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A man in a black jacket smiles in front of a round sign that reads "Simple Life Pre-Fab," proudly highlighting it as Canadian Made EH!.
Simple Life Homes Founder & CEO, Jeremy Clarke.

Bay of Quinte Entrepreneurs: Simple Life Homes

Based in Brighton, Ontario, Simple Life Homes was founded by CEO Jeremy Bruce Clarke. Born with a desire to do things differently in the construction world, Jeremy’s dream is to build better homes that are healthier, more efficient, and less wasteful. They focus on prefabricated building envelopes that support net-zero and passive house construction. It all started over a decade ago and has evolved into a vertically integrated team, tackling custom homes, multi-unit developments, and prefab manufacturing.

Spacious modern interior by Simple Life Homes with light wood flooring, a wooden reception desk and two stools, glass railing on the upper level, and plants hanging from the ceiling.
Inside Simple Life Homes office.

“Simple Life Homes’ mission is to make high-performance, low-carbon homes more accessible and build a more sustainable future through innovation and integrity in construction. Our vision is a world where better building becomes the standard. Homes that are good form people and the planet. We value craftsmanship, transparency, collaboration, and doing work we’re proud of, the kind that makes our kids think we’re cool one day!” Jeremy said to describe his business. 

Drawn by the sense of community and potential, Simple Life Homes relocated to Brighton a few years ago. “As the business grew, we needed space – both literally for the factory and office, and figuratively to build something bigger. Brighton offered both,” Jeremy said about moving the company to Brighton. “We were looking for a place that combined opportunity and quality of life within 30 minutes of home. Brighton offered all three, with the added bonus of proximity to both Toronto and Kingston markets. It felt like a place where we could plant roots and grow something meaningful,” he continued. 

That sense of community proved to be true and was coupled with a spirit of entrepreneurial energy and a passion for locally owned businesses. “There’s an entrepreneurial energy in the region, and a real openness to innovation, particularly when it comes to housing. Brighton’s community and leadership have been incredibly supportive. It’s a place where relationships still matter, and that fits our values to a tee,” the CEO described. “Doing business in Brighton means being part of something – a town that’s growing but still grounded. The people are supportive, and the scale of the town makes it possible to actually connect and collaborate across sectors. There’s also room to grow, which is rare and valuable,” he added. 

A group of people gather around a speaker in a warehouse with construction materials and wooden frames laid out on the floor, discussing designs for Simple Life Homes.
Jeremy leads a group on a tour of Simple Life Homes' workshop where the prefabricated pieces are constructed.

The hardest thing about starting his business was balancing visions with reality. “Building something meaningful always takes longer and costs more than you expect, especially when you’re trying to change the status quo. But, the hard parts are also the most rewarding,” Jeremy explained. “I’ve been lucky to have a mix of formal and informal mentors. From experienced builders to formal business coaches to scrappy entrepreneurs,” he went on to say. 

In an effort to give back to the community that welcomed his business into the community, Jeremy tries to support as many local initiatives as he can. “We’re big supporters of local food, and we love what Lola’s Cafe is doing. We also try to back housing and climate initiatives wherever possible, including Habitat for Humanity and local community housing providers,” he commented.

A building site where prefabricated components made at Simple Life Homes are being assembled.

Looking ahead, Simple Life Homes is continuing to build over the next year. “This is a big year. We’re scaling up our production at our prefab facility, expanding our builder-dealer network, and launching new multi-unit housing projects that blend affordability with high performance. We’re also pushing ahead in licensing our prefab systems so more communities across Canada can benefit from better building.”

Jeremy’s advice for other local entrepreneurs is to work for your why. “Start (your business) with purpose and build with care. The work is hard, but if you know why you’re doing it, and surround yourself with good people, it’s incredibly fulfilling.”

To learn more about Simple Life Homes, visit their website here, or follow them on social media @simple.life.homes

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Work in Quinte as a division of The Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board is committed to acknowledging, appreciating and understanding the Indigenous peoples’ historic connection to this land and to raising awareness by building relationships in collaboration with Indigenous partners and communities. 

We recognize and acknowledge that we are living and working on the traditional territory of the Wendat, Mississauga, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee which includes the Kenhtè:ke Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte) with whom we work in direct partnership with. 

This partnership focuses on the common goal of celebrating the region with the Kenhtè:ke Kanyen’kehá:ka who are equal partners within the organization and at the Board of Directors table contributing to the mandate and operations.

This mandate includes listening to, learning from, and collaborating with the Kenhtè:ke Kanyen’kehá:ka and actively incorporating their culture and heritage into the practice of responsible destination marketing and management of the region.

We understand that this land acknowledgement is only a small step towards the larger process of reparations and reconciliation.