Organic waste diversion pilot expands in Alberta

A food rescue and organic waste diversion pilot targeting the industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I) sector has expanded to more jurisdictions of Alberta after successfully launching in Ontario’s Guelph-Wellington County.

The Circular Innovation Council is now looking for business and institutional participants in the Town of Westlock and Strathcona County who are interested in trialling food waste diversion to compost. Subsidized collections will launch in January 2024.

The pilot mimics the residential food waste collection model, consolidating collections amongst neighbouring businesses and institutions so they are able to work together to reduce the cost of collection. Businesses are first supported to redirect surplus edible food, if any, to community service agencies, keeping food at its highest value, while organic waste is collected and diverted from landfill to compost.

The nutrient-rich compost is applied to local regenerative mixed farms to improve soil health, sequester carbon, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

After 18-months of the pilot in Guelph-Wellington County, the initiative diverted 303 tonnes of organic waste and recovered $160,900 dollars-worth of surplus edible food, which means more than 48,000 meals were made available to those who face food insecurity.

Strathcona County will host this newest pilot to learn how the consolidated and shared collection model can help meet the County’s waste diversion and emission reduction objectives. The County is also interested in how the pilot can serve both an urban and rural setting. The pilot enhances access to affordable food waste diversion for businesses and institutions of all sizes, while connecting them with local charities to redistribute any surplus fresh food.

The Town of Westlock has invested in residential organics diversion, and is interested in understanding how the CIC model may help businesses and institutions in the region meet their waste diversion objectives by supporting equitable and affordable access to organics diversion for businesses and institutions of all sizes and types.

“The cooperative model shared between rural and urban communities is unique and critical to building the scale needed to coordinate investment and make the services affordable,” said Jo-Anne St. Godard, executive director, of the Circular Innovation Council. “The fact that the valuable compost will be utilized on local farms whose products could be sold within the community where the organics are collected fully completes the circle.”

The pilot received recognition from the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact’s biannual Global Forum as an internationally innovative food waste solution, selected from more than 250 programs submitted by 133 cities.

The IC&I sector is Canada’s largest generator of food waste.

Interested parties in Alberta can register on the Council’s website here.

Newfoundland’s Furey tackles smoking and vaping

Smoking and vaping will be banned on all provincial government property in Newfoundland and Labrador as of September 27. The announcement comes as the province marks its first Well-being Week, devoted to promoting physical, mental and financial health and the goal of becoming one of Canada’s healthiest provinces by 2031.

“We are focusing on creating a shift in how we can collectively make life better in our province,” Premier Andrew Furey advised earlier this month as he announced plans for the inaugural week focused on social determinants of health. “As a government, it means prioritizing spending and policy decisions that support the well-being of everyone in this province, while also empowering you to continue taking meaningful steps to better your well-being.”

The smoking and vaping prohibition will apply in provincial buildings and associated outdoor public spaces, including parking lots and the government’s fleet of vehicles. Smokers and vapers are also encouraged to take advantage of free online counselling that will connect them with support to cease the habit.

CAGBC secures decarbonization training funds

The Canada Green Building Council (CAGBC) will deliver decarbonization training to early and mid-career practitioners in the building design and operations fields with the support of a newly announced $7.9 million grant from the Canadian government. Six other organizations nationwide have also received skills development funding tied to the labour demands arising from low-carbon economic drivers.

In total, the package of seven grants will disburse $111.4 million to organizations serving the construction, manufacturing, mining, electricity, renewable energy and agricultural/agri-food sectors, and is expected to underwrite training and/or skills upgrading for more than 22,000 workers. The largest chunk of the funding — $46.5 million — has been allocated to Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Hamilton, Ontario, to support training for a range of micro-credential certifications in green skills.

“Through these investments, we are positioning workers for success in the jobs of today and tomorrow,” says Randy Boissonnault, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages.

CAGBC projects that more than 3,000 participants will take advantage of its enhanced training and skills development, which will start rolling out next month and be available until March 31, 2024. The courses will be free of charge and there will be no requirement for previous training in sustainability.

Other grant recipients include: Canadian Skills Training and Employment Coalition; Electricity Human Resources Canada; the Mining Industry Human Resources Council; Iron and Earth, an Alberta-based not-for-profit organization with an interest in transitioning fossil-fuel workers to new career paths; and the TREC Charitable Foundation Relay Education program, which will develop training workshops for solar installation and operations, vertical farming/greenhouse, wind energy and geographic information system mapping for renewable energy.

Pilot program to explore coastal adaptation

A new pilot program associated with Canada’s climate change adaptation strategy will fund up to 25 demonstration projects along the Atlantic, Pacific and Northern coasts and in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence river basin. The request for proposals (RFP) seeks integrated planning exercises that will bring various disciplines together to consider engineered, nature-based and policy actions to improve resilience to climate-related risks in coastal areas.

