Optimizing productivity and customer satisfaction for your cleaning company

In today’s crowded marketplace, many commercial cleaners are looking for ways to stand out with improved operations and increased customer satisfaction. From technology to performance, cleaners can build their business reputations and scale their companies with a strategy that optimizes productivity for a better customer experience.

Cleaners focusing on getting their operations to the next level should consider:

Standardizing your practices

Implementing management software to organize staff schedules, track time, and deploy digital checklists can help save time, reduce human error, and deliver dependable service. In addition, standard operating procedures (SOPs) are a simple way to improve consistency for your clients and make it easier for your teams to follow step-by-step instructions.

From the order of cleaning to complaint resolution, these processes offer cleaning validation, helping to improve communications and transparency with your clients to build trust and loyalty. Cleaning validation can also help to identify the appropriate amount of cleaning resources like supplies and staff to be able to better quote on jobs and better allow your teams to perform their tasks effectively.

Focusing on communication

Improving your internal and external communication can help drive repeat business, and transparency is a major part of building trust with your customers. Technology can help with documentation, data, and proof of results. Use cleaning management apps that are timestamped, include GPS details, and provide geo-fenced photo reports to give clients information about the process and verifiable data that the job is complete. These proof of service practices can help justify your pricing, show clients the value of your work, and help build long-term lasting relationships.

Streamlining communication channels is another way to simplify your customer relationships. Often cleaners do their jobs in empty offices with almost no human contact, so offer easy ways for your customers to get in touch, to communicate requests or to report discrepancies. Responding quickly and taking action will let your customers know they are important to you and that you will address any concerns swiftly and effectively.

Leveraging AI

AI can help optimize your operations by eliminating time-consuming tasks that can be automated. Companies using AI-driven scheduling platforms report a 40 per cent reduction in time spent on route planning, for example, and that means that you can better manage labour while increasing efficiency. Today, between 60 and 90 per cent of cleaning companies are using automation to manage customers, automate scheduling, assign labour in real-time, and track customer preferences. While it is not mandatory for all businesses yet, competing in this space will mean a level of adoption of automation as the industry standard.

The data gathering and predictive capabilities of AI can also allow for customized cleaning programs based on traffic patterns, usage trends, and specific facility needs, so you can differentiate yourself from the competition with relevant, cost-effective services.

AI can also be used to help market your company, monitor and respond to reviews, address inquiries, and many other duties that can help you better serve your customers without relying on a busy team.

Looking ahead

As you are implementing these new strategies, don’t forget to keep moving forward with regular audits on cleaning performance, practices, and customer relationships. These are not set-it-and-forget-it tactics, there is an evolution that needs to happen to continually improve productivity and demonstrate your value to your customers. Consistently monitor your operations to ensure that you are optimizing on all levels, identify opportunities for improvement, and adjust your protocols to provide the best experience possible for staff and customers.

Investing in employee retention is another way to improve customer satisfaction and reduce company costs. Turnover and training are expensive and reducing turnover not only shows customers that people want to work for your company, but it also promises experienced staff on each job. Listen to your teams, equip them with the tools they need to get the job done, and create a company culture that promotes satisfaction and productivity.

Growing your cleaning company means a focus on optimizing productivity and increasing customer satisfaction. Create a strategy that makes it easy for you to standardize your practices, leverage modern technology, improve communications, and continue to improve as your business grows.

VRCA launches Build Lower Mainland campaign

VRCA is officially launching its Build Lower Mainland campaign on July 21. Build Lower Mainland is the association’s municipal election campaign focused on increasing the visibility of construction and its driving impact on the economy, the workforce, and the future of the Lower Mainland and its communities.

With municipal elections just months away, the association said there has never been a more important time for the voice of construction to be heard. Build Lower Mainland is designed as a municipal engagement campaign that will ensure candidates are well aware of the industry’s impact and that construction has a seat at the table, before decisions are made.

The month of June brought billions in new federal and provincial funding announcements for housing and infrastructure, renewed discussions around development cost charges, and an increasing focus on the role municipalities will play in delivering the projects communities need. It is vital that the construction industry be a huge contributor to these discussions and the driver of solutions that keep communities building and our residents working.

Build Lower Mainland is built around three priorities – Cost to Build, Time to Build, and People to Build. The campaign will bring industry, municipal leaders, candidates, and decision-makers together to help shape the future of housing, infrastructure, and economic growth across the Lower Mainland.

VRCA members can join the movement by attending the Build Lower Mainland launch on July 21 to learn more about the impact municipal politics will have on the next four years.

CMHC launches 2026 Housing Research Awards

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) launched a new round of the annual Housing Research Awards competition. This year’s theme for the President’s Medal for Outstanding Housing Research is: Modernizing Canada’s Housing Industry.

Applicants have until September 29, 2026, to submit proposals that aim to innovate the housing industry and boost productivity, reduce costs and timelines, and scale housing delivery. This includes the application of manufacturing-based production systems to residential construction characterized by off-site fabrication, standardized and repeatable designs, integration of digital and automated technologies, and coordinated supply chains.

The awards recognize Canadian housing research, research training, knowledge mobilization and outreach activities that are impactful and innovative. They also provide monetary awards to help project teams conduct further research, knowledge mobilization, and outreach activities. CMHC administers this program as part of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy. Winners will be selected later this year.

