcus Mitchell, Co-Founder of Shire Capital Management and Shire Farms, an investment fund focused on acquiring and scaling premium fruit farmland across Canada.

Marcus isn’t simply buying farmland. His team is building integrated farm businesses around highly specialized agricultural assets, including organic blueberry farms in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley and sweet cherry orchards in the Okanagan. The horticultural sector they focus on represents less than 1% of Canadian farmland, making it one of the most niche corners of the agricultural real estate market.

Since launching in 2021, Shire has scaled from a single organic blueberry farm to roughly $50 million in assets, delivering approximately 36% net returns to early investors on their first fund.

This conversation explores how farmland behaves differently from other real estate assets, why healthy food production is attracting investor interest, and how scarcity, geography, and global demand shape the economics of fruit farming.

Marcus also shares some of the freeze-dried organic blueberries grown directly from their farms. You can explore their products here:

https://shire-farms.com/

Meet, Marcus Mitchell.

What shapes the way cities grow, evolve, and inspire those who live within them? Few people can answer that question better than Dr. David Gordon, one of Canada’s most respected urban planners and a leading authority on city-building.

In this episode of Umber Talks, host Shaun Denis, sits down with Dr. Gordon, a professor at Queen’s University, Harvard-trained scholar, and acclaimed author of Town and Crown: An Illustrated History of Canada’s Capital. Over the course of his career, Dr. Gordon has worked on major urban projects in Toronto, mentored generations of planners, and produced research that has reshaped how we understand suburban growth across Canada and beyond.

From the streets of Ottawa to the classrooms of Harvard, Dr. Gordon’s story bridges academia and practice, offering a rare look into the art and science of how cities take shape.

Key Takeaways:

• The hidden forces that define how our cities are planned and experienced.
• What Ottawa’s past reveals about the future of Canadian urban design.
• How the intersection of policy, architecture, and real estate drives community evolution.

Whether you’re a real estate professional, developer, or simply someone fascinated by how cities work, this episode offers a masterclass in understanding the urban fabric that surrounds us,and the vision required to build what comes next.

In this episode of Umber Talks, host Shaun Denis sits down with Barry J. Hobin, the architect whose name has become synonymous with Ottawa’s skyline. Over nearly five decades, Barry has shaped the city through landmark projects like Greystone Village, the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park, and countless custom residences that have set the bar for design excellence.

Beyond the bricks and mortar, Barry has built a brand rooted in collaboration, community, and a philosophy that design is about more than buildings, it’s about how people live.

Key Takeaways:

• Design as Legacy – How Barry’s projects have reshaped Ottawa’s neighbourhoods.
• The Business of Architecture – What it means to build a personal brand that carries weight in real estate and development.
• City-Building – Lessons on collaboration between architects, developers, and communities.
• Legacy in One Word – Barry’s reflection on how he hopes to be remembered 100 years from now.

Whether you’re a developer, real estate practitioner, resident of a Barry J. Hobin home, designer, or simply someone who loves cities and the stories behind them, this conversation will give you a deeper look at the intersection of architecture, real estate, and legacy.