Proponents can generally receive funding to cover 75 per cent of eligible costs (Territorial governments and Indigenous-led projects qualify for full funding) with the government’s minimum contribution threshold set at $300,000. A total of $30 million is available to underwrite the projects.

Projects will be expected to produce a replicable adaptation plan that identifies required measures and key delivery agents over a sustained period of time to respond to hazards such as coastal erosion, flooding and storm surge. These should address land-use policies, building codes and standards, nature-based adaptation, asset relocation/abandonment, infrastructure resilience, financing strategies and governance approaches.

The RFP will be open until December 13, 2023. Provincial/territorial/municipal governments and their related agencies, Indigenous communities and organizations, private business, community-based and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and industry, professional and research associations can apply.

The government has also released a new report outlining recommended practices for an integrated, multidisciplinary response to climate change in coastal regions to help guide the process. Chosen proponents can begin work on April 1, 2024 and must complete their projects by December 31, 2027.

Pinemount, Elysium partner on Emery Village site

Pinemount Developments Ltd. and Elysium Investments have partnered on a 1.78-acre site located in Emery Village, Toronto, at 3406-3434 Weston Road. The development site currently hosts a single-storey commercial plaza that is projected to give way to a mixed-use, multi-tower complex in the near future.

In a joint press release, Pinemount and Elysium said they are “looking forward to leveraging each other’s extensive experience in acquiring and developing multifamily assets across Ontario, to yield a development site that will serve the emergent housing and commercial space demand from the near-complete Finch West LRT line—a transit system that will unlock travel options for thousands of residents in northwest Toronto, cutting down commute times and increasing travel reliability.”

Emery Village at Finch and Weston Road is Canada’s largest Business Improvement Area (BIA), founded in 2003. Home to approximately 3,200 businesses and over 28,000 full and part-time employees, land-uses in Emery Village include retail strip malls and industrial/institutional uses to the north and south of the main intersection.

Pinemount Developments Ltd. is a Toronto-based real estate development and management firm focused on delivering quality multifamily residential mid- to high-rise buildings in the southern Ontario market, specifically Barrie, Guelph, Hamilton, North York, and the Greater Toronto Area.

Elysium Investments owns and develops real estate in Canada with a focus on identifying and unlocking land and development values, at or within close proximity to key transit nodes and public amenities within select primary and secondary markets in Southern Ontario.

New Vancouver Art Gallery breaks ground

The Vancouver Art Galley held a special Ground Awakening Ceremony to mark the start of site remediation and construction for its new home in downtown Vancouver.

Completion of the building, located at 181 West Georgia Street, is estimated to be in 2028.

To date, the gallery has raised more than $340 million of its $400 million fundraising target (85 per-cent), with multi-level support from private and corporate donations as well as funding from the federal and B.C. provincial governments and City of Vancouver.

As the project moves into its final fundraising push, the Vancouver Art Gallery has launched a new campaign to engage wider communities, entitled The Build Up. The campaign represents the next chapter in the years-long journey toward the building of a state-of-the-art cultural hub.

The new, purpose-built Gallery will include dedicated space for the Institute of Asian Art, a multi-purpose Indigenous Community House, a state-of-the-art theatre, public outdoor spaces and dedicated artist studios. In addition, the new building will double the gallery’s current exhibition space, enabling a wider breadth of works from its permanent collection to be presented, along with an even greater variety of Indigenous, Asian and international artists as well as iconic Canadian artists such as Emily Carr.

Designed by renowned Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, with executive architect Perkins + Will and in close collaboration with four local Indigenous artists, the new building will be an iconic addition to the city’s skyline, honouring a Coast Salish worldview in the very fabric of the exterior of the building, represented by traditional weaving techniques that will form part of the facade.

Mass timber will be featured as part of the construction to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. The new gallery will be the first Passive House art gallery in North America and will be the most environmentally sustainable art museum in Canada.

Royal BC Museum building construction underway

Construction on the Royal BC Museum’s (RBCM) collections and research building (CRB) has begun in Colwood, B.C.

In preparation for construction, Shaker Faith workers led a ceremonial land blessing to bless the site and workers.

“It’s an important day as we move forward on a new collections and archives building that will properly store and safeguard our province’s shared history, priceless artifacts and archives,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport. “I was honoured to witness the Shaker Faith workers bless and prepare the land of the CRB prior to construction. I look forward to working with the Royal BC Museum, Maple Reinders, the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, and the City of Colwood on this important new building.”