Three annual awards include:

CMHC President’s Medal for Outstanding Housing Research: Modernizing Canada’s Housing Industry – $25,000;
Gold Roof Award for Housing Research Excellence – $12,500; and
Gold Roof Award for Knowledge to Action – $12,500.

A panel of experts involved in academia, as well as the private, public and non-profit sectors, will review the applications. Recipients are selected using a rigorous set of criteria to identify projects with the greatest potential to produce the data and insights decision-makers need to improve housing affordability and better address the needs of Canadians.

Quebec seeks heritage restoration proposals

Owners of classified heritage properties or buildings in Quebec who wish to carry out preservation and restoration work are invited to apply for support under the Heritage Agreements Program. The ministry of culture and communications has launched a call for projects until September 11, 2026.

Eligibility extends to owners of real estate or movable property classified under the Cultural Heritage Act and owners of heritage buildings located in a heritage site classified or declared under the Act.

Through tailored and flexible financial support, the program aims to:

help owners improve the physical condition and heritage characteristics of their heritage properties;
reduce the financial burden on homeowners for whom these investments are important;
offer flexibility to owners who wish to plan their projects over several years; and
monitor the evolution of the physical condition of these heritage assets over time.

For full details regarding eligible clients and exclusions, refer to the webpage for sub-component 4.3 of the program.

Ontario to tweak rules for mortgage brokers

Proposed changes to the rules governing Ontario’s mortgage brokers would free them from redundant due diligence when dealing with sophisticated clients and introduce an accelerated timeline for reporting compromising professional circumstances. The provincial government is currently collecting feedback on these and other regulatory tweaks arising from the mandated five-year review of the provincial Mortgage Brokers, Lenders and Administrators Act (MBLAA).

A consultation paper and draft regulations posted on Ontario’s regulatory registry also include measures to: authorize digital conveyance of orders and notices; allow and establish parameters for team operations within a brokerage; and allow junior mortgage agents to work with a broader range of lenders, given that the lenders are certified and the agents are under brokers’ supervision. Other recommendations from the MBLAA review, released earlier this year, have been left to the direction of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) on Ontario.

A proposed regulatory amendment would waive the requirement for brokers to perform suitability assessments prior to providing services to designated “permitted clients” deemed to be sophisticated investors, knowledgeable about a range of mortgage products. This list of entities and individuals, which aligns with the Ontario Securities Commission’s definitions and permissions, is already considered to hold adequate expertise to undertake non-qualifying syndicated mortgages (NQSF) without advance scrutiny.

Under proposed new rules, brokers would have flexibility to forego that step for all types of mortgage transactions permitted clients undertake. That would take form as a default waiver for entities such as financial institutions, pension and investment funds, and companies with more than $25 million in net assets, but individuals would need to provide written permission to be viewed as a permitted client. Under current rules, the latter are individuals with net financial assets in excess of $5 million.

“Permitted clients engage frequently in other complex transactions in the mortgage sector, such as commercial lending or large-scale investments,” the MLBAA review observes. “Given permitted clients’ substantial knowledge, resources and experience managing risks associated with these investment transactions, stakeholders have indicated that the requirement to conduct suitability assessments on permitted clients creates unnecessary administrative burden.”

The other proposed new rule would ensure the FSRA gets prompt notice when MLBAA licensees are accused of, or found culpable for, designated breaches. A requirement to notify the FSRA within five business days would replace the current practice of revealing such circumstances at the time of annual licence renewal.

“FSRA typically becomes aware of significant changes in a licensee’s circumstances outside the annual renewal process, through third-party information such as consumer complaints, terminations submitted by brokerages or through public information like news reports of charges or lawsuits,” the MLBAA review states.

As proposed, criminal offences, civil or administrative proceedings alleging fraud, breach of trust, deceit or misrepresentation, insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, or regulatory actions undertaken in a jurisdiction outside of Ontario would trigger the requirement to report a “change of circumstances” to the FSRA within five business days.

Comments can be submitted to the public consultation until Aug. 20, 2026.

Housing market activity picks up in Q2

Canada’s spring housing market began to find its footing in May, with momentum carrying into June. According to the latest House Price Survey and Market Forecast from Royal Lepage, the average price of a home decreased 1.4 per cent year over year to $814,900 in the second quarter of 2026. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, however, the national aggregate home price remained flat, increasing a modest 0.2 per cent.

“After a sluggish first quarter, the spring housing market finally got rolling in May. Several regions are now seeing that uptick in momentum carry into summer, as buyers who held back earlier in the year re-enter the market,” said Phil Soper, president and CEO, Royal LePage. “In many cases, what has kept consumers on the sidelines is not a lack of interest, but a lack of urgency. In markets where inventory levels remain elevated, homebuyers have the luxury of time, browsing at their own pace until the right property comes along. That measured approach is reinforced by a persistent backdrop of economic uncertainty, which continues to shape how and when many Canadians decide to move.”

In May, Canada’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.2 per cent year over year, up from 2.8 per cent in April, the highest reading since January 2024. Rising energy prices are primarily Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem indicated in June, however, that inflationary pressures have not spread broadly in a way that would signal a wider rise in general inflation. The Bank of Canada’s key lending rate remains at 2.25 per cent, untouched since October 2025.

