Lansdowne Park aerial view

We build districts of tomorrow for cities on the rise.

As a sports and entertainment ecosystem company, we partner with communities to envision, develop, operate, and strengthen destination districts that drive economic growth and lasting local value.

Nature Provides  ~  Industry Develops  ~  Community Endures
Who We Are

Shield Water Ventures is a Canadian development and advisory company with a singular ambition: to set the national standard for entertainment districts in secondary markets.

Our work is at the intersection of sports, entertainment, place-making, and tourism — integrating the disciplines to create vibrant destinations that drive investment, strengthen communities, and create lasting value.

Waterfront mixed-use district masterplan rendering
Illustrative waterfront district rendering
Leadership
Scott McNevan
Scott McNevan
Managing Partner

Business Strategy & Operations

Full Bio

Scott brings two decades of executive leadership experience across multiple industries, including entertainment, sports, and education. His career has taken him through live entertainment operations, private education leadership, facility management, project management, and executive team development, giving him a broad operational perspective on the organizational challenges behind complex projects. At Shield Water Ventures, Scott leads business strategy and operations, bringing together partners, disciplines, and resources to move complex projects from concept to execution.

Shannon McNevan
Shannon McNevan
Managing Partner

Business Development & Capital Solutions

Full Bio

Shannon brings nearly two decades of experience building and operating businesses at the intersection of sports and entertainment. His career has taken him from professional hockey in Europe — as both a player and franchise owner/operator — to executive leadership in the music industry, founding and leading award-winning independent label and artist management company Starseed Entertainment, as well as co-founding and developing some of Canada's largest live entertainment festivals, including Boots & Hearts and LASSO Montreal. At Shield Water Ventures, Shannon leads business development and capital solutions, working to identify opportunities, build strategic partnerships, and align the resources required to bring complex projects forward.

JP Poulin
JP Poulin
Managing Partner

Development, Construction, & Financial Strategy

Full Bio

JP brings more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, developer, and business leader. His career has taken him from founding and leading Devcore Group, a development and construction company specializing in mixed-use residential and commercial projects in secondary markets, to launching 1Valet, a smart-building technology company that transforms how people experience buildings. He is also part of the ownership group of the Ottawa Senators and has made community impact a significant part of his career, including Gatineau’s Village Transition, a successful community solution for the unhoused population. At Shield Water Ventures, JP leads development, construction, and financial strategy, bringing extensive experience in project execution, capital, and complex partnerships to help move ambitious projects from vision to reality.

Together, our SWV team represents over 65 years of combined development, finance, planning, municipal strategy, sports, entertainment, and operations leadership; the disciplines required to move complex projects from concept to reality.

What We Do

How we help communities grow

District Development

We envision and develop destination districts in secondary markets anchored by sports, entertainment, and mixed-use development.

  • Master planning
  • Development
  • Financing
  • Partnerships
  • Project delivery
Aerial view of a waterfront district development site

Sports & Entertainment Services

We build and operate the sports, entertainment, and programming ecosystem that catalyzes and gives a district its identity.

  • Venue strategy
  • Franchise strategy
  • Operations
  • Programming
  • Revenue development
Crowd at a live outdoor concert

Municipal Advisory

We help communities navigate complex growth decisions and turn opportunity into actionable strategy.

  • Economic development
  • Tourism
  • Recreation
  • Arts & culture
  • Strategic planning
  • Public-private partnerships
Rendering of a public streetscape and event space
Advise Develop Operate
Why We Do It

The next generation of great sports and entertainment districts will be built in secondary markets that choose to rise.

Too often, the biggest ideas, investments, and design experiences are reserved for major markets. We believe that can change. We're building SWV to help secondary markets think bigger — creating sports, entertainment, and mixed-use districts that strengthen communities, attract investment, and create value that lasts for generations.

Building something in your community? Let's talk.

We welcome conversations with municipalities, developers, builders, investors, and other partners looking to bring ambitious projects to life.