The new 15,200 square-metre (164,000 square foot) building will be a state-of-the-art facility using mass timber that will safely house the province’s collections and BC Archives. It will improve access for the public as only one per cent of the province’s vast collection is on display. It will also provide dedicated research labs and learning spaces.

“The provincial collections and archives help us to share the stories of our cultures and communities. It’s vital to ensure they’re kept safe for future generations,” said Tracey Drake, acting CEO, Royal BC Museum. “This exceptional facility will also provide a window into the world of the museum, enabling visitors to see our paleontologists, entomologists, botanists, zoologists and more, engaged in active research projects.”

Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. was awarded a $204.8-million contract for the design and construction of the CRB in Colwood. Total capital project costs for the CRB are estimated at $270 million.

Government expects substantial completion in fall 2025 and anticipates a public opening in 2026.

Scrap the Paper – Interactive Digital Information Hubs Keep Residents Informed

Complaints about poor communication rate high among owners of condominium units. Those who are not on the Board often report feeling out of control when it comes to knowing what is happening in their buildings. Requests for better communication are a regular minuted item at the AGM. Newsletters get suggested, website portals proposed, but these take time to produce and maintain.

For property managers, communicating with residents represents a substantial part of the job. For large, active buildings, bulletins may be a weekly or even daily occurrence. Despite advancements in technology, many property managers still turn to paper notices to provide updates to residents. Whether they deliver it themselves or take valuable staff hours away from the concierge, superintendent, or security desks, plastering up notices in the lobby or elevators, or delivering them under doors, is time intensive and costly.

An interactive digital information hub in the main lobby of a building allows anyone entering or leaving the building to be updated on matters directly affecting their community. With custom-designed interfaces, youRhere’s digital hubs provide a multimedia solution designed to engage and offer a sustainable solution to communication in condominiums.

With freedom from paper usage realized, condominiums can share positive updates as well as unwelcome news. No matter where you are, whatever the message, your residents can be promptly and properly informed.

“It’s obviously inefficient and time consuming for management to go around putting up and taking down posters,” says Scot Martin, President and CEO of youRhere. “Schedules can change at the last minute and notices need updating. Then someone must go around and physically replace the originals with updates. Digital signage is an efficient way of reaching your condominium resident base—of changing or updating notices with a few keystrokes on a laptop or smartphone—all while reducing your carbon footprint.”

Enhance your building’s aesthetic

Interactive digital hubs for condominiums can be floor, wall, or desk-mounted, fixed or portable. Providing multiple language options, they break down barriers for those with English as their second language. For residents who are sight or hearing impaired, youRhere information hubs can be equipped with text to voice easily accessed through headphones. For those who are mobility impaired, the menus on standalone units are electronically height-adjustable and easily accessed by residents in wheelchairs.

Not to mention the aesthetics.

“If you have a condominium with a grand entrance and a million-dollar lobby, installing a state-of-the-art digital screen makes a statement consistent with the desired building image. It’s much nicer than a dog-eared piece of paper hanging off the wall,” asserts Martin.

Accessed through a portal on youRhere’s website, clients use a simple Content Management System (CMS) to update information on the interactive hubs. Data is cached locally and stored in a computer behind the screen so that if the building loses internet access, information remains displayed.

No graphic design or website experience is required for making updates, and youRhere will design a multitude of templates to best suit the needs of the building. Unlimited changes can be made through the CMS and can be completed via a multitude of devices including a smart phone. youRhere provide substantial training to enable authorized personnel to update messaging in real time, or if preferred, youRhere can take care of the changes as well. No matter which option is chosen, a great support team is available to guide users through each step.

To make best use of the hubs, usage data can be easily downloaded and analyzed to best understand who is using the screens and how they are being used. This can be helpful when deciding how to best tailor messaging, as well as which types of information are attracting the most users.

Surprisingly Affordable

Digital hubs are surprisingly affordable—they can be purchased upfront through a one-time fee with monthly maintenance payments, or they can be leased. Some clients have also accepted advertising from local businesses, perhaps a nearby restaurant or coffee shop, allowing the corporation to recover associated monthly costs.

What kind of information can digital hubs relay?

Maintenance, Repair and Construction Notices

In condominiums, the most common type of communication is to alert residents of ongoing work in or around the building. Need to alert everyone that there’s a planned water outage? Are you planning a fire inspection? Even if the work gets rescheduled, residents will know the most current information.

Annual General Meetings and Special Events

Let your residents know the date of the next AGM or other meeting. Let them know where and when, long before they get their Notice of Meeting package. Digital hubs are also a great way to let your community know about upcoming social events!

Amenity Information, Health & Safety Updates, & Well Wishes

Many properties use digital hubs to provide information such as opening hours for the gym and pool. Digital hubs were used extensively during Covid to communicate health and safety messaging. The screens can also be used for well-wishes during holidays or celebrations.