“Should rising inflation become more widespread, the Bank may be compelled to raise rates again,” said Soper. “What our regional experts tell us, however, is that a modest rate increase is unlikely to set off alarm bells. This is not the post-pandemic era, when steep and rapid rate surges sent shock waves through the market. Today’s buyers are thinking strategically, weighing broader risks to their employment and the economy, rather than reacting to incremental rate moves.”

On July 1, the United States declined to extend the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) for a new 16-year term, triggering a period of annual reviews that will run until the agreement’s scheduled expiry in 2036. While the agreement remains in force for now, the decision introduces a prolonged negotiating period. For businesses across the continent, that uncertainty is unlikely to ease anytime soon.

“For Canadian consumers, ambiguity surrounding CUSMA is another reason to pause and reassess before making major financial commitments, including the decision to buy or sell a home.” said Soper. “Even though most are not directly impacted through their employment, we know that trade-related anxiety is enough to weigh on consumer confidence.

“Still, we are optimistic that Canada’s strong economic foundation will keep the fall market on track. Pent-up demand from buyers and sellers who sat out earlier this year continues to build. The fundamental desire to own a home has not gone away – it has simply been deferred.”

Canadian mortgage holders are also approaching the end of a multi-year renewal cycle rooted. Over the next year, the last of the five-year, fixed-rate mortgages taken out during the pandemic will come up for renewal, representing approximately 12 per cent of all outstanding mortgages, according to the Bank of Canada. On average, these borrowers can expect their monthly payments to increase by 15 per cent.

“The over-blown pandemic mortgage renewal scare is all but over and most Canadians have weathered the storm,” said Soper. “By the middle of next year, virtually all borrowers facing significant payment increases will have renewed. While most will be able to manage the adjustment, a small subset of homeowners face a more challenging road, particularly in higher-priced markets where home prices have taken a more sustainable dip in recent years.

“That said, the numbers remain small enough that we do not expect a meaningful impact on the broader housing economy. National mortgage delinquency rates remain low by historical standards, meaning that most borrowers have been able to absorb higher payments without falling behind and have been able to successfully refinance. Rising incomes and a resilient labour market continue to work in homeowners’ favour. And, strict mortgage stress test rules mean borrowers would have qualified at a much higher rate than they actually paid when they took out those mortgages.”

GTHA housing policies diverge from buyer preferences

Most homebuyers in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) prefer ground-related housing, such as single-detached and semi-detached homes, townhouses, and stacked townhouses, yet land-use planning policies have favoured denser apartment construction for much of the past two decades, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report.

In “Room to Grow: Building More of the Housing Homebuyers Want,” author Frank Clayton argues that planning policies have become increasingly disconnected from consumer preferences, limiting the supply of preferred ground-related housing and worsening affordability. He argues policymakers should focus not only on how much housing is built, but also on building the kinds of homes people actually want.

“It is clear Ontario homebuyers prefer homes with an exterior entrance, a garage, and a plot of green space. The evidence is in the numbers,” says Clayton, a senior research fellow in the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at Toronto Metropolitan University. “Between 2017 and 2024, single-detached homes accounted for 40 to 62 percent of all first-time home purchases in Ontario, far exceeding demand for condominium apartments. Yet, by the end of 2022, apartments accounted for 86 percent of all approved and proposed housing units in the GTHA development pipeline.”

The report finds that this mismatch has wide-ranging consequences. Limited construction of new ground-related housing reduces resale supply as move-up buyers remain in their existing homes. Buyers move farther from employment hubs in search of more affordable housing. Renters, who traditionally serve as a source of first-time buyers, remain in rental accommodation due to diminished affordability, thereby reducing turnover in the existing rental stock. These impacts exacerbate wealth inequality, as fewer households can access housing assets that appreciate over time.

The report also challenges the ideas that housing demand can be met by relying on seniors to downsize, providing more missing middle housing options in existing neighbourhoods or increased densities adjacent to transit stations

As a solution, the report recommends increasing the supply of the housing buyers prefer while lowering the cost of suitable alternatives to traditional single-detached subdivisions. This includes maintaining an ample supply of serviced greenfield land, reducing government-imposed development costs, and encouraging greenfield communities that combine townhouses, low-rise apartments, and smaller-lot single-detached homes. This approach has already gained market acceptance and improved affordability in municipalities including Oakville, Waterloo Region, and Ottawa.

“Housing policy cannot succeed if it ignores consumer demand,” says Clayton. “Canadians continue to aspire to ground-related homes. Planning for the housing people want, rather than simply counting units, is key to restoring affordability.”

Preparing for Microsoft’s EWS deadline

On October 1, 2026, Microsoft will begin disabling Exchange Web Services (EWS) by default across Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online, with a permanent shutdown scheduled for April 1, 2027. Unlike other technology deadlines that announce themselves, there will be no crash or pop-up alerts. Instead, software that condo corporations rely upon every day will quietly stop performing certain functions.

The window to flag applications that still require EWS and keep them running past October 1, closes at the end of August 2026. Understanding what is changing—and preparing ahead of the deadline—will help avoid unexpected disruptions.

What is changing and why it matters

EWS is the connection layer that most third-party software has historically used to integrate with Microsoft’s email and calendar infrastructure. Organizations that use on-premises Exchange Server will not be affected.

For condo corporations, the practical consequence is not a Microsoft problem — it is a third-party software problem. Any application that was built to connect to Outlook through EWS and has not been updated to use Microsoft’s modern replacement will lose that connection. The software itself continues to function. The integration does not.

The failure mode is the problem

When EWS is disabled, everything will seem to work until someone requires a necessary function that is no longer accessible.

Consider the applications common to Ontario residential condominium management: amenity booking platforms, visitor management systems, work order and maintenance tools, email archiving solutions, shuttle scheduling software. Many were built years ago, when EWS was the industry standard. Some have been updated. Some are in progress. Some have not started, and some particularly older custom-built platforms where the original developer no longer exists, will never be updated.

Any application that hasn’t migrated to the new connection standard will produce no error message. Amenity bookings will stop syncing to calendars. Visitor logs will stop updating. Email archives will stop capturing communications. Work order notifications will stop delivering.

The first indication will appear as a need that is suddenly missing: a status certificate required on a tight deadline, a maintenance record needed for an insurance claim, or board communication that becomes critical in a legal dispute.

At that point, the discovery that the archive has a months-long gap is not a technology conversation. It is a governance conversation.

Why boards are exposed

Under Ontario’s Condominium Act and its regulations, corporations have obligations around records retention and access. Communications, meeting minutes, maintenance records, and legal correspondence must be maintained. If the software tools used to capture and archive those records silently fail, the exposure falls to the corporation and its directors.

This is not a hypothetical risk. The deadline is published. The mechanism is documented. The final shutdown will not be extended. Many boards have not been briefed on this, and many property managers remain unaware. The responsibility for raising the issue falls to those who are paying attention.

What the assessment involves

Identifying exposure at a given site is straightforward for anyone with access to the Microsoft 365 administrative environment. Microsoft has published EWS usage reports within the Microsoft 365 admin centre that identify which applications in a tenant are actively using EWS. A review of those reports, combined with confirmation from software vendors on their migration status, is sufficient to determine where a condominium corporation stands.

The conversation with each vendor is simple: has your platform migrated from EWS to Microsoft Graph, and if not, what is the timeline? Most major platforms serving the Ontario residential condo market have addressed this or are actively working on it. The risk concentrates in older integrations, custom-built tools, and platforms where vendor communication has been absent.

The window before the end of August is narrow. For corporations that need more time on a given application, keeping it running past October takes a simple administrative step in Exchange Online; however, someone has to initiate it.

The question worth asking now

If a condo corporation uses Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online, and depends on any third-party software that connects to it, one conversation with your IT provider or property manager is sufficient to know where you stand.

The deadline is fixed. The failure mode is silent. The preparation window is open, but not for much longer.

Aaron Lazare is the owner of Toronto Tech, an independent IT advisory firm working exclusively with residential condominium corporations in the GTA. He can be reached at [email protected] or torontotechguy.com.

Jill of All Trades events return to help support women in skilled trades

Jill of All Trades (JOAT) events provide hands-on experiences that encourage young women in grades 9-12 to explore careers in skilled trades that have traditionally been underrepresented by women. Behr Paint Company is returning as a sponsor of JOAT at select colleges across Ontario, reinforcing its commitment to supporting women in the skilled trades. Through the partnership, Behr helps introduce young women to career opportunities in the painting trades while promoting greater diversity and representation across the industry.

“Painting is more than applying colour to a surface; it’s a skilled profession that requires precision, problem-solving, technical knowledge, and creativity,” says Christine Speagle, Director of Brand Marketing at Behr Canada. “We are proud to support JOAT because we believe more young women should see painting as a pathway to a meaningful, lucrative, and fulfilling career.”

“Our industry needs talented people with fresh perspectives,” adds Speagle. “Women are reshaping the future of the trades, and we’re investing in the programs that bring the next generation in.”

The JOAT sponsorship builds on Women in Paint™, a Behr program that recognizes professional women painters and connects emerging tradeswomen with mentorship, community, and visibility. Together, the two efforts target both ends of the pipeline – students exploring the trades and established professionals shaping their growth.

Behr is putting tools in students’ hands and connecting them with working professionals, aiming to remove early barriers to entry in the painting profession and the broader construction sector. Through its products, partnerships, and community involvement, Behr remains committed to helping build a stronger, more diverse future for the painting industry—one where talent, passion, and skill determine success.

To learn more about Women in Paint™, visit BehrPro.ca/WomenInPaint and subscribe to the newsletter for updates on future events and initiatives.

Hazelview secures $150M for Fund VI

Hazelview Investments has completed the first close of its newest private real estate vehicle, the Hazelview Canadian Multi‑Residential Fund VI, securing $150 million in equity commitments from a roster of leading Canadian investors. Drawn from a blend of institutional and private capital, the commitments signal strong confidence in Hazelview Investments and in the long‑term fundamentals of Canada’s multi‑residential housing sector.

According to Michael Tsourounis, Co‑CEO & CIO Private Real Estate, Hazelview’s competitive advantage lies in its ability to create value across the full investment lifecycle: “Our integrated platform spanning investment management, development, and property operations gives us the control, insight, and execution capability to create value at every stage of ownership, not just manage it,” he said. “In a market like this, that advantage matters.”

The closed‑end Fund targets a diversified portfolio of rental residential assets in Canada’s most supply‑constrained urban centres, with a geographic focus on Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. With a seven‑year investment horizon, Fund VI will pursue a disciplined, value‑add strategy aligned with stakeholder objectives. A second close is anticipated in mid‑2027.