Local Transit Alerts & Schedules of Sporting Events

Help get your residents to where they need to be! youRhere’s digital hubs provide real-time transit information so residents can jump on the next scheduled bus, subway, or train, without having to wait outside in the cold or rain. Some clients in the downtown of major cities choose to display schedules of major sporting or concert events. “This allows people to plan any travel around the game or event and avoid expected traffic,” explains Martin.

Visitor Information

Digital signage can provide helpful insights for first time visitors to the building. For prospective unit purchasers, a display of photos advertising the amenities, local businesses, and community events, can give them a sneak peek into their prospective community.

Condominiums may be part of a multi-use facility such as a hotel, office complex, or have retail space on the ground floor. Digital information hubs can provide navigational gateways for visitors and provide QR codes so that directional information travels with them.

Key Contact & Life Saving Information

In the event of an emergency, knowing who to call is crucial. Phone numbers for the condominium management office, superintendent, and key personnel can all be stored in the digital hub, along with information on defibrillator locations.

Interactive digital information hubs offer much more than traditional signage. Modern, visually impactful messaging keeps residents engaged and informed.

Scot Martin is the CEO of youRhere, a leading provider of digital signage solutions for commercial, retail, healthcare and educational properties across Canada. For more information, visit www.youRhere.ca.

Promises aplenty ahead of Manitoba election

Manitobans are hearing promises aplenty as political parties offer up tax cuts, rate freezes and incentive programs ahead of next month’s provincial election. A mix of proposals aimed at business operating expenses and affordability for consumers could have potential impacts for commercial and multifamily landlords.

The presumed leading contenders — the incumbent Progressive Conservatives (PCs) and official opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) — are targeting somewhat different voter demographics, but both pledge to retain Manitoba’s education property tax rebate in some form. Meanwhile, the Liberals say they will overhaul the property tax system and largely dismantle the rebate except for low-income and small property owners, seniors on fixed incomes and people with disabilities, who would be eligible for more generous disbursements than are currently available.

Both opposition parties are critical of the universal nature of the rebate, which the Manitoba government introduced in 2021. (At the time, it was presented as a step toward eventually uploading responsibility for education funding from a patchwork of school districts to the provincial tax base.) The Liberal platform notes that “many cheques are being sent to commercial landholders and institutional investors outside of Manitoba”, while the NDP commits to “stop the PCs’ practice of handing out rebate cheques to billionaires”.

However, the NDP promises to continue a 50 per cent rebate of education property taxes for residential and farm ratepayers. It also pledges to “bring in stronger rent control” and to boost the tax credit for renters to $700 from the current $525 annual amount.

Conservatives pad platform with tax cuts

The PCs are appealing to business operators with a promise to eliminate the provincial payroll tax by 2032. Currently, employers with annual payrolls in excess of $1.5 million are subject to the levy, which goes toward funding health care and post-secondary education. Companies with annual payrolls in the range of $1,500,001 to $3 million are exempted for the first $1.5 million and taxed at 4.3 per cent on the remainder, for a maximum of $64,500, while companies with payrolls exceeding $3 million are taxed at 2.15 per cent on the entire amount, garnering upwards of $64,500.

In announcing the envisioned phase-out, which would cut the tax rate by 50 per cent over the next four years, the governing party calls it an “anti-competitive” tax. “This tax has been deterring business from coming to Manitoba or expanding in our province,” maintains Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson.

The PCs are also promising to exempt first-time homebuyers from the provincial land transfer tax, which is currently equivalent to 2 per cent of the purchase price of properties valued at $200,000+. Graduated tax rates from 0.5 to 1.5 per cent are levied on transactions valued between $30,000 and $199,999.

Commercial and multifamily landlords are among the potential beneficiaries of another small tax perk in the PCs’ list of promises, which would eliminate provincial sales tax (PST) on the purchase of trees, plants and flowers. That would add some of the mainstays of decorative groundskeeping in with the fruit and vegetable plants that are already exempt from PST.

NDP disdains demand-response pricing for electricity

The NDP is promising to hold the PST steady at 7 per cent, cut the vehicle gas tax by $0.14 per litre and freeze hydro rates for 2024. It has also declared it will ban surge pricing (also known as time-of-use) for electricity, even though that rate structure is not yet available in Manitoba.

This pre-emptive strike responds to Manitoba Hydro’s recently unveiled long-term strategic plan, which calls for consideration of the demand-response pricing model that many other jurisdictions have already adopted. For example, Ontario introduced time-of-use rates for residential, small business and farm electricity customers in 2006 and is in the process of adding a new ultra-low overnight pricing option.