Hazelview’s platform depth positions the firm to capitalize on the persistent supply‑demand imbalance in Canada’s rental housing market. Backed by decades of local market data and relationships built since 1999, the company is equipped to identify opportunities, execute improvements, and enhance long‑term asset performance.

“This first close reflects the trust that leading investors place in Hazelview as a long‑term partner in multi‑residential real estate,” said Ali Katz, CAIA, CIM, Managing Partner & Head of Capital Partnerships.

As an independent, employee‑owned firm, Hazelview describes its investment philosophy as one that “extends beyond financial returns,” with interests closely aligned with those of its partners. Its operational model prioritizes transforming rental buildings into communities where residents can thrive — a principle Hazelview views as inseparable from long‑term investor value.

With Fund VI now underway, Hazelview says it is positioned to expand its national footprint, acquire and modernize purpose‑built rental communities, and deliver value through disciplined execution and hands‑on operational expertise.

TerraMarine selected for Roberts Bank Terminal 2

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has selected TerraMarine as the preferred proponent for the landmass and wharf component of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project.

Roberts Bank Terminal 2 is a future marine container terminal at the Port of Vancouver that will increase container capacity on Canada’s west coast by more than 30 per cent, unlocking more than $100 billion in annual trade capacity, contributing more than $3 billion annually to Canada’s GDP, and supporting tens of thousands of jobs.

The selection follows a competitive procurement process, with TerraMarine identified as the preferred proponent, subject to finalization of contraction negotiations with the port authority.

The TerraMarine team is comprised of:

FlatironDragados Canada, Inc.
Van Oord Canada Ltd.
Aecon Constructors, a division of Aecon Construction Group Inc.
Carlson Construction Group Inc.
Supported by design firm Arcadis Professional Services Canada Inc. and sub-consultants Stantec Consulting Ltd., TYPSA Inc., and Tetra Tech Canada Inc.

The construction contract involves the delivery of a marine landmass; wharf structure and berth pocket; widened causeway; expanded tug basin; and select environmental mitigation and offsetting projects.

As part of a competitive selection process, the port authority selected a progressive design-build procurement with a target price model, which allows for greater flexibility in the design process, strengthens collaboration, and enhances cost and schedule certainty.

TerraMarine will now work with the port authority, First Nations, and regulators to advance construction planning, including logistics, work planning, costs, schedule, early works and sub-contracting opportunities, including for Indigenous-owned businesses.

Financial close, construction mobilization, and early works are set to occur in late 2027, with construction (land reclamation) starting in 2028. Terminal operations are expected to begin in the mid-2030s.

WorkSafeBC holds average base rate for 2027

WorkSafeBC announced that the preliminary average base rate for 2027 will remain at $1.55 per $100 of assessable payroll. This will be the 10th consecutive year that the average base rate has remained at this level.

While the average base rate will be unchanged in 2027, each year, the costs in some industries go up, some go down and others stay the same. In 2027, more than half (52 per cent) of employers will either see a decrease in their base rate (30 per cent) or no change (22 per cent), while 48 per cent will see an increase.

WorkSafeBC’s rate-setting approach includes mechanisms to return surplus funds to employers when the funding level exceeds its target. In 2027, WorkSafeBC is proposing to return almost $1 billion ($960 million) of surplus funds to employers through discounted rates and assessment credits.

Between 2019 and 2027, WorkSafeBC projects that $3.9 billion of surplus funds will have been returned to employers, primarily through the pricing of base rates below costs.

To keep rates as stable as possible, base rate increases and decreases are normally capped at 20 per cent. However, given the continuing economic uncertainties facing the province, for 2027, WorkSafeBC will restrict base rate increases to a maximum of 15 per cent, while allowing base rate reductions of up to 30 per cent. This temporary approach, which was also used in 2026, is intended to provide greater rate stability for B.C. employers during challenging economic times.

WorkSafeBC’s board of directors will finalize the 2027 premium rates in October of this year.

The Hospital as an Operating System: Aligning Capital Investment with Operational Readiness

Building More Care, Not Just More Buildings

Canadian hospitals are being asked to deliver more care with finite operating, capital, energy, and staffing resources. For Operations, Clinical, and Facilities leaders, a new facility is not only a capital project. It is a long-term operating commitment.

Decisions made during planning, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and transition directly affect operating cost. Escalation, labour availability, procurement risk, phasing, and construction-market pressures are real. But a quieter cost driver is uncertainty around staffing models, workflows, maintainability, logistics, energy performance, digital systems, and resilience.

Every dollar spent compensating for uncertainty is a dollar that cannot be invested in patient care, staff support, or capacity. The question is not “How do we deliver the building?” It is “How do we make sure the investment produces the performance the hospital needs?”

Start with Operational Intent

The answer starts before design. Hospitals need a clear operating intent that is documented, tested, and managed throughout the project with the same discipline as the budget and schedule.

A useful operating intent defines what the facility must do, not just what it must contain. This shared framework helps clinical, operations, facilities, IT, security, logistics, finance, and capital-planning teams evaluate trade-offs consistently. It also helps prevent value engineering from becoming performance erosion.

An effective operating intent includes:

Care model
Staffing assumptions
Patient and material flows
Reslience and maintainability
Energy performance
Digital enablement
Performance objectives

Design the Whole Operating Platform

A hospital is a coordinated operating platform. Mechanical, electrical, vertical transportation, communications, security, IMIT, digital, logistics, and building automation systems shape care delivery and operations.

Modelling (e.g. energy, CFD, digital twin) tests options before they become embedded costs. Mechanical and electrical decisions influence reliability, comfort, infection control, resilience, and maintainability. Vertical transportation affects patient movement, staff response, emergency flows, and service efficiency. IMIT and digital systems support communication, wayfinding, patient flow, and decision-making.

This is where operational readiness becomes the strategic connector. It is the discipline that connects the hospital’s vision to decisions being made during the capital project. It asks: how will choices affect staffing, downtime, energy use, response times, maintenance access, user training, activation, and the first year of operations?

Treat Logistics and Technology as Operational Infrastructure

Hospitals are logistics-intensive environments where people, supplies, equipment, waste, food, specimens, and information flow continuously. Yet decisions about elevators, pneumatic tubes, automated guided vehicles, storage, loading docks, adjacencies, and service corridors are often made in isolation. Greater value comes from treating them as an integrated operational network.

The same principle applies to digital infrastructure. It begins with operational questions: What decisions need to be made? Who needs the information? What action follows when a metric falls outside tolerance? Building automation analytics optimize energy performance, while real-time locating systems improve equipment utilization, staff safety, and patient flow. Without accountability, data becomes noise.

On a large acute care hospital redevelopment project, logistics systems were evaluated as a coordinated operational network rather than as individual infrastructure components. Integrating conveyance systems, storage strategies, vertical transportation, and departmental adjacencies helped align material movement with planned clinical workflows to support operational readiness.

Commission the Hospital, Not Just the Systems

Substantial completion does not mean a hospital is ready to operate. Generators, air-handling units, elevators, and nurse call systems can all perform as intended while the operating model remains untested.

Day One readiness depends on more than completed building systems. Infrastructure, technology, workflows, logistics, maintenance, life-safety processes, wayfinding, training, and activation planning must work together. Hospitals should validate the operating model through integrated systems testing and scenario-based commissioning that simulates utility failures, logistics disruptions, staffing constraints, and clinical surges.

The objective is to uncover operational gaps while they can still be addressed. Prior to opening one of Canada’s first fully integrated smart hospitals, commissioning, simulation and activation exercises brought together infrastructure, clinical technologies, workflows, and staff to validate the intended operating model. This helped identify operational gaps before occupancy, supporting a smoother Day One transition.

Close the Loop After Occupancy

The first year of operation is the first real performance test. Establishing a post-occupancy optimization plan before move-in, with regular performance reviews, helps hospitals measure performance against operational intent and make adjustments as needed. Performance should be assessed across several areas, including facility performance (energy use, equipment downtime), operational efficiency (work-order trends, elevator wait times, bottlenecks), and user experience (response times, staff feedback).

Lessons learned should be captured to inform future projects. A disciplined feedback loop turns one capital project into organizational intelligence for the next.

Five Questions Hospital Leaders Should Ask Before Scope Is Fixed

What operational outcomes must this project deliver?
Which decisions will most affect staffing, patient flow, resilience, maintainability, energy performance, and operating cost?
Where are we spending capital to compensate for uncertainty?
How will the operating model be tested before occupancy?
How will performance be measured and optimized after opening?

Conclusion

Success must be measured by more than occupancy, budget, and schedule. The better measure is whether the facility delivers the capacity, resilience, efficiency, maintainability, staff support, and patient experience it was intended to provide.

This is where HH Angus’ depth in healthcare matters. Operational readiness is stronger when informed by teams that understand mechanical and electrical systems, IMIT, vertical transportation, commissioning, energy modeling, logistics, sustainability, and clinical operations. By connecting services around a shared operating intent, hospitals make capital decisions that support their vision, reduce avoidable operating costs, and help facilities perform as intended.

Have Questions? Contact:
Kelly Henderson, B. ASc, MBA
Associate Director, Angus Connect | Principal
HH Angus & Associates Limited Consulting Engineers
Email: [email protected]

Ontario mulls new retrofit financing option

A proposal to bring private lenders more directly into property-assessed clean energy (PACE) programs could open up a new financing option for energy and water efficiency upgrades in Ontario’s commercial and multifamily buildings. The provincial government is seeking input on an approach that would relieve municipalities from the seed capital requirements and administrative complexities that have tended to discourage PACE uptake.

Toronto is the only Ontario municipality that currently offers PACE financing to borrowers in the commercial real estate sector through its High Rise Retrofit Improvement Support (Hi-RIS) program — an initiative that is scoped to multifamily rental buildings that are at least 20 years old with a minimum of three storeys and seven units. Qualifying borrowers can obtain low-cost loans, which they repay via a special assessment added to their property tax bills. (Toronto also has a parallel program for residential ratepayers.)

This approach to PACE is enabled through provincial legislation. Both the Municipal Act and City of Toronto Act allow local governments to establish loan programs, authorized through a bylaw, to assist their property tax ratepayers in financing activities that meet the definition of “local improvements” tied to energy efficiency or renewable energy. However, it’s a mechanism that essentially requires adopters to be bankers, supplying the upfront funding, negotiating and administering loans. In Toronto’s case, the effort was launched with $20 million — split 50/50 between the Hi-RIS and single-family residential loan programs — in 2014.