“Current rate structures do not incorporate any seasonal or time-varying differences in cost or value. Some utilities have more complex rate structures in place, which allow the utility to provide more dynamic pricing with the goal of shifting energy use to lower-demand times in the day,” Manitoba Hydro’s plan states. “Price signals allow the customer to take advantage of lower-cost periods, which enables the utility to improve the overall effectiveness of managing the grid.”

The NDP serves up a less complete explanation in its campaign information — characterizing surge pricing as a mechanism that “will increase hydro rates for Manitobans during times of peak demand, like on the hottest and coldest days of the year.”

Liberals and Greens offer energy efficiency incentives

The Liberals are promising a $300-million fund to subsidize: residential and commercial energy retrofits; new electric vehicle charging stations; development of wind and solar power generation; and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. Another $15 million is additionally earmarked for an initial investment in cleaning up toxic properties.

The party also proposes to create 10,000 new units of housing for residents with low incomes over the next 10 years. Partnerships with private landlords, other levels of government and other organizations would be encouraged, and units could be procured through purchase of existing buildings, direct new development or offering incentives to private developers in return for longer-term access to a portion of units in their new multifamily projects.

Under a Liberal government, businesses that pay corporate tax in the province would be compelled to declare their beneficial owners, and this information would be made public in a searchable online registry. To support financially stressed business operators, the Liberals pledge to establish a “debt compromise board”, which is promoted as “a forum where they can meet with their lender to find ways to restructure debts”.

The Green platform has fewer specifics, but promises new incentives to upgrade insulation in existing buildings. The Greens would also amend the building code to mandate “super-efficiency insulation standards” and provisions for on-site renewable energy generation in new construction, and would halt the expansion of natural gas services for residential heating.

The party pledges to “offer support to businesses interested in making the transition to renewable energy” but to “only support commercial development and operations that demonstrate a strong commitment to preserving and protecting ecosystems”.

Election day is October 3.

Canada’s Enhanced GST Rental Rebate program

The Canadian government is removing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on future purpose-built rental projects to incentivize the construction of much-needed rental housing. It’s the latest in a flurry of new measures announced by the Trudeau government to address the ongoing housing crisis—and for residential housing developers, it comes as welcome news.

“This really is a game-changer and it’s something that we applaud the government for undertaking,” said Dave Wilkes, president and CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). “This is something that the industry has identified as a barrier for purpose-built rental, and we believe that it is a really significant step.”

The measure was first proposed, then promptly dropped, by the Liberal government in 2015. Reintroduced as the “Enhanced GST Rental Rebate” program on September 14th, 2023, it increases the existing rebate from 36 per cent to 100 per cent for any purpose-built rental housing project about to embark on construction. Whether it’s a student housing building, a senior residence, a quadplex, or a multi-tower rental complex, qualifying developments can expect a five per cent reduction in their overall costs as a result of this enhancement. Projects that convert existing non-residential real estate, such as an office building into a residential complex, are also eligible for the rebate.

“The stark and deeply troubling fact is that we are in a housing crisis and face an acute shortage of supply, so it is critical that government leaders come up with steps to spur construction of more housing and purpose-built rentals,” commented Richard Lyall, President of Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON). “We need millions more units and must pull out all the stops to make that happen. The moves proposed today are a good start.”

To maximize the impact of the new measure, the federal government is calling on the Provinces to follow suit. So far, Premier Ford has committed to lifting Ontario’s provincial sales tax from new rental construction, as has Newfoundland and Labrador. (British Columbia and Alberta do not charge a provincial tax.)

It’s a good start, but how much of an impact will it have considering the scope of the crisis?

In late 2022, BILD, along with the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO), Urbanation, and Finnegan Marshall, collaborated on a report looking at purpose-built rental supply in the GTA. Findings were dire, indicating that the supply deficit will double in the next 10 years to 177,000 units across the GTA if urgent action is not taken.

“We haven’t built enough purpose-built rentals to accommodate our growing population, yet projects were still being saddled with whopping sales taxes on the fair market value of a building upon completion,” said Lyall. “When encumbered with such formidable financial hurdles, developers often find it difficult to proceed with apartment building projects. These adjustments are clearly a step in the right direction as it will shave costs from constructing apartments and lead to more building.”

From the tenant perspective, advocates of the GST Rental Rebate program say that any step that encourages the construction of purpose-built rental housing over condominiums is a positive move for improving affordability. According to Jacob Gorenkoff who leads the affordable housing policy and advocacy work of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, “Eliminating GST on purpose-built rental projects is an important first step towards creating more of the housing that many Canadians need, at costs that are affordable to them. But like the Prime Minister said during the September 14 announcement, there is no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis.”