“Toronto is somewhat unique in size and the resources that it has available. Many cities haven’t wanted to take on the debt to do this, and they lack the administrative capability and staffing levels to run such a program,” observes Bryan Purcell, vice president, policy, with The Atmospheric Fund (TAF), a regional agency that supports climate-related programs in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. “In the arrangement the Province is looking at, the money wouldn’t be coming from municipalities. They’d essentially act as a payment facilitator and provide a kind of backstop security for the loan.”

The proposal, outlined on the Ontario government’s regulatory registry, is similar to PACE frameworks for commercial buildings that are in place in more than 35 states in the United States. It would create flexibility for a three-party approach, in which a borrower would obtain private financing and the municipality would register the loan, secure it with the same priority lien that applies on property tax arrears and collect loan payments (to be conveyed to the lender) through an added charge on the property tax bill.

Should municipalities choose to opt in, the Ontario government proposes that the financing mechanism would be available to commercial, industrial and multi-residential ratepayers for loans equivalent to up to 35 per cent of the property’s value. Financing must be used for energy and/or water efficiency upgrades and/or installation of on-site renewable energy generation, and borrowers would need to obtain consent from other loan-holders on the property.

Proposed parameters include a prohibition on penalties for paying off loans ahead of schedule. The consultation questions ask for feedback on whether lenders should be pre-approved to participate and whether further provincial regulatory oversight is required.

Potential benefits for lenders and municipalities

For lenders, PACE provides an extra measure of risk management since the loans would have senior ranking, alongside property tax arrears, in the debt stack. Purcell speculates that it could also open up business opportunities and operational efficiencies that could come with a standardized approach to loan administration. In the U.S., for example, financial institutions are prominent in the membership of the C-PACE Alliance, an association that promotes best practices for the mechanism.

For municipalities, it could be an expedient way to facilitate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and/or water efficiency gains that ease demand on their utilities while offloading program management to the entities that actually specialize in lending technicalities. The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) published a PACE primer in late 2024, providing a province-by-province breakdown of enabling legislation and the programs it had fostered to that date. Those were largely confined to the residential sector, with Edmonton cited as a rare example of offering PACE for commercial buildings.

Under existing PACE rules, municipalities will recover their upfront capital as loans are repaid and the programs become self-sustaining, but it still requires ongoing oversight that could pose an even greater barrier, particularly for smaller municipalities. Purcell contrasts current requirements to negotiate terms and manage loan transactions versus the more simple involvement necessary to bring private lenders into the mix.

“It leverages the processes they already have in place to collect property taxes,” he notes. “It could make a lot more sense for cities if they can opt into a program where there are pre-approved lenders and a standardized process, and transactions just come to them for final review and adding to the property tax roll. That’s much more feasible to manage than a program they have to create from scratch.”

Broadening and stabilizing the landscape for borrowers

This approach to PACE financing wouldn’t necessarily deliver any perks to borrowers that they couldn’t obtain through conventional loan channels, but Purcell suggests there are some inherent benefits in broadening the “borrowers’ ecosystem” by opening up commercial access to the mechanism along with an ample ceiling on allowable loan value. As well, some borrowers may be attracted to the unique PACE characteristic that ties the loan to the property and transfers it to the new owner upon a sale.

“For this to help accelerate retrofits, it’s going to be key to see what kind of terms lenders would be willing to offer with the commercial PACE backstop,” Purcell muses. “To the extent that it translates into preferential financing terms — whether that’s lower interest rates or locking in that interest rate for a longer period of time or longer amortizations — that’s where it would really help to drive the market.”

It’s clear that the commercial real estate industry is increasingly investing in electrification, smart building systems and climate resilience improvements. Enthusiastic enrollment in the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) of Canada’s Enspire program, and similar initiatives affiliated with Natural Resources Canada’s deep retrofit accelerator initiative, signals there is a receptive audience for potential new avenues of assistance for turning that advance planning into material capital improvements.

“A C-PACE program could become another valuable option, provided it is voluntary, commercially competitive, easy to access and does not introduce unnecessary legal, administrative or financing risks,” says Dean Karakasis, chief executive officer of BOMA Ottawa. “To encourage broad participation, the program should complement existing lending structures, provide certainty for mortgage lenders and owners, and offer a streamlined application process.”

Coinciding ambitions

Coincidentally, delegates to the International Energy Agency’s recent annual conference on energy efficiency identified heating and cooling in buildings and public-private collaboration among priorities for achieving a target to double energy efficiency progress, relative to 2023, by 2030. Canada was one of 35 national signatories to the Montreal Action Plan (so named for the host location of this year’s global conference), which pledges to put energy efficiency at the centre of energy policy.

“An essential element of all energy efficiency action is boosting private finance. Rapidly scaling up energy efficiency investments requires a comprehensive approach that addresses financial, technical and institutional barriers,” it states. “By strategically deploying public resources along with favourable regulatory frameworks and support tools, we can foster solutions and support the development of a strong energy efficiency services market.”

Business representatives participating in the conference’s panel discussions called for clarity and consistency in policymaking along with incentives and other financial supports to give lenders more assurance about program and borrower stability. Notably, the historical record suggests borrowers and lenders alike have reason to be wary that programs could be revised or cancelled if governments change.