Gorenkoff added, “If we want Canadians to have access to affordable homes, the federal government needs to lead a Team Canada approach to housing, working with all levels of government, and private and non-profit housing providers, to set clear targets that can be achieved through ambitious, yet functional policies and programs. A key consideration must be supporting Canadians that can’t afford housing offered at sky-high market rates. The best way to help these neighbours is by doubling Canada’s proportion of community housing stock to be on par with the OECD and G7 averages.”

Meanwhile, the Liberals aren’t the only ones proposing urgent measures to encourage more housing development. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre announced his intent to introduce the “Building Homes, Not Bureaucracy” Act to encourage municipalities to meet their housing targets. Bonuses would be given to those that exceed their goals, and funds withdrawn from those that don’t. He also proposed removing the GST on any new buildings that offer below market rental prices, and vows to address municipal-level barriers to housing development.

“We need quick and bold action on the housing front to bring us back from the dark abyss,” concluded Lyall. “Mr. Poilievre’s proposal would encourage cities to reach their housing targets, speed up the construction of much-needed new condos and homes, and make it easier for developers and builders to get shovels in the ground as soon as possible. Such a situation is a win-win for everyone.”

About the Enhanced GST Rental Rebate program

According to the government website, qualifying new residential units would be those that are in buildings with at least:

Four private apartment units (i.e., a unit with a private kitchen, bathroom, and living areas), or at least 10 private rooms or suites (e.g., a 10-unit residence for students, seniors, or people with disabilities); and,
Ninety per cent of residential units designated for long-term rental.

Projects that convert existing non-residential real estate into a residential complex are also eligible provided they meet the conditions above.

The enhanced GST Rental Rebate will not apply to individually-owned condominium units, single-unit housing, duplexes, triplexes, housing co-ops, and owned houses situated on leased land and sites in residential trailer parks.

Find out more at: Enhanced GST Rental Rebate to build more apartments for renters – Canada.ca

Commercial cleaners and their mental health

With the heightened attention on cleaning and sanitizing, labour shortages, and shifting building occupancy, the last few years have certainly taken their toll on the commercial cleaning industry. And while cleaners and janitorial staff have been recognized as the unsung heroes, they have been burdened with more work, less labour, and higher expectations from customers, all affecting the mental health of the industry.

Working extreme hours can cause stress, burnout, and health issues, and many cleaners are experiencing these effects as the industry continues to recover.

The night shift

Not only has the pandemic had an impact, but working nights can really negatively affect workers’ health, too. Studies show that 70 per cent of night-shift cleaners are not getting enough sleep, 45 per cent of female workers have safety concerns, and 70 per cent said they work off-hours because they don’t have a choice.

One of the positives of the pandemic is the growth of work-from-home and flex schedules. With building occupancy shifting, many businesses are adjusting their cleaning schedules to include a day shift, which will may alleviate some of the stress that cleaners face.

There are some steps that cleaners can take to help mitigate some of the stress that they are experiencing in this post-pandemic landscape. Experts recommend that cleaners:

Implement systems that can automate repetitive jobs to save time and focus on the bigger tasks.
Use teamwork to better distribute tasks and get closer to the work-life balance we are all seeking.
Set strict schedules to be able to accomplish more and still have time for yourself.

Invisibility

Many cleaners feel that they are invisible, or that their work has been undervalued, and that can lead to mental health struggles. Traditionally, working at night when no one is around means that there is very little socialization and often that means no recognition. This can be hard on workers.

There are some steps that companies can take to recognize the hard work and detailed skill that commercial cleaning requires:

Allowing cleaners autonomy over their processes and schedules means that they can better allocate their time, that their expertise is recognized, and it shows confidence in their abilities.
Providing proper training, tools, and resources to boost cleaners’ confidence and allow their work to shine.
Promoting respect and recognition among employees to elevate the image of commercial cleaners and make the work environment more enjoyable.

Prioritizing the mental health of all workers is crucial and commercial cleaners have faced additional challenges in the last few years. Prioritizing their mental health, elevating the industry, and helping to build workers’ confidence can create a more positive work environment, lift some of the stresses of the job, and make the industry more appealing to new potential employees.

SNC-Lavalin rebrands to AtkinsRéalis

Engineering giant SNC-Lavalin has announced that it is rebranding to AtkinsRéalis.

Building on more than a century of from brands such as SNC-Lavalin, Atkins, Faithful+Gould, DTS and Atkins Acuity, AtkinsRéalis brings the whole organization together under one single brand and represents a major milestone in the company’s transformation journey.

AtkinsRéalis combines the expertise of its 36,000 employees across markets and regions to deliver end-to-end solutions in the built and natural environments.

“AtkinsRéalis is a new name for a new transformed company: our ability to draw upon such breadth and depth of global capabilities will maximize our ability to work seamlessly and provide one integrated offering for our clients and partners,” said Ian L. Edwards, president and CEO of AtkinsRéalis.

The name AtkinsRéalis is a coined term that combines Atkins, a legacy brand that is well-established across the company’s international markets, and “Réalis,” inspired by the City of Montréal and the company’s French-Canadian roots. “Réalis” also resembles the verb “to realize” or “to make happen” which emphasizes our focus on outcomes and project delivery.

Edwards stressed that the most important change has been redefining the company’s purpose and strengthening its culture.

“We have reached an inflection point so now is the right time to rebrand to AtkinsRéalis and reflect the exciting future ahead of us,” he said.

Headquartered in Montréal, the company has offices in more than 50 countries.

Prison time for supervisor in NB jobsite death

A New Brunswick construction supervisor has been sentenced to three years in prison for criminal negligence after the jobsite death of an 18-year-old member of his work crew. Fredericton-based Springhill Construction Ltd. also awaits trial for the August 2018 fatality, which occurred at the city’s wastewater treatment plant when the victim was trapped in a utility hole that suddenly filled with water.

The sentence was decreed earlier this week, following a guilty verdict and the judge’s ruling that Jason King had demonstrated “wanton and reckless disregard” for safety. Evidence from the trial showed that he neither followed safety directions for the procedure underway nor properly informed the worker of the risk. King also testified that he had not read his company’s safety manuals, even though that was an obligation of his supervisory role.

“This sentence should send a strong message to employers across the country that all workplace parties, including supervisors and managers who direct work, must fulfill their obligations under the Criminal Code and workplace health and safety legislation,” says Myles Sullivan, director for the United Steelworkers union in Ontario and Atlantic Canada.

A trial is now pending for the separate criminal negligence charge against King’s employer.

“The evidence already accepted in court demonstrates that the company employed a supervisor who was not sufficiently trained on critical health and safety issues,” observes Daniel Légère, president of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour. “The company’s role in this tragedy has not been resolved and we expect a vigorous prosecution on the criminal negligence charge.”

Saskatoon hospital opens seizure and epilepsy unit

A new seizure and epilepsy unit opened at Saskatoon’s Royal University Hospital for patients to access enhanced monitoring and diagnostic services. About 10,500 people in Saskatchewan are living with epilepsy.

The four-bed Seizure Investigation Unit doubles the number of inpatient beds previously available to help reduce the current wait times for patients 17 years of age and older. The environment is highly-specialized and controlled so neurologists and other physicians can monitor brain activity in patients for a certain period. This typically includes performing surgical interventions to gather important information, such as the nature and origin of seizures.

Design input from patients and family members helped create a nurturing, home-like atmosphere for people with difficult-to-diagnose or difficult-to-treat seizures or epilepsy. Many patients living with seizure disorders or epilepsy can control seizures with medication. However, in some cases seizures are resistant to medication and surgery can be an option, which is determined through in-depth monitoring and diagnostic treatments.

“Previously, people undergoing seizure monitoring at RUH found themselves in a shared space alongside critically ill patients, which heightened their stress and presented obstacles for our medical team to capture crucial patient information,” Saskatchewan Epilepsy Program with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the University of Saskatchewan Medical Director Dr. Alexandra Carter said. “Our new Seizure Investigation Unit creates an environment where comfort and cutting-edge care converge, allowing us to provide advanced medical care tailored to our patients’ needs and help fulfill our mission to the people of Saskatchewan living with seizures and epilepsy.”

A total of $2.2 million was spent to renovate and furnish the SIU. The Royal University Hospital Foundation (RUHF) contributed $1.2 million in funding to cover capital and equipment costs, with the Government of Saskatchewan providing the remaining $1 million. The government will be investing $1.35 million in annual operational funding in the SIU.

Downsview Framework Plan awarded Toronto Urban Design Award

The blueprint guiding the Downsview Framework Plan was recognized with a 2023 Toronto Urban Design Award in the Vision and Masterplan category. The project is one of the largest mixed-use developments in North America and will be carried out over the course of 30 years.

Central to the plan is a vision for low-carbon, inclusive, equitable and sustainable mixed-use neighbourhoods that honour the site’s aerospace legacy. The design comes from a team of international and local architects, designers and planners that includes Henning Larsen, SLA, KPMB and Urban Strategies Inc.

The 520-acre site encompasses the 370-acre former Downsview Airport Lands and portions of the former CFB Downsview, owned by Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company. A two-kilometre runway will be repurposed as a pedestrianized open space for community-led initiatives and large urban parks.