“Stability in the rules is really important,” asserted Marie-Claude Dumas, president of Canadian operations for the multinational consulting engineering firm, WSP. “And we need to have clarity in the messaging so companies or customers can actually say: I understand what this means; I’m going to commit to it, get the financing and do it.”

“Access to financing remains one of the biggest barriers to undertaking deep energy retrofits, but well-designed funding tools can successfully help owners begin that journey,” Karakasis concurs.

Comments on the Ontario government’s proposal for commercial PACE financing can be submitted until Aug. 1, 2026.

New funding pushes Val‑Martin revitalization toward completion

The Governments of Quebec and Canada have announced a new financial commitment to complete the final phase of the Val‑Martin project’s South Block, paving the way for the reconstruction of 140 low‑rent housing units. These homes will add to the substantial progress already made in earlier phases, which delivered 124 reconstructed units, 235 newly built units, and the Simonne‑Monet‑Chartrand Community Centre. The tendering process for this final phase is now underway and will determine both the project’s budget and construction timeline.

“Revitalizing Val-Martin is an ambitious project that reflects our commitment to building safe, high-quality living environments that meet the diverse needs of low-income households,” said Karine Boivin Roy, Quebec Minister Responsible for Housing. “Val-Martin embodies a long-term vision that, with today’s announcement, is moving closer to becoming a reality. The Government of Quebec has supported the project at every stage. Once again, we are reaffirming our commitment to the people of Laval and Quebec to increase the supply of affordable housing.”

When redevelopment began, the Val‑Martin complex contained 534 low‑rent housing units. Once all phases are complete, increased density across the site is expected to accommodate 650 additional units, bringing the total to 1,220.

The new investment is being made through the Société d’habitation du Québec’s (SHQ) low‑rental housing renovation program, created to deliver funding allocated under Initiative 2 of the Canada–Quebec Housing Agreement. In parallel, the Office municipal d’habitation de Laval is advancing a separate project to rebuild 74 low‑rent housing units in the northern portion of the sector.

The SHQ works to meet the housing needs of Quebecers by increasing supply across the province for people with low or moderate incomes and for those with special needs. It supports partners involved in construction, renovation, property management, and home adaptation, and provides direct financial assistance to low‑income households to help them pay their rent.

“Thanks to the Canada-Quebec Housing Agreement, the community has been able to begin the revitalization of Val-Martin,” added Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister Responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada. “The success of this long-term project demonstrates a shared commitment to supporting residents, strengthening the community’s well-being and enabling more Laval residents to access affordable housing.”

Children with health complexity centre hits halfway mark

Construction has reached the halfway mark on the new BC Children’s Hospital centre for health complexity.

The milestone was celebrated with the last panel of mass timber being installed in place above the centre’s main entrance. The centre, slated to open in 2028, will be the first health-care facility in B.C. to use a hybrid mass timber construction.

As the first-of-its-kind in Canada, the 166,000-square-foot facility will serve children and youth up to 19 years old with complex healthcare needs that require constant care and usually affect multiple body functions. It will help ensure children with the most complex health needs in B.C. and the Yukon receive the specialized care they need.

With the completion of the primary structure, the focus will shift to finishing the building’s exterior such as the facade and roof, and continuing interior work such as installing electrical and mechanical systems, technology, material finishes, furniture and equipment.

The building design will offer innovative, accessible spaces, such as a feature ramp, an All-Nations space and Indigenous healing garden, and a wellness path through the mature grove of trees, as well as comfortable patient family meeting rooms, recreation spaces, a dining area and a teaching kitchen to support wellness, learning and community building for families.

Managed by Ledcor as the design-build partner, with Diamond Schmitt as lead architects and Connect Landscape Architecture in charge of the physical terrain, the facility is designed as a welcoming and warm environment, prioritizing the experience of patients and caregivers alike.

Targeting LEED Gold, the project prioritizes environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and healthy indoor environments. Exposed wood and mass timber construction bring warmth to the building while reducing its embodied carbon.

Surrey announces new City Centre Arena

The City of Surrey announced an agreement in principle for the development of the City Centre Arena and Cultural Event Centre, with the Vancouver Giants as the anchor tenant.

“When we say big things are happening in Surrey, we mean it, and a new arena of this scale is as big as it gets,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “Bringing this arena to Surrey means jobs, investment, conference capacity, and major sports, arts and entertainment like never before. We’re already the economic powerhouse of the region, and this is another step in Surrey’s rise as a world-class city.”

Once complete, the 10,000-seat arena will become the new home for major sports, concerts and cultural events in Surrey, with the Giants relocating to the new venue. The project is anticipated to generate $2.4 billion in economic benefits for the city over the next 10 years.

“We are thrilled to be part of this amazing venue that will change the face of Surrey like never before,” said Ron Toigo, majority owner and president of the Vancouver Giants. “Exciting times for Surrey and it’s great to be a part of it.”

The project will also include a luxury hotel, conference space and housing, helping create a new sports and entertainment district that will attract investment, support economic growth and expand Surrey’s capacity to host major events.

The City Centre Arena and Cultural Event Centre will be built on land to be acquired by the city, directly across from City Hall and Surrey Central SkyTrain Station.

The City Centre Arena and Cultural Event Centre is anticipated to be completed by 2030, with an estimated cost of $360 million.