All residents will be within a five-minute walk of a park or open space. A three-kilometre Green Spine—a dedicated north-south cycle and pedestrian path spanning the entire length of the site– as well as other parks and open areas, will create 100 acres of new open spaces.

“This recognition shows that designing urban spaces in concert with nature and all its elements from the start is how we create resilient, climate-positive communities,” said Kevin Bridgman, partner at KPMB. “We’re at the beginning of an exhilarating new development that will re-connect Downsview with new types of neighbourhoods and to legacy natural systems of Toronto.”

Plans also call for using “blue-green infrastructure,” where parks, open spaces, streetscapes, and rooftops work together as an integrated nature-based stormwater management system, even during extreme storm events, while enhancing biodiversity across the site.

The design will retain and repurpose many existing industrial buildings to accommodate new uses. New homes for 80,000 residents, primarily mid-rise buildings, will create neighbourhoods with access to new facilities such as childcare, schools and community centres. The plan will also leverage three subway stations and a GO station, and enhance further connectivity with new streets, rail crossings and active mobility corridors.

“The Downsview Framework Plan is a transformational opportunity for this part of the city, inspired by Toronto’s rich natural landscapes and reflecting the voices of its diverse communities,” added Emily Reisman, partner of Urban Strategies Inc. “We’re proud to be part of a team that has developed a made-in-Toronto approach to sustainable development that puts people first.”

Understanding green cleaning labels for safety

Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the commercial cleaning world, with products making claims from biodegradable to organic to eco-friendly. However, it can happen that those “green” products, while better for the environment, pose a greater threat to the building occupants and cleaners.

It is easy to assume that products that are better for the environment are also better for the people using and experiencing them, but that is just not the case. Take an all-purpose cleaner as an example. While it may be eco-friendly, meeting a low VOC standard, it may also be corrosive, meaning it can cause damage if it comes into contact with eyes and skin.

So how can you work towards your environmental goals while maximizing safety for your team? There are a few things you can to look for on the label that fall into both categories:

Products featuring “non-toxic” seem like a good choice, however, this term is not regulated and can be used by companies freely. Similarly, word like “natural” or “green” can be misleading. Use organizations like ToxicFree Foundation to confirm whether this product uses “green light ingredients” that are safe and healthy for use.
Rather than wading through the vocabulary, start with certifications like Green Seal or ECOLOGO®, a Canadian certification given to products with verified reduced environmental impact. This ensures that the product meets the standards set out in the certification with minimal health effects.
Choose products where every ingredient is disclosed so you know exactly what you’re getting. Avoid unidentified “fragrances” which can often contain ingredients that can be harmful.
Stick with unscented and chemical-free products. Fragrances often come from VOCs, which can cause sensitivities and worsen the indoor air quality, making them less safe for those who come in contact with them.
Stay away from common VOCs seen on labels, such as benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, and toluene. Look for these ingredients on the labels of the products you are already using to see if you can swap them out.

While lowering our carbon footprint is crucial, it can’t happen at the cost of employee safety. Be vigilant in reading and understanding the labels for the products you are using, educate your staff, as you work towards meeting your environmental and safety goals.

Nanaimo company earns top CEDIA Award

Nanaimo-based Intuitiv and Wenner have been recognized with the coveted CEDIA Award for Best Integrated Home – Ultra Luxury Project.The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) is renowned for celebrating and honouring the most exceptional and groundbreaking achievements in the smart home industry. This year’s competition was fierce, with numerous contenders vying for the prestigious title.

Wenner with the support of their spinoff company Intuitiv rose above the rest, demonstrating an unrivaled commitment to delivering unparalleled integrated technology experiences for their clients.The winning project, ‘Qualia’ is the pinnacle of luxury and technological sophistication and showcases Intuitiv and Wenner’s ability to seamlessly merge cutting-edge technology with the finest elements of design and craftsmanship. The project marries aesthetics and functionality, offering homeowners an immersive and intuitive living experience that is both elegant and effortless.

The Crestron automation system installed by Wenner seamlessly integrates with the architectural design of the home. The system controls the lighting, heating, cooling, audio-visual systems, security, and window treatments throughout the house, providing the owner with ultimate control at their fingertips. The sophisticated and sleek user interface by Intuitiv blends harmoniously with the luxury features of “Qualia,” offering intuitive control without detracting from the home’s beautiful architectural design.“We are deeply honoured to receive this esteemed award from CEDIA. This achievement reflects the unwavering dedication of our team to push the boundaries of innovation and redefine what is possible in luxury home automation. We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our clients who entrust us with their dreams, and our talented team who brings those dreams to life,” said Intuitiv’s founder and CEO, Ryan Wenner.

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